Kitchen of the Week: Two-Tone Cabinets Play Up a Warm Copper Hood
A remodeling team updates a couple’s 1990s kitchen with new cabinets, appliances and finishes, all in the same footprint
A beautiful copper range hood caught the attention of this California couple when they bought their home. But that’s about all they liked about the 1990s kitchen. The knotty honey oak cabinets seemed better suited to a mountain cabin. Meanwhile, mismatched appliance finishes joined hot red walls and a range of colors on the brick floor to create a visually distracting palette.
Seeking a more contemporary design with clean lines, upgraded storage and new appliances, the couple turned to builder Scott Monday and designer Lindsay Kjellberg. The remodeling team kept the footprint the same but added custom Shaker-style cabinets in two tones: green-gray for the lowers and light gray for the uppers, which let that original copper hood stand out. New appliances, white quartzite countertops and new red oak flooring further bring the design up to date.
Seeking a more contemporary design with clean lines, upgraded storage and new appliances, the couple turned to builder Scott Monday and designer Lindsay Kjellberg. The remodeling team kept the footprint the same but added custom Shaker-style cabinets in two tones: green-gray for the lowers and light gray for the uppers, which let that original copper hood stand out. New appliances, white quartzite countertops and new red oak flooring further bring the design up to date.
After: Kjellberg and Monday kept the range hood but removed everything else. They worked within the existing footprint but relocated some of the appliances.
New custom Shaker-style cabinets feature a two-tone scheme. Light gray uppers (Worldly Gray by Sherwin-Williams) join white quartzite countertops and white zellige-style backsplash tile to give the space a bright look. Gray-green lower perimeter cabinets (Adaptive Shade by Sherwin-Williams) and a dark, rich green island (Rosemary by Sherwin-Williams) provide a moody base, while the red oak flooring anchors the room in warmth.
Knobs and pulls in an antique copper finish complement the range hood, as do the hammered copper shades of the pendant lights that descend from a skylight well. The shades have a patina with a good amount of green in it, Kjellberg says, which ties in with the green hues in the cabinetry.
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New custom Shaker-style cabinets feature a two-tone scheme. Light gray uppers (Worldly Gray by Sherwin-Williams) join white quartzite countertops and white zellige-style backsplash tile to give the space a bright look. Gray-green lower perimeter cabinets (Adaptive Shade by Sherwin-Williams) and a dark, rich green island (Rosemary by Sherwin-Williams) provide a moody base, while the red oak flooring anchors the room in warmth.
Knobs and pulls in an antique copper finish complement the range hood, as do the hammered copper shades of the pendant lights that descend from a skylight well. The shades have a patina with a good amount of green in it, Kjellberg says, which ties in with the green hues in the cabinetry.
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Before: In the previous kitchen, cooking functions were split between a gas cooktop, shown here, and double wall ovens located out of view. (See “before” photo below.) The copper range hood was a big draw, but Kjellberg and the homeowners thought the switches just below it looked out of place.
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After: Kjellberg and the homeowners chose to combine the cooking functions in a new 36-inch standard-depth stainless steel dual-fuel range. The appliance features a nonstick griddle and has Wi-Fi capability.
The remodeling team gave the copper hood a good cleaning and relocated the switches.
The zellige-style 5-by-5-inch white ceramic backsplash tiles feature a smooth gloss finish in varying shades. “I love that these tiles have different shades of white,” Kjellberg says. “Some are creamy undertones, some have gray. There are also bits of green, which I thought worked perfectly with the green we already had in the color scheme.”
Tile: Cloe in white, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; range: Thermador
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The remodeling team gave the copper hood a good cleaning and relocated the switches.
The zellige-style 5-by-5-inch white ceramic backsplash tiles feature a smooth gloss finish in varying shades. “I love that these tiles have different shades of white,” Kjellberg says. “Some are creamy undertones, some have gray. There are also bits of green, which I thought worked perfectly with the green we already had in the color scheme.”
Tile: Cloe in white, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; range: Thermador
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Before: In the previous kitchen, an angled corner featured an appliance garage on the counter between the cooktop and sink. “Corner appliance garages are so difficult because you have poor storage behind the door,” Kjellberg says.
After: Kjellberg eliminated the old appliance garage, allowing for more countertop surface. She also straightened out the lower cabinets for a cleaner and more open look and feel.
The quartzite countertops feature subtle gray and white wisps, striations and veining. “There are really nice white and light grays in this quartzite, and a bit of faint green too,” Kjellberg says. “A lot of times many people don’t know quartzite looks very similar to marble, but it’s not porous. It’s more durable and not as soft.”
Counters: Glacier White quartzite, 2 centimeters, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
The quartzite countertops feature subtle gray and white wisps, striations and veining. “There are really nice white and light grays in this quartzite, and a bit of faint green too,” Kjellberg says. “A lot of times many people don’t know quartzite looks very similar to marble, but it’s not porous. It’s more durable and not as soft.”
Counters: Glacier White quartzite, 2 centimeters, Bedrosians Tile and Stone
Before: In the previous space, a shallow double-bowl sink made washing pots and pans difficult. “With that little side shallow bowl, it was almost a complete waste of space,” Kjellberg says.
The all-white look of the sink, faucet, backsplash and countertop made everything visually disappear, giving a bland feel to the area.
The all-white look of the sink, faucet, backsplash and countertop made everything visually disappear, giving a bland feel to the area.
After: An extra-large, under-mount, single-bowl composite sink with concrete gray finish adds a clean look and gives the couple generous washing space.
A matte black pull-down faucet adds contrast and drama.
Sink: Diamond granite kitchen sink in Concrete Gray, Blanco; sink faucet: Simplice in matte black, Kohler
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A matte black pull-down faucet adds contrast and drama.
Sink: Diamond granite kitchen sink in Concrete Gray, Blanco; sink faucet: Simplice in matte black, Kohler
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Before: In the former kitchen, the white dishwasher looked a bit of out place amid all the wood cabinets.
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After: A 24-inch paneled dishwasher now blends in with the cabinetry.
To the right of the dishwasher, Kjellberg replaced some lower cabinets with drawer storage. Above, a new built-in appliance garage sits on the counter.
To the right of the dishwasher, Kjellberg replaced some lower cabinets with drawer storage. Above, a new built-in appliance garage sits on the counter.
Before: A look at the sink-facing side of the island in the previous kitchen shows three basic drawers and cabinets.
On the back wall, white ovens mixed with a black refrigerator and black microwave for an incongruent look. Meanwhile, a built-in desk with rolltop storage and various small cabinets and shelves gave the wall an imposing appearance.
On the back wall, white ovens mixed with a black refrigerator and black microwave for an incongruent look. Meanwhile, a built-in desk with rolltop storage and various small cabinets and shelves gave the wall an imposing appearance.
After: Kjellberg replaced the sink-facing island storage with all drawers. “We did longer drawers than the small ones that were there before,” she says. “They’re now full-extension, soft-close drawers. I love drawers instead of pullouts because it’s not a two-step process. We have the shallow ones on top and two deeper drawers on the bottom.”
A paneled 36-inch French-door refrigerator stands in the former location of the wall ovens. A tall pantry cabinet with rollout storage takes the place of the former refrigerator.
Kjellberg removed the desk area to create additional storage and counter space. Glass-front upper cabinets display the homeowners’ colorful collectibles.
A paneled 36-inch French-door refrigerator stands in the former location of the wall ovens. A tall pantry cabinet with rollout storage takes the place of the former refrigerator.
Kjellberg removed the desk area to create additional storage and counter space. Glass-front upper cabinets display the homeowners’ colorful collectibles.
Before: This view of the former kitchen shows the other side of the island and looks toward a breakfast area in the far corner that overlooks the front yard. Vibrant red wall paint overwhelmed the space.
After: The island now features a 30-inch stainless steel microwave oven with warming drawer below. Creamy walls and ceiling with soft green undertones brighten the room and create a more unified palette.
New decor, including a built-in banquette and chandelier, upgrade the breakfast area.
Kjellberg says one of her aims was to show the homeowners they could have a modernized kitchen that still feels warm. “By adding the green and keeping that copper and adding the warmth of the wood floor, it just elevated it to such a beautiful kitchen,” she says.
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New decor, including a built-in banquette and chandelier, upgrade the breakfast area.
Kjellberg says one of her aims was to show the homeowners they could have a modernized kitchen that still feels warm. “By adding the green and keeping that copper and adding the warmth of the wood floor, it just elevated it to such a beautiful kitchen,” she says.
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple and their dog
Location: Riverbank, California
Size: 165 square feet (15 square meters)
Designer: Lindsay Kjellberg of LHK Interiors
Builder: Scott Monday of Kitchen & Bath Crate
Before: The homeowners loved the rich copper hood in the previous kitchen. But they wanted to ditch the knotty oak cabinets, laminate countertops and backsplash, red walls, aging appliances and brick flooring.
“The pictures don’t really explain how horrible it was,” Kjellberg says. “The brick floor was dirty and so hard to clean. That was definitely something they wanted to switch out.”