Kitchen of the Week: Warm White-and-Wood Style for Empty Nesters
A design-build pro creates a light and airy space with a clean, contemporary look, updated layout and improved storage
This empty-nest couple disliked the dated look of their traditional-leaning kitchen. Heavy on the ornate cherry cabinets, black granite countertops and shiny beige ceramic floor tile, the kitchen needed light, warmth and a sense of calm.
The owners turned to design-build pro Paul Lopa to help sort things out. Lopa replaced the heavy cabinets with flat-panel custom cabinets in a warm off-white paint to establish a clean and inviting look. He left upper cabinets off a window wall and used white glazed ceramic backsplash tiles to promote a light and airy feel. Khaki-and-cream quartzite countertops and a white oak island and shelves add warmth. A matte black range hood and other black details bring bold touches. A leathered finish on the countertops and porcelain flooring combine with concrete and wood flourishes to layer the space with subtle textures.
The owners turned to design-build pro Paul Lopa to help sort things out. Lopa replaced the heavy cabinets with flat-panel custom cabinets in a warm off-white paint to establish a clean and inviting look. He left upper cabinets off a window wall and used white glazed ceramic backsplash tiles to promote a light and airy feel. Khaki-and-cream quartzite countertops and a white oak island and shelves add warmth. A matte black range hood and other black details bring bold touches. A leathered finish on the countertops and porcelain flooring combine with concrete and wood flourishes to layer the space with subtle textures.
After: Lopa stripped the kitchen back and updated the plumbing and electrical. He replaced the previous arrangement of two ovens and a range on opposite sides of the kitchen with a single 30-inch freestanding dual-fuel range on the left. He located the new paneled refrigerator on the right side of the room.
Lopa used an off-white paint (White Dove by Benjamin Moore) for the new custom cabinets, walls and ceiling to create a warm and inviting look. The new white oak island and other white oak details add warmth.
Lopa added two casement windows and a center picture window over the sink but kept upper cabinets off that wall “to give the kitchen a more clean look,” he says. “We wanted to make sure the cabinetry in this space wouldn’t make it feel closed in like it did before.” He made up for the lost cabinets with specialized custom storage that features deep drawers and pullouts that maximize interior space.
Custom cabinetry: Cabinet Plant
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Lopa used an off-white paint (White Dove by Benjamin Moore) for the new custom cabinets, walls and ceiling to create a warm and inviting look. The new white oak island and other white oak details add warmth.
Lopa added two casement windows and a center picture window over the sink but kept upper cabinets off that wall “to give the kitchen a more clean look,” he says. “We wanted to make sure the cabinetry in this space wouldn’t make it feel closed in like it did before.” He made up for the lost cabinets with specialized custom storage that features deep drawers and pullouts that maximize interior space.
Custom cabinetry: Cabinet Plant
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Lopa shifted the position of the range a bit and added a custom matte black hood made to resemble the clean look of the cabinets. “We made sure to center our new stove and hood as the centerpiece of the kitchen,” he says. Pullouts flank the range. Deep drawers to the right store pots and pans. The full-overlay cabinets feature a skinny Shaker profile on the doors and drawers and aged brass pulls.
The backsplash consists of 2½-by-10-inch white glazed ceramic tiles in a stacked pattern. “If you look at the tile, it doesn’t have a consistency of color,” Lopa says. “I liked the variation in color and that they had more of a clay tile look. The varied color tones and a muted finish add depth and character.”
Backsplash: Makoto in Shoji White, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; range: Fisher & Paykel; custom hood: Cabinet Plant; cabinet hardware: Blair in aged brass, Rejuvenation
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The backsplash consists of 2½-by-10-inch white glazed ceramic tiles in a stacked pattern. “If you look at the tile, it doesn’t have a consistency of color,” Lopa says. “I liked the variation in color and that they had more of a clay tile look. The varied color tones and a muted finish add depth and character.”
Backsplash: Makoto in Shoji White, Bedrosians Tile and Stone; range: Fisher & Paykel; custom hood: Cabinet Plant; cabinet hardware: Blair in aged brass, Rejuvenation
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The countertops are a khaki-and-cream Naica quartzite with subtle gold veining and a leathered finish. “The textured surface of the leathered finish diffuses light in a way that softens the appearance,” Lopa says. “This can be extremely beneficial in a kitchen where you want to create an inviting atmosphere. The leathered finish also helps minimize the appearance of smudges and water spots, which makes maintenance easier.”
The 33-inch black stainless steel single-basin workstation sink offers a modern take on classic farmhouse style. It comes with accessories such as a rack, basket strainer, cutting board and drainboard. “I picked this one out,” Lopa says. “They wanted a farm sink, but I didn’t want it to be a dated farm sink that didn’t match the style of the kitchen.”
A matte black pulldown faucet coordinates with the sink and other black details in the kitchen. It features voice activation and touch technology. A 24-inch fully integrated paneled dishwasher sits to the right of the sink; a trash and recycling pullout is to the left.
Sink: Kore, Kraus USA; faucet: Trinsic, Delta
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The 33-inch black stainless steel single-basin workstation sink offers a modern take on classic farmhouse style. It comes with accessories such as a rack, basket strainer, cutting board and drainboard. “I picked this one out,” Lopa says. “They wanted a farm sink, but I didn’t want it to be a dated farm sink that didn’t match the style of the kitchen.”
A matte black pulldown faucet coordinates with the sink and other black details in the kitchen. It features voice activation and touch technology. A 24-inch fully integrated paneled dishwasher sits to the right of the sink; a trash and recycling pullout is to the left.
Sink: Kore, Kraus USA; faucet: Trinsic, Delta
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The island has a prep sink and a faucet that coordinates with the main faucet. Two white blown glass pendant lights with brass fittings complement the cabinets and hardware. A microwave is on the island end in the foreground, just out of view.
The flooring is 24-by-24-inch matte white porcelain rectified field tile with subtle textures of cement and wood. “We wanted to create a natural environment with wood tones and nothing too cold,” Lopa says. “These tiles have more of an architectural design that’s more organic.”
The interior side of the island holds a stainless steel wine fridge. The new pantry and refrigerator wall includes a tower of open white oak shelves that allow the homeowners to display accessories and keep favorite items within easy reach. A pantry cabinet to the right of the shelves has pullouts for dry goods. “And instead of having a dead corner on each side on the sink wall we have built-in Magic Corner cabinets that eliminate dead space,” Lopa says.
A 24-inch built-in coffee system makes up to 24 different coffee and tea drinks and has Wi-Fi capability. “My clients snuck that into the design in the last minute,” Lopa says.
Floor: Utah in white, Artistic Tile; wine fridge: Kalamera; built-in coffee system: PureLine series, Miele USA
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The interior side of the island holds a stainless steel wine fridge. The new pantry and refrigerator wall includes a tower of open white oak shelves that allow the homeowners to display accessories and keep favorite items within easy reach. A pantry cabinet to the right of the shelves has pullouts for dry goods. “And instead of having a dead corner on each side on the sink wall we have built-in Magic Corner cabinets that eliminate dead space,” Lopa says.
A 24-inch built-in coffee system makes up to 24 different coffee and tea drinks and has Wi-Fi capability. “My clients snuck that into the design in the last minute,” Lopa says.
Floor: Utah in white, Artistic Tile; wine fridge: Kalamera; built-in coffee system: PureLine series, Miele USA
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Floating white oak shelves and white oak backing help designate the coffee area. “It creates like a coffee bar station without having to open cabinets,” Lopa says. “It’s something they use on a daily basis. If you’re using those cups on a daily basis, you’re not going to be worried about any type of dust.”
The now calm and clean kitchen blends seamlessly with other updated spaces in the home. “For me, the kitchen is the heart of the home,” Lopa says. “This one carries out the whole design of the rest of the house.”
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The now calm and clean kitchen blends seamlessly with other updated spaces in the home. “For me, the kitchen is the heart of the home,” Lopa says. “This one carries out the whole design of the rest of the house.”
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple who work in the medical industry
Location: Staten Island, New York
Size: 227 square feet (21 square meters)
Design-build pro: Paul Lopa of Paul Lopa Designs
Before: The former kitchen functioned fine, but the homeowners’ tastes didn’t align with the existing traditional-leaning ornate cherry cabinets, travertine mosaic backsplash tile, black granite countertops and beige ceramic floor tile. “They didn’t like the dated look of the kitchen,” Lopa says.
Meanwhile, cabinets and scrollwork around the windows blocked light. “The heaviness of the upper cabinets and the windows getting lost made it almost like the windows were in a well,” Lopa says. Adding to the heaviness were the fridge and range on the same wall on the left and the built-in corner ovens on the right. “None of it was symmetrical with the rest of the kitchen,” Lopa says.