When interior designer Sarah Stacey took on this remodel for a busy family of five in Northwest Austin, her key directive was to turn this ’70s era space into a clean and modern respite that was filled with natural colors, lots of wood with black accents and absolutely no marble. Which was perfect because it’s hard to compete with the magnificent limestone rock wall, which dominates the view right outside the kitchen.
With all of nature’s glory surrounding, it was important to choose the perfect finish for the beautiful white-oak kitchen cabinets that the team settled on. “We wanted the wood to look as natural as possible. When a stain or sealer is applied to white oak, it turns it a little more yellow or orange. So we had to find a combo that would knock those colors out.” Sarah exhaustively researched and tested their options. “We landed on a white wash with a small amount of purple to tone down the warmth,” she says.
Key Ingredients for a Modern Kitchen
What advice does Sarah have for choosing the right wood tones to ensure a harmonious look? “Pay close attention to undertones. You can vary the value (lightness or darkness) of wood in a space, but the undertones must work with one another,” she says. “For example, some woods have a gray undertone and some have orange undertones. You would pair wood with gray undertones with other woods with gray undertones, and the same goes for orange, yellow, etc.”
Designer Sarah Stacey paid attention to the details in this kitchen renovation. “We used repeating elements like the horizontal finger grooves and the color palette of black and natural wood,” she says. “I love the style of minimalism in modern design,” and she adds: “Modern is minimal, but you can go a step further in minimalism. Each piece has a purpose and is very important to a design, and I love it.”
Inspired by modern kitchens? Take a look at Lighten Up: A 1959 Eichler Kitchen Renovation and find out The 5 Elements Of A Mid Century Modern Kitchen. Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Atomic Ranch articles and ideas!
