Making Oak Cool

Designer William Hefner created this warm and modern kitchen for his family in Los Angeles. The kitchen was photographed for a recent issue of House Beautiful, found here.



This kitchen has such great style, and if you look closely you will notice............



the cabinets are oak.









Making oak look this "cool" is something I have been struggling with lately.



In design, especially in kitchens and baths, there are often pieces that cannot be changed. Whether by choice or budget, sometimes we have to find a way to work in materials and finishes that we would not choose if given the option.



The cabinets in our new project house are in great condition, and really high quality cabinets. I would never consider replacing them (we are doing this to make money you know), but if it were up to me only, they would have been painted right away. My Dad (and partner) thought otherwise. And as with any partnership, there is compromise......so the cabinets are not going to be painted.

Remember in Jr. High and High School when the cool kids always knew how to rock their braces/worn out jeans/crappy car and make them seem like a choice rather than a burden. That is what I have to do for this kitchen! I have to rock my blue Chrysler Lebaron, oops I mean this golden oak kitchen, and rise above the mediocrity.

I ordered the granite this week. I am finalizing tile and appliances now as well.

Below are my top four choices for kitchen countertops. Leave a comment and let me know which one is your favorite. (Maybe I should have asked before I ordered. Oh well!) I'll let you know later which one was the winner.



1. Gray granite (I thought it resembled Carrerra Marble) with a tiny bit of yellow streaking through to pick up the cabinet color.



2. Black undertones (looks good with black accents obviously)



3. This one is called Cream something or other, lots of yellow/rust accents



4. Great neutral brown granite (also the most expensive)

Hope you are having a stellar week!