Kitchen Before & After: A Warm and Wood-Heavy Kitchen Redo

Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold
Cambria Bold is the Executive Editor of Cubby, and one of Apartment Therapy Media’s first full-time editors from way back when. She was the founding Design and Lifestyle Editor for Kitchn and the Managing Editor for Apartment Therapy’s green living site, Re-Nest (RIP). After a few years offline and then working elsewhere, she’s back to share ideas about design, kids, and family life. It’s helpful that she now has two little kids and lots of thoughts about all those things. She lives with said kids and their father in St. Paul, MN.
published Oct 1, 2012
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(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

We’ve seen so many kitchen renovations move away from wood cabinets in an effort to modernize, but this kitchen makeover —designed by Portland-based architect Michael Howells and featured recently on Design*Sponge—manages to have both. It’s a beautiful melding of vintage and modern. See the ‘After’ shot below:

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Here’s what architect Michael Howell says about the makeover:

I assessed and measured the existing space and also looked at the rest of the house for inspiration. I’m not a fan of period-faithful “retro” remodels, but I don’t like the kind of default modern renovation that feels impersonal and disconnected from its context. So we planned this kitchen to have a little 1940s flavor (lighting, cabinet pulls, retro breakfast table), but we didn’t go all the way… I felt a rich wood color with an interesting grain would give this kitchen warmth and texture and make it feel unique and special to its owners. The wood is very visually interesting, so we dialed it down with the rest of the materials. Countertops and backsplash are more subdued.

The Blue Fog tile from Heath’s Modern Basics line really looks lovely with the wood, don’t you think? See more photos and read all about the project at Design*Sponge.

Read More: Wood-Filled Kitchen Redo | Design*Sponge

Related: Before & After: 15 Creative Kitchen Renovations

(Images: Matt Niebuhr via Design*Sponge)

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