Darker woods provide a more formal and elegant look, while lighter tones appear more earthy and casual. Consumers who have a blend of formal and casual décor have often been undecided when it comes to choosing wood grains for Los Angeles kitchen and bath cabinetry. If you find yourself in that situation, you’ll be glad to know that it’s perfectly acceptable to combine light and dark woods together.
One of the more popular ways to use contrasting woods is by constructing a kitchen islandDefinition: A freestanding counter in a kitchen, often used for food preparation, cooking, and stora... made of dark wood and using lighter grains for cabinet facings. This helps give the kitchen a light and airy feel, yet breaks up the look to provide visual interest. A darker island also provides an attractive focal point and looks well with either a light or dark-colored countertop.
Cabinets that appear to be freestanding units are popular in bathrooms right now. These cabinets sometimes have matching mirrors that hang on the wall above them. An excellent way to mix and match wood tones would be to include a cabinet made of whitewashed wood and then hang a mirror framed in maple or cherry above it.
In some cases, the base of a cabinet could be light wood and the drawer fronts or doors could be a darker one. This concept would also work well with open shelving when wooden boxes or wicker baskets are used to hold items. The shelves could be painted a light color and then darker accessories placed on them. You could also alternate between dark and light woods on a particular row of cabinets or use light tones exclusively on the bottom and darker ones on top.
Mixing and matching tones does not always have to require the use of wood. A popular alternative to glass inserts these days is translucent mesh. Darker mesh inserts can be added to white or light-colored cabinets to showcase their unique design. Lighter mesh inserts might be better for cabinets that are painted dark hues of gray, blue or green.
Designing kitchen and bathroom cabinets can be fun and adventurous when you mix things up a little. Your home is a reflection of your personality, so why not make it bold and exciting? Our design team will be happy to talk with you about your remodeling project, so contact us today.
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