White Oak Kitchen Cabinets
Published by Beck/Allen Cabinetry
Posted on March 18, 2022
A recent renovation by St. Louis interior designer Kim Taylor West paired the natural beauty of white oak kitchen cabinets and flooring with a contrasting island in a deep blue stain. Homeowners of this Chesterfield residence (now empty nesters) were relocating from out of town to what would become their forever home. While the home’s beautiful wooded lot, its size and floorpan suited them, its outdated finishes did not. To bring the home up to date they enlisted K Taylor Design Group in a multi-phase renovation and redesign that began with two bathrooms before moving on to the kitchen.
Perimeter Cabinetry
The homeowners had a more sophisticated, European-casual look in mind for their kitchen—something lighter than the existing cherry wood, but something other than white paint. Kim encouraged them to consider white oak kitchen cabinets and wide-plank flooring. Kim distinguished the floor from the cabinets through a subtle difference in the shade of wood, with the flooring being slightly lighter.
Contrasting Kitchen Island
Settling on rift-cut white oak for the kitchen’s perimeter cabinets, they selected a contrasting finish for the kitchen island. The deep-colored stain, Dark Azure, appears dark blue or nearly black depending upon the light. The island’s countertop is a glamorous show-piece: Essenza Blue quartzite from Stone Fabricators. Allowing the island top to shine as a focal point, they selected a quieter option for the perimeter, Viatera Quartz also from Stone Fabricators.
Rift-Cut White Oak, Mineral finish (left) and Poplar, Dark Azure finish (right)
Custom-Designed Storage and Display Space
Not wanting to remove the wall between the kitchen and living room entirely, they designed a custom pass-through to provide additional storage and shelves for display. An arched armoire inspired the pass-through design which was finished in the same deep blue stain used on the nearby island. Details include antiqued mercury glass cabinet doors with an overlay of brass wire mesh. An unseen and innovative detail lies behind the cabinet door where the homeowner wished to house a coffee station. Plumbing now runs through the floor, up into the cabinet where a small pot filler is installed to service the coffee maker.
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DESIGN DETAILS | White Oak Kitchen Cabinets + Dark Azure
Interior Design
Kim Taylor West, K Taylor Design Group
Beck/Allen Cabinetry Design
Serena Williams
Perimeter Cabinets
Shiloh Cabinetry, Plain Inset, Windsor Door Style, Rift-Cut White Oak with the Mineral finish
Island Cabinets
Aspect Cabinetry, Full Overlay, Aspen Door Style, Poplar with Dark Azure finish
Pass-Through Cabinets
Bases: Aspect, Full Overlay, Aspen Door Style, American Poplar in Dark Azure
Tall Cabinets: Crystal Cabinetry – Custom door and finish, brass mesh insert, #79 Smoky Quartz Antique Mirror
Countertops
Perimeter: Viatera Quartz
Island: Essenza Blue Quartzite
Both from Unique Stone Concepts/Fabricated by Stone Fabricators
Pendants
Hinkley Lighting
Flooring
White Oak from Historic Floors