Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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A Kitchen With Dark Gray Lower Cabinets & White Uppers

As much as we love a white kitchen, there are so many other fun options out there, like my sister’s wood cabinets + white appliances combo and “tuxedo” kitchens (a combo of dark and light cabinets). So when Rita’s makeover landed in our inbox, we couldn’t believe how much she changed her space for the better, and especially liked her two-tone cabinets. Here’s her letter:

Hi Sherry and John, We recently finished renovating our kitchen. The challenge was creating a kosher kitchen (two sinks and separate spaces for meat and dairy) while keeping it looking clean and uncluttered and keeping the cost down. The original kitchen was beige-on-beige laminate with very little counter space.

Rita Before

The only thing that wasn’t torn out was the window above the sink! The wall between the dining room and kitchen was removed, the dinette area was deleted, and that’s where the breakfast bar now sits. The large picture window was made shorter to accommodate the long counter with a second sink.

Rita After

This kitchen is all about contrasts… white upper cabinets and dark gray bottom cabinets, a rough reclaimed wood dining table and shimmery capiz lighting fixture, sleek white counter tops and a dark limestone tile backsplash.

Rita Counter Detail

The cabinets are shaker style Diamond cabinets from Lowe’s (I’m thrilled with the quality). The brass pulls are Martha Stewart for Home Depot and the counters are quartz. Light fixtures over the breakfast bar and sink are from Schoolhouse Electric. The natural light that pours into the kitchen most of the day is awesome although I still need window treatments–I’m thinking of roman shades.

Rita Sink Detail

The new pantry sits where the original refrigerator used to be.

Rita Other Side Before

There are also two “sides” flanking the stove–one for meat the other side for dairy.

Rita Other Side After

Here’s one of my favorite things–I found the idea on Pinterest.

Rita TV Above Fridge

It was totally worth the months of plaster dust and living with no sink or stove for a while.  Our new kitchen is not only beautiful but a pleasure to cook in and I feel blessed to be able to work in it everyday. Thank you, Rita

No, thank YOU Rita! Because in addition to that awesome cabinet color combo, you have actually made me – a dude who likes power washing – appreciate gold hardware. And Sherry’s pretty much in love with everything, but the gold fixture over the sink (speaking of which, you can read all of the full sources on her blog) did her in. Thanks again for sharing your kitchen! What do you guys think? Got a favorite part? Who’s digging the secret TV?

Comments

  1. Kim from Milwaukee says

    Bravo! Very well done! I love when people are not afraid to customize their home for their own needs and wants and not worry about ‘resale value’. This is brilliant! Thank you for sharing this home reno, John, and congrats on your new home as well. Looking forward to all your ideas and projects to come.

    Reply

  4. Kate says

    Gorgeous! Very well done Rita!

    I have two toned cabinets as well. My inspiration was the “color conundrum” you all did with the kitchen with smurf cabinets and terra cotta tile floors. Do you remember that? I loved that kitchen once the cabs were painted. That seems like forever ago!

    Reply

  9. Sarah Jane says

    In a word, GORGEOUS.

    Thank you for sharing this. I’m newly inspired about my kitchen, black and white, and brass.

    Reply

  10. Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says

    Shaaaa….whaaaat??? This redesign is awesome and yes I nearly had coffee come up that wrong tube when I inhaled at the wrong time when I saw the secret TV idea. I immediately looked up at my own cabinet above the microwave with the thought “Your days are numbered bro!” Great job Rita!

    My best, Lynn
    *I think the space for meat and dairy separate are great for us of any faith too cause it’s just plain sanitary! I should really start implementing that….hmm….

    Reply

  14. Kate says

    Oh wow! I’m obsessed with brass hardware and I’m so glad to see it being used around more. I have been so scared that putting it in my kitchen would bring bad 80s images to match the horrific brass light fixtures in my house. This is the way to do it.

    Reply

  15. Clementine says

    I think this is my favorite kitchen ever (which is really saying something for a Pinterest/blog junkie like me!). Very, very nicely done!

    Reply

  18. Raisa says

    I adore the before and the after, well done, sophisticated… I just think that the cooker far away from the sink is not so functional… xo

    Reply

  19. DawnSC says

    This is fantastic! I’ve been wanting to paint our cabinets for the longest time: we have wood cabinets painted an ugly wood-replica like brown. I like wood cabinets and I like painted cabinets. But WHY would you paint nice wooden cabinets brown?? I want white to lighten up the space but my husband is concerned about cleaning with a toddler and multiple pets, so I’ve been suggesting different color for bottom and top cabinets with him… I think this is a perfect example for him to look at so he can see an example, thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  20. Erika says

    What a beautiful transformation! My favorite finishing touches are the light over the sink & the artichokes in the bowl!

    Reply

  21. Meghan W says

    I love the TV above the fridge. Being 5’3″ I don’t really store anything in that cabinet because it is too difficult to crawl up there and get it. To have a TV that just slides out is a great use of the space. Oh, and I lust over “tuxedo” kitchens ;)

    Reply

  25. Kimberly says

    What a transformation! I am totally digging the gold hardware. I always knew gold would make a come back. Goodbye stainless steel refrigerators, hello metallic gold?!?

    Reply

  26. Jennifer says

    I love the white up top/ black down below combo. Wonderful renovation… thanks for sharing with us!

    Reply

  28. Gray says

    This is phenomenal! What an amazing transformation and I love the quirky touches – like the gold hardware! I never really considered the tuxedo kitchen look before but I am absolutely loving it! I also would have no reason to have a koesher kitchen but I want one anyway!

    Reply

  29. Patti says

    I love that quartz countertop! And tell me, is that tv on a remote? Like you press a button on the remote and out pops the tv? Brilliant!

    Reply

  30. Jenny H says

    I love the look of their new kitchen. Do you think that the tuxedo look would make a small (8×9) galley kitchen look smaller? I’m looking at a charcoal stained base cabinet and “cotton” color painted upper. The two tone looks just seems much more interesting. Some friends think it would make the room look smaller. Your thoughts?

    Reply

    • Mishellie says

      I think that would look awesome in a smaller space- the bottom part would look dramatic and grounded and the top part light and airy. Go for it!

  33. Amy says

    Okay, this post just made my day! We recently purchased an older home (a 1973 ranch.) It has some updates inside, including VERY dark bottom kitchen cabinets but they never added wall cabinets. (Weird.) Redoing the bew bottom cabinets was not an option for us and we are adding ivory cabinets on the top with a dark distressed look to try and tie things together. Being an all-white kitchen kind of girl, I have been very apprehnsive about it but now that I know it is a “TUXEDO KITCHEN” I feel better. ;) I just emailed my husband with the fancy term – we both got a huge kick out of that! I will send photos once it’s done. xo

    Reply

  35. Wendy @ New Moms Talk says

    Rita,

    We don’t have a TV, but are considering purchasing one. Your hideaway-in-the-kitchen solution might just be what works for us depending on where the house hunt leads us.

    Congrats on a gorgeous job well done!

    Reply

  39. Val says

    AHHHH!!! Secret TV??? Best use of stupid space over the fridge of all time. Ever. In the history of kitchens.

    I really love the two-tone thing, but I’m afraid of doing it in our narrow galley kitchen…it seems like it might chop it up. Can’t decide…

    Reply

  41. Paula M. says

    VERY nice! I was initially skeptical when I read the intro about two colors (I’m still on the white kitchen bandwagon for the most part and was thinking that a kitchen with dark lower cabinets and lighter uppers would create a heavy, weighed-down effect), but these photos look fab!

    Great job!

    Reply

  42. HK says

    Blind recommendation – 3 inch wide brushed aluminum (silver). They glow when reflecting the interior lighting. Really quite warm looking at night. And being metal, they are easy to clean.

    Reply

  43. Katie says

    Wow! Beautiful kitchen makeover… and Rita’s blog is fantastic! It was only after I’d read through most of her past posts that I realized she is the author of one of my favorite craft/cook books called “Jewish Holiday Style”! So glad that I’ve now found her blog, too!

    Reply

  44. Vanessa says

    Love this kitchen- especially those countertops. I know you asked for patience with you guys, but I had one little question I was wondering…what direction do you guys think you are going with the kitchen in the new house. The same style in your current house or something completely different?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think in our first and second house our style really evolved as we went, so I’m sure in the new house it’ll continue to evolve, especially since the style of the house is different this time too :)

      xo,
      s

  46. LauraJane says

    We bought a kitchen with dark cabinets on the island and cream cabinets in the u-shape surrounding it (with dark tints in the mouldings). I worry white counters will make our cabinets look dirty. I was contemplating a leathered black granite on the perimeter and marble on the island but I don’t want to make a costly mistake! Any thoughts?

    Reply

  47. Megan says

    I kind of want to make out with those cabinets. Originally, I had wanted to do white cupboards in our kitchen but the husband wasn’t too keen on the idea. I think I just found our compromise!

    Reply

  48. jessica says

    First, ah.mazing. All that counter space is to die for. And the hidden TV is also genius.

    That said, I might be more impressed by the fact that Rita keeps kosher. I can barely bring myself to cook, period, let alone be that dedicated (and organized!)

    Mazel Tov, Rita!

    Reply

  50. katie says

    Thanks for sharing this — I have been looking for an example like this on Pinterest or Houzz!! I’m dying to paint our lower cabinets black but was unsure how to handle the end cabinet that houses our double oven — and their pantry is in the same location and love how they left it white :)

    Reply

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