Elegant Kitchens with Warm Wood Cabinets

Warm Pine Cabinets

Written and produced by Debra Steilen with Lucy Fitzgerald

Antique pendant lights sparkle above an expansive island in this family kitchen. By housing the sink, dishwasher, and other kitchen amenities in the island, storage space is maximized in the surrounding cupboards and cabinets. Sage tones in the tiling and upholstery balance the warm pine cabinets. Floor tiles made from tumbled travertine keep the space rustic and cozy.

Designer: Marshall Watson

Contemporary Wood Cabinets

A clean-lined contemporary kitchen is warmed by light oak cabinetry. Two sinks and modern stovetops emphasize functionality on the island. A mix of materials—black concrete countertops paired with light wood—gives the kitchen a friendly feel.

Designer: Su Harr

Blanched Wood in a Sunny Kitchen

Antique oak beams and a vintage counter from France add patina to this sunny kitchen. Tall windows connecting to a peaked skylight allow sunlight to spill into the space, keeping it light and airy. A chandelier hanging above the counter matches the blanched wood of the cabinets; French limestone countertops tie the peaceful palette together.

Designer: Ann Runyon Carter

Wood Paneled Butler’s Pantry

Cabinet doors with wire fronts were backed with shirred fabric for a French country style in this butler’s pantry.  Custom chartreuse countertops complement the walnut cabinets.

Designer: June Price

Painted Wood Kitchen With Island

A new cherry island with a bowed limestone top offers seating for two. Maple perimeter cabinets are painted linen white and rubbed with a truffle-colored glaze. The cabinets stretch up to the ceiling to maximize storage space while preserving the kitchen’s old-world look. The room is unified with Italian travertine floor tiles reminiscent of old European cobblestones. Weathered-finish faucets by Herbeau add charm.

Designer: Blue Arnold

Tall Honey Cabinets With Detailing

Honey-toned pine cabinetry and dark green subway tile backsplashes give the kitchen the feel of an old English country house. The cabinets are crowned with dentil molding that lends formality to the space.

Designer: Jack Fhilips

Lightly Glazed Cabinets

With its beamed and barrel-arched ceiling, this kitchen provides space and functionality for a family of five without sacrificing style. The wooden cabinets are lightly glazed to match the cream granite countertops. Neutral hues allow for more dynamic patterns and accent colors, like the glazed pots on top of the cabinets.

Designer: John Phifer Marrs

Eco-Friendly Maple Cabinets
Green design rules in this Arkansas kitchen whose staggered-height maple cabinets are made with wood products containing no formaldehyde or toxic glues. Concrete floors are stained a caramel color and scored diagonally in 18-inch squares. Zero VOC paints used on the beadboard island and other interior surfaces emit no volatile organic compounds.

Architectural Designer: Suzanne Lantz

Dark-Stained Maple Cabinets
Rich, dark, and elegant, the cabinets in this period-style Georgia kitchen feature doors designed with a simple beaded inset and little ornamentation other than simple hardware. Marble countertops add a gleaming presence, while a 9-foot-tall refrigerator armoire provides dramatic focal point. The floor is crafted from oak with an English chestnut stain.

Kitchen Designer: Kim Neilsen

Knotty Pine Cabinets
Durability and a sense of warmth were the prerequisites for a kitchen whose ultimate occupants would be a Michigan family with teenage boys. Informal without being country, the knotty pine cabinets partner with nearly indestructible granite countertops. Hardwood floors and wood pulls extend the focus on natural materials.

Interior Designer: Joseph A. Keenan

Mahogany Cabinets
Custom-built by the designer and his dad, these mahogany kitchen cabinets feature full inset doors and drawers and brass bin pulls. The cabinet's rich dark color, Craftsman lines, and Black Brazilian soapstone counters suit the overall design goal of choosing everything to suit a Mission Revival bungalow built in the 1920s.

Designer: David Katona

Cherry Cabinets
Remodeled for a busy family with young children, this kitchen now features custom cherry cabinets with recessed panel doors and Verde Ubatuba granite countertops. The flooring is birch with a satin poly finish. Red leather barstools add dynamic splashes of color.

Interior Designer: Bradley Stephens

Alder Cabinets
Richly toned alder cabinetry helps this kitchen achieve its goal of presenting a warm Tuscan appearance-even though it is located in Arizona. A brick-vaulted ceiling, stone sink, and limestone countertop help integrate the alder kitchen into the rest of the home and its pigmented, hand-plastered walls.

Kitchen Designer: Mick De Giulio
Interior Designer Billi Springer

Warm Cherry Cabinets
For a fresh take on Victorian-era formality, this century-old kitchen was designed around the existing stately copper hood from the 1930s. Cherry cabinets from Wood-Mode sport recessed-panel doors and a warm finish with hints of gold that complement the hood's copper tones. Floor-to-ceiling cabinets with shirred fabric panels behind glass-front doors resemble an old-fashioned cupboard. Deep green quartz-surfacing countertops add rich color.

Kitchen Designer: Florence Perchuk, CKD

Walnut Cabinets
Stately walnut cabinets with a chocolate finish create a polished framework for stainless-steel wall ovens and wine refrigerators in this New York kitchen. The twin refrigerators were elevated on a stainless-steel panel so they would be the same height as the wall ovens-creating a balanced presentation. Between the appliances, a bar area with open shelving features a white milk-glass countertop for glamor. Chunky glass knobs add a touch of glitz.

Kitchen Designers: Robert Schwartz, Karen Williams
Interior designers: Peter Balsam, Jayne Goldstein

Chestnut Island
Part of a Tuscan-style kitchen in New York, this stately island is made from reclaimed chestnut with a tung-oil finish. Buff-color perimeter cabinets feature Giallo Reale marble slabs from Walker Zanger. The beautiful flooring is reclaimed white oak.

Designer: Stanley Hura

Light Maple Cabinets
Sleek maple cabinetry with a natural finish partners beautifully with stainless-steel appliances and a rugged concrete countertop. Full overlay doors sport a modern attitude enhanced by intermittent pieces of frosted glass and silver-tone knobs and pulls.

Photo: My House in the Mountain States, McGraw-Hill Companies

Cabinets in Poplar and Oak
Build for a professional chef, this kitchen features cabinets handcrafted by a local artisan. Upper cabinets are white-painted poplar and lower ones are charcoal-stained quarter-sawn white oak: all with flush inset doors and sturdy satin nickel pulls and knobs. The 14-foot-long island is topped in honed granite.

Architect: Thomas Hickey

Eucalyptus Cabinets
Part of an eco-friendly home project in California, these cabinets are made from Lyptus hardwood, a fast-growing hardwood grown in managed forests in Brazil. The cabinets feature full overlay, flat panel doors and interiors crafted from a non-formaldehyde plywood. Recycled glass-and-tinted concrete countertops can be recycled again. The translucent IceStone backsplash tiles contain recycled glass.

Architect: David Berman

Warm Oak Cabinets
Stately white pillars frame a view of this Massachusetts kitchen whose homeowner was looking for "sophisticated casual" style with limited color and patterns. Oak cabinets with a warm finish were chosen to anchor the look, with crown molding for elegance and black granite countertops for character. The hardwood floor shows off a painted checkerboard pattern. Multicolor Windsor barstools add a touch of whimsy.

Designer: Gary McBournie

Quarter-Sawn Red Oak Cabinets
Two tall ebony-stained pantries bookend Cloister-style cabinets from Plain & Fancy crafted from quarter-sewn red oak with a black glaze. Shaker-style doors add quiet style to a room designed for a young professional couple. Next to the ceiling, a row of aluminum cabinet doors with frosted-glass insets add polish. Ann Sacks backsplash tiles unify the color scheme. The countertops are made from mocha-color CaesarStone quartz-surfacing.

Designer: Robert Brown

Knotty Alder Island
Although new, this Washington kitchen was designed with such patina and character it looks as if it had been around for at least a century. The kitchen works around a custom center island built of heavily knotted alder planks that were stained, glazed, and distressed with knives and forks to add the look of age. The green-painted cabinets are from Neu Woodworks; the backsplash and countertop are jumbled marble from Ann Sacks.

Designer: Kay Sorgenfrei