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Two toned kitchens can be a very effective way to solve several design dilemmas in a kitchen giving a bigger, brighter overall look AND make the space more visually interesting.
It can also make it possible to keep the lower cabinets to save money in a remodel, while just remodeling the uppers.
It can be, in some instances, a big win-win all the way around!
Perfect Reason To Do A Two Toned Kitchen
I recently had someone reach out on my Instagram DMs, to ask about the color to paint her kitchen cabinets.
It was in response to my recent blogpost about angled ceilings and how to deal with those, especially when they created odd angles where the ceiling meets the wall.
Here was the pic she sent of her kitchen. She wanted to paint her kitchen gray and wondered if that would be a good choice.
That angled ceiling really comes down low over the range in the corner. The hood is on an angle too and creates a tight feel to this space. The dark stained wood accentuates the shorter upper cabinets, and the varying heights of the cabinetry and wood trim there that appears to sort of float off to nowhere.
The least expensive and least invasive way to deal with this is to camouflage this design dilemma with paint.
I suggested she paint the lower cabinets a gray like she wanted. A medium gray like SW Mindful Gray might work, depending on her countertop color.
Painting the upper cabinets a white to match the tile, walls and ceiling will mask all the irregularities here and get her a cleaner, brighter, overall look.
Two Toned Kitchens Look Fresh And Appealing
A two-toned kitchen, whether painted or stained or a combination of that, with dark cabinets below and light ones above, is the perfect solution. It can give you that open, airy, light feel while still keeping that classic dark look that so many people love.
It can also help you keep some kitchen cabinets in a remodel while using new ones where changes are made, if you do it logically and in a thoughtfully designed way.
Blue and White Two Toned Kitchen
I loved how this blue and white kitchen remodel turned out. I felt like going all blue on the cabinetry would be a little too much and the white uppers add a freshness that going all one tone would not.
Blue and white two toned kitchen with white uppers and blue lowers. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
Blue and white two toned kitchen with white uppers and blue lowers. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
Blue and white two toned kitchen with white uppers and blue lowers. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
Coastal Kitchen With Dark Wood and White Painted Cabinet Combination
In this coastal kitchen, the homeowner was not ready to get all new cabinetry. She wanted to save some money by keeping some of the existing as much as possible. She also was keeping the travertine floor, which is always a little hard to work with when updating to a more modern style.
Using a two toned scheme enabled us to build new uppers to the ceiling, bringing in white to make for the lighter, more coastal vibe she was looking for. We also did a new refrigerator and oven tower in the white, only keeping the stained wood lower cabinetry. It created an interesting combination and achieved her goal with the new look.
Stained wood and painted wood cabinetry combine in a fresh look with this coastal style kitchen. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
The existing lower stained wood cabinets were kept in this remodel with a new painted wood island, upper cabinets and fridge/oven tower. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
Two Toned Kitchens Are A Good Look For Any Reason!
This kitchen was a full gut remodel. There was even an addition to the property to enlarge this space. Going with a two toned kitchen wasn’t done here to solve any major design dilemmas or help reuse what we had. This look was created just because the homeowner liked it! :-)
Blue and white two toned kitchen with white uppers and blue lowers. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
Blue and white two toned kitchen with white uppers and blue lowers. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
Blue and white two toned kitchen with white uppers and blue lowers. Designer: Carla Aston, Photos: Colleen Scott
See more info on two toned kitchens below….
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Hey Design Lovers, I did some kitchen design tweaks for someone with a rather basic builder kitchen in a recent consultation. I thought you might enjoy seeing these so I’m sharing them today with you!