Kitchen of the Week: A Blend of Modern and Farmhouse Styles
Three cabinet finishes, reclaimed beams and sleek panel-front appliances create a pleasing balance
A mix of black, white and wood balance modern- and farmhouse-inspired styles in this suburban Chicago kitchen. The homeowners — the parents of three young children — realized their house wasn’t working for the family’s lifestyle and had considered moving. But instead they decided to complete a first-floor renovation that would make the kitchen function better for their family. They hired kitchen and bath designer Nancy Jacobson based on a friend’s recommendation. She then assembled a team she’d successfully worked with before, collaborating closely with interior designer Rebecca Pogonitz and the team at Macnon Builders.
To get an idea of her clients’ style, Jacobson turned to Houzz. “We use Houzz from the beginning of the design process,” she says. “I ask clients to share ideabooks, then I add photos to their ideabooks to make sure we’re on target. It’s a nice collaborative tool.” As the design process progressed, the team shared 3D and photorealistic renderings with the homeowners so they could envision the new space. The result is a clean-lined modern kitchen warmed by rustic touches.
To get an idea of her clients’ style, Jacobson turned to Houzz. “We use Houzz from the beginning of the design process,” she says. “I ask clients to share ideabooks, then I add photos to their ideabooks to make sure we’re on target. It’s a nice collaborative tool.” As the design process progressed, the team shared 3D and photorealistic renderings with the homeowners so they could envision the new space. The result is a clean-lined modern kitchen warmed by rustic touches.
After: The wall is now hardworking, without an inch of space wasted. The cabinetry includes separate 36-inch fridge and freezer units; pantry cabinets with rollout shelves; and a cabinet for small appliances, complete with an outlet for charging the handheld vacuum (a must-have on the clients’ list). It also houses two wall ovens, with a drawer below them and a cabinet above.
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
Browse counter stools in the Houzz Shop
The kitchen design is anchored by substantial reclaimed beams overhead and a large island in the center. The mudroom opening at the back of the room was existing and Jacobson needed to work around it. She balanced three different finishes on the cabinetry — white on the appliance-pantry wall and upper cabinets, black on the island and alder on the base cabinets. The cabinet finishes and the beams strike a nice balance between modern and farmhouse styles.
“I can’t take credit for the beams — they were a result of the genius of the interior designer and the builder,” Jacobson says. “We knew we needed to add a rustic element and discussed adding beams from the beginning of the design process. These are true reclaimed beams from an old farmhouse, so they add authenticity to the farmhouse part of the style.” She also notes that the ceilings are 9 feet high but that her clients are not tall. So it didn’t make sense for them to have cabinets that extended all the way to the ceiling. This left room for the beams above the cabinetry.
“I can’t take credit for the beams — they were a result of the genius of the interior designer and the builder,” Jacobson says. “We knew we needed to add a rustic element and discussed adding beams from the beginning of the design process. These are true reclaimed beams from an old farmhouse, so they add authenticity to the farmhouse part of the style.” She also notes that the ceilings are 9 feet high but that her clients are not tall. So it didn’t make sense for them to have cabinets that extended all the way to the ceiling. This left room for the beams above the cabinetry.
Putting the kitchen together was a bit of a jigsaw-puzzle-like challenge. “This kitchen was relatively narrow and we needed to fit in an island with wide pathways around it,” Jacobson says. “The 36-inch fridge and freezer doors needed clearance, and this is a busy pathway for the family coming in from the garage to the mudroom to the rest of the house.” Jacobson left 49¼ inches of space between the island and the white cabinet wall and 43 inches between the island and the sink.
“The cabinetry is 8 feet high but the fridge and freezer are only 7,” Jacobson says. “These Sub-Zeros are great models, because you can extend the panel fronts as high as the other cabinets — you don’t need to save room for a grille above them.” Being able to extend the doors as high as the rest of the cabinetry created a cleaner, sleeker look along the appliance-pantry wall.
“The cabinetry is 8 feet high but the fridge and freezer are only 7,” Jacobson says. “These Sub-Zeros are great models, because you can extend the panel fronts as high as the other cabinets — you don’t need to save room for a grille above them.” Being able to extend the doors as high as the rest of the cabinetry created a cleaner, sleeker look along the appliance-pantry wall.
“The existing mudroom opening didn’t leave a lot of room for the range or a lot of perimeter countertop space,” Jacobson says. So she kept the vent hood “super simple” — just a flat panel so as not to draw attention to the smaller proportions of this area.
She also kept the hood simple because she didn’t want to take focus away from the beams and the island. Similarly, the countertops are plain white quartz and the backsplash is composed of white tile with matching grout. The chevron pattern of the backsplash adds some pattern without being distracting.
Browse range hoods in the Houzz Shop
She also kept the hood simple because she didn’t want to take focus away from the beams and the island. Similarly, the countertops are plain white quartz and the backsplash is composed of white tile with matching grout. The chevron pattern of the backsplash adds some pattern without being distracting.
Browse range hoods in the Houzz Shop
Before: Initially, the existing dark wood cabinets had the homeowners craving a light and bright all-white kitchen. But during the design process, the team was able to show them how the beams and mixed cabinetry were needed to warm things up and create a cohesive feel throughout the house.
After: With white and glass upper cabinet doors, white countertops and the white backsplash, the natural light from the windows bounces around. The darker base cabinets and island add contrast and make the room feel grounded.
“One thing I noticed about my clients is that they drank iced coffee all day long,” Jacobson says. “They’d use their cold brew percolator first thing in the morning and then put the day‘s coffee supply in the fridge. So I made sure to give them a cabinet in the island where they could keep the percolator close and handy.”
The island measures about 3 by 10 feet. It includes a seating area for four at one end and space for the percolator, microwave drawer and additional cabinet space for china at the other end.
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“One thing I noticed about my clients is that they drank iced coffee all day long,” Jacobson says. “They’d use their cold brew percolator first thing in the morning and then put the day‘s coffee supply in the fridge. So I made sure to give them a cabinet in the island where they could keep the percolator close and handy.”
The island measures about 3 by 10 feet. It includes a seating area for four at one end and space for the percolator, microwave drawer and additional cabinet space for china at the other end.
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In addition to mixing cabinet finishes, Jacobson mixed cabinet and hardware styles. The black cabinetry on the island has a Shaker-style profile with beadboard insets. This brings in farmhouse style in terms of texture, while the black color keeps it subtle and makes it more modern. The matte black hardware on the black and alder cabinets is more ornate and traditional than the sleek polished chrome hardware on the white cabinets.
A deep drawer provides easy access to the everyday china. It’s conveniently located across from the dishwasher.
A deep drawer provides easy access to the everyday china. It’s conveniently located across from the dishwasher.
Adjustable pegs hold the china in place. This prevents dishes from breaking when the drawer is opened and closed.
The glass doors on this cabinet help keep the window wall light and bright. Pogonitz helped the homeowners find these artistic sconces flanking the sink. They tie into the matte black finish on the base cabinetry while adding a touch of whimsy.
On the appliance-pantry wall, Jacobson mixed Shaker and flat-panel cabinet profiles. “This is the most modern side of the kitchen,” she says. “We kept the white cabinet profiles super simple and clean. And we used flat panels on the fridge to keep it even simpler, much like the vent hood.” The minimalist chrome hardware matches the modern aesthetic of the white cabinetry.
After: Now an unfussy cased opening provides the transition to the breakfast room. The space measures approximately 148 square feet and includes a casual eat-in area and a new beverage bar.
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New to home remodeling? Click here to learn the basics
“This room gets wonderful natural light, so we were able to go dark with the cabinetry and mix things up with a dark countertop,” Jacobson says. In addition to the skylights and large windows seen here, there are the large sliding doors that open to the backyard. While the alder cabinets match the kitchen cabinets, the dark quartz countertops with white veining switch things up a bit in here.
The team added shiplap to the breakfast room ceiling to bring in some farmhouse style.
“The homeowners entertain a lot, especially outdoors with their friends who have children. They wanted this beverage bar to serve the backyard,” Jacobson says. “It’s easy for guests to come in through the sliding doors, wash their hands and grab a drink or snack.”
She also incorporated trash and recycling bins in the base cabinetry to serve the outdoor entertaining area. In addition, the cabinet on the far left houses the media equipment required for the outdoor stereo and TV.
She also incorporated trash and recycling bins in the base cabinetry to serve the outdoor entertaining area. In addition, the cabinet on the far left houses the media equipment required for the outdoor stereo and TV.
This floor plan shows the appliance-pantry wall along the bottom and the kitchen and breakfast room above it.
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More on Houzz
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Hire a kitchen remodeler
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Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three young children
Location: Northbrook, Illinois
Size: 255 square feet (24 square meters)
Designers: Nancy Jacobson of Kitchen Design Partners (kitchen design) and Rebecca Pogonitz of GOGO Design Group (interior design)
Contractor: Macnon Builders
Before: “The kitchen had the quality of a typical spec home,” Jacobson says. “It was relatively narrow and there was a lot of wasted space along that left wall.” Said wall contained a pantry closet, a desk, the fridge and the ovens, along with empty wall space. Making this area more efficient was one of the main functional priorities of the renovation.
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