Kitchen of the Week: Warm Neutral Style in Wood and Limestone
An Oklahoma designer creates an inviting space that mixes warm wood and natural stone for an elevated transitional style
A warm neutral kitchen is the goal of so many homeowners right now that designer Kirby Foster Hurd is betting the look will appeal to future homebuyers as well. She channeled the style in this Arcadia, Oklahoma, kitchen, which is part of a new spec home she designed with building firm MassaRossa Luxury Homes.
Light white oak cabinets, including paneled appliances, and stained white oak flooring anchor the space in warmth. A soft limestone backsplash and marble-look quartz countertops balance the woods in creamy, welcoming tones. Arched doorways further soften the look and feel. Clever storage solutions and an elegant mix of metals elevate the kitchen’s broad appeal.
Light white oak cabinets, including paneled appliances, and stained white oak flooring anchor the space in warmth. A soft limestone backsplash and marble-look quartz countertops balance the woods in creamy, welcoming tones. Arched doorways further soften the look and feel. Clever storage solutions and an elegant mix of metals elevate the kitchen’s broad appeal.
The marble-look quartz countertops have an off-white base color with light gray veining and golden highlights that complement the brass details. “I wanted to make sure [the countertop material] was a versatile product,” Foster Hurd says. “Whoever lives here could have the confidence of having the marble look but having it be livable for a family.” The island features waterfall ends.
Black backless wood stools coordinate with a matte black faucet. Cabinets in front of the stools offer storage for seasonal items. A glass-front cabinet tower in the back-left corner of the kitchen provides a spot for displaying fine glassware and other items.
The arched door on the left connects to a butler’s pantry. The one on the right leads to a hallway with a powder room and a utility room. “I was really trying to soften the rustic elements of the house by adding those arches,” Foster Hurd says.
Countertops: MetroQuartz in Luce Oro, Architectural Surfaces; faucet: Concord, Kingston Brass; stools: Haddonfield, Threshold designed with Studio McGee, Target
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Black backless wood stools coordinate with a matte black faucet. Cabinets in front of the stools offer storage for seasonal items. A glass-front cabinet tower in the back-left corner of the kitchen provides a spot for displaying fine glassware and other items.
The arched door on the left connects to a butler’s pantry. The one on the right leads to a hallway with a powder room and a utility room. “I was really trying to soften the rustic elements of the house by adding those arches,” Foster Hurd says.
Countertops: MetroQuartz in Luce Oro, Architectural Surfaces; faucet: Concord, Kingston Brass; stools: Haddonfield, Threshold designed with Studio McGee, Target
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A 48-inch dual-fuel range sits beneath a white oak hood stained to match the cabinets. “I went back and forth on this one,” Foster Hurd says. “I was trying to decide if I wanted to do a painted hood or the white oak. I finally decided if I did it painted, it might draw unnecessary attention to it. I wanted your eye to go to the stone. I think the overall look is more seamless this way.”
Foster Hurd added thick floating white oak shelves on the backsplash, on each side of the range, for displaying decorative items, family photos or plants. “Those floating shelves are also lit,” Foster Hurd says. “Because we don’t have any upper cabinets in this application, we were missing undercabinet lights. So here you can turn on those lights at night to give a nice, soft ambiance.”
The lower cabinet to the left of the range features slots for organizing and storing baking sheets. A pullout to the right of the range offers spice storage.
Range: Miele; range hood insert: Elica
12 Clever Kitchen Cabinet Storage Ideas
Foster Hurd added thick floating white oak shelves on the backsplash, on each side of the range, for displaying decorative items, family photos or plants. “Those floating shelves are also lit,” Foster Hurd says. “Because we don’t have any upper cabinets in this application, we were missing undercabinet lights. So here you can turn on those lights at night to give a nice, soft ambiance.”
The lower cabinet to the left of the range features slots for organizing and storing baking sheets. A pullout to the right of the range offers spice storage.
Range: Miele; range hood insert: Elica
12 Clever Kitchen Cabinet Storage Ideas
A 32-inch stainless workstation sink in the island has sleek lines and gently rounded corners. The sink includes a durable cutting board and roll-up dish rack with removable utensil holder. This interior side of the island includes a paneled pullout garbage receptacle, a 15-inch paneled ice maker with built-in Wi-Fi, a sink cabinet and a 24-inch custom panel-ready dishwasher.
“For this specific layout, it had to be equally beautiful with the rest of the kitchen,” Foster Hurd says. “When you’re walking into the kitchen from this angle, you’re coming from the powder room or the garage. To me, it was super important that it looked nice.”
To the right of the island end in this photo stands a 30-inch built-in paneled column refrigerator with a 24-inch built-in paneled freezer. To the left of the fridge is an 18-inch built-in panel-ready wine cooler with a glass door. The refrigerator, wine cooler, dishwasher and ice maker are equipped with Wi-Fi control capabilities.
Sink: Lorelai, Delta Faucet; panel-ready refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher and wine cooler: Thermador; staging for photos: Layton Staging and Redesign
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“For this specific layout, it had to be equally beautiful with the rest of the kitchen,” Foster Hurd says. “When you’re walking into the kitchen from this angle, you’re coming from the powder room or the garage. To me, it was super important that it looked nice.”
To the right of the island end in this photo stands a 30-inch built-in paneled column refrigerator with a 24-inch built-in paneled freezer. To the left of the fridge is an 18-inch built-in panel-ready wine cooler with a glass door. The refrigerator, wine cooler, dishwasher and ice maker are equipped with Wi-Fi control capabilities.
Sink: Lorelai, Delta Faucet; panel-ready refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher and wine cooler: Thermador; staging for photos: Layton Staging and Redesign
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: This kitchen is part of a spec home envisioned for a family.
Location: Arcadia, Oklahoma
Size: 189 square feet (18 square meters)
Designer: Kirby Foster Hurd of Kirby Home Designs
Builder: MassaRossa Luxury Homes
Skinny Shaker-style white oak inset cabinets, range hood and paneled appliances star in the open kitchen. The wood features a semitransparent penetrating oil-based pickled oak stain that enhances the grain of the wood. “We were really trying to bring lots of warmth to this space,” says Foster Hurd, who uses Houzz Pro business software to manage her design projects. Brass hardware and lighting details, along with 5-inch white oak plank flooring finished on-site in a midtone stain, further anchor the space in warmth.
A creamy white limestone backsplash complements the wood elements. “This particular stone is indoor- and outdoor-rated,” Foster Hurd says. “When it’s rated for the outdoors, it can withstand a lot. It’s very important to know the material you’re working with and what it’s rated for.” The stone coordinates with marble-look quartz countertops and warm white walls and ceiling (Greek Villa by Sherwin-Williams) to create an inviting atmosphere.
Backsplash: White Chateau limestone, Richburg Stone Supply; cabinet hardware: Holloway collection in warm brass, Atlas Homewares; pendants: Prescott collection, Z-Lite
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