kitchen design ideas with oak cabinets
hi, my name is kasia waloszczyk and i’m an interior designer. i’m also the owner of kasia waloszczyk designs, and today, i’m showing you a fantastic kitchen project thati did for one of my clients in this gorgeous home located in danforth village. my first impression of this kitchenwhen i came to see it was that it was too dark. the cabinets were a dark espresso and they really weighed in on the space.plus, i noticed there was a huge lack of storage and counter space, and even though the kitchen was open into the dining room, it still felt very isolated. what i really wanted to achieve in this renovation project is to create a spacethat was both functional and beautiful. i really wanted to create a space where the family could gather, where theycould entertain — truly creating the heart of the home. i decided to gut the entire back end of the house, simplyto gain more space for the new kitchen reno. the previous kitchen was adjacent to a bathroom that was never used. thebathtub was simply storage. so, by removing that wall i
ended up opening up the back end and allowing for a muchbigger footprint for the new kitchen. i opted for an all- white kitchen simply to create an airy, bright feel. i alsofelt that by adding all the cabinets that i added to the space, going with a wood tone would really just weigh itdown, whereas the white color really opens it up. plus, white is so timeless and classic. at the same time it can also be fun and whimsy, and that’s just what my clients are. in this kitchen i used a lot of durable products. my clientshave two small kids so durability was key for them. for the backsplash, i used a porcelain, oversized subway tile thatgives it a little bit more of that modern element. for my countertops i ended up using a quartz, which is a very durable product, especially when you have children and you do a lot of cooking. and then i finished off thefloors by using a 12x24 porcelain tile that’s meant to mimic a slate. but, it’s got the durability where it allowsyou to wash it, plus, also prevent it from scuffing and
scratching. i increased storage with the cabinetry by basically double stacking cabinets. i extended them all the way to the top — as high as they could go. this way,the very top can also house items that aren’t that often used, but they finally found their place. there are plentyof special features behind these cabinets. the ikea system really allows you to stay organized very well, and that’sexactly how i designed this kitchen. the island turned out to become super functional. one end offers an overhang thatallows for two bar stools. i ended up fitting a microwave drawer into it, plus pot drawers. on the other side of theisland, i ended up adding more drawers and shelving for extra storage. i ended up incorporating fantastic stainlesssteel appliances into this kitchen. one of my client’s wishes was to incorporate a 48 inch range, and i did justthat. i added this beautiful smeg 48 inch, five gas burner oven, which works beautifully for him. and he is a chef sohe is very happy with it. one of my favorite elements in
this kitchen is the small little prep sink station that iwas able to incorporate. i was so tight on space, but luckily i was able to fit everything in. in terms of lightingfor the kitchen, you can never have too much, especially because you use the kitchen throughout all hours of the day.in this space, i ended up adding led pot lights throughout the walk path of the kitchen. i added two pendant lightsabove the island to cast more light on it. i added a decorative sconce above the window sink, which sets off abeautiful light in the evening, and then finished off the rest of the space by adding led under-cabinet lightingthroughout the parameter of the kitchen. if i had to describe this reno in one word, it would be, “fantastic.â€everything came together beautifully in the end. although there were some bumps along the way, it’s expectedwith a renovation job this large.