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Contemporary white kitchen with rail and stile doors, subway tiles, modern lighting

White cabinetry is enlivened with colorful accessories and sculptural designer light fixtures in this kitchen by interior designer Renae Keller

The island in this kitchen designed by Renae cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, interior design, kitchen, room, gray, white
The island in this kitchen designed by Renae Keller features a square-edged quartz countertop with waterfall sides. The front of the island is painted in the same warm gray shade as the walls.
White kitchens are always popular - but they don’t have to be stark and clinical.

White kitchens help to create a crisp, clean look for a family living area. But that's often where any similarity between white kitchens ends.

And the reason is simple white is the perfect backdrop for a variety of color accents that may be introduced through materials, products or accessories.

For example, this family kitchen by designer Renae Keller avoids a sterile, all-white look through the innovative use of color and form. Keller says the kitchen, which is in a new house, needed to have a modern, clean-lined look to complement the contemporary architecture.

"An all-white kitchen would have been too stark, however," the designer says. "So we introduced a subway tile backsplash in a warm putty color, with a crackle glaze. This has a little more of a traditional feel, yet it works with the classic, square-edged design of the cabinetry."

This kitchen designed by Renae Keller is at countertop, cuisine classique, home, interior design, kitchen, room, gray
This kitchen designed by Renae Keller is at one end of a large family living area.

Keller says rail and stile doors on the cabinets also help to soften the look, so it is neither too clinical nor too ornate.

But it is the finishing touches that really raise the kitchen out of the ordinary. Two sculptural LZF light fixtures featuring a ribbon-like wood veneer pigmented in a gray shade are suspended above the island. The dining table is also highlighted by a Bocci pendant light comprising 14 borosilicate glass globes.

"The lighting creates a focal point within the large, open-plan living space, which has 9ft ceilings," says Keller. "The pendants have a round, organic feel that is another nice contrast to the crisp, square lines of the cabinetry."

Bright pops of color also enliven the kitchen. The owners' collection of blue and green ceramic and glass pieces are displayed throughout the space, adding another organic touch.

A sea-blue F Schumacher and Co wallpaper with chair, dining room, furniture, home, interior design, living room, real estate, room, table, gray
A sea-blue F Schumacher and Co wallpaper with a traditional trellis pattern creates a colorful backdrop to the contemporary hutch dresser in this kitchen. The lower shelf is deep enough to accommodate standing wine bottles. The oval dining table was custom designed by Renae Keller.

"Several of these pieces are displayed in a contemporary built-in sideboard, which features a fun wallpaper in a turquoise color with a traditional trellis pattern," says Keller. "The shelves are glass, with white-painted wood edges. The glass enables the light to travel right down through all the shelves."

The designer custom designed an oval dining table with a wood and stainless steel base, and teamed this with Eames moulded plastic dining chairs.

"Again, the softer shape of the oval ensures the table does not compete with the island. It is always about achieving a visual balance."

Functionality is also assured. As well as the ample storage in the kitchen, there is a separate walk-in pantry. Small appliances are hidden from sight in a cabinet to the right of the refrigerator.

Credit list

Interior designer
Renae Keller ASID, Renae Keller Interior Design (Minneapolis, MN)
Cabinet company
Mike Hedin Custom woodworking
Cabinet hardware
Tob Knobs in satin nickel
Backsplash
Star-TriBeCa subway tile in Bossy Gray from Sonoma Tilemakers
Sink
Kohler
Refrigerator
Liebherr
Hood
Vent-A-Hood
Microwave drawer
Jenn-Air
Doors and windows
Pella
Window treatments
Aero Drapery & Blind
Lighting
LZF pendants over island; Bocci pendant over dining area
Dining table
Custom design by Renae Keller Design, fabricated by Rust Brothers
Builder
Premier Builders of Rochester
Cabinets
Painted in Snowbound with rail and stile doors
Countertops
Quartz, fabricated by TLC Surfaces
Hutch wallpaper
Morocco in Azure by F Schumacher and Co
Faucet
Moen
Range
GE Monogram
Dishwasher
Bosch
Flooring
Walnut by Creative Hardwood Floors
Artwork
NKS Artsource
Stools
Crate and Barrel
Dining chairs
Eames moluded plastic in Wafer from Room and Board

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

16 Feb, 2019

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