We have decided to spend a chunk of change on a new kitchen. When we purchased our house in 2001, the kitchen was completed about 6 weeks prior. And while it was built in 2001, it looked like it came out of the early 90s. Black granite with natural cherry. And the maximum ornament on the trim. blech. But it was new and functioned and we didn’t want to spend a chunk of change then.
The new cabinets will not be entirely modern but in a modified shaker. The frames will be slightly thinner and the inside edge will will have a 15 degree bevel instead of “flat”. Color is undecided but the leading contenders are white or natural maple with the panels in tiger maple. We need it to be “light”. The kitchen has no direct sun although it does get northern light from the adjacent sun room.
So now I am looking for sources for the lighting, pulls, hooks, etc. I know the usual suspects - C&B, W/S, allmodern.com, etc. What would interest me is the boutique-ee type places with unique stuff. I like to be different.
This is an example of shaker without the modifications we will have. And please disregard the crown trim. blech.
To make the kitchen stand out you can consider using custom 3D printed steel hooks and knobs. If you are interested, send me a PM and we can develop these. The prices are interesting nowadays.
Check out Etsy, lots of junk to sift through but I’ve found some cool stuff on there and some of it can be “lightly” customized depending on the person selling. I had a real nice custom wood bath-tub caddy made for my wife a few months back after spending months trying to find something that wasn’t just chintzy chrome wire form.
This place makes replicas of old Swedish stuff, for those wanting to live in authentic Swedish 20s, 50s and 60s styled homes. While that would by definition be very NOT unique in Sweden, it would possibly be quite “different” in the US. Very good quality, not cheap.
The Swedish stuff is pretty cool. I am liking the recessed circle pull from Mockett too. But other than a plain panel, how does one get more minimal that shaker? I consider it modern, but at this point I am open to anything. Modern, artful, clever, whatever. No gold nor brass. blech.
This is what I would consider a traditional kitchen in murca.
Have you checked out IKEA? They have a pretty good selection and as for quality an AL extrusion is an extrusion… If you are looking for different, I think you could achieve that with an interesting contrast in style/color with the traditional cabinets. A hidden kind of wide pull in silver might work to lighten the look. Or you could always consider no pull and have them touch to open.
There is a large, obnoxious bevel on the panel of the “traditional” cabinet that is absent from the shaker. More of the cabinet framing is visible with the traditional too.
As I wrote before, I plan to have a lower profile frame on the door with a slight inner bevel on the frame to decrease shadow lines. Granted, it is not as minimal as a flat panel, but certainly more so than mission which I would consider to be the first large modern movement away from ornament. Shaker, while predating mission by 50 years, was not as widely accepted and more localized at the time.