We love custom cabinetry details. Quality cabinetry built by a skilled woodworker is one of the most luxurious, beautiful, and functional investments you can make in your kitchen.
We loved working with Broken Compass Woodworking to design and create the custom cabinetry at the House on Honeysuckle Hill (our personal home). We have worked with Kyle for years on many projects, and he knocked the details on our cabinetry out of the park. He
There are so many details about the quality and function of the cabinets (including storage details) that I won’t be covering today. I will share more of those details later. Today is all about the LOOK. Our kitchen was inspired by earthy, natural materials and English kitchen design.
Here are ten things to request from your builder or carpenter in order to get this look:
- Inset cabinetry
With inset cabinetry, the drawers and doors fit inside the cabinet frame and are flush with the frame itself. This is what gives this cabinetry an English, luxury feel. - Flat panel top drawers; Shaker style lower drawers
We opted for flat panels on the top drawers in all of our cabinets; however, we added a little bit of extra detail with the shaker style on the lower drawers in places like the butler’s pantry and range wall. - Beveled shaker style doors
Our cabinets have a simple, classic shaker style. But we opted to do a beveled edge on the shaker. This makes them easier to clean, and adds a nice little modern detail. - Baseboard instead of toe kick
One thing to consider in your cabinetry is the style of toe kick. Our island has legs in front of the toe kick, but on the perimeter cabinetry and butler’s pantry we opted for a baseboard and no toe kick. I love how easy this is to keep clean (no food getting lost under the toe kick) and how this sets it apart from other cabinetry. - Integrated and panel ready refrigerator and dishwasher
I absolutely love the look of integrated appliances; it’s no secret—although the appliances do feel like a bit of a secret 😉 We used Fisher & Paykel appliances throughout our kitchen and love the way that the refrigerator and dishwasher are seamlessly integrated and paneled with cabinetry. - Unlacquered brass hardware
All of our cabinetry hardware is unlacquered brass. After only a few months of use, it already has such a beautiful patina. I love the way the brass feels like jewelry against the cream and walnut. - Walnut island with clear lacquer
Our island is solid walnut. No stain; just clear lacquer. I love how natural and beautiful it feels. There’s nothing quite like walnut! - Cream colored perimeter cabinetry
Our perimeter cabinetry is Natural Cream by Benjamin Moore. We wanted a color that would be warm, traditional and timeless. We have been so happy with Natural Cream! - Curved open shelving on the island
The curve on the island is the pièce de résistance of the kitchen. Every single inch of the cabinetry is custom, but nothing says quality craftsmanship and attention to detail like the curved end of the island. In order to achieve this level of detail, my number one piece of advice is to work with a skilled carpenter who cares about detail. Kyle (our carpenter) executed my vision for this curve with such excellence! - Marble apron front on sink cabinet.
Another one of my favorite visual details in the kitchen is the marble apron front on the sink cabinet. Rather than using a full marble apron front sink, we created the look of an apron front by using marble on the front of the sink cabinet with a cast iron undermount sink.
Are there any details I missed from this list that you notice? If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below or find us on Instagram, and we will do our best to answer!
