How to make a natural cherry kitchen more contemporary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We bought a home with a really nice large and well laid out kitchen that I love. The kitchen has beautiful natural cherry cabinetry with a simple shaker style. While they look beautiful, they don’t really go with the rest of our design aesthetic which is more modern, cooler toned palette. I love wood but more of a walnut color and the natural cherry (while thankfully not that horrible red cherry) is still quite orange-ey. The Pioneer Woman kitchen is a good comparable.

What would you do to make the kitchen look more modern and less prairie without replacing the cabinetry? I’m leaning towards having them professionally painted in a low sheen paint two toned with black lowers and white uppers, modern hardware, update the backsplash and counters some kind of white stone.

Or should I leave them natural cherry and just redo the countertop, backsplash and hardware to be more contemporary? But I don’t know what color palette to do if I go this route. It does pain me to have such pretty wood painted.

Cherry is gorgeous!! Leave it!!

[Anonymous]

Ok this is OP, thanks all! I’ve officially been convinced to keep the natural wood. I’m thinking I’ll do a natural stone countertop like quartzite (we currently have a leathered black granite which I despise) and dark chunky modern hardware to pull in the cooler tones. It should end up looking pretty current since the trend is natural materials anyways. I’m excited!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ooopsie

OP change your counters and backsplash

Our natural cherry is actually lighter than this, more like the Room and Board natural cherry than this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ooopsie

OP change your counters and backsplash

Our natural cherry is actually lighter than this, more like the Room and Board natural cherry than this.

Your choice is basically paint them or put in white /marbled counters. We are in a similar boat and are just waiting before we full gut in 10 years.

[Anonymous]

You can apply Varathane Gel Stain right over them. You don't need to sand too much first. Maybe Sunbleached would look nice.

[Anonymous]

Following this thread. We were in the same boat and decided to keep the cabinets (light cherry with some red undertones). We’ll replace countertops, backsplash, and hardware. Please continue to post pictures for inspiration! Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ooopsie

OP change your counters and backsplash

Our natural cherry is actually lighter than this, more like the Room and Board natural cherry than this.

Anyone with cherry cabinets that look like this would be really lucky. Most are more orangey and less deep and rich

[Anonymous]

OP, I would go lighter with the counters and hardware, not darker, if you are trying for a more sleek and streamlined look. what's your backsplash like? Our last home had a kind of dated kitchen, including a tumbled marble backsplash and brown/gold granite. I changed the hardware from rubbed bronze to nickel, changed the lights from faux craftsman to more industrial and changed the backsplash to a very light gray crackle subway tile and it helped a lot. My next step would have been white counters, but we sold the house.

[Anonymous]

The gold knob pulls look pretty in the picture. I would have never thought of that. Anyone have suggestions for pulls for cherry cabinets?

[Anonymous]

I am not a big wood cabinet person (this is changing after 12 years of white kitchen cabinets that I love, but hate having to always clean)

I love all the pictures on here with original wood and white/lighter counter tops and backsplash. I vote for doing that first and seeing how you feel before painting!

[Anonymous]

I have the same issue as OP and I’ve been planning to replace counters to a marble-looking quartz, but I’m stuck on black splash. I don’t like white subway tile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have the same issue as OP and I’ve been planning to replace counters to a marble-looking quartz, but I’m stuck on black splash. I don’t like white subway tile.

Both of the varigated greys look good in the above pictures.

I am the poster who was in same boat but honey oak cabinets. I found a lot of online photos posted by people in the same situation and how they updated via counters/backsplash/cabinet knobs. In fact I remember finding a a post by someone who showed comparison of all different metals (brushed nickel vs black matte vs brass etc) as hardware with honey oak cabinets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the same issue as OP and I’ve been planning to replace counters to a marble-looking quartz, but I’m stuck on black splash. I don’t like white subway tile.

Both of the varigated greys look good in the above pictures.

I am the poster who was in same boat but honey oak cabinets. I found a lot of online photos posted by people in the same situation and how they updated via counters/backsplash/cabinet knobs. In fact I remember finding a a post by someone who showed comparison of all different metals (brushed nickel vs black matte vs brass etc) as hardware with honey oak cabinets.

Here is a good example of what I mean - the brass and hunter green look great with cherry cabinets: https://funcycled.com/diy/modernizing-a-kitchen-with-cherry-cabinets-without-painting-the-cabinets/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok this is OP, thanks all! I’ve officially been convinced to keep the natural wood. I’m thinking I’ll do a natural stone countertop like quartzite (we currently have a leathered black granite which I despise) and dark chunky modern hardware to pull in the cooler tones. It should end up looking pretty current since the trend is natural materials anyways. I’m excited!

Yay! Wood tones are much more low-maintenance. You won’t regret it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok this is OP, thanks all! I’ve officially been convinced to keep the natural wood. I’m thinking I’ll do a natural stone countertop like quartzite (we currently have a leathered black granite which I despise) and dark chunky modern hardware to pull in the cooler tones. It should end up looking pretty current since the trend is natural materials anyways. I’m excited!

Can I ask what you dislike about the leathered black granite? Considering it…