Kitchen | Light Wood option
Douglas fir, treated with Lye and White Soap is the flooring type we’re using. Its so beautiful and has stunning graining. The house already has Douglas fir beams so it made sense to stick with it here. In keeping with the vibe of the house and modernizing it, this felt like a strong option for the minimalist open kitchen. Here is option 2!
Inspiration
Renderings
The first thing I did was test out shelving…
I loved the first option without shelves. I liked the second option and hate the third. This is why its so good to test! With the no-shelf option my favorite and knowing that I could always add shelves later, I decided to move forward with the first option and start to test some countertop combos.
I never rely solely on renderings - they are not meant to be precise, but rather give you a sense of the space. I’ve roughly tested some marbles and terrazzo and if I see that something is working or almost working, then I head to the stone yard. With the movement of the wood grain, the movement of the veining in the marble is crucial to how it jives with the wood. You can see this in the second round of renderings below. Here’s the original all-wood version which I love for its stunning simplicity.
Here we’ve added a white corian counter… not bad. I still prefer the all-wood but this slightly more toned down version feels a a bit more relaxed than the original and is a great alternative. The corian is also a bit more low maneinance. If I had a client that was pristine and not into patina, this is what I’d show.
Surprised by how much I did actually like the white countertop, I wanted to try out some marbles as an elevated option to see how it felt. I was worried it would be too busy and you can see here how important the specific slab is. The first option has a bit more sparse veining and has some golden undertones that work well with the brass and warm tone of the wood. The option below is much busier with a lot of veining and harsher black/white tones. It’s not quite the look i’m going for.
And finally, I tested out a very simple terrazzo. This rendering doesn’t really show it well but it sparked my interest enough to order a few samples and test them side by side with the wood should we go with the Douglas fir.
Renderings are often thought of as a presentation tool but for me, it is an integral part of my design process. I don’t fuss to make them perfect but quickly iterating on materials and spatial layouts in a realistic way is such a great tool to ensure that the design works in real life. In going through all of these options, I think my favorite is still the first option, which is often the case. That being said, its helpful to see other options to feel confident in the decision you choose. Off to order some marble and terrazzo samples just to be sure - I’ll share once I have them in hand.
Let me know your thoughts on these options!
execution
If I move forward with this option, I’d likely have a millworker custom make the drawer fronts so that they perfectly match the flooring we’re installing. That being said, Reform makes a Douglas fir option that is readymade to fit right onto ikea cabinets. Its worth checking out if you’re interested in this finish.
