PART 3 | STAND-OUT DETAILS FOR SOLID DOORS

Last week we established that I have a real bee in my bonnet about boring white kitchens. While white kitchens are the backbone of many talented designer’s portfolios, there has been too much made of keeping everything basic so that you won’t tire of it down the road. As a result, there are now tons of white kitchens that would put you in La-La land right from the get-go. There is no need for a snooze-fest when it comes to your future kitchen design as creativity with cabinetry making and specifically with cabinet door styles has never been higher! Regardless of whether you are contemplating a white kitchen or not, you’ll want to keep the majority of your cabinetry classic and timeless to protect your investment for the long-term. However, I still think it’s essential to weave in some pretty details on a few of the cabinet doors so that your kitchen becomes a stylish and personalized representation of you and your family.

In Part 1 of my Series on How to Make Your Kitchen Beautiful, we looked at pretty details you could incorporate into the interiors of your cabinetry to infuse some needed character. In Part 2, I showed you how to use glass cabinet doors stylishly to create dramatic focal points in your kitchen. Now in Part 3, I’m concluding this series with some unique details & cabinet door styles that will deliver needed interest to your kitchen. In most of the images below, I will advocate for you to use them with restraint. Fabulous details are usually best employed on a limited number of cabinet doors so as not to overwhelm the overall design.

Adding Interest To Your Kitchen With Unique Cabinet Door Styles

CURVED DOORS

Many of my favorite British cabinetmakers seem to love this idea and incorporate it into many of their designs. It is not as commonly seen here in the U.S., which means it’s an excellent opportunity for you to make your kitchen stand out from the crowd. It works with many cabinet door styles…from a shaker door to a more formal door. I’m including two of my own images here, which are from the same project so you can see how I repeated the curved details through-out the kitchen. The entrance to the kitchen is flanked by curved cabinetry that extends to the ceiling, while the wide, eccentric arch over the range and the curved end-units on the island bring the concept full circle!

Curved cabinet door styles provide interest and character to the entrance of this kitchen. Clive Christian cream painted cabinetry, designed by Heather Hungeling.

Half-circle base cabinets cap off each end of the island. The curved concept can also be seen in the gentle, wide arch over the range. Discover other ideas for unique details & cabinet door styles to spice up your kitchen.

Source: Heather Hungeling Design | Willow Lane Project

MULTI-PANEL CABINET DOOR STYLES

I would further describe the multi-panel style below as a “pyramidal raised panel.” The proportions obviously need to be perfectly square to achieve this look, but it’s quite stunning in this transitional kitchen by Whittney Parkinson. I also love that she drew additional attention to these unique cabinets by specifying them in an accent color. Notice how the marble pulls the two different finishes together so beautifully?

Upper cabinetry with multiple, pyramidal panels gives great character to this kitchen by Whittney Parkinson Design. Discover other great details & cabinet door styles to incorporate into your next kitchen.

Source: Whittney Parkinson Design

…here’s another example with a simpler shaker recessed panel. With this style of panel, you can play with the proportions a bit more. This looks great even with a series of wide rectangular panels rather than squares.

Multiple panel doors provide lots of character to a kitchen. Use them sparingly with great effect. Discover other ideas for infusing interest into your kitchen with unique cabinet door styles.

Source: Woodale Designs

METAL MESH DOOR PANELS

It’s always about texture, isn’t it? In this pretty hutch, a metal mesh panel is mounted in front of a mirrored door. The benefit is apparent…lots of texture, reflection from the mirror, and the ability to stash whatever you want in there. If you’re on the fence about having glass doors in your kitchen, this would be a great option. I personally, like how they’ve used this as a feature on an accent piece rather than on the wall cabinets.

Cabinet door details, such as these mesh panel inserts, create lots of interest in a kitchen. Use them on a few key cabinets as a dramatic accent, which will take your kitchen from ho-hum to amazing. Discover other interesting cabinet door styles th…

Source: Traditional Home

…and another example without the mirror backing. The mesh inserts come in varying degrees of tightness. For a more transparent look, such as in the photo below, choose one with a larger pattern.

Metal panel inserts are not new, but they are being made fresh again with clean, classic cabinetry. Opt for an insert with a wide pattern to create greater transparency, similar to glass. Discover other unique details and cabinet door styles to infu…

Source: HomeBunch

CABINETRY DOORS WITH EXCITING PANEL DETAILS

This category is the most fun. You can look at furniture pieces (old and new) for great inspiration. Although the example in the first image below is of family room built-ins, the idea could easily translate to the kitchen. A few key accent doors, carefully positioned in the kitchen design would define the look for the whole room. With panel moldings (as shown), cabinet makers can achieve distinctive shapes a little more easily than with traditional raised or recessed panels. So keep that in mind as you look for interesting ways to capture unique details that you discover.

Panel moldings can be used to create interesting shapes and patterns for cabinetry. Discover other ways you can add personality to your next kitchen with unique details and cabinet door styles.

Source: AK Studio

…a triple recessed panel on this cabinet door style makes a fresh & pretty statement - especially when the detail is shared between both doors.

A triple recessed cabinet door panel looks very fresh. The width of the doors, rails, and stiles should be generous to pull off this chunkier look. Discover other ways to add unique details and interesting cabinet door styles to your next kitchen.

Source: Barr Joinery (via Instagram)

…a work in progress shot from Amy Meier. The finished room has not yet been photographed…but I wanted to include this because I love the panel molding detail on the door.

A work in progress shot by Amy Meier Design, but with very pretty panel moldings on the cabinetry. Discover other ways you can use unique cabinetry door styles to infuse needed character into your kitchen.

Source: Amy Meier Design (Instagram)

…anxiously awaiting a reveal of this gorgeous kitchen by Jean Stoffer. She shared this image on her Instagram feed and the detail on the upper cabinetry just took my breath away. I love the panel molding detail on the doors, but I also appreciate how the pattern extends across the whole cabinet, rather than separately on each door. I love the two different finishes, the hardware, the marble…everything!

Exquisite cabinet door styles by Jean Stoffer Design.

Source: Jean Stoffer Design (via Instagram)

…in this image, a circular detail is used on the island end panel and then repeated on the panel above the range. However, this circular detail could just as easily be used on doors. Consider using this detail on a set refrigerator/freezer door panels or even a large hutch.

A circular shape featured on the island end panels is repeated on the panel above the range. This concept could easily be incorporated into cabinet door styles as well.

Source: Heather Hungeling Design | Wentworth Place Project

…very Parisian here in this setting with the dark finish and herringbone floors. However, I think this detail could be interpreted into another setting with an alternate finish and it would render a completely different look.

Circular cabinet door styles on the custom cabinetry designed by Leo Designs Chicago.

Source: Leo Designs Chicago

FRETWORK CUT-OUT DETAIL ON CABINET DOOR

This image has been quite popular on Pinterest for a while. While the light wood tone of the cabinetry is spot on with the current trends, I think people just really love the sweet little fretwork detail on the doors. Again, I wouldn’t suggest this on a bunch of your wall cabinet doors, but I think it could be pretty on a free-standing cabinetry hutch made to compliment the kitchen.

Fretwork cut-outs are one of many different ways that you can use interesting cabinet door styles to bring personality to your next kitchen.

Source: The Fox Group

DeVol always knows how to use cool cabinet door styles with restraint. Just a few of these cabinet doors used sparingly in your kitchen will deliver loads of character.

Source: DeVol Kitchens

METAL DOOR & DRAWER FRONTS

Have a beautiful Nickel Silver range hood…or perhaps pretty brass or copper accents on your range? Why not accentuate that detail by repeating the element on the drawer fronts of adjacent cabinetry. I usually do this on the left and right side of the range, but using this idea on the island also works nicely. I love the highly reflective look of the material that Christopher Peacock used on the hood and drawer fronts. However, If the polished finish you see below is a bit too shiny for your maintenance threshold, consider going with a brushed finish instead. It will be considerably more forgiving. Also, make sure that you use generously sized handles on these drawers so that you won’t need to clean off finger smudges all of the time.

Polished stainless or nickel drawer fronts on either side of the range visually elongate the cooking zone. This is one of many ways that you can add drama to your next kitchen with stunning cabinet door styles.

Source: Christopher Peacock Home (via Instagram)

CABINETRY DOOR STYLES WITH REEDED DETAILS

This is an idea of which I’ve been noticing a subtle uptick lately. While these reeded doors look elegant on the base cabinet, this could be used with good effect on upper cabinetry as well.

Reeded cabinet doors are on the rise in popularity. Savvy designers, like Dana Wolter, know that using interesting cabinet door styles like this, create character in an otherwise classic kitchen.

Source: Dana Wolter Interiors via Traditional Home

…a cool reeded door detail from a project in progress by Alice Lane Interiors. I can’t wait to see the rest of the kitchen.

A work in progress shot by Alice Lane Interiors. Cool cabinet door styles like this one can transform a kitchen from basic to stunning.

Source: Alice Lane Interiors (via Instagram)

TWO-TONE CABINETRY

While I see two-tone finishes done on upper cabinetry, my personal preference is usually to do this on the base cabinets. It’s a particularly nice look for drawer units because you have lots of visual separation between the rails of the cabinet and the drawer fronts.

Two-tone cabinet door styles, such as shown in this kitchen by Christopher Peacock, illustrates the principle that unique details matter.

Source: Christopher Peacock via Traditional Home

…here the concept is employed as if a separate piece of furniture is nestled in among the surrounding cabinetry. I love how the designer used custom cabinetry to turn the porthole window into such a stunning feature.

A two-tone kitchen with pretty cabinet door styles by Bria Hammel Interiors. I love how the darker cabinetry is set up to look like a fabulous antique that was incorporated into the kitchen.

Source: Bria Hammel Interiors

CABINET DOOR STYLES WITH SPINDLES

While the spindles on these doors are right at home in this English-style Larder, you could also incorporate a few spindle doors in your own kitchen. I know I’m sounding like a broken record here, but I would only do this on a few accent doors in the kitchen. That would bring plenty of character without going overboard. I used this detail for a food pantry, which I thought was perfectly well suited to this look.

Spindle doors are perfectly at home in an English-style larder like this one. Discover other ways that you can use unique cabinet door styles to bring character to your future kitchen.

Source: Heather Hungeling Design | Adair Place Project

MARQUETRY INLAY & BURLED WOOD VENEERS

This is actually one of my go-to ideas for bringing interest to a luxury kitchen. Even though I use this concept quite a bit in my designs, I don’t have many good photographs of it. However, I was able to find this stunning kitchen with a beautiful burled walnut island. Veneers with contrasting direction are used around the perimeter of the doors, with a burled veneer center panel. The result is exquisite. People in my industry casually toss around the term “furniture look” for their cabinetry all of the time, but this is the real deal in my opinion.

A furniture-style island with walnut veneers shows that it pays off big to focus on pretty cabinet door styles. Kitchen designed by Austin Patterson Disston Architects.

Burled walnut cabinetry with furniture-style legs set the tone in this formal kitchen by Austin Patterson Disston Architects. Discover other ways that pretty cabinet door styles can transform your next kitchen.

Source: Austin Patterson Disston Architects via Traditional Home

…a little more transitional look in this two-tone kitchen - with light oak parquetry on the refrigerator/freezer.

Light-stained oak parquetry panels accent the refrigerator in this two-tone kitchen design by Erica Bryen Design. Parquetry or Marquetry are just a few of many ways in which you can add pretty details and unique cabinet door styles to transform your…

Source: Erica Bryen Design

…burled oak featured on the corbels, with a marquetry inlay “x” pattern on the end panels of the island.

Marquetry inlay panels and burled oak corbels are special features on this Clive Christian kitchen island. However, they can be incorporated into cabinet door styles as well. Designed by Heather Hungeling.

Source: Heather Hungeling Design | Peachtree Street Project

If you’re still interested in exploring additional ideas, you may enjoy following my Pinterest board, Cabinet Details. Also, make sure you check out Part 1 (Cabinet Interiors) & Part 2 (Glass Cabinetry) of this post!