When redesigning and redecorating a home, it’s inevitable that certain challenges and restrictions will crop up during the process.  In some ways, designing a home from nothing can be a lot more straightforward than redesigning a home around existing features, especially when the homeowner is particularly attached to one or more of these features.  Solving these challenges is always an exciting exercise in creativity for a designer. As an example, I am currently working on redesigning a kitchen for a client as a part of an entire home redesign.  The challenge with the kitchen redesign comes from one of its largest features: the countertops.  The client already has gorgeous countertops created from an exotic, distinct, and exclusive granite called Sodalite Blue Granite, and she is understandably very attached to these countertops.  For this reason, the kitchen cannot be entirely re-planned or replaced, and we are limited to the existing framework.

Because the Sodalite Blue Granite countertops are so distinct and colorful, sourcing wood for the new kitchen cabinets that will compliment the counters is our greatest challenge.  To add to the challenge, the client does not like the appearance of molded doors and feels as though flat doors are too plain for her. To compliment the cool tones of the Sodalite Blue Granite, we are sourcing wood with warm tones in their finishes.  We’ve chosen a range of options for our client to consider, from a bright and cheerful Beech to a deep and elegant Wenge.  The wood chosen for the cabinets can set the tone for the entire kitchen and help guide the remainder of the redesign and redecorating process.

As for the style of the cabinet doors, we are compromising between the more ornate molded doors and a plain flat door by offering the options of adding a slight beveled or routered edge.  This addition will add visual interest to the appearance of the doors while still avoiding the look of molded doors that the client dislikes. Which wood would you choose to pair with the Sodalite Blue Granite?  We’d love to hear your opinions in the comments!