Add Warmth To Your Kitchen With HGTV Star Chelsea DeBoer's Cabinet Design Idea

Kitchen design trends are constantly evolving; it seems like every few years, the dominant color changes. All-white kitchens have been all the rage for the last several years, but as the pristine spaces saturated Instagram grids and HGTV episodes, people have grown tired of them and are craving something different. Enter the resurgence of the wooden cabinet trend. Dark woods and bleached oaks are coming back in style, offering a warmer and more natural alternative to the all-white look. However, what should you do if you want to try out the new kitchen trend but don't want to replace all of your cabinets? HGTV star Chelsea DeBoer has the answer, and it's to add wooden accents in key areas, such as the pantry door or range hood.

Doing this not only adds contrast to an all-white kitchen, but it also allows you to experiment with the wooden trend without having to redo your entire space. It's much more cost effective, as you're only replacing a small section of your kitchen. Swapping an all-white pantry door for a wooden version also brings you that warmth and texture you would get from a wooden kitchen, just without the commitment. If you're itching to update your space and infuse it with some natural materials, follow DeBoer's style hack. Here's a deeper look into how to do just that. 

In Season 2, Episode 7 of "Down Home Fab," Chelsea and Cole redesign a home for a couple who are empty nesters. They want a new space as parents of adult kids, since they are entering a new relationship with their children. Since families tend to gather in the kitchen, the DeBoers wanted to create a sophisticated and grown-up area where the family could visit and catch up. To make that, Chelsea decided on two-tone shaker cabinets. She chose a grayish-white color for the majority of the cabinets, but then chose a dark wood stain for the large pantry on the edge of the kitchen and the vent hood. This infused the space with some natural elements, balancing the all-white kitchen. 

You can do the same in your own home by selecting key doors to change. Take a look at your kitchen layout and narrow down which cabinet doors would make the most sense to swap. Do you have a pantry corner you can highlight with new wooden doors? Is there a cabinet you keep all of your favorite glassware in? Or do you have a section of cabinets that feel apart from the rest of the kitchen? Those would be great contenders. To change your doors, measure the cabinet box and then select your style and wood species from shops that offer factory-direct cabinet doors, like The Cabinet Door Store. You can then stain the doors to the color you like.

While all-white kitchens are timeless, more and more people are warming up their homes' color palettes. There is a clear move away from sterile spaces towards cozier, more lived-in aesthetics. DeBoer has picked up on that, and has been experimenting more and more with wooden kitchens. She created another two-tone space in Season 2, Episode 6 of "Down Home Fab," pairing white uppers with white oak lowers. "New wood cabinets. But I feel like this is more neutral; it's more of a timeless finish," DeBoer told the homeowners.

The two-tone route is a gorgeous way to add wood to your kitchen. But are you nervous that the wood you choose will make your kitchen seem old-fashioned? Don't worry — it's all about selecting the right grain and color. Right now, white oak is trending if you want a lighter hue, and walnut remains popular if you want a rich, dark color. But if you want to choose something for its contemporary grain, go with alder. It's lighter in appearance than most woods,which looks great in all kinds of kitchens, from contemporary to rustic. Follow these tips and you'll have a refreshed kitchen in no time.