Redesigning a kitchen is one of the most important projects you will undertake in your home, yet creating the desired look while making it practical is a delicate balance. People can spend years fantasizing about a new kitchen, imagining what it will look like and how it will be laid out, but your chosen kitchen cabinet ideas will often make the biggest impact on the overall finish.
Unpainted kitchen cabinets have fallen out of favor in recent years, yet they can bring warmth and character to a space that may otherwise feel cold and clinical. However, the kitchen cabinet trend is having a much-anticipated renaissance thanks to American actress Jennifer Aniston and a host of other celebrated interior designers and stars.
Wood kitchen ideas, similar to Jennifer Aniston's, are nothing new – they have been commonplace in many kitchens up and down the country for years because of their timeless appeal, not to mention the fact oak is a durable material that gets better with age. But if you think that oak cabinet kitchen ideas will feel too traditional in a contemporary home, think again. The natural beauty and warmth of wood, combined with its strength and resilience, make it ideal for all kinds of cabinetry.
In her mid-century modern kitchen, Jennifer Aniston has opted for a sleek, handleless design that embraces the invisible kitchen trend. Handle-free cabinets are an integral part of this modern aesthetic. Recessed or push-touch opening mechanisms allow cabinets to blend into the background – to give your kitchen a minimal, unfussy look.
‘Handleless kitchen design provides a unique opportunity to create simple furniture language without the competing complexities of additional materiality that handles present,’ says Alex Beaugeard, creative director at Lanserring. Lean towards unpainted wood finishes helping limit the visibility of fingerprints on cabinetry.
There are some instances when you should avoid unpainted cabinetry in your kitchen. If you already have a lot of wood in the room, avoid unpainted timber cabinets, or it could feel overbearing. Instead, opt for painted cabinets in a muted shade with oak countertops and shelving, or perhaps a timber central island, to tie the room together.
Shop Jennifer Aniston's kitchen edit
We hear that Jennifer Aniston is a fan of this retro 1950s-inspired coffee maker, and we think it looks great when juxtaposed with the modern cabinetry.
