As I mentioned in a previous post, I am currently designing an entire fictional two-bedroom condo for one of my interior design classes. Last week we presented our kitchen plans.

I am totally in love with kitchens with contrast, especially those with dark lower cabinets and light upper cabinets/walls. For inspiration, I used some kitchens that I found through various sources, including some of my favorite pinners on Pinterest.

Tommy Smythe via House and Home

Via House and Home

Via the Marion House Book

Using inspiration from these and a bunch more pictures (which you can check out on my Pinterest Kitchens board), I came up with this design:

Background color. My plan for this kitchen was to use a gray like Benjamin Moore’s Coachman’s Cape (CSP-90) for the lower cabinets.

1. I love the look of carrera marble on kitchen counters, but marble can be tough to maintain. So instead of using marble, I selected Silestone in Lyra – a quartz countertop that looks like marble.

2. While some of my inspiration photos had light wood, I didn’t like the idea of having such light wood through a kitchen that transitions into a great room. I went with a medium tone wood that looks aged and classic, like this handscraped oak from Home Depot.

3. This one was a no-brainer. Stainless steal appliances like this pretty Frigidaire gas stove from Lowes.

4. Bringing in pops of red in kitchen accessories is a fun way to add color to a neutral room, and it doesn’t get more classic than some Le Creuset cookware on the stove.

5. Speaking of classic, this little cow creamer from Williams-Sonoma or Target makes a cute edition to any kitchen (even if you never put creamer in it!).

6. My kitchen wasn’t going to have shelves, but I loved the way the natural wood shelves in the second picture above warmed up the room. To add a bit of warm wood to the space I brought in a natural wood cutting board.

7. Adding to the warm tones in the room, I selected brass hardware for the cabinets. This chunky hardware is actually the same design that Aubrey and Lindsay used in their kitchen reno (am I just totally having a Canadian kitchen moment today?).

8. I love shaker style cabinet doors like this Adel door from Ikea. My plan was to use gray shaker style lower cabinets and white shaker style upper cabinets.

9. Subway tile continues the classic theme throughout the space and emphasizes the lightness of the upper area. The slightly dark grout brings a bit of darkness to the upper wall, linking the dark lower cabinets and light upper cabinets. Image is from here, but I was thinking a product more like this.

10. A brass industrial pendant like this one from Circa Lighting is a great mix of industrial and glam. Don’t fear the price–this classic style can be found through other sources.

11. Because a stainless undermount sink was the most practical for my project kitchen, I choose a simple stainless pull-down faucet from Home Depot in a traditional style.

12. Who doesn’t love a classic Kitchen Aid standing mixer? Since this will probably be stored on a countertop, use the opportunity to bring another pop of red into the space. And did you know you could buy one with a clear glass bowl too?