Tampa Kitchen — Maple to White with an Espresso Island

The interesting decision in this kitchen was made before any color was chosen.

Before, the perimeter cabinets were honey maple and the island was a light cream — the island was the pale thing in a warm wood room. After, that is exactly inverted: the perimeter is white and the island is espresso. The two elements swapped roles.

It works because an island is the one part of a kitchen that can afford to be the darkest thing in the room. It sits below eye level, it is surrounded by light on every side, and giving it weight anchors the space instead of closing it in. Doing the same thing to the perimeter uppers would have made the room feel considerably smaller.

Everything else in this kitchen stayed. The stone backsplash, the granite counters, the tile floor, the range, the pendant light — all original, all still there. The hardware changed, from brushed nickel to oil-rubbed bronze, which is a small spend that does a surprising amount of work once the cabinet color has moved.

Before and after are taken from the same position, so what changed is the work rather than the angle.