Rift Walnut

About the Project

This project was all about character. The client wanted as much character as possible: mismatching wood grains, flat finish, vertical lift doors, floating shelves and more.

However, incorporating this much character without making things visually overwhelming can be a real challenge. To bring these elements together, we opted for a modern design that emphasized the character without creating visual chaos.

The upper cabinets of this kitchen feature vertical bi-fold doors that open like an airplane hangar door. In addition, we built floating vanities and shelves into various areas to help complete the modern look.

Finally, we used a variety of wood grains to produce the visual character the client was looking for. The client really wanted to emphasize the grain and color of the wood, so they would have been happy with no finish at all—if that were practical.

Without finish, cabinetry won’t last very long, so we tried out a variety of different finishes until we found one with the look the client was going for. The winner was a flat polyurethane made by Cantek that is extremely durable and offers a perfect flat finish.

Finding a way to combine all of these different elements into a cohesive look took some doing, but the end result was beautiful, modern, and full of character.

Project Details

• Construction Style: Euro Frameless

• Doors: Rift Walnut Slab doors

• Finish: Polyurethane (to provide a flat looking finish)