The Trend for Colorful Lighting Gives This Classic White Kitchen an Edge

California designer Cailey Damron offers tips for bringing new kitchen trends into your space, including advice on choosing cabinets, hardware, appliances and flooring for your kitchen design.

By: Felicia Feaster

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Photo By: Erika Bierman

Cool Lighting Gives This White Kitchen Impact

California designer Cailey Damron was tasked with transforming this new build in Glendora, California. "The homeowners brought me onto the project to add a luxurious and chic designer's touch to this builder-grade home through the use of new lighting, custom cabinetry and high-quality natural materials," says Cailey.

"We incorporated in-cabinet lighting to the upper cabinets to add a bit of ambient light to the space. The color-changing option for lights was actually my client's idea. He had seen similar purple-colored lighting throughout his travels and thought it would be a unique addition and a fun, little mood-boosting party trick that his guests would enjoy."

Learn More: How to Add a Tasteful Touch of Neon to Your Home

Designer Cailey Damron

"Good design is all about balance," says California designer Cailey Damron of Corio Design House, and homeowners should look at the total package when planning a kitchen renovation. "If a home has characteristics that are charming and authentic to the home, I suggest keeping those and updating around them. Add a chic modern twist on a renovation with new recessed lighting and unique light fixtures that make a statement. If you're not a fan of color, you can incorporate warmth through the use of metals or by adding natural wood to the space."

A Generic and Uninviting Before

Designer Cailey Damron transformed this bland kitchen into a gleaming white showplace with luxurious gold details and striking light fixtures.

What's Trending in 2022 Kitchens?

Though the trends are not on view in this particular kitchen, Cailey says, "I have been seeing a lot of neutral-toned zellige backsplash and natural wood cabinetry in demand right now."

Add Luxury With Brass

"From my experience, clients are still wanting a clean, white kitchen," says Cailey. "One trend that can be seen here is the incorporation of brass to add warmth and a modern twist to the classic white kitchen." She recommends using the same material but varying the design when choosing kitchen lighting. "I recommend keeping light fixtures that are in the same line of sight in the same finish while variating the styles slightly to create interest."

A Chic Honed Quartz Countertop

"The countertop material is honed quartz, which is a great low-maintenance choice for kitchens," says Cailey.

A Low Maintenance Kitchen Countertop Option

"My clients have one young child and another on the way, so they were excited about the idea of a low maintenance material," says Cailey of this quartz countertop.

Mixed Metals Remain a Stylish Staple

"I love mixing metals in kitchens but would recommend limiting yourself to two contrasting metals," says Cailey. She suggests nickel and brass or bronze and brass. Since this kitchen came with stainless steel appliances and nickel hardware on the cabinetry, we chose to incorporate brass to add warmth and variation to the space. Another tip for mixing metals is to keep all of your light fixtures the same finish.

Stainless Steel Is Still Popular

"It's true, when it comes to appliances, people are still wanting stainless steel unless they go with panel-ready appliances, which I would highly recommend for a sleek and modern look," says Cailey.

How to Incorporate Glass Cabinet Fronts

"This kitchen has a lot of cabinets," says Cailey. "So rather than adding more shaker fronts, I chose to add variation with the glass uppers. Additionally, we have in-cabinet puck lighting in these upper cabinets so the light can shine through the glass fronts."

Should Cabinets Go to the Ceiling?

"If you have 8-foot or 9-foot ceilings, I would definitely recommend it. Let's be honest, that unused space above your cabinets is just collecting dust if they're not utilized," says Cailey.

Keep Your Cabinet Hardware Simple and Classic

"This is a variation of a shaker cabinet door and the upper cabinets have glass fronts. The hardware is a brushed nickel pull. Since this kitchen has so many cabinets, I wanted to keep the hardware simple and unobtrusive," says Cailey.

Luxury Vinyl Kitchen Floors Are Trending

"This is actually luxury vinyl, which the clients requested since it would be a low-maintenance option for their growing family," says Cailey. But take your own needs into account when choosing kitchen flooring, she advises. "Selecting flooring for kitchens is a personal decision and you should factor in how the space will be used. For example, if your family cooks often and has children and/or pets, a lower maintenance tile may be a better option than hardwood flooring."