Shania Twain's cabinets exhibit a natural tone that designers are calling the new 'white kitchen'

Despite being only three months into 2024, designers are labeling natural wood kitchens as one of the year's most significant trends. This style strips things back to basics and celebrates a more traditional (and almost retro) aesthetic that prioritizes rawness and sustainability over more fleeting color trends. 

We've observed many inspiring twists on the wooden kitchen cabinet trend in celebrity homes in previous weeks, but Shania Twain is the latest figure to (unintentionally) tap into the movement. 

The singer offered a glimpse of her wooden cabinet and black countertop pairing during a house tour while she packs for her Las Vegas residency. And, while we were inevitably enjoying a tour of her abode, the on-trend kitchen cabinets stole almost all of our our attention. 

Wooden kitchens, seen in Twain's space, alongside the likes of Zendaya and Jennifer Aniston (to name but a few), are increasingly popular among celebrities and designers alike – the latter of which suggests these natural hues are the new 'white kitchen.' Andrea Sinkin of Andrea Sinkin Design is among those celebrating the increasingly popular kitchen trend. 

'Bringing wood tones into the kitchen is a natural transition from the stark white kitchens that we have grown to love over the last 20 years. Because a kitchen is such a large investment, it is not a place where you want to make too much of a statement. Keeping it timeless and neutral is key,' Sinkin notes. 

In her kitchen, Twain has opted for mahogany-style wood, but every shade of wood has its own qualities. 

'Bleached oaks have been a movement over the last five years and are continuing forward. They work very well with black-and-white tiled floors, which has come back after a brief hiatus from the 90s. They also work well with dark-stained floors,' Sinkin says.

Alternatively, dark kitchen cabinets like Twain's are a time-honored way to bring this look into our homes. 

'A recent shift has brought more mahogany and darker wood tones into kitchen cabinetry. White oak is still beautiful, and it is here to stay, but for a more traditional look, you could consider choosing a darker wood tone,' Sinkin says.

'If you go this route, be sure to pay particular attention to your accents so your kitchen doesn’t end up looking like a log cabin. Accents can be your island, a few strategically placed upper cabinet doors, or an entire section of the kitchen that is not connected to the entirety. 

White kitchens are still in style, but wood tones evoke a warmer space and, if done well, can still be the foundation of a gorgeous kitchen.'

Andrea Sinkin

In 2017, Andrea founded Andrea Sinkin Design and is finally bringing together her two passions of fashion and design to her clients’ homes. She understands textiles, color, floor plans and design from the ground up and truly loves a collaborative relationship with her clients.

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