Christina Haack Ditches White Kitchens For A Timeless Look

Over the years, we've seen Christina Haack build and remodel homes, and in most of her projects, it's easy to see how she likes to default to white and warm tones for many parts of the house, especially the kitchen. When she took on a renovation project to transform a boho-chic kitchen on her show "Christina on the Coast," she did not hesitate to swap out the wood finish of the cabinets for a super-clean shade of white. A compilation of her best designs shared on HGTV's YouTube channel also confirmed that her go-to color for kitchen cabinets is white. Interestingly, it seems all of this is in the past now, as the celebrity builder has already changed her preference, opting for wood finishes over white-painted kitchen cabinets.

The switch-up comes just in time for wood furniture's big comeback to the trends. But this, of course, isn't surprising, knowing how the HGTV star's styling preferences have evolved through the years, so much so that she has ditched many of her signature design ideas after "Flip or Flop" wrapped up its 10-season run in 2022. While white remains a classic choice for kitchen cabinetry and backsplashes, Haack's shift to wood finishes is a testament to how earthy textures add a different kind of timeless look — one that's ingrained in nature's warmth and neutrality and adapts readily to various styles, such as modern, coastal, and rustic.

Depending on the shade, white can either bring warmth to a kitchen or make it feel too sterile or cold. On the other hand, wood grain readily adds natural warmth and texture to the space, as well as hides imperfections, like minor wear, scratches, and smudges, through its patterns and darker shade. This translates to lower maintenance, as homeowners wouldn't feel the need to retouch or replace damaged areas, especially since blemishes remain out of sight most of the time. Meanwhile, it's a different story when dealing with white cabinetry, which provides a high contrast to smudges, food stains, and other imperfections, leaving the space looking dirty and soiled most of the time.

However, having too much wood in the kitchen can be visually overwhelming and make the space feel cluttered, especially when heavily patterned wood materials are used. At the same time, it can also make the room seem monotonous or even dated due to the lack of contrast and dimension. To prevent any of these from happening, Haack usually blends different wood tones for a stunning design, or she finds a balance by implementing a two-tone approach that combines light and dark colors to create visual impact that's far from looking flat or sterile. That said, blending white walls and backsplashes with wood-grain cabinets appears to be a good option if you want the best of both classic and timeless styling for your kitchen.