Yesterday, the style-savvy bloggers over at The Kitchn posted a profile on design firm The Brooklyn Home Company. Instantly, I was smitten with their look- clean, modern, somewhat quirky and lots of that “white and wood” that I love so much. One image in particular stood out for me- a one-wall kitchen in a small apartment which seemed, well, a little plain. Clean and practical, yes- but hardly inspiring.

Then I noticed a second photo; the same space with the addition of a rough-hewn wood island. Equal parts rustic and arty, this piece stopped me in my tracks:

Sometimes it just takes one great piece to take a space from fine to fantastic, don’t you think?

Anything you particularly like?

Obviously, I’m loving the colour scheme here. White, soft green, natural wood and carrera marble make for a soothing and sophisticated combination. My current favourite detail, the tiled wall, looks great here in a subway tile with variation and depth. Some considered lighting, modern chairs and a few green accessories complete the look.

It’s not just the recipes that have me captivated, though. Sophie’s kitchen is a vision of rustic femininity: all white tile, weathered wooden countertops, exotic green wallpaper and retro accessories. After a bit of research, I found out that it’s actually the home of UK photographer Paul Massey, and has been featured in Living etc magazine! And what do you know, I’ve featured it here before:

This room is one of my favourites that I’ve ever featured on this site. The bare, minimalist bones are good enough, but check it out all Sophied up:

And in all it’s live-action glory, including wallpaper and art:

Are you swooning yet?

But while I surely dig wood, I’m not about to start endorsing any 80′s oak cabinet monstrosities. The trick is when and where to use it; nothing looks great in excess, after all. Here are my favourite ways to use wood in the kitchen. (All pics in this post from Living etc.)

Cabinets. This is a given, right? But there are so many options: dark, light, plain, panelled, upper, lower. I love the look of this kitchen, which has cabinets in a rich shade, but only lower ones, so the effect isn’t overwhelming:

Countertops. My hands-down favourite, and what I plan to do in my own space one day. Paired with white cabinets as in this space, the effect is modern classic at its best:

Island or butcher block. In a modern kitchen, this option is almost always a good bet. It can lend a refreshing country feel to even the most urban of spaces, as in this room:

Seating. In this otherwise white and minimal room, wooden stools add a touch of humanity:

Floors. Others can have their tiled, linoleum or concrete floors; nine times out of ten, I’ll take hardwood. The blonde wood in this kitchen fades into the background, while still adding warmth to the space:

Table. An oldie but a goodie. A big, wooden kitchen table works in any style of room, from industrial to retro and back again. This one looks perfectly at home in this bright space:

The first thing I noticed was those chairs- we get so used to seeing an old, worn wooden table surrounded by modern chairs, so this simple inversion of the formula looks fresh. You’ll notice that the wood is the exact shade used on the countertops, an old decorator’s trick for mixing styles while keeping things consistent.

A standing unit, whether antique or modern, means that open storage isn’t so open, and helps add character to the room. I think the black really makes the white dishes pop, don’t you think?

I think my favourite feature is the tiled wall. Regular square tiles are arranged like subway tiles for a look that’s one part modern and one part classic.

Ok, I told you they were subtle differences.

The two-tone tiled floor and the floral wallpaper should fight with each other, but they don’t. The addition of wood and lots of white keeps things bright and airy, and makes for a cheerful kitchen that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

See the whole post at Dezeen for more info and photos.

I could go into my usual “Why this works” spiel now, but it would be a long list. The warm wood and cool subway tile, the huge storage island, the light fixtures and mismatched dining chairs… I could go on. I especially like the windows tucked between and above the cabinets. They bring in lots of light, making the space bright and airy but warm and inviting at the same time. 

Check out all the kitchen photos here, and the rest of Allison and Paul’s home here.

Emily’s whole apartment is gorgeous, so be sure to check out all the photos here.