We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.

When author and photographer Garance Doré and interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel started talking about redesigning the kitchen in Doré’s Venice Beach home, it was obvious that the results would be stunning. After all, both women have an innate eye for design, appreciation for the smallest details, and major style cred.

Now that the kitchen is ready to cook its first meal, to say that the space looks like a modern minimalist’s dream would be a total understatement. In fact, between the brushed metal hardware on the appliances that add warmth and the 50 shades of white from the cabinets, counters, and appliances, the monochromatic palette doesn’t feel clinical or cold.

It’s a long way from Doré’s original kitchen, which had glossy white cabinets that lined the ceiling and black cabinets along the floor. The juxtaposition of the two contrasting colors made the space seem smaller than it actually is and the tiny window didn’t let enough light in to offset the dark cabinets. More importantly, it didn’t match Doré’s warm and welcoming personality. “It used to be a nice volume but pretty generic, it really needed warmth, light, and some character,” said Dore.

That’s why Sherman and Doré decided to take down a section of cabinets and blow out the windows to let in more light. Natural woods, various shades of white, and textural accents helped brighten up the room even more. They also decided to forgo knobs on the upper and lower cabinets, creating clean and unblemished lines for more visual depth. Wooden stools and panels on the island played off the warmth of the brushed hardware while the light marbling on the island itself added a textural element.

One thing that made the transformation so easy was the Customizable Professional Collection by Café Appliances. It’s a new line of appliances in which you can customize the refrigerator, dishwasher, range, and more with modern finishes (Matte White, Matte Black or Stainless) and chic hardware (Brushed Stainless, Brushed Copper, Brushed Black, and Brushed Bronze) to match your aesthetic perfectly.

For Doré, that meant a suite of Matte White appliances with Brushed Bronze hardware to warm up the monochromatic palette and bounce around the light that came in through the enlarged window. “I literally jumped when I saw the appliances,” said Doré. “The right amount of classic design and modernity is exactly what I love. I love real buttons, and sturdy, professional appliances. And the texture—I love to touch it! It feels sensual.”

Not to be outdone by the personalization factor, the appliances themselves are thoughtfully designed for the modern kitchen. Take the new induction cooktop with precision cooking functions. When paired via Bluetooth with your smartphone, it lets you tap into over 500 hundred recipe videos from acclaimed chefs as part of its Gourmet Guided Cooking and automatically adjusts the time and temperature according to the steps in the recipe so you’ll get consistent, perfected results with each step.

If that wasn’t innovative enough, you can also use your phone to start the dishwasher or prep hot water straight from the refrigerator. Did we mention you can also make coffee in the fridge with the built-in Keurig machine? With smart appliances that literally operate at the press of a button, it’s no wonder that Doré chose them for her own kitchen.

Watch the video to see the transformation, and check out the full line of customizable Café appliances here to design the kitchen of your dreams.