Everything We Know About Selecting Cabinetry, Countertops, and Paint: All In One Place
a deep dive on each topic based on our years of experience
We’re so excited to finally release our Design Guides — a deeper, more focused series where we take on one topic at a time and break it down in a way that will be incredibly helpful for anyone remodeling, planning a project, or simply trying to make confident design decisions.
In this first set of guides, we’re covering three of our most commonly asked-about elements of a renovation: Paint, Cabinetry, and Countertops. These guides are built to be straightforward and actionable: real-world advice and personal recommendations you can actually use to help you feel more confident and less overwhelmed during your project. One of the best parts? Each guide pulls together everything we’ve ever shared on a topic into one convenient place (plus a whole lot of new information and recommendations) No more digging through old posts or trying to piece it all together.
If you’re interested in learning more about what’s included in each guide, we’re breaking down the topics that will be covered in each one below, starting with our concept guide video.
Start Here: Creating Your Concept Guide
Every successful design project starts with a clear concept: defining your wants, needs, and priorities, then collecting imagery that supports and illustrates that list. If you take the time to thoughtfully think through this first phase of design, you'll feel more confident when making decisions for your space.
This mini-guide is a 10-minute video course where Marianne explains her exact process and formula for nailing down that “north star” map — something you can return to again and again when faced with the many design decisions that come your way during a project. We also include an example mood board and mood board template for you to use in your own project.
Paint Guide
When we first started making a list of topics for our guides, we knew we absolutely had to include one about paint. This is by far our most asked-about topic on Instagram, on blog posts, and in consultations. And in the same breath, I was (and still am) nervous to even speak on it because, while it seems like a simple decision, choosing paint is one of the hardest design choices to get “right”. There are a handful of factors that go into selecting a paint color and just as many that can change how that color looks from room to room, wall to wall, and even at different times of day.
This guide will cover topics like…
color theory and undertones
how to select a paint color
the dos and don’ts of paint swatching
paint brands and the pros/cons of each
what good painter prep looks like/what you should expect from a painter
paint sheens and where we use them
drywall finish levels and how they affect the paint
different types of paint (water, oil, lime-based)
50 of our favorite paint colors (warm whites, neutrals, colors, etc.)
Countertop Guide
When selecting a countertop, you'll most often be choosing between materials like soapstone, marble, a wood species, quartzite, quartz, stainless steel, or granite (though the latter three are less commonly chosen by our firm)
This guide will cover topics like…
questions to ask yourself before selecting a countertop
the durability of different materials
general pricing
our thoughts on patina
how to finish your countertop
a break down of each type of stone that we use (marble, soapstone, quartzite, granite, dolomite, wood, & stainless steel)
how to care for different types of stone
our favorite variations and what we look for when sourcing/visiting a slab yard
Cabinetry Guide
When starting a new construction or remodel project, there are countless expenses to consider and cabinetry is one of the biggest investments you'll make. That’s why it’s essential to understand exactly what you're paying for and make informed choices from the start. With that in mind, we’ve made cabinetry one of the first topics covered in our W Design Guides series. We’ll be breaking down the cabinetry design process, different materials you can use, and a few common mistakes we see that can be avoided.
This guide will cover topics like…
budgeting for cabinetry (where to spend and where to save)
a cabinetry checklist (all of the things to consider when designing your cabinetry, such as material, finish, cabinet construction, door style, etc.)
cabinet front styles
painted vs. stained
internal storage and functions (with sources and examples)
how cabinet pulls and knobs define the look of your cabinetry
custom, semi-custom, and stock cabinets
pros and cons of different cabinet materials
maximizing storage
unique cabinet details to consider that will elevate your home
common cabinet mistakes and how to avoid them (ex. don’t forget to consider the plumbing and how it will affect the function of your cabinetry)
HOW TO ACCESS THESE GUIDES
These guides will be available with a founding membership to our journal. Our Founding Member tier is a premium subscription level (at $150 per year) designed for those who want a deeper, more detailed experience with our journal. As a Founding Member, you’ll have access to all paid posts and gain exclusive access a monthly “Ask Me Anything” session with Marianne and other new features features, including the guide bundle we mentioned above and a step-by-step video resource where Marianne shares her tailored process for developing the foundational concept of a design project. Once you’ve become a founding member (or if you already are one), you can always access these guides using the “design guides” tab at the top of our page.
If the journal has been helpful to you, becoming a Founding Member is a great way to support the work behind it - and gain extra tools and insights for your own projects along the way. If you have any questions about a Founding Membership or our guides, let us know in the comments!
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