Hi! I think your kitchen looks terrific, and a happy place to be! :) The cherry island top is beautiful!

I think when you put the pulls on the cabinetry, it will add a little sparkle, too.

Did you have any plans for painting or tiling the backsplash area? Even a low tile border could add a little splash of color; those little tiles on the mesh sheets are fun.

I noticed the little blue kettle on your stove. (Great stove, btw!!!) That's a nice accent. When you get your "stuff" in there, it will add little touches of color here and there... even little things like colorful kitchen towels.

Don't be too hard on yourself or your kitchen! You have every reason to be proud and happy! :)

It's looking really great. Warm and homey...Including the soapstone looking counters and the wood finish on the windows, which I really like. They all look just fine with your lighting. BTW, I love the fixture over your table!

I have the same question as SugarCookie about the walls/backsplash area. What you do there will make a big impact on the room and whether it stays white and serene or adds some life with color. You could also consider a color you love for the pantry. As for style, maybe check out David T Smith's website for some classic pieces for inspiration. Also Crown-Point builtins and pantries in their gallery at www.crown-point.com

Here is a link that might be useful: David T Smith...See kitchen gallery and furniture/builtins

Hi there! I think your kitchen looks very nice. I was wondering if you could tell me how your hood was constructed. I think my cabinet guy is proposing something similar.

Congratulations and thanks!

Love the warm tones the wood brings in. If you're tapped out financially right now, I'd paint for the backsplash and wait. I could see a nice gray/blue in there.... even for your pantry area somewhere as an accent.

What a great kitchen to start off the day. Not only for you and your family but also for me, sitting here dreaming about kitchens. All the issues you mention... don't see myself! Looks great! (What hood insert did you use?)

Such a welcoming space! It looks to be a pleasure to work in.

I just put ORB hardware that leans brown/black with a soapstone counter that is blue/black, so I understand your concerns about the color mix. However, no on but me seemed to notice or care, and I stopped worrying about it after about a day and a half. Personally I like the contrast of your warm floor/islandtop with the cool countertop.

I can't really see the brown of the window stain well from the photos. But if I had to pick the one wood tone that seems the odd man out, I'd say it's the corner cabinet in the dining room. I'd consider painting it, and also the future armoir pantry, with an accent color. Have you seen honeychurch's kitchen? She did this with grayish blue and grayish green. and it's lovely.

Here is a link that might be useful: honeychurch's kitchen

It looks fabulous so far. I think the blue/black soapstone look actually goes well with warm woods. I've definitely seen soapstone with stained wood cabinets look great together, and that's really in close proximity. Will there be window treatments? That can be a place to bring in a color you want to see in there.

I think your kitchen looks wonderful and comfortable. Did you have a color planned for the walls? I was thinking of BM's Quiet Moments for a mellow backdrop. A pale yellow would also work nice with the black/brown combo.

I think that once you have your bs tiles in, they will add some shine that you are wanting. It might have been too much to have the counters glossy too.
If I had your kitchen to work with, I'd stain your corner cab a little darker and maybe even go a little darker on your butcherblock counter. It may be too late, but I'd love to see the window frames in stained wood. They seem a little off done in white, but maybe when you have wall paint, the contrast of white will look different.

I love how your stove looks and think the chrome hardware will really help play it up. Losing the temp shelving will also be a major step.

I hope you enjoy your kitchen as it is shaping up to be a very pleasant as well as functional space. I think your concerns will recede when you see it finished.

I'm disappointed that the finishes we chose don't coordinate. The laminate is matte and looks dull to me and I swear it has a bluish/grey undertone. I'm afraid the brown walnut stain we used on the windows clashes with the counters AND the brown finish on the pendant lights.

That's just crap, hon. It looks good. I think I'd pick a contrasting color for the baseboard and window casings. Something that looks classy with your seat covering and counter tops. I'd deeply consider painting the built-in the same color as well as the pantry. I'm leaning towards either cinnamon or sage or even certain shades of pumpkin. But I don't know what you're doing for a backsplash - tile?

On the 60" pantry - I don't understand what you're trying for exactly or what the wall cabinet thing is... Give yourself a break, if possible, from worrying about it right now. Given its position in your kitchen, I think I'd take a month or three and see if I could snag a linen press or a step back or hutch I could repurpose.

I agree on the mixing of browns - they're more than fine-each has its own characteristics and the blend works.

As for color: do you remember not too long ago, someone had a smashing window treatment that was a big hit of color? Anybody know where that picture is? It was really terrific. Doing something along those lines you could add in any color scheme you liked. Alternately, you could go for something more subdued, but still a color addition, by adding curtains, blinds, whatever, to your two kitchen windows and the dining room window that is on the right of the photo.

Thanks, folks! Once again you've pointed out things that might seem obvious and easy, but are hard to envision when you're so deep into it you can't see it objectively. Thank you! I appreciate the suggestions about painting the diagonal corner cab (definitely on the list), using another color in the pantry, and bringing in color in the window treatments (such an obvious option that I didn't even consider).

We're considering BM Saybrook Sage for our living room (which shares a sightline with the DR), so I may bring in some of that sagey green color into the kitchen. I'm hoping it will bridge the warm/cool colors together.

Our white backsplash subway tile is purchased already. But we're doing a herringbone pattern in the wall behind the stove, with a laminate shelf that matches the counters. The thing about tile is that it's so permanent (or such a pain to remove anyway). I want to stay with a classic (thus the white subway) but more white just adds to the conservativeness, so what's a girl to do?

Bmorepanic I just love your honesty. :) I did bring up the idea of painting the island, casings and baseboard a vintage sage green color and got the thumbs down from my dh. BUT I'm glad you suggested it because it affirms my hunch, and I'll keep it in mind for the future.

Sumnerfan - I designed the hood dimensions! We bought a 36x24x24" wall cab and my husband (who is a carpenter and installed the cabinets) cut it down to a depth of 15". He built the box/shelf below it, which is 18" deep. We had the paint store match the cabinet color so we could tie the semi-custom stuff with the stock items. Email me if you want more detailed photos.

Onedogedie - Here's the fan insert we bought: http://www.vent4less.com/m8/308--range-hood-insert-430-cfm-imperial-series-c2000sd4.html It's actually not vented fully to the outside yet, so I can't give much feedback yet because I haven't used it much.

Love your island and range!

What about canisters for color? plants? window treatments? and i dont see any hardware bling?

The kitchen looks great! Very warm and welcoming.

Your of mix warm and cool works great and is exactly what you should do. Mixing wood tones is great too. No problem there at all. If it were all the same, it would be less interesting visually.

You might be thinking of advice given when mixing neutrals in a very specific context of trying to match backsplash tile or paint to colors in granite.

In agreement with not -so much- liking the white trim around the windows. When I looked before I was in a hurry and didn't realize there was trim.

Thanks for the link to the hood insert. New website for me!

I encourage you to post more pictures. Close ups of your beautiful kitchen.

What fun to find your pictures, Peace Rose, and to hear about your dream.:) I remember your north-south struggle, but you made it come out wonderfully and looks as inviting as you say it's living.

For a very small expenditure, how about running up some quick 3/4 height tier curtains for the windows? On clip rings so they pull closed quickly. They'd have a softening influence visually and soak up a little noise, and with that kitchen the fabric could be virtually any color, texture, or style you wanted. If they incorporated brown(s), they could be used to pull together those other finishes you're not happy with yet. I understand that "what's done is done (for now) VERY well!

You are well on your way to creating a terrific room. For the browns, the island acts as the anchor. The window frame colour is in the island, the floors are tied in and the ORB finishes of your lighting work as well. I like the colour of your corner unit and the style to me is a little vintage which ties in with your stove and if you were to do the same colour and style for your pantry it would tie it together. If you are unsure of the colour of the corner unit still make the pantry a piece of furniture with the same characteristics as the corner piece.
What is jarring for me with respect to the browns is the shininess of your dining room table. That formal dark brown shiny table, to me, is the disconnect, both in style and colour. If it has to be kept then that's the thing that has to somehow be made a part of the room.
I too love the blue kettle on your stove. Maybe that can be one of your accent colours.

I'm not sure that you need any advice since you've done a great job. I don't have any problem with the brown window trim with the countertop, but if it bothers you I suppose you could paint it white. I think once DH completes the pantry it'll be the icing on the cake!

I think everything looks beautiful. I like the wood trim and cherry countertop. Perhaps you are sensitive to the undertones in the laminate because the wood is the only variation in color against the white of the walls and cabinets, and the soapstone.

I say paint!!!
Cheap and easily fixed if you don't like it. You seem to be longing for some color and Bmorepanic's idea of cinnamon or pumpkin would warm up your space and tie all of the wood in. Sage is nice too, and would also complement the wood.

Wow, I love it! It's crisp, fresh and warm. And a bit eclectic. I love love love all the windows in there :).

I love the wood on the windows instead of white. I would probably stain the trim around them as well to match the windows. I think it ties in with the dining table as well. I also love your stove! I think your space looks so warm and comfortable. If you don't want to paint the walls, add color with your window treatments and accent pieces, both high and low.

peace_rose, I am so happy to see these photos! It looks wonderful. I actually have come back here a few times in the last year and done a search for posts from you, since I have been hoping to see finished kitchen pics :) I actually just found the plans I made and posted way back when when you were first starting the layout planning... it looks like you made all the right decisions!

I'm running out now to meet with DH about more reno plans, but will look forward to seeing more photos. Congratulations on a wonderful space!

Stacey and Rosie and bmorepanic, you all were there in the early days. Thank you so much! Stacey it was you who suggested to move the fridge to its current spot. What a breakthrough that was!

I was at Cost Plus today and came across some curtains that I fell in LOVE with, and right now I'm thinking that's the way to go. They are cream colored with shades of pumpkin and mossy green:

Something about them really caught my eye. I'm a good seamstress, so I was thinking I could use the fabric from those curtains and create my own. In the dining room I might go cafe style (bottom half of the window down to let in light but adds privacy). Not sure what to do in the kitchen. Maybe Rosie's idea of simple clips? Anyone have inspirational pics of curtains in the kitchen?

I know that you'll check this but make sure that your creams/whites don't make one of them dirty looking. That's so easy to do when playing with those colours.

Oh, peace rose, I am IN LOVE with all the windows in your kitchen! I remember all your different plans, and it looks like you came up with a wonderful design! It really looks fantastic!

I can't wait to see it completely finished because it really is beautiful now! I think the curtains that you found have such lovely colors and pattern and will surely give your kitchen a fun lift.

Congrats on being more than halfway "home"!

Oh, ah, nice material.

I like your dining set in the kitchen and thought a tablecloth or runner in such a fabric would draw in more in line with the kitchen. Thinking of the table in the post by ajtrenkle.

Here is a link that might be useful: No counter by range, what to do?

Peace-rose, it turned out terrific! I am not seeing the clashing that concerns you, and think bluish-grey and brown can play well together. I like the Navajo white walls. White or off-white walls that are enlivened with splashes of color are very 2011! I like the splash of color where the temporary pantry is. It makes me think that a coordinating color for the pantry would be nice. I love the idea of repurposing a Craigs List sideboard or hutch. I also agree with painting the pantry in a coordinating color-- maybe the pumpkin from your pretty fabric, possibly a few shades paler. The window trim I would leave the same color as the walls, and see how it looks once you get your cafe curtains up. You could also place a rug under the dining table. It might be nice to place some painted pottery on top of the cabs to bring in some color.

Congratulations, and please post pics when you are done. I am not spending a lot of time on GW these days, but check in from time to time to see how projects progress. So glad I got to see this!

Peace Rose, the simple clips suggestion was for fear that the idea of running up a rod pocket, much less anything else, might have been intimidating. :) I love that fabric (!), and in your room the background blends with the walls, a look that always works for me. Regarding running up curtains, I also love that you can always run up another set as the planet's tilt or something else invites. One of my little grandsons says he wants to be a paleontologist, and the space explorer one likes the idea of a T-rex-populated cosmos, so I'm thinking dinosaurs for this summer if the right fabric turns up.

Thanks Morton5 and Rosie!
For some reason I'm not getting the email notifications when people reply to my posts, so I'm glad I checked back here again. Thank you for sticking with me, and for the ongoing feedback which continues to be so helpful!