You can have whatever the heck you want. There is no right answer to designing a kitchen. YOU have to decide what YOU want. Just because a random stranger on the internet gives advice on designing a kitchen doesn't mean that person is right. They don't know what you like.

Why don't you try running a search on houzz.com or even google for white cabinets white floors or something similar to that and see if you like the photos that pop up.

From my own personal perspective I think white cabinets and white floors could work, but I like white very much. You can introduce contrasts in the counters and other accessories. Then again, my own personal taste could differ from yours a lot.

What do you think?

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by San Francisco Architect Mark English Architects, AIA

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Tel Aviv Photographer Eran Turgeman - Photographer

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by New York Architect Robert Young Architects

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by San Francisco Kitchen And Bath Concreteworks

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[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Philadelphia Architect Asher Associates Architects

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Kansas City Design-build Hufft Projects

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Dublin Architect Optimise Design

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Dublin Kitchen And Bath Noel Dempsey Design

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by San Francisco Architect Winder Gibson Architects

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by New York Interior Designer Tara Seawright

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Orlando Design-build Hobus Homes

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Miami Interior Designer poggi design

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Tampa Design-build Design Elite Tampa Bay

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[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Philadelphia Architect Asher Associates Architects

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by New York Architect Charles J. Nafie Architects

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Dublin Kitchen And Bath Noel Dempsey Design

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by London Photographer Chris Snook

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[Tropical Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/tropical-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2108) by Other Metro General Contractor John McDonald Co.

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Dublin Architect Optimise Design

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Other Metro Photographer Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Melbourne Interior Designer MR.MITCHELL

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Miami Photographer Dan Forer, Photographer

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Toronto Interior Designer Sealy Design Inc.

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Toronto Photographer Buchman Photo

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by San Francisco Danenberg Design

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Austin Interior Designer Katie Johnson

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Other Metro Photographer Elad Gonen & Zeev Beech

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[Contemporary Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Montreal Kitchen And Bath Fixtures Gepetto

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[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by London Kitchen And Bath Tim Wood Limited

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[Eclectic Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104) by San Francisco Photographer Alex Amend Photography

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[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Other Metro Kitchen And Bath Jay Rambo Co.

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[Modern Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Portland Architect Angela Dechard Design

My sister and husband just redid their kitchen with white cabinets and oak accents on pantry and island. Their floor is white tiles with gray swirls-looks like marble. Walls are painted gray. Marble backsplash, white quartz countertops. The whole look is clean and calming. Good luck with your decisions.

Sure, you can do that. It's a great contemporary look. If your home is a contemporary style, which white tile through the home says it probably is, then that would be a great choice as a background to having other items be the focal point, such as a great hood or range, or a stunning countertop.

Now, if your home is a 1900 Victorian, or you want the cabinets themselves to be the standout feature in the kitchen, then a different choice would need to be made.

If you think it's too much white, what about grey on the bottom with white uppers? I've seen some very nice grey/white kitchens.

That's what I have, but in a traditional setting. My kitchen tends to be very dark, so I like the light surfaces. The color of my tile is fine, but I don't like how slippery it is when wet or how they laid it so I'll be glad when it's replaced.

Thank you so much for all your comments. And wow, all those pictures! I've not been able to find pictures with white floors myself, that was very helpful. Seeing those pictures confirmed what I suspected - the white on white could be too much of a contemporary look for my house. Despite having white floor tiles (quite common here in SW FL ten years ago when husband tiled the house) our house has a traditional style, and a very white kitchen would not go anything else. Sigh, back to square one... Thank you guys, I'm so glad I found this forum.

Look again -- those are not all contemporary kitchens, though many are. The traditional ones do have a clean, updated feel to them. Also keep in mind that many folks use rugs or mats in the work areas of their kitchens and you can certainly add some color (not to mention warmth or comfort while working) that way. Also consider wall color. White walls are part of the more contemporary look. Bring in some color and warmth and it can go either way. Style of the cabinets and other details make a big difference too. So often, it is not what you do as much as how you do it.

My new kitchen now has dark wood floors, but here is a photo of the old kitchen -- off white and off white/beige tile that looked like travertine. We liked the white cabinet/nearly white floor combination (yes, walls are lacking color here -- we stripped the dark teal background floral paper), but the contractors messed up the tile so badly that we wound up replacing the floors.

This was a very popular look in mostly very traditional kitchens here and most have been updated with new counters and appliances, but many still have light floors with both medium to dark wood and white cabinets.

Maria, is there any way that just the kitchen can be retiled? True, most of those styles are not traditional, but some do look like they cook work.
My only fear is matching up the whitest gray tiles that you have with a white for the cabinets.
Also, I wouldn't want a brand new kitchen with a ten year old floor.

Be careful of 100% white floor tiles. They show every piece of dirt. I've got white tiles in my bathroom and every single time a piece of hair falls, I see it.

I've got white tiles with a little beige mixed in my kitchen and, although I am currently planning on doing a reno, I really like it. So if you could find something white with a little bit of some other color, I think it would look beautiful and be a little more forgiving with the dirt.

No, retiling just the kitchen isn't an option. The tiles run throughout the entire kitchen and living room, with no wall in between. And it looks nice, we like the floor and it works with our house. Plus, my husband would have a fit if I suggested retiling the floor, lol! I've just finally got him to agree to redo the kitchen after living in this house for ten years. Thanks again everyone for your comments and suggestions, they've given me a lot to think about.