Thanks for your reply. We do have a mix of woods in our home, and it seems to work just fine, so far. I remember seeing your kitchen awhile back. There aren't many log home kitchens posted here, so I am always happy when I find one! I'll have to take another look at your island, since it is done in similar wood tones, only in the reverse. Thanks again!

There are so many shades people call "cherry" that I've learned not to assume I know what they mean. Do you have any pics of the cabinets or floor? How about inspiration pics? When I was looking at laminate, I loved the "Soapstones" by Wilsonart. Oiled Soapstone is black with a subtle pattern to it, and Pearl Soapstone is gray. Either strikes me as being neutral enough to fit a classic or contemporary kitchen. If your cabinets are dark, though, you may want an even lighter countertop color, like Formica Mineral Spa. When you say Formica, do you mean laminate in general, or are you definitely using the Formica brand? I can't imagine deciding on kitchen finishes individually. For me, it was most helpful to find inspiration pictures and choose the "look" of the kitchen as a whole to help narrow things down. Here is a link that might be useful: The Formica design center can help you visualize patterns in context

Hi Merimom, We are just finishing up our natural cherry kitchen with Montauk Black slate floor tile. We installed Piracema White granite on the coutertops. As you will see in the photos, there is a lot of dark gray veining and waves in the granite. I am technologically challenged and can only attach one photo to my messages so you will see several posts. Best of luck! MJ

I, too, am a stainless counter fan, but can't see it with these cabs. I wrote in against using the spalted as cabinets, and have been reading others' responses. Now that it's been pointed out that the those otherwise gorgeous counters compete and detract from the wood, I've taken another look. I think that solid, dark counters (I'm imagining a rich, deep brown) would have a completely different impact, and I can start to see how great it could look in your cabin.