Ohhh....love that hood!
I hope this GWer doesn't mind me posting her kitchen. It sounds similar to yours. It is perfection!

It seems like with all that ss going on you might need a countertop to warm it up? Can you post a pic of it?
Your kitchen sounds amazinging!!

Yes, too much gray. You need some color. What about doing a range instead of a rangetop, and doing it in a color like a burgundy red or forest green or cobalt blue. Then you could pick that color up in some additional color in the backsplash.

Jill-very pretty kitchen! Similar to my ideas though I think I'm aiming a liittle less vintagey? I like the contrast of the dark counter and looked at a few caesarstone samples in dark colors but was concerned about the cleanup.

Holly - thanks! I really really wanted the 2 ovens though...

Hi,

I think your plan sounds great. The grey in your counters will be different than the metallics of your hood & appliances. My two cents.

I was very close to getting the "Pebble". I ended up getting marble b/c I thought I needed a lighter perimeter with our planned walnut island.

When I was researching the "Pebble", these were my favorite photos of it. This is Alabamamommy's kitchen. Her counters look awesome!

Good luck!
Katie

Anyone know what kind of sink that is in Alabamamommy's kitchen?????

I think your plan sounds very nice and soothing. I believe if you keep the expensive things in your kitchen neutral, you can do anything with your space. My kitchen can easily go from gray walls to any other color. (lime green, purple, and so on) Gray is a calm neutral that is easy on the eye and so many colors go with it.

I am considering doing a stainless backsplash behind my range top as well in the new house. I haven't investigated the prices yet.

Here's my "too much gray" kitchen I have now....

The rest of the backsplash I was thinking plain white subway tiles...because I am not creative enough to think of anything else and they are easy on the budget.

I like white subway tiles, but I'd suggest keeping yourself open to something that you may find later, too. Many folks make their backsplash decision after the rest is done, and it may be a great way to add some color to your pretty neutral pallete, pulling in some of the grays and stainless tones. You might really surprise yourself and find something that makes your heart sing. I think everyone is creative...don't sell yourself short! :-)

Beekeeper'swife - nice kitchen! that's a pretty backsplash!

Katie - I love alabamamommy's kitchen!

It seems like both BKW's and AM's kitchen have more going on though - in BKW's case the dark island and fridge wall and in AM's case the dark island and those gorgeous cabinets on the window wall. Do I need something like this too?

I could do a different color cabinet on the island but I have a little butler's pantry off to one side of the kitchen...I had planned a walnut top for that section since it would get less use. So was saving my idea of a different cabinet color for that area.

SHould I do the same different cabinet color on the island (pebble top) and butler's pantry (walnut top)?

I like your original plan and think that with wall color, your eventual bs and accessories, you can add in color if you want. I think using the basics as the basis for the kitchen gives you room to change it up down the line. Sometimes, simple can be quite beautiful too. If you never add a color in, then you can get a nice look with textures and shapes. There is no one size fits all way to go about it.

Cottonpenny, this sounds quite a bit like our new kitchen, which is still not finished. We actually have Caesarstone Pebble, which I love. It was a last minute decision; in my head, for about 2 years, I wanted the Misty Carrera, but after seeing the Pebble in a display at IKEA, I decided I needed more contrast.

We economized by going with IKEA cabs, and splurged on the Modern Aire hood, counters and floor. I'm glad we got the hood, it gets the most comments (but it's expensive for what it is). Bayareafrancie, I dedicate my hood to you, hope you ever got one!

I'm going for a 30's look, but not strictly faithful. No backsplash yet (gotta save up), but planning green tea subway tiles. I have not included pics of my ridiculously overlarge schoolhouse lights, which will be replaced by smaller ones when they go on sale. (Then I will have two huge glass popcorn bowls.)

I'm posting a link to my pics so far, please note the old range on the dolly is temporary, will be sold soon (have range, will travel). But I am thankful for what I have, so much more counter and storage space, I'm still enthralled. Yesterday, I went down the basement for stuff that is now stored IN THE KITCHEN (duh).

Here is a link that might be useful: Getting there kitchen pictures

couple thoughts from lovely GW kitchens I've seen including bee's above:

Are you going to have an island? That could be a warm wood for the cabinets, or a beautiful dark wood counter with your white cabinets. (Or if you have an eating counter somewhere, just do that part in a dark walnut.)

You could hold off on the backsplash and live with paint for awhile. Then you can try a color (or more than one color) to see if you are ready to commit to more color in the backsplash or if you want to stick with white.

And re: white tiles and budget: there's a kitchen I've seen online several times but can't find it now (of course), and it was also in a magazine. Anyway, she has a great colorful tile backsplash. In the article she says that she picked colorful 4x4 tiles from a remnants or discount bin and just played around with the order until she got a pattern she liked. This is not the kitchen but the tiles are similar:

I think too much grey is in the eye of the beholder, and your white, grey and stainless kitchen might be perfect for you. And remember, paint is easy and inexpensive to change.

For a colorphobe, I'd vote for the walnut (or white quartz) topped island and the island also in a different color, like maybe a grey with a bit of blue or green or lavender to it. Then pick up the island color with your backsplash tile. This will give a bit of life to the room so that it is not so sterile, yet still be a calm almost monochromatic look.

Behr Cumulus

Behr Mystical Sea

Behr Timelss Day

iroll - love your kitchen! did you get the pebble honed or polished? how has the maintenance been? does it get streaky at all? that's what I most worry about with dark counters...

chicagoans and greendesigns...
I actually have 3 spaces to coordinate...My original plan was:
Plan #1
perimeter - white cabs, pebble counters
island - white cabs, pebble counters
butler's pantry - white cabs, walnut counter

I don't want the walnut counter on the kitchen island cause the sink is there and I worry how it will hold up. But then thinking maybe that is too simple (?) should I do
Plan #2
perimeter - white cabs, pebble counters
island - colored cabs, pebble counters
butler's pantry - colored cabs, walnut counter
with maybe the color being a greyish green - like mystical sea above

Or even more complicated, something like
Plan #3
perimeter - white cabs, pebble counters
island - dark wood cabs, white quartz counters
butler's pantry - white cabs, walnut counters

Not too much grey in my opinion. I like your restrained palette -- splashes of color can come from more ephemeral things like flowers, food, linens, etc. -- if you feel you need them. But I love the materials you've described.
Lynn

Not too much gray. I don't have white cabs, but have gray counters and floor, plus stainless appliances. The gray counter and the stainless won't read the same. Sounds elegant and calm, and a great place to add whatever color you want whenever you feel the urge... in accessories, textiles, dishes, etc.

Thanks!

It seems I am fixated on having something else...

What do you all think about:
perimeter: white cabs, pebble counter
island: natural cherry cabs, pebble counter
bp: white cabs, cherry counter

Does the warm cherry not go with the cool counters though?
And what type of wood floor would coordinate with all that?

You really should read the thread about professional photography making all the difference in how a room looks. In real life, grey everywhere looks a lot more like the realtor's photo of the Sarah Richardson kitchen (upscale prison kitchen) than it does the fantasy lit TV version (warm monochrome).

chicagoans, the kitchen with assorted tile colors you're looking for is in the "modest and quirky" thread. Go to pickle2's posting.

Here is a link that might be useful: the old

florantha: yes, that's the one! Thank you; I've saved the picture because I really like that one.

Our Pebble is polished, there was quite a bit of warning about the honed. Maintenance is basically wiping it off, which is what I wanted. It's not streaky, and actually, it isn't all that dark.
I like your most recent thoughts:
perimeter: white cabs, pebble counter
island: natural cherry cabs, pebble counter
bp: white cabs, cherry counter

Why not a cherry floor to echo the counter?

Thanks iroll! Yeah, I liked raven too but my sample got streaks when I wiped it with a sponge. I couldn't make the pebble honed sample misbehave, but the polished is really not all that shiny, so will probably stick with that since the warnings are so dire!

Worried it would then be too much cherry! Though builder pushing us towards brazilian cherry for hardness, not sure if that would be too much red/orange for me.

greendesigns - yes! definitely don't want a prison cell kitchen! how do you think the cherry would look with it?

We have warm fir cabinets and island top with gray (and stainless) perimeter counters. I think it's good to mix the warm with the cool for balance.

If you don't like the idea of Braz cherry with the cherry cabs, maybe look at red birch or red oak... lighter wood that might go with the cherry and set it off nicely. Or something with a stain that will help it coordinate.