JS - our posts crossed! Yes - most of these are too modern for what I'm trying to achieve, although quite nice and give me an idea of what the look is. I currently have 4" x 4" tile, with a mosaic floor - black, white and lilac of all things. I have another thread here with pictures - the thread title has the words "1915 Craftsman" in it and it's still rather high up on the thread list I think. It's quite something lol. It's quite vintage, but falling apart terribly and I don't think we can salvage much of any of it. The tub is an old beauty, but has already been painted over at least once (it too is now black). It may be worth saving since neither of us are really bath people, and it's deep and pretty large it seems (we've never used it - there are "issues" underneath it which we don't trust, even though they were repaired when our kitchen ceiling was open). We could have it refinished again, but it may not be worth the cost in comparison to purchasing a new tub. The tile, well - like I said, originally we thought we would be able to make use of it but now I'm considering just donating it to Habitat for Humanity. Had it been in good condition, I would have lived with it for the kitsch factor, but since it's now gone too far into disrepair - there's no point in salvaging it. I would like, white subway tile, mixed with some marble. A hex floor would be my first choice, possibly black and white. We had to re-do our shower prior to moving in - it was totally not usable (in fact, it was leaking into the kitchen). We did white subway tiles inside it with a black and white hex floor. I love the way it looks, but the shower is really kind of on the small side, although functional. I'm of two minds about this. To save money - I could live with it. But, of course, I'd prefer a roomier space. I don't need a glass shower - in fact, it may not be such a good thing for us because we're both lazy and I really don't see either of us grabbing a squeegee after each shower to wipe it off. It would be great, however, to be able to figure out a way not to have to use a shower curtain. I really am beginning to dislike those a lot. If I left it, carrying the subway tile through the rest of the room is preferable. I had already purchased a new toilet; a Toto - don't remember which one it is but it's got an old world look to it. Ideally, I want pedestal sinks. Or, if it has to be one sink (haven't gotten around to a floor plan yet), than a large vanity with good storage in it. Counter, I'm leaning to Ceasarstone in a light color, marble-like, since I have it for my kitchen counter and am very pleased with it thus far. It's battle-proof, which I value in a material. My BF, is really messy, forgetful and not good a wiping up after himself at times and I need a material for the counter which can easily be cleaned and won't stain. I love marble, but I don't quite think it feels "Craftsman", unless I use it in small doses. Currently, my tub is under a window, the shower across the room. The sink, across from the tub next to the linen closet. Ideally, I'd like to move the tub to where the sink is currently, and put the sink(s) under the window. There's enough room for the sinks in that position, but I'm not sure yet if I can do a shower AND tub on the other side of the room; it may have to be a traditional tub/shower instead. Toilet has to stay put - way too much money to move that - the stack runs into the kitchen, and I've already had too many issues with that whole thing and spent several thousand dollars fixing it for that position :( I think I'm going to try and get over to the designer that did my kitchen - just have to find time for us to measure the space up correctly. He knows me really well, and is quite patient with me since he knows I usually come in with a lot of my own ideas (I work in architecture). I just like doing a lot of pre-planning, as most of us here do, before I walk in the door so I can avoid taking up too much of his time:D

As a few people have mentioned before, posting a picture of your current space would really help! Painting your cabinets is, of course, an option (milk paint and chalk paint are two durable low-VOC options). However, I'd try a few simpler strategies first. 1. Backsplash. Try cutting sheets of beadboard to fit in that space. If your current backsplash is anything other than white, white beadboard will brighten it up quite a bit. 2. Mirrors. Do you have an area of wall where you can hang a mirror? To outsiders it may seem vain to hang a mirror in your kitchen, but reflecting what little light there is can really make a difference! 3. Appliances. Someone mentioned it before - black appliances will make the space seem darker. 4. Window. If you have any valances or window hangings, take 'em off! And check outside, too, for anything that's blocking light. 5. Upper cabinets. If you have ample storage space, consider removing a section of your upper cabinets. This is especially true if they're hanging over a peninsula or island. Other options in this vein include removing the doors on a couple sections, using glass inserts (frosted if you're worried about keeping things tidy), or replacing a run of uppers with open shelving. Or you could paint them. 6. Lowers. Cherry darkens over time/exposure to light, so it might be possible to lighten the tone by refinishing them and then sealing without a stain. 7. Counters. Replacing perfectly-good granite would likely be as expensive or more so than for professionally painted cabinets, but I think it would yield better results. Not an ideal solution, but still keep it in mind. 8. Flooring. Short of replacing your floor (what is your flooring, by the way?), try a couple of light-colored throw rugs. 9. Connections. How does your kitchen connect to the other rooms in the house? You mentioned you are in an historic district, so chances are you don't have an open floor plan. Do any of the adjacent rooms have natural light to spare? "Borrow" light with French doors or transoms above. Or remove a door completely (where it makes sense, of course), leaving a cased opening. 10. Declutter. A lot of extra stuff can make even a well-lit space seem claustrophobic. However, a few well-placed objects (especially reflective surfaces like a silver platter, or a small lamp for a dark corner) can brighten the room without having the overhead lights blazing. Let us know what you decide to do!

I would also recommend going with hardwood flooring. I used to live on the west coast and we always had tile. It's so common there, I didn't really think twice about it, but I also always hated the grout issues and trying to keep it clean was a PITA. After moving to Michigan, we bought a fixer and decided to install wood throughout the first floor. On the advise of friends, we also installed it in our kitchen and I LOVE it. Although it's just my DH & I, the friend who recommended it has 7 kids ages 7-19 and 2 dogs. Her's is the busiest household I've ever seen! And her floor, an oak is doing fine. Wear and tear is important, but comfort should also be something to consider. If you spend any amount of time in the kitchen, you'll immediately notice how the wood is so much easier on your legs and feet. To protect ours from water, I have a rug in front of the sink. Also, after time, those scratches your DH is concerned about will make a sort of "lived in" patina that will help give the room some character and IMHO it will work better with the style you are going with in your kitchen. Another positive about wood is that when you want to freshen things up, you just sand and refinish them. The 3/4 inch planks have a VERY long life because you can do this several times before they need to be replaced. I would really think twice about the tile, after having both I can honestly say, there's really just no comparison.

Soapstone is so beautiful you can t wrong. I have a large but strangely cut kitchen and I wanted to do two different surfaces. In the end I decided to just go with all soapstone to keep the cohesiveness of the room. Depending on how your space lays out this may be a determining factor. My "island" cut the room in two and changing the counter would have made it look choppy. I love my result. Here is a link that might be useful: Willow's Kitchen