Please help with counter choices/colors. PICS! Desperate!

14 years ago

Ok so I need major help with picking counters. I need to have my choice finalized by weeks end

and I am still oh soooooo very lost. I went to about four granite yards over the weekend and the

below is what I came back with. I really liked these but I donÂt know if I was totally in love. The granite

that probably grabbed me the most was the ambrosia, but IÂm not sure if itÂs too much of a contrast? The kitchen is only 11x12 with virtually no natural light, so my plan was to keep the counters pretty light but to also avoid anything with any real gold/yellow undertones. I would like the kitchen to be more of a transitional space mixing the more traditional cabinets with other modern/contemporary aspects in other areas (backsplash, etc). Which granite gets your vote or do you guys have any other suggestions? I am really decisioned out at this point and almost just plain tired of looking. My problem is I dore marble, lol. IÂm afraid if I canÂt decide, my husband will default to verde peacock and everything will be too dark??? Thanks!!!

Here are the cabinets we ordered (not my kitchen of course)Â They are maple with a deep cherry stain/dark brown glaze

Oh and this is my vision for backsplash, but that can changeÂ

Granites thus farÂ

Ambrosia #1- subtle and elegant

{{!gwi}}

Ambrosia #2- a little more movement

{{!gwi}}

White Spring

{{!gwi}}

Bianco Romano

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

Delicatus White

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

Marbles I loooooovebut can not haveÂ. (My husband says no because of maintenance but I love the marble so very much)

French Vanilla

{{!gwi}}

Carnie Venato

{{!gwi}}

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Comments (22)

peytonroad
14 years ago
My vote is for number one ambrosia. It is gorgeous! I think with a smaller space that granite number 2 has too much movement and can compete for the space. I think #1 goes well with the cabinetry which is gorgeous by the way!
seattle_rain
14 years ago
Love the French Vanilla and Bianca Romano. Really love the backsplash!
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Thanks for all of the replies guys! Sorry for the confusion about the new cabinet pics. The cabinets right now are part of a basement apartment. We no longer need the income from that and need a big open space for kids down there without a big kitchen.....plus I need a new kitchen upstairs! So the cabinets will come upstairs instead. We are a young family with 4 kids and this was a great option for us to have a new kitchen/cabinets without a crazy big budget. As you can see that wall is being removed and since it is load-bearing and full of plumbing/ducts and electrical that has eaten up almost all of our tiny budget. The kitchen downstairs right now has blue countertop and accents and I loathe it. The dark brown/red DH has picked I don't consider to be neutral.....I am afraid with one long wall of it it will look like a big chocolate slab. I thought a more mid-toned or lighter brown/beige would be a better option, but I don't want everything to look washed out. I guess in my head the kitchen will need something to tie the floor and cabinets together.....or should I just treat them like 2 seperate entities? The colours DH likes are: Formica Walnut Quarstone and Wilsonart Brazilian Topaz. The colours I like better are: Arborite Mississippi Bedrock and my favourite Arborite Montana Sunrise. I don't have links to the colours but maybe someone knows them? Cheryl
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Wow, that's better! Thank you Live wire! You're absolutely right, heavy is a good word for those dark uppers. I'm not sure what glass paint is? For painting glass or for making a panel look like glass... probably for painting glass, right? I was going to have a couple cabs have glass and maybe even stained glass, FWIW. So, it seems to me that if I keep the green stove, then it's the stove that drives the color scheme? I love that last light. There are a couple like that on Overstock that I've been admiring. Interesting. Herb: The knotty pine is only because it reminds my DH of his childhood and his heart is set on it, although it might be a good idea to order a sample of the fruitwood, which I acutally prefer... online pic-wise anyway. I'd have never thought of such modern cabinets with the knotty pine but that is also an interesting route to think about. I can't say that they are really my style... or at least I've never considered anything like that before. Seems like they'd be seen in a more 'cosmopolitan' setting than our little rural river house. Hmmm. You know, that knotty pine in the kitchen has been flummoxing me since the start. I have no problem with it in the living room but since the LR is wide open to the kitchen, it just felt like the two rooms should be visually cohesive... kind of like the kitchen should be an extension of the living room, if you follow me. Thank you so much for the input, you've both given me some new ways to think about this. Lord. I thought I was almost done deciding and now I'm not so sure. Woo. Hoo! j/k...
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Beautiful inspiration pictures. See, how all the floors are in that mid-range? Some are darker some are lighter, some are brown, some have just a hint of red in it..yet they all work. I think white(warm white-the bright one will be too stark I'm afraid) or nice grey or subtler marble(if you feel you're fine with its upkeep, and are not over-improving) all have a potential to look nice You can bring cool touches in your countertop, with your backsplash, with your paint..or you can skip it altogether and bring just the accessories and some plants-plants are the best, they're perfect warm when you crave warm, and perfect cool when you crave cool:) As for your furnishings..it's normal to start with either a hodge podge or nothing at all..will take some time. Yes, you'll be anxious to do a mistake. But looking back-you'll see it was a fun time..finding, looking for, putting it all together, discussing it with your husband..it's a great quality time, actually:) Working on a house.. Even if you disagree. We disagree a lot-and it's still fun! I was also terrified of making a mistake..I should be terrified of our builder's crew making mistakes though:) It's normal. As for the stain color-do you have pieces of flooring left from the previous owners? try to stain them first, see what happens. maybe take them to specialty store, the one where contractors and trades go, you know? and ask their opinion of what stains they recommend on your wood to get the effect that will be such and such? But go to the shop where people have a clue..not Home Depot. These usually have one person who knows what he sells, who is perpetually busy..:)
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chris45ny
14 years ago
Ambrosia and then White Spring to go with the cabinets. What are the colors in the backsplash?? That might make a difference in granite choice or not.
Elizabeth Graham
Original Author
14 years ago
The backsplash comes in a few colors so thats why I wanted to pick counters first. The backsplash is marble and comes in berkshire beige, calcatta, lagos azul, philadelphia something, and a few ohers.
redroze
14 years ago
Do you have an island in additional to perimeter cabinetry? If so, I'd do a busier but hard-working granite on the island (White Spring because of the red streaks in it) and do a quieter marble on the perimeters - French Vanilla. Best of both worlds, for you and your hubby!

If not, I think you should do the Ambrosia. It's what you like best, and it satisfies all your requirements - it's light, no gold/yellow undertones, and one of the quieter granites with less movement (since you tend to be drawn to the quieter marbles). It's not too much of a contrast at all - it's perfect.
homey_bird
14 years ago
My vote goes to White Spring for sure! It has swirls of maroon that tie with cabinet color really nicely.
fleur222
14 years ago
I think the Ambrosia is perfect. It has that elegance like marble. (I love marble too) It is quieter than some granite and looks to me like it would work with the busier backsplash too. (Busier than say larger subway tile anyway) Go for what you were leaning towards too.
chris45ny
14 years ago
Ambrosia and then White Spring to go with the cabinets. What are the colors in the backsplash?? That might make a difference in granite choice or not.
mamalynn
14 years ago
I vote Ambrosia #1
penelopejosephine
14 years ago
I vote for Ambrosia #1...it'll look gorgeous with your cabinets!
megradek
14 years ago
ambrosia #1 gets my vote!
tamdave123
14 years ago
I like the 1. White Spring. Tied for 2nd: Bianco Romano or Ambrosia #2. I least like the Delicatus White. The marble is stunning but not practical too.
User
14 years ago
Oh that white spring does it for me! Not something you see everyday and it's gorgeous! Would look perfect with your cabinets and backsplash too.
hobokenkitchen
14 years ago
Ambrosia 2 or the Delicatus.

Good luck!!
prill
14 years ago
Totally love the French Vanilla - looks like marble. I think that would look great with that backsplash! Second choice Ambrosia number 1.
threegraces
14 years ago
I like the White first, the French Vanilla second.
megpie77
14 years ago
I like the French Vanilla. It is the most subtle and resembles marble, which I too love and wanted but my DH also said no.
My second choice would be between the bianco romano and the ambrosia.
Good luck, I know how hard this decision is especially when you can't pic your favorite. But I think these are all great choices and will look lovely with those rich warm cabinets.
rufinorox
14 years ago
I love the Bianco Romano, which is the granite I chose for our kitchen, however the Ambrosia is also very nice. The Bianco Romano you have pictured has ALOT of gray. I'm amazed at how different each slab could be. This is the slab we chose and will be used in our kitchen. I loved it because of the light gray it has, but also nice specks of garnet throughout. I think you need to look at each slab of the choice of granite you choose. Our warehouse has 6 slabs, I had them show me all until I found the one i loved. Good Luck!

http://s919.photobucket.com/albums/ad40/rufinorox/Kitchen%20Before%20Pictures/?action=view&current=IMG_2467.jpg
squigs
14 years ago
ambrosia #1 is my vote too.
transitional
14 years ago
Ambrosia #1, the others seem too busy for what you're looking for in your space.
needsometips08
14 years ago
I love ambrosia #1 with your cabinets.
theresse
14 years ago
French vanilla #1
Ambrosia #2

With all that darkness, and the business of the small brick, I think something contrasting/light and not too busy will look best.

Re. marble, I keep reading lots of good things about how honed marble isn't so bad at all and can be cleaned up easier than the glossy kind...and that a little show of wear is tasteful due to the "patina" (cough cough - people love to say that, I know) but you might mention that to the hubby and/or show him some threads that have SO many happy marble owners raving about it. That said, I get why he doesn't want it - I'm just pointing out that I've been reading a lot of positive posts about marble. In fact I'd get it myself, if everyone else weren't! Hahaha...

Please help with counter choices/colors. PICS! Desperate!

Comments (22)

peytonroad

seattle_rain

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Please help with counter choices/colors. PICS! Desperate!

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