Thanks to the good advice I got here last year I have a workable layout for my kitchen. I now have a contractor, some appliances, and expect to be starting soon. What I still don't have is what should be easiest for me: Choosing finishes. I need advice. (And any other comments or advice you have about this plan are welcome too. The only thing set is the appliances.)
First, here's the layout. The measure double arrows show the length of the arrows, not the length of the space they cover. The scrambled looking thing at the top of the picture is the ovens between the slider and window. The brown extension on the island is a table height fold down table (basically, a big folding shelf). The dark green stripe shows the overlap of the counter. There are full depth uppers in both the butler's pantry and laundry. The rest of the uppers are about 14" including the door. The cupboard with the ovens only goes up to the top of the window and there are open shelves over both.
The cabinet doors, except painted ones in the laundry room, will be blond bamboo (no VOC, USA grown), euro style full overlay. All of the appliances that can be will be integrated paneled: coolers, dw and warming drawer. The Advantium and ovens are stainless, the cooktops black with stainless trim. The island faucet is the new Kohler Karbon (in the "silver" tones), and the cleanup sink will have something that doesn't clash, maybe a Vinnata. The knobs and pulls are probably going to be brass color unless I can find a verdigris that I like. I'm going for an eclectic look, part modern, part old world. The hood will be an undercabinet barrel, color matched.
So here's the problem: I've been looking for over a year and still don't have floor and counter materials!
I don't really want stone. Stone is cold. It bothers me. I live in a temperate climate, and have stone floor tiles in the entry, and stone sinktops in a couple bathrooms. Those are fine. But tile is noticeably less cold. Even less than stone, however, do I like resin substrates: Quartz types (Silstone, Cesarstone, etc.) are out, as is Richlite and a lot of the other recycled ones.
One (expensive) idea for the counters is to use Architerra NW brocade tiles to make a pond theme, at least on the perimeter. These are handmade tiles with a matte glaze that looks like sugar icing or fondant. There are a couple of really soft greens that look amazing with the bamboo. I thought I'd throw in a few with the brocade pattern (bamboo grasses, vines, frogs, waterlilies, stencilled and fired into the glaze) and then flow the various greens around, making a shoal by the cooktops. Either do the same up the backsplash (they have coves, etc., too, so it would be very practical), or fade as it goes up into sunset colors.
The question is what to do about the island. The keyhole sink is one of those you can self-rim or undermount (the clean-up sink comes as a tile in). It's more useful undermount, however, so I can just slide a board over to the sink and dump. Architerra do custom work, so they can probably make tiles that will work around the sink, if the tile setter can figure out the dimensions. But I keep thinking that a solid island surface would be more functional (i.e., good for rolling dough, etc.) and stone would be a lot cheaper! And if I do stone on the island, shouldn't I do it also in the butler's pantry, which is a staging area rather than a prep area? And if I do that, why don't I save money and just do stone for the whole thing?
But stone is cold! And can stain! And I love tile! And I love this tile! (Okay, I seem to be quilting the counters--no surprise considering my background.)
So I guess I'm asking you to convince me that I might like working on stone.
Then there's the floor. It's so hard finding tile that goes with the countertop tiles and is textured enough that I won't be scared of hydroplaning. I splash a lot. The functional ones aren't pretty and the pretty ones don't match.
Other materials I've looked at are bioglass for the counters (can't find a source), texture concrete for the floors (great function but painfully cold), and rubber (outgasses). It's a slab foundation, so there's no benefit to less durable materials like wood (i.e., still just as hard), and if I can't find a tile I like I doubt I'd find vinyl (though that might also outgas and i'm allergic). Now that I'm telling you I realize I should take another look at marmoleum and the like. That might work...
They were playing Dazed and Confused on the radio in the tile store, and that describes me perfectly!!!! I need to find a floor, at least, so the cabinet maker can start doing his thing!
lisalisa2009
Fori
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