I like it. I just think you need a fun bright accent color- what about yellow? Curtain? Tea kettle?

I really think u did a great job and it looks so much lighter with the outdoor light and the overhead...just wait till u get the paint cans, ladder, tarps and other building junk out of there. I love the color....I am just starting the hunt for gray paint and I will be adding this to my list. Hang in there and keep us updated with photos.

M

omg, I"m totally digging it.

Now I really need to find a gray to go with my wood floors in the new house....it's been my dream to at least do the island gray. Thanks for the motivation!

Take pics in the daytime! I want to see a better photo!

I like it too! Very relaxing and calm. Wait until you are done and cleaned up to decide. White accessories will tie it all together. If you still don't like, paint the door white. Don't forget to post back when finished!

Ok, i really like it. And I'm not just trying to make you feel good (even though I hope it does:) Take another pic all cleaned up for us to see. I saw a blog today (I think August Fields) and she had the same color cabs!

I really like it. I'm sure white uppers would look great too - hard to say if it would be better or different. I think someone may have already said this? but I'd paint the back door and the window trim white. Just a personal preference.
You can have a lot of fun accessorizing that kitchen. A pop of orange could be great. Or turquoise. So many options - neutral but definitely not boring. Enjoy!

It is lovely! I like the door grey and i thought the white window would look nicer painted grey too, like the inspiration pic. Very nice and refreshing....I might be the only one on gw to be bored to tears by white...every home in my mls listings of 400,000or more has an identical white kitchen and i feel the grey offers a similar feel but with a stamp of orginality!

Are you kidding? You are like the Mom in the Joy Luck Club when she sets the meal to the table and then disses her own results. Of course, the moment she does that, everyone then rushes to reassure her how fantastic her meal really is.) LOL. So, that said, let me tell you Theresse: That is one great kitchen you have going on there! Loved it when I saw some of your earlier postings and am loving it even more at this stage.

The gray does not look dark. It does not look depressing or dreary. Instead, I find the color to be very much in sync with your stainless countertops and potrack and with the white of your walls, ceilings and fixtures. Like everyone else has said, this makes your kitchen a wonderful canvas upon which you are now able to accessorize with as much color and contrast as you may wish. Although I tend to be a color person myself, I could very much imagine having a wonderful play date with color in your kitchen!

IOW, to paraphrase what the Joy Luck Club guests would have said to the chef: Relax! Take a Chill! Better yet, take a bow for a job very well done! :-)

Goodness. I really like it. I don't think it looks dark at all. In fact, I've been thinking I want a white kitchen for YEARS now until this last week when my DH made a snarky comment (again) about not liking white. It made me go look at all these gray kitchens I've thought were so pretty. I think yours is gorgeous! I can't wait to see it when it's fully done without the ladders, etc. I think it's stunning actually!

I understand your point. The Wheat kitchen seems a taupey grey, your grey seems bluish, maybe?

I remember your kitchen, though, because i love love the cabs. WOW! And I totally get how it differs from your vision, but you totally need to appreciate that it is beautiful in its own right. And a great foil for all sorts of goodies!

Here is a link that might be useful: for some reason i want to see this with gray..

I LOVE it. No, LOVE IT! Srsly.

It's quite gorgeous, Theresse, and so much more interesting than white was/would have been. Job very well done! I actually thought your second picture was also part of the designer inspiration series, so there ya go.

I think it looks lovely, theresse. I wonder if you're reacting to the color, not just because it's a change from what you had but because we've had such long, gray days lately (I am remembering correctly that you live in PDX, too, right?). Our often dreary winter days color (pun intended) our homes as much as the paint we apply to walls and cabinets.

If after you live with it for a bit, you still want to lighten it up, I suggest you leave the cabs on the window wall alone and paint the door, trim and the pantry cabs left of the door white to coordinate with your white window trim and (if memory serves me) the trim around the entry between kitchen and DR. That would be your version of adding white accessories ala Sally Wheat. Your "accessories" would just be on a really big scale. ;-)

theresse, your kitchen is one of my favorites and I think it looks great in grey. And that's before I realized you had those wonderful built-in cabinets on the exterior wall. I'm so looking forward to seeing the finished product.

I'm going to echo everyone else and say I love it! I didn't see your original posts, but I think it looks really nice and refreshing. Were those your original cabinets or are they new?

Sorry. I don't like it. Sally Wheat's kitchen has a lot more lighting than yours does--look at the potlights peeking over the top of her photo. Also, you have an entire wall of wood at the back, in a much smaller space. And as you have already observed, she has open shelving interrupted by white dishware. I thought the white above, gray below, as you had it before, looked great.

The only part that bothers me is the back door. That trim and door should match the window, for me, and I like that in the brighter white, as it is. I see that the door and trim kind of run into the inset cabs, so they all have to be the same color, so I'd stick with the white there, too. ... Millwork in white, but cabs in gray.

I agree with the others that it's different than the white and gray, not necessarily bad at all, and having that door and inset wall cabs white again will make a big difference in the overall lightness of the room. Just my opinion.

It's gorgeous -- really, the gray makes your beautiful cabinetry stand out in a really wonderful way. Don't change a thing -- it looks even better than your inspiration pic.

p.s. I'd leave the door gray, too, that bank of cabinets and door area makes a nice shape and I think with the common trim over it it's better treated as one unit.

Cannot wait for your finished kitchen shots -- in the daylight this time, please. haha

It's so pretty! I might paint the door (just the door -- I wouldn't change the millwork since the whole thing reads as a single unit) white; or maybe not. It's a lovely kitchen and the shade of gray you chose is soft and elegant.

I really like the gray cabinet, but I wonder how it would look with aged brass hardware.

Love it! We have similar taste. I'm almost done with my kitchen. I have charcoal cabinets and the same 3x6 marble tiles.

So,I think it looks awesome!

You totally messed up your kitchen! The NKBA recommends you put the ladder at least 48" from your main sink. And both ladders really obstruct the flow of traffic through that door!

=)

All kidding aside, I think your kitchen looks great and the main difference is due to lighting. You still haven't shown a pic of your kitchen with all the lights on and during the daylight. You have no under cabinet lights on in the last shots. I think once you remove all the remodel equipment, clean off the counters, and turn on all the lights . . . it'll look very similar to your inspiration pic!

I really like it!!

Another I LOVE IT. It is DIFFERENT, UNIQUE, WARM, INVITING, CLASSY, ELEGANT. Shall I go on? I think it makes your backsplash "pop". Let it settle for a few weeks/months. If you continue to dislike it, then change the color. It is your kitchen and YOU must love it!

Back again to say again how much I like it! Hope you will live with it for a while and see how it strikes you after a few weeks. It looks great with your backsplash and metal counter. It just really works in your room. Hope you will eschew any "window treatments" -- the bare window looks right and maximizes the light. Great job Theresse!

I think it's really pretty, and look forward to seeing the doors up. If you end up thinking it's too gray, maybe you can do what Martha did in her Bedford kitchen (lower cab doors/drawer fronts).

fyi, Martha's Bedford kitchen was the original gray kitchen - many similarities between it and Sally's.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sally Wheat - Martha Stewart Sampler

The kitchen is beautiful and classy but you do need more lighting now. You can get potlights and dimmer put in for about $400+ (not including patching afterwards). Or a solatube if your kitchen does not have a second story over it.

I'm so glad scrappy posted because that's precisely what I was thinking: your inspiration kitchen has t-o-n-s of artificial light, whereas in your kitchen pics all your lights aren't on. It's so subjective because it's a photograph and I'm viewing it on my monitor, etc., but in theory, I love your kitchen -- I just think it needs more light, and that might be via artificial light or it might be via white uppers. I wonder if doing your ceiling in a white with a lot of yellow in it would help, bouncing a warm light downward ....

I think it will look fine but you do need some color in there. Maybe some yellow touches or red touches.

You know Therese, I think that's the perfect color. That personifies old house elegance and makes the grey in the tile really pop! I think your inspiration photo is coming to life.

Will you be putting any cabinets above the fridge area? It looks like the grey is centered over on those two sides of the kitchen, which may make it feel a bit off as well.

I really don't think it's dark at all, and think if you live with it for a few days, you may find it not so. Today should be a bit grey and overcast- see how that changes your perspective also- it certainly did in my kitchen. Oh, and have a great shower today! I'm sure everyone will love your kitchen!

Excuse me miss! What's the problem? It's perfect.

(Also I like it better than the inspiration picture which has wonderful colors but seems a tad overwrought and faux vintage compared to yours which looks just right. I like old kitchens.)

Get it cleaned up, put out your usual decor (forget the "pop of color - stay grey and white), turn on ALL the lights and take a proper photograph.

In the inspiration pic, they are shooting it during the day, AND have the undercounter lights on AND I guarantee you the photographer brought in a set of lights they aimed at the ceiling just out of the lens range to bounce light around.

Pictures first, then responses to your very helpful comments, in the following post. Thanks!

The walls don't look quite this yellow in person, FYI. Still, they're screaming for a lighter, whiter (happier) cream, aren't they?

I don't think I had the flash on here either but the walls look so much more cheerful and almost pink! I think just cause I was up high, pointing toward two lights plus a window?

One or two of you mentioned being curious about how they looked before, so here are pics from before the newest gray paint (only the lowers on that window wall were painted the gray color). Not quite apples to apples though as taken at night without all the lights on. Also the dishwasher door wasn't on yet either:

This one shows uppers in white during the day though the tile wasn't in yet:

Pre-tile and pre-dishwasher and taken even earlier in the day and during Spring:

Ok! Pre-new-countertop (and lamp on old little island just to show reflection of stainless when I was considering stainless for the main countertop) but this gives an idea of the wall of cabs when they were still white (don't know why this is all I could find! Oh and the walls are a light beige-avocado-gray type of color):

Had enough? SURE YOU HAVEN'T! Here's one from before the new lowers and new countertop et al!! Hold your breath...here we go!:

And for the grand finale:

:) :) :) How you likin' that gray NOW, eh? :) :) :)

First, apologize for these weird question marks in black diamonds (?) that are taking over the sentences below! Please just do your best cause it's too late for me to go back and remove each one - LOL. I guess it's a translation problem going from Word (for Macs) to this forum for some reason. And who knows - maybe it is only doing this in preview so ignore this if that's the case...

Thanks everyone so much! Just read your own response from me below or else you�ll be reading the rest of your life, cause it�s long!! I got almost to the end of the list of comments but then got too sleepy (typed a lot!) so will finish soon!

Okay those first 4 are the newer pics in cleaned up kitchen though still primed window - no paint there yet - and unfortunately it was about 4:50 in the afternoon so the sky was already darkening. I'll try again for a lighter pic tomorrow! ;) Also, I've since taken down the pot rack! A friend suggested it and helped me find the pans a new home in my kitchen that I hadn't thought of. Now the pretty ceiling light fixture can be the center of the universe that is the ceiling, haha. Less cluttered is good, me thinks. Especially in such a small kitchen (11.5 x 12'). I�ve been thinking and comparing to the inspiration photo (including one I found that doesn�t show it over-exposed) and I�m thinking it would be easy to repaint the walls and ceiling a paler cream, closer to white...

Badgergal - I had a black bowl on the island a couple of days ago and it was filled with tangerines and that little pop of orange looked surprisingly good with that gray-green color. Thanks! I�m stuck on window treatments. I need something for privacy but don�t want to commit to color that can�t easily be changed out (as simply as a vase and towels, etc. can)! The style of the rest of the room somehow makes it seem tricky to determine what kind of window coverings too, ugh. Best I can think of would be simple roller shades with maybe reproduction round pulls hanging at the bottom. Actually, if the windows were painted gray and the walls/ceiling a lighter cream, white shades would indeed be a nice pop of color and would continue the white of the sink and backsplash, upward. :)

Brianadarnell - Yes as I was telling Badgergal, some tangerines in a black bowl surprised me with what a perfect "pop" of color it was to the gray. Yellow didn�t look as nice as I would have thought, surprisingly. Strange, huh? I love the tea kettle idea, however the stove isn�t seen when you walk in and the view of the kitchen with stove in sight isn�t too dark and gray due to the white stove, white hood and more of the cream wall behind it. Also that cabinet doesn�t have a door on it and is white inside! Thanks for the suggestion!

MichelleDT - Thanks for much for the sunny attitude! :) It did help a lot, cleaning it all up. I�m glad you like the color. I don�t think it�s too dark in a room that isn�t as small as mine and North-facing only like mine and with no pot lights as others have mentioned. Although I�m hoping making the walls and ceiling a lighter cream will help (?).

Beekeeperswife - Thank you! I think you and perhaps others may have seen the first pics then scrolled down to comment before seeing the other pics I sneaked in there earlier. ;) But it wasn�t early in the day when I took them so there wasn�t much light outside (though it always faces North, yaaaawn) - AND the room wasn�t cleaned up yet! Would love to see what�s going on with your house and kitchen! I can rarely find pics when I do a search so please link me to them if you�d be so kind!

Gardenamy - thanks! Do you think - if I paint the door white - that it should be the transom too? And you don�t think that would look weird, leaving the rest of it painted differently in that area? I�ll think on it!

Lake Girl - Yes it did make me feel better, thank you. What�s funny is that when I see the before pictures, I like it okay, but when I see these pictures I like it more somehow but I don�t know why cause I�m bothered by the darkness. I think I like it more cause it feels more period appropriate considering in the old days all the cabs and woodwork would have been unpainted wood (much darker in fact)! I know that blog - I saw it too before I chose the color. Hard to forget that funny little window that goes to the kids� room! My kids would hate it if I had a way to snap back a window and go "WHAT�S GOING ON IN THERE" hahaha.

Lafacia - The uppers were white before and your comment makes me realize I should put up another before pic (and by now hopefully I did, above!). I�ve been thinking a lot about your suggestion to have the window and door be white, thank you. My only concern is that if the door�s white, will it look awkward since the molding isn�t separate from the rest of the cabinetry. I could always paint it and find out, right! ;) I ALSO thought of you when I discovered by accident how well tangerines looked in a black ceramic bowl on the island a couple of days ago! It was amazing how well it looked in fact. I also thought pale ice blue would be really pretty. In fact at certain times of the day that gray color has a blue feeling although usually it goes more green. Thanks!

Roarah - Thank you. I feel the same way you do though hate admitting that as this forum definitely doesn�t want to hear that about white kitchens, haha. Actually I think they�re beautiful but yes there are a lot of them now and part of the reason I feel that way - tired myself - is because I painted all my cabs white 12 years ago when I moved in and also had a white tile countertop! Too much of the same thing for too long, and just loved that Sally Wheat kitchen. I know what you mean about the similar feel but the funny thing is, I don�t know why that is! Maybe cause it�s just similar colors but in reverse? After all, my walls before weren�t far off in color from this gray and the white cabs weren�t far off from cream - so it�s kind of a reverse, in a way!

Marthavila - I *think* thank you (?)! I can barely remember that movie...saw it soooo many years ago...but that definitely doesn�t sound like a compliment! I assure you, I am NOT one of those types of people who fishes for compliments under the guise of not liking something she did, all the while secretly really liking it! Most certainly not, yuck, and ouch! I can�t stand people like that. I almost like my kitchen - and I in fact like it more now than before - but it just needs lightening up somehow as the inspiration kitchen definitely appears significantly lighter. I also like how good the marble looks compared to all the darkness. The overall feel of the room is - this is hard to explain - it feels like the kitchen is taking a sigh of relief. It has this complete thing now that it didn�t before and I don�t mean cause it�s visually together more (although there is that) as much as I mean that the reversal of light cabs to dark and dark walls to light feels more period appropriate now and I�ve been after that all along. Maybe that�s why I was so drawn to that Sally Wheat kitchen! Maybe what I like so much is that unpainted wood kitchens of a hundred years ago were too dark and this gray isn�t that hard to take while still gives that same feel. Thank you for the many compliments and I love the notion of a playdate with color - haha. I too think of it as a canvas of sorts! I�ve always been a color person myself but I like adding it through accessories as well. If you read any of my responses to the others above, I discovered that tangerines look amazing in this kitchen now! :) Re. the pot rack, a friend came over tonight and I kid you not, got up on a chair and started taking it down after finding my pans a new place I hadn�t considered before! She thought the ceiling looked too cluttered plus you couldn�t see the wall of cabs. I�ll have to see how it looks in the daylight without it but she may be right. I plan on taking an earlier-in-the-day photo for this thread tomorrow and this time it will be pot-rack-less! Come back later, if you remember, and tell me how you feel about it without the pot rack, will you? Thanks!

Babs711 - Awww, you makey me feel goody, thanky! ;) I�m glad you don�t feel it looks too dark. It really feels to dark to me on that one wall - it really does - but I�m really thinking about changing the walls/ceiling to a lighter cream - one that�s closer to white - and seeing if that helps. Cause I really do like the color of the gray and I don�t usually love gray unless it�s in a sweater or in the matting of a picture frame or maybe a car or something! Haha. It�s just waaay too sophisticated for me but who knows - maybe I�m growing up. No, that�s not it. I just love THIS gray. And am not willing to give up on it just cause it makes my kitchen darker than I�d hoped (yet there was some expectation of it). Having to do some repainting here and there isn�t nearly as traumatizing as all the other stuff I had to go through with the kitchen earlier (don�t ask, it�s in the past now)!!

Mtnrdredex - thanks for seeing that! ;) In certain light/times of day, it looks like Sally Wheat�s kitchen but more so by the window. Ok now I�m loving that biscuit canister! What�s up with that!? How�d you find that...what�s your story? Like I was saying above (not that you have all the time in the world to read my essays to each person!!), I stumbled upon the fact that orangey colors work amazingly well with this gray! I will seriously consider buying that canister!! Or one of the other ones - I love the coffee one and the bread one too and that some of them have seals for freshness...although there�s something I love about the words "biscuits" the most! Thanks so much!

Circuspeanut - You are so sweet - no srsly - SO SWEET! ;) Not sure I can believe you on the second photo comment though - hahaHA. Anyway, I do agree with you that it�s more interesting after having lived with white for 12 years (or longer, if you count all the years I wished my kitchen were white in the house before this house - so it�s been in my head since the early �90s)!! I�m done with white. But not totally done - I love lots of splashes of white for sure. It�s just so cheerful. Anything new in your cozy (and very non-white) kitchen these days? I think of you anytime I hear mention of copper, as well as craftsman. :)

Lisa A - Yes, I�m in Pdx, and yes to the dreeeeeary winter dayz. I wonder if that�s some of it. But then I also wonder if - in the summer when I get a quick splash of late afternoon light in there through that back door window - the gray will seem depressing on a lovely summer day!? It�s okay - I mean I thought about that long and hard before choosing it (just curious). Sometimes a dark color can be cozier in the winter, you know? I can�t remember where you said you live - is it in S.E.? I like your suggestion of waiting a bit and then considering painting window and wall of cabinets (and all other doors, right? There are 3 in the room - not 2!!). My latest thought it that I could start by painting the ceiling a lighter cream - closer to white if not just white - and seeing how that pairs with the window (prior to painting it, since it�s primer now). And I could also continue on, painting the walls the same color as the ceiling and just seeing if the contrast of white or almost white is enough to make the whole room a bit more cheerful. But I�ll seriously think about your idea too cause different colored cabs can be fun in one room. Thanks! :)

Katsmah - you are so kind, thank you! Yes I love the built-ins (sort of exterior wall, sort of not - only cause on the other side is a mudroom with powder room although most in my neighborhood have torn out the wall there and made a larger kitchen that goes out to the back yard!). My only beef is that because the molding runs straight into the cabinetry (no dividing line), one�s sorta forced to paint it all without it looking a bit odd, and therefor a color as dark as this gray is - it turns out - a bit overwhelming! But I so appreciate the positive feedback! It makes me feel better about whatever I do!

Chris11895 - Thanks! I haven�t posted these comments or latest pics yet (cause I�m typing this all out in a word document to make responding easier!) but hopefully by the time you read this, I will have remembered to include a couple of pics of the kitchen before painting, too. And if I REALLY want to shock you, I�ll include one of before the stainless counter, sink and backsplash! ;) Hahaha you�re gonna love that. Anyway, all the cabs are original except the ones under the countertop. You can see that while they too are inset and similar panel (shaker?) style, they only have one panel. I didn�t think I�d be able to afford to copy the look of the original multi-paneled doors. I didn�t mind how different they�d look, originally, cause I�d planned on painting the top cabs a different color - until I saw the Sally Wheat kitchen that I instantly fell in love with. I�m okay with them looking different though cause the ones that were there before them were also not original and were just big slabs that weren�t inset. They just looked too different. I�m glad that at least in photos, you can�t tell whether they�re new or not. In person, it�s more obvious these doors are old and have been painted on several times.

Marcolo - thank you, as always, for your honesty! I liked the white above too, but was just dog tired of it. I like some white though, for sure, so have to figure out how to incorporate some without going back to so much. It�s that entire wall, yes, that�s a bit much. But would you suggest making that whole area white again? Cause I think the uppers being gray looks okay thanks to the marble and window. In fact that gray color next to the window (sides of cabs) becomes that perfectly charming not-too-dark gray, there. So if anything, I think you�d say the wall of cabinets perpendicular to it that should become white (which is maybe what you meant - that only the lowers on that one wall should stay gray?). Anyway I�m still considering that but that would be more of a last resort - I want to try some other things first. Or if I did paint the uppers white again, I�d need the window to be something different! I am considering pot lights though. My only issue with them is that I don�t tend to like overhead lighting in general though I�ve never lived with pot lights before. Maybe they�d feel different. Anyway, I haven�t ruled that out (your idea) completely so thank you for your feedback!

Rhome410 - I love that distinction - the way you put it: millwork in white, cabs in gray. That somehow works for me, when you put it that way. I may or may not do that (after living with it for a while like so many have suggested) but I see now that millwork - including built-ins - and cabinets aren�t exactly the same thing! :) And I see why you think the door should match the window. That was my original feeling too (or just paint the window gray and figure something else out to lighten the room). And yes of course painting that whole wall of cabs white would indeed brighten up the room again, without a doubt! Your kitchen is also the perfect example of how cabs of different colors can be so beautiful in the same room. I love all this great advice - all these options. Thank you!

Kris ma - I�m wondering if you too saw that I did post more pics of the kitchen (second set of pictures) in the daylight but missed them! However you must understand that my small, dark kitchen faces North! So taking photos during the day only means so much! ;) Hopefully the newer pics with a cleaned up kitchen help a little! And since taking those, I�ve also taken down the pot rack which reduces clutter even more. Will post tomorrow (which means later today for you guys - it�s late and I�m in the N.W.) to show you the room without the pot rack. I think that will make a difference though it might also make the wall of dark cabs even more KABOOM! : - / I appreciate your comment about that area having a nice shape, thanks! I knew that without having thought of it that way and you got me appreciating them more cause you don�t see that every day do you! You are TRULY KIND (too kind, ahem) to say you like the kitchen more than the inspiration kitchen. Common now!

Lazydaisynot - thanks for the idea. That might do the trick - I just wish I could tell without having to go through the hassle of painting it - haha. Hmmm... I think someone on this forum knows how to change colors through editing! Who was that!!!??? Oooh, thank you for using the word "elegant!" You�re so nice to say so. ;) I WAS aiming for that. I don�t think I could quite describe it as that yet (and I think pictures make things look nicer than they are in person!) but it�s definitely more elegant than it was before. Thank you. I feel so gutsy, in a good way, is what I feel! I need to brighten it up somehow though - it�s just a bit too dark for my tastes (my emotions?) but I�ll figure something out, thanks to all your great ideas!

pps7 - Aged brass would look most period-appropriate, there�s no doubt (and it would also tie in with the whole trend of warms and cools mixed together - just as I did the warm cream with the cool gray) but I don�t know how I�d feel about doing that with the stainless countertop. Now it may be that it would be REALLY cool and deliberately defiant in a way! But now the light fixtures are polished nickel too...I don�t think I can bring myself to mess with things much more and find out - after spending all that money - that I don�t like it as much as I thought I would. I do think though - that if I had a wooden countertop as I so desired (was just too afraid of water damage) or basically any other countertop - and I were starting all over - that I WOULD do aged brass EVERYWHERE including the ceiling lights. That�s most period-appropriate, most craftsman, and most different since the whole world and their dogs all do either black or silver looking hardware. So true! And I always have to try and be just a little bit different if I can help it. Even though I�m following Sally Wheat�s look (and Martha�s gray kitchen before her)!! I don�t know how to be original - I�m not THAT creative! ;)

MileHighDiva - I always struggle to find people�s pictures so could you please link me to yours? I�d love to see!! And thank you. Oh except my tiles are 2x6 - not 3x6. My upstairs bathroom�s tile is original and it�s 2x6 subway on the walls so I decided to do the same dimensions in the kitchen, even though in marble. Also I think I was told by some tile expert in town (don�t think I dreamed this!) that on the East coast, subway tile tended to be 3x6 and on the west coast (or maybe specifically the NW, I can�t remember) it tended to be 2x6 during the same period of time. Strange, huh? Or, I might have heard some variation e.g. that West coast craftsman homes (craftsman homes having been originated on the west coast) were more commonly 2x6. Something like that! Sorry for beating the dead horse but I love the topic of old houses hence my rambling! Don�t forget to post back with pics please!

Ok that�s IT! I can�t type anymore tonight! I won�t even tell you what time it is here and what time I have to get up! I just wanted to give some heartfelt responses since you all took the time to help me!! :) I�ll finish up tomorrow! Thanks again everyone - really appreciate all the feedback and advice!

Hahaha I love what a NUTJOB I look (even more so, I should say, ahem) after all those funny question marks and loopy things appeared!

I LOVE it !! I have fieldstone on my kitchen walls (loved it so much I brought it down the front hall and entry) it reads gray to green gray depending on the time of day. living in RI it reminds me of the rocks around the ocean and beaches here. My accents are greens, oranges, and red - some yellows mostly in the form of fruit or flowers.
Your kirchen transformation is wonderful! You did good girl!! Enjoy :-)

So one thing that keeps jumping out at me are your pans. I want to see a whole bunch of stainless or copper pans hanging there. Treat yourself to some new pans :-)

Personally I adore gray and white. My house is gray with white trim. My kitchen is in the process of being turned into creamy white + dark gray. Although my kitchen is just 10 x 10, it is open on one side and has plenty of natural light.

I must have a bit of seasonal affective disorder, but too much gray around and over my head feels oppressive to me. Turning all the lights on would definitely mitigate that feeling, but who wants to add to the utility bill?

If it were me, I'd be painting the ceiling and uppers white as fast as I could. Or the door or trim. I'd need a break in the dark clouds.

But it's your kitchen, not mine. As someone for whom painting is an ordeal, I'd live with it a while, at least through a sunny season, and see how you like it. If YOU like it, there's your answer.

Good for you, taking a risk and asking for input. :)

Mm-mmm something about that gray! Really pretty! Hey where did you get your subway tiles? Can you tell me a little about them (and the grout)? I'm getting soapstone (this week, possibly next), and am considering white subway. How would yours look with soapstone? Thanks!

Oh gee, I worried after I hit the "submit" button on that post as to whether you might misinterpret my reference to that movie, Theresse! Yes, it was a compliment! And, no, I did not think you were fishing for praises! If anything, I know that many of us, moi included, tend to publicly doubt ourselves. When we do, we often get the support that we really are hoping for. And, that's not a bad thing. If anything, I think it's wonderful that we here in the GW community are so willing to give it. And, especially, in your case, I was motivated to come out of lurkerdom to give it. Heck, as I told you before -- I love what you are doing with your kitchen. So I apologize if my post caused you to doubt in any way that I was doubting your reasons for posting. NOT!

Peace and hugs :-)

Martha

I had to reread your post because I kept scrolling down to see the dark horrible kitchen. I LOVE it!! I, like circuspeanut, thought the pics of your kitchen were just other photos of your inspirational kitchen.. I'm not kidding!!!!

I think it looks great with the white uppers but I think the all gray with the wall of gray (the door and pantry) is a show stopper. I see how the door and the window seem to make sense white, but I also see how the door needs to be the same color as those pantries. I'm not skilled enough to know what to do, but I'll say that while I would like it white, I love it gray and they show off how great they are.

Okay, Theresse, I realize this was, like, three weeks ago, but I'm half-way between Marcolo and the folks who love-love it. I do love the gray. But...it's a bit too much gray on the one wall to me, which I would find depressing this time of year. What if the door and transom stayed gray but the cabinets around them went back to white? That would help break up that big expanse and tie in to the white window trim, plus lighten up the room. Did you settle on a solution you're happy with?

I think it is beautiful. Let accessories add color.

I love the kitchen. I liked it with white upper cabs, and I like it with gray upper cabs. I think I like the gray a bit more- it's unique. Thank you for the lovely photos.
Renee

Therese, It is a beautiful kitchen, but I like light also (my age is showing) and if you think it is too dark, that is because you like lighter. The cabinets are beauiful and the counters, but I think you need waaay many more lights. Is there any way you can put in recessed lights? I have honed black granite in a house we just bought and while the kitchen looks beautiful, it is dark. Guess what, we are replacing the granite at great expense. You will know what it right. Trust your instincts.

I love your kitchen with all the gray as is! It may need more lighting, but really you are the one to make that judgement. I would not go back to white uppers. I am not a gray person, usually it is depressing to me. But with the hardware, the backsplash and the walls, the gray is perfect!
Diane

You led me to believe there was a crisis but there is none. When you said that the kitchen was dark, I thought you were using a very dark grey. This is not dark grey. As long as the room is light and pleasant and functional in different light situations, there's no problem. Light can be introduced in different ways, including sconces and countertop lamps and more wattage in lighbulbs. If you find the paint needs to be lightened to an even lighter grey, you can always do that with some more paint. You have no urgent need to do any changes for a while.

An inspiration picture is for inspiration, not for dictatorship. Go in peace.

I think you should live with this new paint arrangement for a while and see how you feel about it. As you noted, you can always go back to the white cabinets on top.

My own preference is for the white uppers, because those cabinets are so smashing and their distinctiveness just seemed to show better when they were white and the lowers were gray. Ditto for the woodwork that takes up most of the wall with the door in it.

You have created a great kitchen in any case.

I really like it!

Looks old timey and modern at the same time. I wouldn't clutter it up with accessories either, but then I live alone so I have only myself to please. :)

Looks fab! I adore gray! You chose wonderful finishes, sink, counters etc.

Great job!