I'm not that crazy about dark glazes on white/light cabinets-makes them look dirty to me. I prefer a glaze that has enough contrast to accentuate the curves and grooves but not enough to color the flat surfaces. But that's my preference.

Backsplash is sometimes easier to visualize once the cabinets and counter are in place. You'll be able to better judge the light/darkness of the room then.

TO make it easier for others:

To really give you feedback, we need a layout with dimensions. A layout with the adjoining spaces included is most helpful. Some info about you, your family, how you cook, etc is also needed to create a space that will be the most functional for you.

White ususally pairs with black/gray. Cream/ivory/champaign usually pairs with brown. Of course you're free to break the color rules. :-)

I like your original choices. Charming.

Remodelfla is right...It'd be better if we could see a 2D layout with accurate dimensions. I would really like to see if the fridge and microwave might fit on the stove wall, so you have a place for dishes to the right of the sink and dw.

I can see the point in having the fridge by the sink. I can see the point in having the microwave by the fridge, and even by the sink. But it seems that in this plan it's too crowded to have both there.

Do you want glass doors flanking your hood? For me they would always get greasy and drive me nuts.

Thanks for the feedback...

I don't have any drawings with the dimensions... but I can give you room dimensions (a little later, I am rushing off to work).

The kitchen will be open to the dining room, and I don' want to look at the frige... so that's why it's tucked in that corner (behind a corner of the wall near the opening to the dining room).

There are four of us - my husband and two young children. I like to cook - but don't have a whole lot of time for it. We have family nearby and often get togheter for meals...

Maybe I should switch the stove and the sink/dishwasher??

thanks everyone. I am totally a mess over this process.

Hi - I'm back! I am posting plans of our house to give you a better sense of the space and ajoining rooms. Maybe I should switch the sink and the stove? Any feedback would be greatly appreciate!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Everyone is a bit different, so take this as my opinion based on my life and it may have limited application.

You are doing the living areas on the second floor? You brave and study souls, bless you.

nkba is thinking the minimum aisles between counters should be around 42", the drawing shows around 36". Making it worse, it's probably a cabinet plan showing around 24" as the cabinet depth- and don't normally include the depth of the doors and drawer fronts. Counters normally extend beyond the cabinet line around 1.5" and some base cabinets are made a bit less deep - so they can cut more out of the same sheet of material - can't be really precise without more detail. Anyway, the actual aisles you'll have will be closer to 33-34". That's pretty small, particularly in front of the ref.

Everything rhome said about the sink.

You have no pantry.

Back stairs to the lower level isn't in a convenient location for everyday use and you have a second set of stairs off the deck.

The furniture in the sunroom points at a blank wall.

So, I think I'd move the back stairs under the other stairs, move the powder room to the back stairs and add a pantry. Make the island more squarish and scoot towards the dining room a bit.

Some choices about the sink. Starting at the drawn ref and working towards the back stairs, Choice 1 is go ref, cabinets, sink in corner, ?trash cabinet, dw, cabinet, range, cabinet. Choice 2 is cabinet, range, cabinet, corner cab, ?trash cabinet, sink, dw, ref, tall-narrow cabinet.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I posted the house plans to give you a better idea of the flow of the house - but at this point, it's too late to make any major changes to the floorplan (ie - moving the stairs...).

But I have not settled on a plan for the kitchen - so I really appreciate your input.

I am really considering swapping the sink and the stove now. And although I really wanted to tuck the refrigerator in the corner so it wouldn't be as visible from the dining room, I am starting to think that it might not be a bad idea to move it to the other corner (as bmorepanic suggested in her Choice 2: cabinet, range, cabinet, corner cab, trash cabinet, sink, dw, ref, tall-narrow cabinet).

One of the KD suggested doing a two level island and having the sink/dishwasher in the island. I prefer flat islands in general, what do people think of this idea? It's a small island (approx. 3' x 5').

The other idea I had was to leave the plan as is, but instead of having tall (42") cabinets (with a couple of doors being glass); stack a smaller row of glass cabinets above regular sized cabinets (the ceilings are 9'). Any thoughts on this idea? This way I wouldn't have to worry about the glass cabinets getting greasy next to the hood (thanks for pointing this out rhome410!).

Oh - and just to clarify - the living room, dining room , kitchen are on the main level. The plans call it the 2nd floor, but that's just because the 1st floor/basement is where the garage, family room, office and bath will be.

thanks!