What's to complain? A piece of tiger maple like that, in a position where it is a focal pint, should be treasured. IMO.
Casey

I agree with Casey - if it were all one color, it would look blah and wouldn't really stand out from the front of the cabinet. The piece it's mounted on really has no grain at all.

I think the overhead lights washed out the grain on the cabinetry around the shelf. I actually have it on every stained piece in the kitchen. The shelf seems way over the top to me. Here's another pic taken without overhead lights using a flash.

Still absolutely gorgeous.

It's not the stain it's the wood itself. It shows up like that due to how it was cut as well as the inherent qualities of the wood.

I think you may be able to make it work to your advantage if you want the area above/behind the range to become a focal point. Could you restain the facia/curved part that it sits on to resemble the stain on the shelf? My other idea would be to paint those two parts to match the creamy cabs you have on the island the right side perimeter and do some kind of killer backsplash behind the stove.

Really pretty color cabinets!

Me likey!!!! Leave as is.

Agreed. It's not the stain. That is curly grain, sometimes called fiddleback or tiger stripe depending on the wood species. It is highly desireable (usually).

I can see some grain to the side, the doors above, and the door to the right. But the flat piece the shelf is installed on is very regular. That just serves to set off the beautiful grain of the shelf, though. I don't think it's over the top, I think all your cabinets are beautiful. I love wood grain! I even found when I was staining my pine baseboards and doors that tiny knots and light spots just popped when I put a satin poly on, what I was first thinking of as "defects" actually looked really nice when they were finished (esp. the doors that I did 5 coats of poly with 400 grit sanding in between). Not that I don't have some ugly pieces of baseboard that will be hidden in closets, but you have to appreciate a natural material like wood (even cheap pine) or granite for what is is. At least no one will mistake your shelf for laminate over MDF!

It's very pretty and I have to agree that it doesn't quite match. But it will probably not be as obvious if you stick something on the shelf.

Seriously everyone - this is highly desireable! DH likes it, but he likes everything. I really thought it stuck out like a sore thumb. You won't miss it that's for sure. And really I don't mind if it stands out in a good way.

remodelfla, I could paint the shelf alone but not the curved piece underneath it as it is one big piece running up behind the hood doors too. The backsplash is our final decision. That will be my next question to all you GW design gurus.

boys... wait till you do the backsplash. Depending on what you're leaning toward; it would draw attention to itself and away from the difference in the woods.

So... what are you leaning toward? Ceramic, glass, tumbled stone? Pattern, subtle, traditional... etc. I LOVE the backsplash decision part. I have to live vicariously through others since I feel as if I'll never ever actually get to do mine!

I love the way it looks! (character)

Your hood is absolutely gorgeous and I would have hunted high and low for that piece of wood. Once you add some decorative pieces to the shelf everything will work together. Honestly, that tiger wood is very prized and I love the contrast. I am going to download your picture and show it to my carpenter. I've already bought a wooden hood, but it can't compare to yours.

To give you an idea of how valued that would be - Hubby and I spent an entire day in a hot, dusty, musty warehouse sorting through their wood piles (we're talking 10+ board x 10+ board stacks of wood that was 12 feet long and 6 to 12 inches wide) specifically to find pieces like that. We could have gone with what was in the showroom bout the figural woods like that were roughly twice the price of the "plain" woods.

I love the play of the vertical lines of the wood with the horizontal lines of the routing. Those little corbels are a perfect touch, too.

At least wait until everything else is done! It IS a nice piece, and it stands out now because the room is so empty. But when the rest of it is all filled in, it'll be a different look. You may like it!

Thank you everyone! I feel so much better. I don't think I have any special piece of maple there but I'm glad it resembles something desirable. I'm going to let it grow on me and after the finish cures, I'll decorate the shelf.

remodelfla, I would love your input on the backsplash! I've been struggling with what to do. I've been leaning toward long skinny tiles, ceramic and glass. My style is transitional. DH wants some pops of red, but I'm not sure. I will put together another post with pictures of the granite, wall color (SW Grasslands) and close-ups of that area which has ss counters flanking the rangetop.

Real quick and immediately off the top of my head, I thought of this...

{{!gwi}}
No red though... I'll have to search on that one.

There you go finding really cool tiles again...

I think it is lovely. I looked at it in context of the whole room while looking at your photobucket album and thought it looked perfect with your vintagey looking kitchen.

Especially loved the cabinet that resembles (to me) a pie safe.

I really do think you have a special piece of wood. I always lust after antiques that have tiger oak or maple. Here are two of my most treasured.

Your kitchen is very nice

Here is a link that might be useful:

Oh, that is one gorgeous hunk of wood!! Lucky you!! I hope you grow to love it....it really is special.

It sticks out in a good way. Very nice, and calmly distinctive--NOT big-box hood number "SR2008-88143-36."

A highboy from Great Windsor Chair

{{!gwi}}

That is beautiful!! How fantastic to have something that unique to add visual interest.

I freaked because I had a shelf there before without corbels that blended in. Only deep enough to hold a paper clip though, and I wanted to decorate the shelf. We paid to have it re-done.

Also, in a prior post I got negative feedback about some of the graining in my cabinets which don't hold a candle to the shelf. It's growing on me now. THANKS TO ALL for the feedback. I'm relieved it was positive.

red lover & palimpsest- those are beautiful examples of furniture and the point you made was not lost on me.

Gorgeous! I think it turned out fabulous.

I love the shelf - don't do anything to it or it might be ruined and that would be a shame ! Those tiles that remodelfla posted are genius. I am really hoping that you go with those - it would look incredible!!

SO nice. I think you're staring at it too closely. Look at it in context with your entire kitchen!!

It's way cool!

I'm glad its grown on you now and I hope you'll come to truly appreciate it. As pbrisjar indicated, people will go through hell and high water to find pieces of wood like that. And to describe it as "a tiger threw up on the shelf ... " would be to suggest that your cabinet maker has been casting pearls before, you know ...

It is beautiful. It is also *expensive*! Enjoy your nicely progressing kitchen.

Red lover, that's some lovely wood - is that not rift-cut white oak? I absolutely love the figuring in it.

My first comment was my raw gut reaction. If you order a white diamond and get a yellow one, you're surprised, even if yellow is rarer/more expensive. I think getting this wood was accidental, but you all have educated me that it's a positive thing and it looks good. It wouldn't have been my choice, but DH, who loves wood grain, is happy about all your feedback. And I am reassured, so it will definitely stay as is.

After 9 months, my kitchen is done with the exception of the backsplash and hanging a picture. I sincerely appreciate all the guidance I've gotten here throughout the process.