Well, it takes courage to post anything here and open yourself up to comments --both those you were expecting and those you weren't. Honestly, I don't think the comments I read quickly through were that bad. Really. I've seen better treated a lot worse. That doesn't mean it doesn't sting, but take a deep breath or two and put things in context. You said it was a new kitchen and folks don't know what you have done and are set on keeping. The choice on the one and only question you are asking doesn't occur in a vacuum. People will look at the whole thing and comment. The more they tell you the more you can figure out whether you are overlooking something or simply have different preferences or needs or know things about the context we don't get from a single photo or post. I posted a floorplan for my kitchen years ago -- had worked very hard on it and was pretty much down to one decision and trying to decide if I was gutsy enough to make it. Like you, I got a lot of other comments. Don't get me wrong -- it was hard to read them all until I went through the process of realizing that I had an answer for why what I either had to do or wanted to do what I had planned. I realized I was pretty much at the best I could do phase (would love a bigger window or to move a door, but that wasn't happening in that brick wall and no I couldn't steal a foot from another room, etc.), and when that cleared, no one seemed as concerned about the one change as I was. We went with it and it made the kitchen SO much better. If I took all my toys and went home before I got there, I might not have what I have and enjoy. All the opinions and advise here are meant to be helpful and you have to take them as such, remember what you paid for them, and then chose the ones you want to work with. If any. I was reading quickly through and saw you were going to keep the cabinets white but it didn't stick that you were going to glaze them. Sorry -- my error, and perhaps I should have looked a third time, but I didn't. I have to limit my time and do other things. This is my diversion, not my life. I told you I tend to dislike glazed cabinets, especially white ones, to be fair and because I've seen too many that are not well done. The last thing I want in a kitchen is something that looks streaky and dirty, and I saw way too many of those when glazing was in its heyday. That said, I do have a glaze on my cherry cabinets and love them. There are exceptions to every rule. Still, I like the contrast of the clean white with your copper and wood very much. It's clean and warm, old and new -- a nice balance. If you really want glaze, test the idea, and even then, tread lightly. You can always go back with more. I would also do the color on your island first. You may decide that the color plus glaze on the island is enough and that more would not be better. Sorry if offended you with the blind comment. You hadn't mentioned it and I presumed it was left by the PO to tie in with the sink. With your hood now given a copper treatment, the sink has something more interesting than a plain blind to share attention with. I realize it is there for privacy and wouldn't say don't have anything. I would just go lighter. White would wash out your pendants, so that's not a great choice either. If you have it open during the day and it fades into the window enough and seems not too different than the dark hole of a window at night, maybe it plays better IRL than a cold photo on a computer screen. Especially if you have them through the house. Since it is new and custom and you obviously like it, keep it. If someday something bothers you, you can think back and consider the comments when looking at new options. I see you took down your photo. Your choice, but I think you were a bit hasty. It may take more responses to see patterns, which should carry more weight than what any single post says -- and possibly to get the post from that one person who tells you exactly what makes everything click for you and makes it clear what you want to do and why. In the end, that's the most important one and possibly the only one that matters at all for you. But you may have to read through 100 or more to find it. ETA: I like patty_cakes' idea of staining the island and then possibly lightly glazing the island. That's a lot of work to do right, and I don't think most folks are up to that kind of job as a DIY. Maybe you are. I saw a comment on not crackling. I would agree. I think crackling is hard to do well and much better suited to an accent piece in anther room rather than kitchen cabinets. This post was edited by lascatx on Fri, Feb 28, 14 at 15:42

Okay, gotcha, I think I get it! So you were saying if the floor is faded (cheap laminate, so no idea) flip the island around in its same footprint THEN add two cabs on the stove side. That is a thought, and it will depend on the floor. Still not sure if it even goes under the island cabs, although i suspect it will. MAJOR update, however! I went back to see the KD at HD, she actually has a bachelor's in Interior Design. I was just having an AWFUL time trying to create a kitchen that appealed to both my warm side and my cool side, and we decided that the Bedford marble was not going to give me anything but cool. Sooo.......we chose a quartz together, instead! I swore I was not going to do stone, but the piece she picked out (Antella by Viatera) is so amazing in the subtle color tones in it. We picked an amazing color palette so cabs and trim will be BM White Dove, the island will be painted either BM Smoke Embers or BM Baltic Gray, but probably the lighter, and the wall color will be BM Cedar Key or a shade darker. I am not going to post a photo of the quartz because photos do it no justice at all! To top it all off, I stopped in at the local art tile place even though i was planning on beadboard backsplash and found a tile and accent that blew me away and totally "finished" a kitchen design that I didn't even see coming! I am pretty sure I am using Silver Shadows honed marble with a wicked cool accent mosaic from Bati Orient. It is technically way out of my style but I am soooo in love with it and it adds the perfect amount of bling to an otherwise bland-ish kitchen and the colors match PERFECTLY with my palette, tiles and counter. Picture does not do it much justice. So, that was my little surprise for the day, starting it with one kitchen and ending up in a totally different one and LOVING it! My angst is all gone. Cannot wait to get this finished and share some pics!

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>Still in progress I contemplated left and right and could not decide but I felt like my natural instincts were there I just needed to learn to not second-guess myself designing your own home can be a bit crazy so redoing this kitchen took a lot of brain power I wanted something for all of us to be able to live in and be in without being overcrowded I call my old dining room the gathering place because that is exactly what we love to do have family and friends and enjoy each other’s company It’s hard to ask for comments because unless you unload exactly everything that is going on it takes a lot of time to articulate what you have to work with and I found that going with your gut is usually the best case We couldn’t be more happy we still have some things to finish like the backsplash that will be on a weekend when we are available to tackle it as far as the trim around the kitchen vinyl that will also be completed as well we were really nervous about not having REAL WOOD OR TILE as the rest of our house has some pretty unique charm that we did not want to cheapen- But to our amazement this waterproof floor will be perfect especially coming in from the pool area anyone who is interested this stuff just feels so amazing

yeah, totally. We'd wanted a lighter flooring, but the options were limited. We're trying to keep within budget as much as possible which means choosing from the builder's selections (which is maple cabinets). The stain board is what they recommended to "go with" the floor. We're looking to contrast. Either lighter or darker. Thanks