What do you think of my kitchen finishes?

12 years ago

Ok, I've been tile shopping...yet again. I came home with a beautiful glass tile called Vihara Karuna. After a little GW search, I found that gemini16 has used it in her kitchen (in glossy, I'm looking at the satin tile)

I took a photo from her kitchen and did a little bad photoshopping to come up with a rough idea of my finishes...

Thanks to gemini16 for the inspiration and I hope the tile is still growing on you!

I originally thought I would do a stainless hood, but I tried the black in here and I think I like it. What do you all think? I'm looking at a Euro style chimney, but couldn't find a pic of one in black, so I put the more modern one in there just to see what it looks like.

I'm looking at bronze light fixtures..

Maybe these over the island

And this over the table?

(There is still a great debate about this fixture...)

Does the bronze work or do I need to look for black finishes?

My biggest question now that I've found a tile that I think will work is that I'm not sure the natural cherry island and window seat is going to blend with the tone in the tile. Does that matter a whole lot? Is there a color I could stain the cherry to make it work or do I need to consider a different wood?

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Comments (16)

carp123
12 years ago
I think your fixtures are a great choice! The bronze will be picked up in the darker parts of the backsplash. The black hood looks cool. I think you can't go wrong with both of those choices. Can you post a picture of the natural cherry island? I'm not sure what it looks like.
a2gemini
12 years ago
Love that light!
Who makes it?
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Thanks for the drawing--it has calmed my fears after reading other posts by you about your dream kitchen. I can imagine working in here. Has anyone mentioned the need for wood storage indoors? Although the woodpile is the main wood storage, there needs to be a direct route from woodpile to a plunk spot for the wood indoors. We have a wood stove in living room, in part to burn up wood from our yard. We use an old large copper cauldron for our wood holder--it's huge and I retire it to the garage in summer so that I can recover some space in the room. Also, the area below a stove needs to fit code. Talk to your building inspectors before making a plan. Otherwise you may end up with a deep lip of brick or tile that intrudes in places you didn't anticipate and you may need a railing on one side if it's adjacent to a walk space. Also, the area in vicinity of a wood stove needs to be sweepable, even if it's outside the code-mandated nonburnable floor. Wood debris is unavoidable. You may want to look at images of second homes, lake places, etc. for your practical inspirations. These places have to deal with such issues and they often have a 'country' feel (ignore the kitschy ones). As for the island/table, I urge a movable large cart. You can remove it and put in a table at times if you need to and you can pull it to your work area for a secondary surface or put it out for buffet serving. For most days, you already have a table very near on porch that will be more useful for enjoying that cup of coffee and a book or newspaper and you can decorate that space as gleefully as you like. I've thought a lot about the table in your inspiration picture and all it says to me is 'I'm not ready to go to work.' That's not a message I want in my kitchen. I need an inviting blank work surface that I can mess up with my cooking activity, then clean off and leave ready for next time. I hate it when I have debris in my work space from the last project or stuff plunked there that is off-topic for my current mania. I'm putting a nook/resource center into the corner of my kitchen but I won't share photos yet, except this early one. We'll have a full floor to near-ceiling 6 foot wide bookcase, perhaps small antique drop leaf table and chairs, and some funky lighting. No wood stove, but hope it will have ambiance and kooky inviting feel. But it will NOT intrude in my work, it will NOT prevent dinner being served in dining room, and it will allow some softening pieces to cut the modern feel of the rest of the room. It also gives me a non-stool work space if needed (handicap access concept). This antiques and books and art nook is out of the line of fire of the kitchen activities as yours is, but I don't foresee spending much time in it. Better places elsewhere in house for lounging and recreation. Here is a link that might be useful: roughed in table nook ambiance corner
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remodelfla
12 years ago
The black hood is a brilliant choice (I think)! Love the look it gives.
ayerg73
Original Author
12 years ago
Carp123 & remodelfla - Thanks! I don't know why I didn't consider the black before. I think it's really growing on me!

a2gemini - Which light are you asking about?

The first one is Kichler model 2665 and the second fixture is made by Progress Lighting - the line is called Equinox. There are two sizes to choose from. The one in my picture is the biggest one - 28" I think
ayerg73
Original Author
12 years ago
Sorry, Carp123 - here's a pic of the cherry

The wood on the right is a sample of my floors. I haven't chosen a color just yet, but I think I'm going with this distressed hickory. The sample on the right is the cherry. I've already had it for quite some time and it was scrap from my builder, so it has aged some. I'm sure it will be lighter to begin with.
ayerg73
Original Author
12 years ago
Here's a better picture of the cherry sample next to the backsplash.

Too red?
clarygrace
12 years ago
Great choices and love either of the fixtures! I can see some red introduced as accent color in your soon to be beautiful kitchen!!!
ayerg73
Original Author
12 years ago
Here's a better picture of the cherry sample next to the backsplash.

Too red?
ayerg73
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks, clarygrace!

Not sure why that picture reposted. I wish we could edit or delete posts on here...
fouramblues
12 years ago
Not too red for me. Love, love, LOVE your color palette!
User
12 years ago
The white cabinets are too white with the rest of the elements. Too stark. Especially with black appliances used. You need to be more in the light grey or taupe zone for the cabinetry. It will still look "white" against all of your dark choices but look less stark.

Kraftmaid Mushroom

Kratmaid Biscotti

Martha Stewart Ocean Floor

Martha Stewart Beach Sand
ayerg73
Original Author
12 years ago
hollysprings - I should have been more specific when I posted the photoshopped picture, but the cabinets in that photo are actually gemini16's. I wasn't able to get my own sample door in there and have it look right.

My door is in the other pictures. It's definitely not stark white. It's a custom color that the builder made for me, so I can't give you a specific name, but it is a creamy color - almost with a light yellow tone that matches my kitchen table's color...

I'd say it's a shade lighter than the biscotti sample above.
fouramblues
12 years ago
Hee hee, I just came back to this thread to look at your pretty tile and realized who you are -- I'm talking with you on a thread about my kitchen colors! :) Can't wait to see it all come together for both of us!
ayerg73
Original Author
12 years ago
Too funny fouram! I'm glad that you like my colors - seems like we have similar taste! HAHA!

So, a race to the finish on the kitchens...is there a prize for the first working faucet??
colorfast
12 years ago
I love your color palette. I think the larger Equinox light looks a dust catcher. Not a deal breaker if you don't mind keeping it wiped down.
a2gemini
12 years ago
Sorry - the over the table lamp - I love it!

What do you think of my kitchen finishes?

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carp123

a2gemini

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