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Help with cabinets and floors with open kitchen

12 years ago

Hi

In my narrow galley kitchen remodel, I have my heart set on cherry cabinets--either natural or preferably with a not too dark stain. However, the kitchen will be partially open to the dining room and in addition, there is a back entry to the kitchen pantry area off the entrance hallway which has no door.

My floors in the rest of the apartment are a medium dark stained oak. I don't remember the combo, but I know that the stain is half Minwax Jacobean.

I like the floors for the rest of the apartment but would prefer maple floors in the kitchen in a lighter color. Also, if I match the oak floors in the kitchen, I am afraid I won't have enough contrast with the cabinets.

Question--can I go with a completely different floor? After all, I have tile now and it is different from the dining room and foyer? If not, how would the current stained floors look with cherry and should I go natural to maximize the contrast?

Thanks all.

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Comments (6)

joaniepoanie
12 years ago
Im not sure I would switch from oak to maple floors, but I think having oak floors in a contrasting stain could work.
herbflavor
12 years ago
Can one assume you are an urban dweller? I'd seek out a contrast with the main part of the apt and seek a bamboo floor for a modern urban kitchen. you can get a wide range or colors/texture pattern now in the bamboo...are the cabinet doors to be slab or recessed, along the vibe of modern?
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I agree with the first poster in the other topic who suggested painting the wall the same color as the cabinets. Or close to it. White kitchens are very tricky. Light walls makes a white kitchen look bigger, they embrace any undertone from the cabinets, and they're cheerful. Blue or gray walls will make your kitchen look smaller and not as bright in the daytime. You're lucky that you have great natural light in there. I don't, so I have to turn on all the lights including the under-cabinet lights to make it feel cheerful certain times of the day. My walls are a very pale yellow which helps brighten up the area. Use color for your accents. The good thing about going neutral with a white/cream besides making the kitchen look bigger and more cheerful, is you can change out colors with accessories when the mood strikes! I do that all the time and have a blast. lol
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Benjesbride, what you say regarding dining/island makes sense, but unfortunately I have ~11'x16' space to fit in the kitchen. If I decide to rotate the kitchen the way you say it, then my kitchen island will be quite small. I too started out thinking of a longer island and thus came up with option 2, and am not able to find pictures to tell me if that would look ok or not. Secondly, currently the plan is that the Great Room will be mainly conversation area. TV will be in a separate room, so no need to consider TV-watchability. Mama Rachel, your idea of spice kitchen is great! That's the kitchen I started out "wanting". I had to abandon it halfway, however, because of space constraints. My whole house is ~2200 sqft, therefore allocating disproportionately large amount of space to the kitchen would have meant I gave up on some other priorities. Mama Rachel : regarding powder: we decided to ditch the powder because of the availability of full bath on that floor, which otherwise will be guest bath. We also wanted as much storage as possible, therefore decided on having a storage rather than powder. Anyway, here's the original plan. Note that we added ~5ft towards the courtyard and some square footage along top wall (which is facing backyard). I am working on sizing of the entry right now, because I think it's a bit too big for the house, but that space will NOT become available to the kitchen again due to the building rules.
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Is there any possibility the door could be changed to open from left to right instead of right to left as it now does? I'm pretty sure you don't want to open that cabinet every time you want something out of the drawer ;0) I have a dishwasher in the same position as your door but with 2 1/4" clearance. That still means I can't buy a dishwasher with a handle as so many of this year's models seem to have, needs a finger cubby opening to not block a right angle utensil drawer.
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First step change all the lighting to LEDs 4000K (daylight) that will help when choosing colors to keep them true.Right now I see a lot of yellow hued lighting As for the kitchen what do you mean by too warm IMO cream is a warm color so a bit confused. If you are going to do anything in the kitchen I would remove the cabinets above and for sure around the cooktop and replace that with a nice stainless hood the rest of it seems quite nice.
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nycbluedevil
Original Author
12 years ago
I live in a Manhattan pre-war apartment. The adjoining areas have Chinese art deco rugs and French art deco lighting if that helps. I have read that bamboo is not good for a kitchen floor because the water is a problem. Not true?
nycbluedevil
Original Author
12 years ago
Forgot to answer one quetion, herbflavor. The current thinking on cabinets is shaker--inset on top and overlay on bottom.
herbflavor
12 years ago
bamboo is durable, I believe even more durable than regular hardwoods. As with any hardwood,spills should not be allowed to sit prolonged.Stranded type is the most durable. solid or engineered are both available. Different thicknesses of the top layer are available. Cork is also an option. Exotic hardwoods, which will set apart this space from your other areas of living would work too, just more costly.Rather than worrying about one shade this way or that way or does it "blend" with the oak, I'd seek out a different look entirely to make the space rock a little more. Finish all your counter, hardware,cabinet stain colors,backsplash and you'll figure out the floor. I don't think inset plays fantastic in a narrow galley to warrant the upcharge, but it's obviously gotten your attention if you've picked it.
rnest44
12 years ago
I'm not an urban dweller but in my last house built in 1939 all my floors were medium stained white oak on the first floor. Each space was separate but connected with doorways or wider arch ways. I stripped the back hall and kitchen to it's natural color while leaving the rest with it's medium stain. I loved it and did get compliments from from and family who resisted the idea as I was considering the change. Perhaps in your space, consider either keeping the wood type OR color constant with the surrounding area. Not too matchy-matchy but still pulls it together.

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