I messed up the first post - accidentally hit submit when my revised preview didn't work :(

There are still a few things that need to be done, including some issues with the floor grout, so we have only moved a couple of things back in. I'll hopefully be able to post completed pictures later in the week.
We reused the fridge, ovens, and dishwasher as they were only a couple of years old (We wanted a larger cooktop, so did not reuse our 30" one)

Here is our before kichen (very 80's)

And here are a couple of after pictures:

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Kitchen Details:

Granite: Juparana Delicatus
Cabinetry: local custom cabinets - Quartersawn red oak with Cocoa Brown stain ( I think).
Cabinet Handles: Hafele
Floor Tile: Ilva Pietre travertine porcelain 18" tile (bianco)
Backsplash: Casa Dolce Casa Neutra 4x24 porcelain tile (tortora)
Paint: BM Clay Beige
Pendants: Hubbardon Forge
Fridge and Beverage Center: Kitchenaid
Ovens and cooktop: Thermador
Dishwasher: Miele
Microwave: Sharp microwave drawer
Faucets: Grohe K4
Sinks: Blanco Anthracite Silgranit

Here is a link that might be useful: new kitchen

Oooohhhh - I love it!! Everything! Was it hard to adjust to the change from light to dark?

Thanks! We are still getting used to the dark cabinets :). I had a lot of second thoughts when I saw how dark they actually were. We have a lot of windows and we kept everything else fairly light which helps.

Wonderful! Whoever decided to add those beams is brilliant. We have a friend who has a kitchen layout that's very similar. She entertains frequently, and her kitchen is so much fun and so roomy that party guests congregate around her island. Hope your flooring issues are resolved quickly. Congratulations!

Love it! Such a different look (IMHO!) and so different from your old kitchen. I really like the granite over the range with the wood border/frame--so stylish with a definite cool factor!

LOVE the kitty, too!

Beautiful!

What are the issues with your floor grout? As you'll see in my own post ("One month on..."), we're having some floor grout probs too. What's happened with yours?

Your kitchen is outstanding........I absolutely love it!! Very classy and love the modern lighting!!!!!! I'm interested in the name of your lights please : )

Divamum, our grout/tile issue is a cosmetic one. A number of the tiles were not level and in a couple of areas the grout was a little too low. The spots really became noticeable after the cabinets when in. Our remodeling company didn't like the way the tile turned out either and had the tile contractor back out last week to fix the problem spots.
So...they fixed all of the uneven tiles, removed the old grout and regrouted more evenly. Most of is great now. Problem is that some of the new grout is discolored and is almost black in some spots (instead of taupe). Our remodeling company agrees it is unacceptable so we will be discussing options tomorrow.

Wow, that is stunning. I love the dark cabinets with that granite.

I am curious. How long did you live with the old kitchen? (If you don't mind me asking.)

That is one beautiful kitchen. Very cool. I love the beams. The cabinet color is gorgeous. I could go on and on. Belongs in a magazine! Enjoy.

Beautiful! Love the profile of the faucet.

Another gorgeous kitchen space. enjoy

Modern jewel! lovely. perfect!

Thank you all for the kind comments.

Kitchenkelly, we bought the house in 2004. After remodeling the kitchen in our previous house in 2002, we specifically tried to looked for homes that did NOT need remodeling. We almost crossed this house off the list because we didn't really like the kitchen. We replaced the appliances when we moved in as an interim solution. That floor finally had to go away though. People who visited always commented about how the floor made them dizzy.

re: ceiling beams....I know people don't normally like to emphasize 8ft ceilings, but in our case, we wanted to break up the monotony. Our designer really ran with my offhand comment about liking ceiling beams. I've always loved old european homes with their low ceilings and real post and beam construction. I had some second thoughts about them and that it may have been overkill, but now, I really love them.

The granite we ended up with was the result of us second guessing ourselves. Ou designer wanted us to use new venetian gold (and she picked out a gorgeous backsplash tile to match) but we wanted something with more movement. We both love rocks and fossils. Our first choice was a granite called Persian Pearl, but then we fretted that it might be too white and cold. this was originally our second choice. It has lots of cool inclusions. The darker splotches are also somewhat translucent.
I also thought it was pretty cool that our older cat, Daki (my screen name), blends in with the granite :)

Cute!!!

Great kitchen. I especially like what you did with the wall behind the cooktop. I rarely see solutions I like in this area.

Your cat picture is adorable! I hope she realizes you loved her coat so much you modeled your kitchen after it!

Your granite has me drooling!! I like how you picked the most distinctive piece for the backsplash above the range.

I also like how your cabinets are simple which really showcases the granite. Well done.

I love everything. The ceiling is inspired, and the beams sure don't make it look lower. An amazing transformation...Adding this to the list of one of my favorite kitchens.

ahhhhhhh. I Love it. You have my heart racing because I have the same granite, just waiting for the install. I cant tell how great it is for me to see a pic of it in another kitchen!!!!!!!! My original choice was NVG too, but I wanted more movement as well. When I saw the delicatus it made me go oooooohhhh, thats the one! I cant wait another minute.

Congratulations on your beautiful kitchen. You must be thrilled!

Very nice!

Lovely! I love the contrast between dark cabinets and lightish granite. I also really like the Casa Dolce Casa tiles you used for your backsplash. They are interesting, but they let your granite be the star. And your Hubbarton Forge pendants almost make me want to swap mine out! I have a HForge chandelier and sconces in my dining room, and I get comments all the time on them. Great job!

*Really Beautiful*. A question: can you still see the quartersawn grain through the dark stain? When I saw your thread title I was expecting some natural-color oak to show the quartersawn aspect...

And I really love that you let your cat up on your countertops. We have one cat who sits up and attentively watches us cook--doesn't try to get scraps, it's not food he's interested in--we think he was a chef in another life :)

Flyleft, it is definitely harder to see the quartersawn grain, and I *almost* wish we had gone with a lighter shade. It is definitely still visible but it's difficult to take pictures where it shows up well.

Daki, I really like what you did with your kitchen. We're installing dark cabinets as well. I was wondering what color are the interior of your cabinets? Thanks

The cabinet interiors are light (birch?) except for the glass uppers. Those are stained the same color as the exterior. It's much easier to see stuff in a light interior than a dark one - the plywood and particle board interiors in the old kitchen were really dark brown with age and stuff disappeared into the darkness. I really prefer the light interiors :). Our cabinets are frameless, but the edge fronts are stained the same as the cabinets. You don't see any of the lighter color until you actually open up the door/drawers.