Maybe you could do the cherry and change some to cream? Do you have an island? Could you do it refaced in cream and leave the rest cherry? It would be beautiful together?

First - I would wait til they are in before making any rash decisions.

That said, if you really like cream, I think cpang74 has an excellent idea of changing some to cream. A mix would look great together (ok, I am biased but this is what we are doing - most a rich cherry with a few cream distreesed hutch type accent cabinets). Ours are sitting in the garage waiting to go on so no pics to show you probably til next week

I'm so sorry you're going through this! I know what it's like to be pushed into making choices I might not have made on my own and having to make rushed decisions. If you absolutely can't send back the cabinets then maybe in a few years (or sooner) you could paint them the cream color you want. It's a lot easier to paint wood cabinets than it is to strip and stain painted ones. And at least you'll have the floor to go with them.

I know this probably hasn't made you feel any better. cpang74's idea of having a cream colored island or some other portion of your cabinets in the cream color is a great one, too.

(((HUGS))) to you!
Robin

Oh, I'm so sorry :(. I too am a white kitchen fan. But cherry is a BEAUTIFUL wood that gets velvety and luminous as it ages. It has a grace that you can't get from cream or white. Our adjoining family room and part of the kitchen will be in dark cherry. Maybe you should take a step back and think of how/if you can integrate the cherry in to a look you want. Like a creamy white counter top and back splash. And a lighter wood floor. There are some amazing kitchens like that...
If all of that leads to a kitchen you won't like, then can you return the cabinets?!

Good luck! Keep us posted :)

tinker, I'm so sorry. I know that sick feeling in the pit of the stomach. I would agree not to rush to any rash decisions though. Live with it for a bit. It may never be the kitchen of your dreams, but that sick feeling might go away. Work with what is still a little bit more flexible in the room. It sounds like you might still have some wiggle room on the floor. Paint is easy to change. And painting the island or part of the cabinets seems like a really good idea. I'm so sorry you are feeling this way. Snap some pictures if you get a chance to share with us. Jaymie

DH wants cherry? Then live with the cherry until the newness has worn off for him and he sees how dark the kitchen is. Then paint the cabinets cream. He'll see how much brighter the kitchen is and how lovely the cabinets are with the (probably fabulously beautiful) hand scraped mahogany floor.

tinker_2006, I do feel your pain and do not like being rushed into decisions. I love the look of some painted and some stained. I'm thinking of doing that. Or just painting the island. Do what you love--life is too short.

Thanks everyone. I failed to mention that the island IS (thank goodness) in a cream glaze. The cabinets are custom made from a cabinet shop, so no turning back. I am sure it probably will look okay, but I am afraid of it being dark and gloomy... and funny thing is as much as I love white/cream cabinets - I LOVE med. tone/cherry furniture and I feel like my whole house will be WOOD!

Deep breath... maybe it won't be so bad!

Thanks everyone.

floors were ordered Monday and shipped Tuesday. Granite is Madura Gold/Golden Oak. I searched and searched a dozen + yards looking for a perfect light golden color... couldn't find and now the madura gold is ours. That may be a mistake too!

To make matters worse, the laundry room was to have a lighter maple wood, and they made them cherry too.

If the laundry room was supposed to be maple you should ask them to redo the cabinets. I love painted cabinets but nevertheless was leaning toward dark cherry or mahogany but DH said No Way!! Our space isn't very bright and it's small so he was worried it would be too dark. I think both look beautiful. As others have said, give it time. If you really can't live with it after a while, couldn't you have them painted on site?

Okay-now that I know the island is already cream and that the granite is a gold-I think this is sounding really beautiful with the cherry perimeter! Have you picked a backsplash? You could do a creamy tile or creamy beadboard maybe? Would it tie in with the granite too-does your granite have some creams in it? I love hand scraped hardwoods! But you could go with a tile floor still too-and do it in a lighter color? Is your laundry room off the kitchen? If so I like that the cabinets will match-but if you don't and they did the wrong wood then you should point it out and make them redo-or at least get some sort of deal out of it!

Sounds beautiful!

And I soooo know that sick feeling- have been living with it all week! And pain has migrated to my neck (cuz I can't sleep and I've been on this friggin computer way too late at night! :>)

What the heck is it with guys and white/cream cabinets? That's what I envisioned- had magazine pics of it in a collage by my bed (seriously). But... I have rich toned maple cabinets- at least I got the Tigerwood flooring I wanted. (Pssst, don't tell DH, but I really do like the maple cabinets- they've grown on me) And, you can always throw carpets on the floor...

I feel your pain- I really do. But, I'd try and relax, sounds like some of the above posters have come up with great solutions if you decide you can't live with it. You may be surprised that it grows on you- looking forward to pics!

Oh Tinker! I know that feeling of second guessing all to well. But I also know that most times really, things work out great. I would definitely say to live with them before doing anything to them because chances are you will love them. Now that I read that you are having both cream and cherry I think you have the best of both worlds. I thought cpang's suggestion was great- little did we know that is what you have going on. I happen to love mixed woods. I have done that deliberately all along. I didnt think of it when doing my kitchen 18 years ago,so all the cabinets are uniform light oak but my kitchen table is cherry and the furniture in the adjoining family room is cherry and also some with painted white and stained wood. I really love the mixture.
I think you will be delighted.

Since your cabinets were custom made by a cabinet maker, why can't they refinish them to your liking? My cabinets were custom made and my cabinetmaker made some adjustments to make me happy. There will probably be a charge, but maybe you can work something out.

I think what you have sounds beautiful--but if you are still really unhappy, don't make yourself live with it! Maybe you could also do the uppers in cream to match the island--that would be lovely and would lighten up the space. I know how you feel as I have cherry cabs now and keep going around and around--paint them? leave them? the cherry is so pretty but I love white too! for the moment I have decided (surprise) to keep the cherry bases and have the uppers painted/replaced with white...

I have to tell you the darker wood bases are GREAT because they really don't show the wear and tear. When I look at them closely I realize how bad they would look by now (8 years on, 3 kids) if they were painted.

The granite sounds pretty, but is it a definite at this point? COuld you go lighter?

Whatever you do, listen to yourself! Good luck and keep us posted! Holly

Even though we ordered cherry, I still had that sick feeling when they were being made. For a while I wanted white too and DH talked me into cherry (we both dabble in woodworking so it's hard to put paint over wood although we did a light stain). My stomach turned for weeks until they arrived. It wasn't until they were all up that I started to fall in love.

I think once you get them installed you'll get that excited feeling, you're getting a new kitchen after all, and the island sounds lovely, your granite too. I agree that if your floor seems to dark, add some runners.

Take a deep breath, you did say you liked the model with cherry. You might fall in love with it. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. P.S. Don't let DH pick any accessories for you, you get all the choices from now on!

It's comforting knowing I am not alone with this! I am feeling better (thank you) after reading all the replies. It's a cabinet shop, and they build the boxes, and order the doors, so it's not like high end custom stuff...

I love this forum, because who else could I ever vent to? I am blessed, and I know I am - that I am able to build this new home. Family and friends would think I was spoiled and selfish complaining when what they have is not comparable. I also went but onto the finished kitchen blog, and that help too. I could still look for granite that might be lighter (I have been months looking with finding nothing that I love). But in any event, I am going to wait till it all falls into place and live a while with it. It I really end up hating it - I will then tackle the situation.

When Hubby first finished stripping and re-staining our cabinets I had that sick feeling. Every time I looked at the kitchen I wanted to cry. The color wasn't what I wanted and I thought it looked absolutely horrible. But it was done and there was no was I was going to ask him to re-do them. So I adjusted a few of my other design decisions and figured I'd wait and see.

Well, the color mellowed enough so that it was no longer the godawful orange / yellow that it was. So I started to think it was OK. Then Hubby installed the wood floor and started on our backsplash. Looking a little better. Now he's almost done staining the floor and it's looking fabulous. It is indeed coming together.

I may in a few years want to adjust the color of the cabs as they're still not my perfect color. But then part of the problem is that *my* perfect color is one that Hubby seriously dislikes. It's all compromises.

I'm in the same boat... hubby hates any kind of white/cream/grey painted cabinets and dismissed them out of hand. However, I got the range I coveted so I graciously agreed to go with a medium stained cherry. That influences the floor and countertop. Will this be the kitchen of my dreams? Not really, it will define "our" style rather than just mine and I'm okay with that.

I've had that sick feeling at many points in this process. I bet that once the cabinets are up, you will love them. We're doing the opposite of you, creamy perimeter, cherry island and our butler's pantry will be cherry.

We saw one of our cherry doors the other day, and it was so beautiful. It will be a beautiful kitchen.

When I did my first kitchen, in my apt., when our cherry cabinets were installed, I was so upset. I thought the stain was way too dark, and I fretted about it, and like you wondered how much it would cost to change them, etc. I grew to absolutely love that kitchen, and never stopped loving it for 10 years until I moved.

Give it time. Sometimes something that grows on you ends up being what you love the best.

I know that sick feeling all too well!! Eight weeks ago I picked a wood and color that I loved. It's a warm wood tone on beech with rustic knots. It's been so many weeks since I've since it that I began panicing all this week as the cabinets were scheduled to arrive. I was freaking out thinking I had ordered cabinets so rustic that I would need to hang antlers in the kitchen just to 'carry on the theme'!! :-) I've seriously lost sleep over this!

Well, they arrived this afternoon and all my fears are gone - - they are stunning! With just the right amount of rustic to look Old World and the warm wood tones are gorgeous. I, too, have a creamy colored island and it's beautiful. Let's just hope it all comes together as pretty in real life as it is in my head! :-)

I had visions of a creamy white kitchen as well, but when it didn't go with anything else in my house, I knew I had to lose the dream. But pictures of creamy kitchens will always make my heart beat quicker!!

I hope you grow to LOVE your new kitchen - cherry wood and all! I look forward to seeing pictures!

it just got worse... all the cabinet boxes are installed, and DH just went to the house and THEY MADE THE ISLAND CHERRY!! We have a call into to KD, and she is out of the office. I can't believe this... and hope they can QUICKLY fix this as we are suppose move in 4 weeks!

Oh no....go to your happy place :) ! Soo sorry. Surely the KD can get this remedied w/out any sort of major issues (other than the already present one).

I am keeping my fingers crossed!!!

Look at it this way: you are lightyears ahead of someone who likes cherry but ends up with white-- now there's a mistake that's tough to fix!

Plus, given that at least 90% of new kitchens [judging by GardenWeb] are white, you have something different.

Now that you have them, you have nothing to loose by waiting till they are assembled and the whole design takes shape around them. Once they are 'in context' you might find you like them.

And if you don't, there are a lot of people here that can advise you on which paint to buy.

tinker, did the cabinet shop also stain and paint the cabinets? Well, I guess that doesn't matter, it sounds like the work was done locally, so, if/when you're ready to paint your cabinets, the same people that did the island can do the cabs (or tell you the color that was used for the island). I sure hope you end up liking what you have tho. Give it a chance. I know exactly how you feel. I LOVE dark woods and drool over "dark rich" kitchens but also LOVE creamy and glazed and have drooled over those too! (lol) I almost went with creamy cabs in my master bath redo but, deep down inside, I'd always regret not having use rich chocolate stain. Whichever way it goes, I'm sure your kitchen will be stunning...now to convince your heart.
Monica