...now if feel like an idiot...I need to figure out how to post the pictures :^(

I'd love to see your pictures. We have a mountain cabin that sounds a lot like yours that we bought from the original owners 18 months ago. It has tons of good-looking stained molding.
Our kitchen has cabinets that almost look like quartersawn oak, but in a light natural stain, rather than the reddish stain you usually see with QS oak - I have no idea what kind of wood they are - poplar? The look quite good, but they aren't substantial enough to be oak. The appliances are white, the floor is light oak and the countertop is Lowe's cheapest white laminate (and I mean CHEAP!). The hardware is interesting - it is antique brass color and is shaped like leaves and vines, very comfortable in the hand and unusual looking.
The color scheme works very well, particularly at a distance, if you get close to that countertop, it just looks cheap. I wish I could post some pictures, I'll try. Personally I think it would be hard to get white cabs to work without looking too white, but that is a personal choice.
I do think antique black hardware would look sharp, and preserve the mountain feel. Someone else here has a cabin that they were planning a kitchen renovation for - they had oak floors, were going to get a rusty-red solid surface counter with small speckles and they were putting in a variegated slate backsplash - the trick would be complementing the granite.
Hoping to see pix soon.

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Having trouble posting pics.

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I really like the tile in the last photo. The colors blend nicely with your granite.

Okay, I kind of figured out how to post pictures, but obviously did not do a great job at it.

Let me know if you have suggestions on design options. Appliances will remain as is in white. Thanks so much.

Hi Luvspring..

Your kitchen kind of made me think of this really lovely DIY redo...

Just thought you might see something you like in it too..

KA:)

Here is a link that might be useful: magglepuss's beautiful make-over

kitchenaddict, thank you! Thats pretty cool. I like how they did the back splash. and then they painted the area above the cabinets (like we have as well). Interesting on the black base cabinets. Thanks so much!

Another vote for the last tile, is it the same as the first, just a closer shot?

Your cabin is much grander than ours, I've got a better notion of what's happening. I would try to bring in some more gold oak color to tie into the woodwork and molding. Perhaps bar stools or display oak kitchen accessories. You could really get crazy and replace the island corbels with oak ones (if you just put those in, I apologize :(!)

I looked at Magglepuss's lovely makeover,too. (ainting the area above the cabs really made it pop.

The first tile and last tile were different. First one had more beige and oak color tones and was darker than the last one. Last one was lighter with some of the lighter beige and some grey steaks.

The corbels are new to the island and we are going to paint them the white, same as the cabinets. Yes, I think painting the space over the cabinets is a great idea. There use to be a wall paper border above the cabinets. And the walls use to be wall papered which we removed for the reno. I wonder if I should go for a bolder tile as in the magglepuss kitchen. That was pretty cool

I really like your current kitchen! If this were my kitchen I would change the hardware to stainless and perhaps even the appliances (but they look new), leave the cabinet color how it is and possibly change the arched doors to square shaker style.
Now if the appliances are new and are staying, then I would paint the cabinets like you said to match appliances, change the hardware to either a ORB or Stainless (if stainless, I would get some interesting stainless stools to tie that in). The ORB will tie in with the dark color of the granite and your stools could be darker. I would still change out the arched cabinet tops if you could easily, but if not they are very nice and add interest.

Your cabinets look like they are in good shape, and I would not paint them to only lessen the white. That's a lot of work for a minor color change. I would change out the hardware to maybe a satin nickel or I think the antique bronze would look nice, too. I agree on painting the soffit between the cabinets and the crown molding.

I also like the third set of BS tiles.

Glad to see modest re-dos that keep original materials. If this were my kitchen I would crave color (not a white kitchen GW'er). Do you have plans for color or will it continue to be a monochrome room? That will help us think about your kitchen.

Maybe it looks different in person but I think the white cabinets look fine. I don't think they need to match the appliances perfectly

Have you considered painting the walls? To me they seem too white.

thanks ejbrymom.

The reason I want to paint the cabinets is because they are 20 years old and can stand a refresher of paint.
Husband is going to rebuild the top cabinet doors to be squared like the bottom cabinet doors. Yeah! So now I want to reconsider the piece that goes in front of the window. Husband can cut a new shape. I think the current one is old fashion.

I need to get more pictures because alittle more work has been done. The cabinet box has been hung, along with the microwave. The cabinet doors still need to be made.

I got black counter stools. So I've decide to go with black or bronze for the cabinet hardware.

What I'm thinking now is to do a beige paint over the cabinets like Bradstreet Beige. And that should help break up the white. And I'm also not sold on the tile samples I have. Maybe I need to go bolder but cant decide.

So some think the cabinets should not be white. What would you suggest? I like white cabinets but its still a possibility to paint them a new color.

This is the before shot
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