My opinions for your consideration:
I would skip the upper cabinets completely on the sink/stove elevation and just run the backsplash tile all the way to the ceiling and use a stainless steel and glass fume hood (assuming your ovens are stainless steel). I like stone countertops with the stained cabinets and stone floor. I like having a color connection between the floor and the counters. I would keep all of the cabinets within the elevation in the same stain since you are going for a fitted kitchen look.

I might have missed a few threads, but I like the idea of the larger windows...and the stained cabinets with marble backsplash and countertop. Then, the island would be painted with the darker butcher block.

Are you painting the island the gray you like in the inspiration picture? What if you have the hood in stainless steel? Then maybe have the uppers on each side painted the same light gray, with glass doors? It would look great with the marble! Just an idea :)

I'm not going to be any help with most of your decisions, but that faucet that isn't centered on the window would drive me nuts! :-)

My personal preference would be to keep the left cabinet, but I would like to see the entire lower section in the same finish, not different, like in your first and second pictures.

I vote #3 except with all drawers.

Thank you so very much for your feedback.

Additional info:
I have already purchase my hood: 42" copper hood.
My 42" copper hood is KINDA similar to ErikaNH's hood, but in copper.

So with your feedback, I've made a few modifications.
--> Also, what do you think of my color/material choices?

Plan A: from LavendarLass' suggestion of larger windows with stained base cabinets, and painted hood cabinets:
- Painted hood cabinets

- Painted hood cabinets with glass doors (Do I want glass doors around greasy hood/cooking?)

Plan B: 4 windows, no hood cabinets (like ErikaNH's gorgeous hood and marble backsplash)

My favorite: Plan C: 3 windows (so I don't look straight at a window frame while at the sink), no hood cabinet. I like how the sink area (DW, sink, DW) is pulled out to emphasize the 3 windows.

FUN2BHere:
- Thank you for the suggestion of no upper cabinets, which made me look back at another favorite kitchen - ErikaNH's. I desperately want stainless steel countertop, but DH is not a fan.
- I really appreciate the stand of having a connection between the gray slate stone floor and the gray carrara marble countertop/backsplash.

LavendarLass: after seeing Plan C above, do you still like having the cabinets flanking the hood?

Homemaker: yes, the single-bowl sink and faucet will be center at the windows.
- What do you think of Plan C w/out the LEFT cabinet nor the hood cabinets? Do I need something to balance out the copper hood?
- Note: the whole LEFT side of the kitchen is a whole wall of cabinets/appliances: 36" fridge, 30" double ovens, and floor-to-ceiling cabinet.

Kaijutokusatsu: Thank you, I have as many drawers as I can fit in.
The window wall has:
- 24" 3-drawers
- Dishwasher
- 42" sink cab, where the right door will be a trash/recycle pull-out
- Dishwasher
- 30" 3-drawers
- 36" 2-drawers cooktop
- 12" pull-out for oils, etc.
The peninsula is made up of 2 30" 3-drawers.

Thank you so very much.

Amanda

I don't think you need to worry about balancing the hood as the cabinetry on the other walls will do that, but you could use bamboo roman shades on your windows which would bring some more brown to that part of the wall. Even if you kept them raised all the time, they would add texture and color and if you mounted them at the ceiling, you could leave that section of wall as a painted surface. Since your hood will cover most of the wall over the stove from the ceiling to the level of the top of the windows, you could use a slab of your stone counter material as your stove backsplash.

Since the prep area is likely to be the area between the sink and cooktop, will you find the pulled out cabinets uncomfortable? (I love the look)

Uh oh, did I completely miss my vision?

Do my choices of materials conflict with my vision?

Should I start a new thread with these questions?

For function: I truly prefer stained cabinets over painted.
I do not like light color stained cabinets, preferring warm cherry.

I fell in love with my copper hood the moment I saw it.

I love carrara marble.
It's the only countertop material my husband and I agree on (I prefer stainless steel).

I love the ease of gray slate tile floors w/ grey grout - shows nothing and I don't have to baby it.

Now how do I bring them all together to make a cohesive kitchen?
With these material choices, am I dictating to go with a warm brown/tan feel, vs. a cool grey blue feel?

I do not want a modern kitchen.

I love the bling of this livingroom, and the cool blueish cabinets:

{{gwi:1728230}}

I like this one, but would I need white painted cabinets to get the same feel?

These are beautiful, but am I forced to go through this design route because of my material choices?
How can I achieve closer to my vision/feel?

Fun2BHere: I want to have substantial window moldings, so that I won't need any window treatments. I have a fabulous private backyard.
Instead of bamboo/brown, what do you suggest to help shift it away from warm/brown toward cool blingy?
Not Liberace bling, more like Horchow or Candice Olson...

Bethohio3: I will definitely round out those jut-out corners. Also, it won't be as much of a jut-out.
Since I want deeper countertops, and due to the left cabinet limitation (by the oven), that cabinet will be standard depth 26". The DW/Sink/DW will be 30", but to the right of that will be 28" deep. Hopefully that won't be too funky.

Again thank you very much,
Amanda

Ugh: how do people do it?
How do you make a decision and stick with it?

1. I'm back to needing cabinets to flank my hood. I prefer hoods with cabinets around them. Alone, they look too lonely and sad-looking.
So do I have these hood cabinets painted the same color as my island, or leave them stained like the rest of the cabinets?

2. Read a ton of threads about wood floor vs. tile.
One day, I'm all for tiles - no need to baby them or worry about water. We are a very messy/non-meticulous family, often leaving stuff for days before tending to them.
Next day, I'm all anti-grout and cracked/chipped tiles and so I'm back on the wood-floor wagon.
I thought that since I have so much wood already (cherry cabs and butcherblock island countertop) that the gray slate tiles would help offset all the wood. And the gray would bring out the gray of the carrara marble.
But then tile is not as comfortable, and my husband isn't getting any younger...
(My 8years old son made a comment: he asked if we can put down rugs because he likes his feet to be comfy :)
If wood, what shade? I do not like light light wood, nor the upkeep of dark wood. So that only leaves honey-golden or medium stain...

3. Any thoughts about making my kitchen more cool and bling (instead of warm and tan)?

thank you very much.

Meeting with the cabinet designer in 2 weeks.
Amanda

I agree with fun2bhere-no cabinets around the hood. To me, those cabinets throw everything off, so I like your plans B or C the best. I would even be tempted to carry the windows all the way across, but I can't tell if your hood is ceiling or wall mounted. I think the hood can easily stand alone.

Scouring over many pix on houzz.com, I love this example. See the glass cabinets with the corbels under? I like how they frame the hood.

But I do not love these as much, and I think this is what my kitchen will look like: a big metal thing sticking out of the wall.

cyn427: See my samples why I feel that the hood would be sad/lonely by itself.
Now your idea about carrying the windows all the way across...
hmmm... what if I put my cooktop/hood on the right wall, turning my kitchen into a C-shape, making the whole sink wall all windows?

hmmm...
back to the drawing board...
Amanda

I agree that the one with the natural wood ceiling looks silly. The second one would look okay, I think if they had taken the window trim to the ceiling and then put backsplash on the whole wall around the hood (like the marble you are considering). The last one doesn't bother me a bit-I rather like it and think it could work for you.

Still, windows all the way across-my favorite, but then I would give up almost anything for windows-the more the better for me! If it would work, I say go for it (if you like it, of course!).

I think this layout addresses my problem with wanting windows and a hood, but not on the same wall.
So now I have:
- a whole wall of appliances/cabinets (left: fridge/wall ovens/appliance garage),
- a whole wall of windows, and then
- a small wall for my gorgeous hood/flanking cabinets.

My pendants are schoolhouse pendants.

Questions:

- Do the cabinets flanking the hood seem lopsided, since it looks heavier on the left side, and not symmetrical?

- Now is it strange that I switch from marble (cooktop) to 2.5inch thick butcher block (peninsula; I already have the bb)?

- Does medium stain 3.5" or 5" wide maple wood floor work in this kitchen?
I do not like light wood and dark wood is too high maintenance.

- Where do I stop the marble backsplash?
Should I just do marble under the hood and not under the right upper cabinet?

- See my inspiration picture below: should I have a bit smaller windows to carry my backsplash on the sides like Coleen's? Or do as many big windows as I can fit?

Really appreciate your help.
Thank you very much,
Amanda

All of my moldings will be like these (sample picture surrounding the door):

Coleen's kitchen was my inspiration from ?years ago!!!

I think the cabinets flanking the hood should be symmetrical in height. I think the base cabinets on the window wall should line up with the windows. Instead of the sink you show, choose either a one basin or two equal basin model so that you can line up the faucet on the windows.

Personally, I would raise the bottom of the windows up about four inches so that I could insert a strip of marble backsplash. Otherwise, you will have to be very careful of the wooden window frames when cleaning the counters.

Don't worry about trying to leave room on the sides of the windows for backsplash, but it's no problem if the measurements work out such that there is some space as long as the windows are centered on the wall.

I like the stove wall to be completely covered with marble on the backsplash including under the cabinets, but that's a personal choice.

I absolutely like your first mock up---IMO it will give you more of the classic look of the kitchens you've posted pictures of.

Bumping out the sink makes it look like the current trend in bathrooms, and I think you will bump into it every day of your life.

Painting the sink cabinets and area will bring some lighter relief to the wood cabinets you have planned. LOVE the blue wash with the walnut cabinet color in one of those pix, and nothing would look more wonderful with your os de mouton chairs and that fab upholstery! Like the idea also of a lighter marble with gray and blue veining in that #1 sketch.

The wider windows have an odd looking proportion that is not graceful, if indeed that is the real proportion and not you just upsizing them on the computer.

Also like butcher block counters, but would not have them as light as in #1 nor would I do the wood floor in a light color... like the tile in your own photo much, much better!

Look at your inspiration photo (the last one) again. It is not wall to wall windows. There is breathing room and wall space around the windows. While a wall of glass might be different, I don't like a wall of windows, especially without breathing room. Go back to three windows or even one larger and two narrower ones.

I like the C-shaped idea, but I would make the cabinets stained like your main ones. Your hood is more like that one above, the barrel shape, right? You are using the chimney style in the drawings and that just doesn't look right with panels around it. I don't think a hood looks sad and lonely if not connected to cabinets -- I think it looks clean and functional, but I wonder where my oils and things, my serving pieces, etc. will go. LOL (You could look into putting in some niche space in your backsplash or to the side.)

If you do uppers, I do like the idea of stained better, and I do think the same height is better. Or just put one on the window wall to the counter to balance the one at the other end and forget the other one. (be brave -- the copper is beautiful and can shine on it's own).

Make the island less of a cabinet that turns the corner and treat it more like a piece of furniture added to the rest of the kitchen. Give it a different color, different counter, different trim, hardware and even a different (but related - not too different) door style. Maybe put it on feet.

My thoughts, anyway. ;-)

You want your copper hood to be a focal point too? The lights hanging over your island in the first pic seem to block the sight line to the hood.

Upthread you asked how to get back to your inspiration pics. One thing that struck me was that your inspiration pics had A LOT of white cabinetry in them. To get that light, blingy, look you will have to lose some of the wood. Your wood makes it look warm, your inpirations look cool.

I thought that one photo that had the hood surrounded by the white cabs with glass looked great and it sounded like you liked it. Why not do that? I know some people are fundamentally against white cabs, but your pics are full of them so I am wondering if you might like them in your ktchen. This thread makes me nervous to read because it reminds me of the thread about how little changes can completely shift a space away from the intent.

Don't get me wrong, your wood cabs are pretty, too, but don't match your inspiration, at least to my eye.

Hola,
Been crazy several days: I wil respond to your wonderful feedback very soon.

Nini's comment got me thinking and I truly do agree the I do tend to lean toward the white cabinets. I have been fighting it kicking and screaming, because I am afraid of white cabinets (w/ my crazy house of kids/husband, etc).

But these mockups conclude that white cabinets flanking the hood and the peninsula is the way to go.

A: blue/grey/brown cabs:

B: white upper/blue peninsula:

. .
. .

C: my favorite: white uppers and peninsula, w/ wall color (above windows) = Benjamin Moore 2130-60 Iced Slate:
The uppers will be glass doors w/ ?mullions. My software wouldn't draw it correctly.

This is a great inspiration picture (I don't think that blue is iced slate, but you get the picture):
- love the dark floor (my cabinets will have that stain)
- white trim/bench = my uppers and peninsula
- blue paint

Am I stepping in the correct direction?

Thank you very much for looking.
Amanda