You've made a lot of choices already! Nice granite. Not too busy at all. I prefer the creamy, yellowy backsplash tiles with a granite like that. The whiter tiles seemed a bit stark. No ideas for a light over the island, but I do think it'd look better without the lightbox. I also was wondering if you were planning to replace the cabinet hardware?

Btw, the blue in your original kitchen really made me smile (in a good way). Very happy color.

Hi Cate! Thanks for the comments. Yes I will need to replace the cabinet hardware but don't have a clue yet what I will go with. I like my original hardware which are white ceramic pulls on polished brass. Not sure what will look good with the new granite and backsplash though. Will probably wait til everything is in place and then hope to have a better vision of the final look.

I agree that the creamier/warmer tiles seem to go better with the granite, I am just hoping I don't get too "yellow" with the overall warmth of the room. I am planning new undercabinet lighting which may enhance the warm colors even more. Plus I need to decide on wall paint colors.

I have to admit I am a big fan of my old blue colors.... but just feel like I need to get out of the past and really shake things up a bit. Plus keeping an eye to the future if we find we need to sell. Hoping to be a little more current. :)

FYI, there have been some grumblings about the KA ovens over on the appliance forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: KA Ovens

Yes I didn't find this forum until I had already ordered my KA II double wall oven. I was concerned when I read about the self cleaning cycle blowing the thermostat fuse with the older model ovens. I am holding out hope though that the issue may have been resolved with this latest version of the KA, which I now own and was installed a week ago. The link below shows that some believe the problem has finally been addressed with the new design.

Here is a link that might be useful: KA oven self-clean bug fixed with Series II model?

Love your new choices, but you wanted 'suggestions' not 'compliments'. Your light box looks dated, hopefully it can completely 'go away' and put some nice pennants over the island. Get new barstools, also looks dated. LOVE your granite with your beautiful cabinets, but need new hardware. I'm partial to backsplash #3 option, as it is very similar to what we are putting in. I think it would complement your granite. I have the same Blanco sink also! What color paint are you leaning towards? Good luck!

Just a thought: If your cherry light box comes down, could that lovely frame be retrofitted to use as shallow open shelving on a wall?

I agree that I hope the light box will go away. It's really a heavy presence in the room. I think the whole area will seem so much brighter when that's out of there and the ceiling over the room doesn't seem so low and with the dark trim.

I don't think you should worry one more second about the busyness of your granite. You are looking at it too closely, but when it gets installed it will surely be gorgeous.

Since you have the backsplash narrowed down, I'd wait, if you can, until the granite is in, the lighting is as it will be, and then choose. It's too hard for us to see the nuances on a computer image, and the angle of the installed granite and your lighting throughout the day may make quite a difference from what you think looks best on samples.

If you want my true input, I would say you should consider stainless steel appliances. I think it would really update the whole look. I would also consider a biscuit or white sink with that granite. Or, Blanco has a new cafe brown that would probably look good too. I love the granite with the doors. These are just opinions. I don't think black appliances will look bad, but I think stainless just might be more up to date.

Many beautiful choices, and the granite is not too busy. Those light boxes do tend to scream 1980s, don't they? I just tore out mine; beware of pipes that might be lurking in there if there's a bathroom above. I do like that pretty blue color and hope you end up with a bit of blue somewhere :) I do suggest that, between the darker wood and the black, make sure you keep some lighter tones in there somewhere with the granite (yes), backsplash (yes to all choices), and floor. All of the backsplash candidates look like good potentials but you might want to hold off on a decision until the granite is in and you can put samples up on your walls. Good luck with the project!

How lucky you are to have such nice cabinets to work with! I agree with those who said to take away the light box, I think you'll be very pleased if you do. The only item among your choices that I would do differently would be the sink; I think white or biscuit would be less jarring than the dark one with the granite. I would also replace the cabinet hardware, with all the other updates you're making, the ones you have will probably look out of place. Good luck, can't wait to see how it turns out!

Wow, what a number of great responses and suggestions! Thanks to everybody! I am beginning to agree the light box will have to go, I'm just having trouble envisioning what type of lighting will take its place.

My appliances have already been ordered and the double oven and microwave was installed just last week, so I am locked into the black appliance look, which I really don't mind.

I did originally think I would go with the biscuit colored Blanco siligranit kitchen sink, but once I saw the Ladylux Cafe faucet with the black accents, my black appliances and the black streaks in my granite, I decided I would get the black siligranit sink to tie in with those elements. Especially being an undermount, only the sink bowls will be visible and the granite on top I think will help to balance it out from looking too dark.

The idea to find another use for my light box is a good one. It has the same crown molding in cherry wood that is on my cabinets so I hate to just trash the thing if it can be recycled somehow. Will definitely think on that for ideas.

I still feel the tug to put some type of wallpaper border around the soffit on top the cabinets next to the ceiling....but that is still my 80's thinking talking. Trying hard to think out of the box! I am definitely planning to keep the backsplash and wall paint a more neutral, creamy light tone to pull out the lighter areas of the granite and I also will keep all my window casings, doors and doorway frames painted white. I could paint one whole wall in the kitchen a slightly different color than the rest, which I hear is a popular trend nowdays.

One wall of the kitchen, which my pictures don't show, has a gas log fireplace which has a reddish rustic brick front with a solid wood mantle and upper wall wood panels and molding painted white. There is a custom built cherry book shelf/storage cabinet on one side of the fireplace and the wallpapered wall on the other side which leads into the sunroom. I will have to post that pic too so you can all see what I mean. Not sure what I should do with the wall space on the left of the fireplace.

I want to start looking also at electric switchplates and see if I can get my electrician friend to relocate some boxes for me. I would love to update the switchplates to dimmers where possible and the newer color coordinated or textured plates, plus add some new undercabinet lighting.

Keep the ideas coming! It really helps to try to see the kitchen I've been looking at for 19 years through fresh eyes!

Taking down the light box and putting in recessed lights with perhaps some pendants over the island will effectively raise the ceiling in your kitchen. It made a world of difference in our (smaller) kitchen.

Your granite is very similar to mine. I think it is gorgeous! I echo everyone else who suggested taking the light box down. I think some kind of round fixture would look nice over your island. Like a round, bronze fixture with three lights hanging down. I'll see if I can find a link for the kind of thing I'm thinking of.

It is going to be beautiful, and how great that your original cabinets have held up so well.

I hate to say it, but I would definitely nix the wallpaper over the cabinets. It is a dated look.

My kitchen (we just moved) is incredibly similar to yours and I am also stumped by wall and backsplash decisions. I "photoshopped" one of your pictures to give you some ideas on paint color. hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen pics

Oh Wow! Lesgayle that is fantastic! I am just now learning how to use photoshop CS and had thought many times how cool it would be if I could play around with different colors and textures on my photos. You HAVE to tell me how you did that! I want to try something very similar to what you did but remove the light box from the pic and envision the ceiling space along with some other lighter neutral wall colors.

What PS function did you use to create the granite on the countertops? Do you make a new color "sample" and use that to paint with or is it a mask and replace kind of function? Sorry I only know how to do image resizing, exposure, saturation changes and sharpening in PS right now. Played a little bit with layers, cloning and healing brush. Don't know how to create a new palette though that would include my granite look.

You have really got me excited now though, thinking about ways I can "test-drive" certain color schemes before committing to them! Thanks!

You are right to resist the urge to put up a wallpaper border. :-) I love the olive lesgayle tried.

I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 (I copied a section of your granite with a rectangular selection tool and pasted it onto the kitchen photo then went to image-transform-distort to make the selection fit onto your island then I gave the layer style a bevel (I don't really know what I'm doing - I just play!) Then I added another layer and used the polygonal lasso tool to select an area to paint a wall color - I also found a valance photo and copied that "on top" or in a new layer and then erased the white areas for your window to show through - I will erase the light box by using the magnetic lasso and then the eyedropper to select the ceiling color then fill in the selection with the color - then I will change the wall color to something more neutral (by using the eyedropper to pick a color out of your granite) and post the new photo to the last link when I am done - I also think a chandelier might look good above your island because of it's size- (FYI explaining this took much longer than doing it!)have fun!