JS - our posts crossed! Yes - most of these are too modern for what I'm trying to achieve, although quite nice and give me an idea of what the look is. I currently have 4" x 4" tile, with a mosaic floor - black, white and lilac of all things. I have another thread here with pictures - the thread title has the words "1915 Craftsman" in it and it's still rather high up on the thread list I think. It's quite something lol. It's quite vintage, but falling apart terribly and I don't think we can salvage much of any of it. The tub is an old beauty, but has already been painted over at least once (it too is now black). It may be worth saving since neither of us are really bath people, and it's deep and pretty large it seems (we've never used it - there are "issues" underneath it which we don't trust, even though they were repaired when our kitchen ceiling was open). We could have it refinished again, but it may not be worth the cost in comparison to purchasing a new tub. The tile, well - like I said, originally we thought we would be able to make use of it but now I'm considering just donating it to Habitat for Humanity. Had it been in good condition, I would have lived with it for the kitsch factor, but since it's now gone too far into disrepair - there's no point in salvaging it. I would like, white subway tile, mixed with some marble. A hex floor would be my first choice, possibly black and white. We had to re-do our shower prior to moving in - it was totally not usable (in fact, it was leaking into the kitchen). We did white subway tiles inside it with a black and white hex floor. I love the way it looks, but the shower is really kind of on the small side, although functional. I'm of two minds about this. To save money - I could live with it. But, of course, I'd prefer a roomier space. I don't need a glass shower - in fact, it may not be such a good thing for us because we're both lazy and I really don't see either of us grabbing a squeegee after each shower to wipe it off. It would be great, however, to be able to figure out a way not to have to use a shower curtain. I really am beginning to dislike those a lot. If I left it, carrying the subway tile through the rest of the room is preferable. I had already purchased a new toilet; a Toto - don't remember which one it is but it's got an old world look to it. Ideally, I want pedestal sinks. Or, if it has to be one sink (haven't gotten around to a floor plan yet), than a large vanity with good storage in it. Counter, I'm leaning to Ceasarstone in a light color, marble-like, since I have it for my kitchen counter and am very pleased with it thus far. It's battle-proof, which I value in a material. My BF, is really messy, forgetful and not good a wiping up after himself at times and I need a material for the counter which can easily be cleaned and won't stain. I love marble, but I don't quite think it feels "Craftsman", unless I use it in small doses. Currently, my tub is under a window, the shower across the room. The sink, across from the tub next to the linen closet. Ideally, I'd like to move the tub to where the sink is currently, and put the sink(s) under the window. There's enough room for the sinks in that position, but I'm not sure yet if I can do a shower AND tub on the other side of the room; it may have to be a traditional tub/shower instead. Toilet has to stay put - way too much money to move that - the stack runs into the kitchen, and I've already had too many issues with that whole thing and spent several thousand dollars fixing it for that position :( I think I'm going to try and get over to the designer that did my kitchen - just have to find time for us to measure the space up correctly. He knows me really well, and is quite patient with me since he knows I usually come in with a lot of my own ideas (I work in architecture). I just like doing a lot of pre-planning, as most of us here do, before I walk in the door so I can avoid taking up too much of his time:D

Welcome to the kitchen forum! About posting pictures -- have you seen the instructions in the "ReadMe" thread (link below)? The key is to understand that there is no photo hosting capability on this site; you can't "attach" photos the way you could in an email. You need a website like photobucket (or, my favorite, Google's picasa) where you can upload and store your photos. Then you can add in links to them in the messages you post here. About your countertop question: how much light is there in the kitchen? Are there multiple windows? If not, I'd be careful about going really dark with the counters... but that is a personal preference. It's not as if there are rules about how to make these choices. If only there were -- then it wouldn't be so hard to decide! Are you sticking with laminate for the counters, or considering other materials? Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me for GardenWeb kitchen forum

My 4 sons, I die for beaded inset cabinets, but I really love the bead on the edges of your overlay cabs! Really a nice detail. Angelazuill, I'd love to see a close up of your cabs. I love hickory's grain, and with a darker stain... Wow! I started out with a painted kitchen (not white). Love love love it, but I got into stripping some reuse center, beaded inset cabinets and OMG. Changed my life. Ok, just my kitchen, but it's important. I am now in love with my perfect, weathered oak finish. (Ask me. You can do it, too, without it looking like someone did a bad white wash finish.) Unfortunately, I also stripped some cherry down to chocolate brown, so I have a very different, (used to be called "mismatched" but now it's "eclectic" or "bespoke") ... environment. I also made maple butcher block counters, so what a ... variety ... of woods. :) Be warned about the Finished Kitchens blog. It'll suck you in like Pinterest and Houzz. I suggest Pinning everything in one place, though. It helps with sanity not to have to run all over to find that "one" picture.

How exciting that you're building a new home! Congrats! What sort of style/feel are you gravitating towards? Warm or cool? Modern, traditional, rustic, etc.? There is so much more to cabinets than just colors. There are also finishes and styles. For example, gray rustic kitchen cabinets look very different from gray contemporary kitchen cabinets. Usually when people don't mention the style they're thinking in a traditional style sense, so I'll take a guess that you're coming from that angle. With a lot of natural lighting, you can get away with having darker kitchen cabinets and still having a kitchen that feels open and bright. In my opinion, light countertops look best with dark brown cabinets.