How matchy matchy should the island be?

13 years ago

After many hours of looking at the kitchens and links on this forum and the FKB I still have a question. what do you think about an island of a different color and door/drawers of a different style, for the island vs. the perimeter cabinets.

I have seen the "colorful kitchen," but this is too much change for me. My kitchen will be casual with a Southwest flair.

Tell me the door styles you have used or better yet pictures would be awesome! Or would this be a mistake? What are your thoughts?

thanks so much!

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Comments (7)

stevev97
13 years ago
Becky,

We just put in a new kitchen and went with an anmareto cream for the perimeter cabinets, then went with a dark chocolate for the island. The style cabinets are the same, and the chocolate plays nice off the anmareto cream, because the glazing on the cabinet is a brown.
People who have seen it think it looks great, and so do we! At first we were a little concerned, but after it went in, we love it. We kept the same granite on both counter tops. Didn't want it to be too stiking of a difference.
BeckyJoTX
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks Stevev97,
I am considering an island that will have a totally different style of door and color. DH just says whatever. Not much help there!
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Your post caught my eye because we will face a similar decision with our kitchen remodel. I think it depends on how large your kitchen is and how far the sink is from the island. Also, how bright is your kitchen - as far as other windows go. When I have searched "Kitchen pendant lighting" on houzz and other sites, the pendants tend to just be over the island. And if there is a pendant over the sink, it's usually a very large kitchen. I only found two photos on Houzz - on a quick search just now, to share. In both examples, I tried to find photos with the island relatively close to the sink. (as most of us don't have expansive kitchens as shown in many photos) It's not offensive to me - but I think you need to take your space into consideration. Are your countertops white as well? What about your hardware? I like the lights you chose. Do you need pendants over the sink area? can you just have recessed there? With mine, I worry about too many hanging things…. Here are some examples:
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rhome410
13 years ago
People have very successfully used a different door style and color on their island, as if it was a piece of furniture added to the kitchen...A very nice look. Could be more rustic or more elegant than the rest for a bit of style contrast even.

Frenchkitty's is one of my favorites...She used cream perimeter cabs and chocolate island, with complementary, but different door/drawer styles. Her kitchen is in the Finished Kitchens Blog, but only 2 photos, which doesn't show the details very well. And she used the same granite on both, and I know others have done a different counter on the island. In our kitchen we have fir perimeter cabs with laminate counter, gray cabs around our stove with stainless counter, and a cream colored island with wood counter. The doors on the different colors are all a Shaker variation, but with slightly different profiles. Also the drawer fronts on the perimeter are 5-piece, paneled, but the drawers on the island are slab...and have different hardware than the perimeter cabs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Frenchkitty's kitchen on FKB
totallyconfused
13 years ago
We have medium stained maple cabinets with shaker doors and slab drawer fronts. The island is black with shaker doors and 5-piece drawer fronts. We also added furniture feet to the island to keep it from looking like a hulking black box in the middle of the kitchen. Our floors are oak, stained slightly darker than the cabinets. We're very pleased with the way the island breaks up the sea of stained wood, plus it ties in with the black appliances. I didn't want to go too much different on the style of the island, but that's just me. I'm not one for big contrasts, atleast in my own home.

Totally Confused
BeckyJoTX
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks this is just what I needed to hear & see- -I guess validation of my thoughts gives me permission to move forward - nothing like insecurity!!

Totally Confused do you have photos? Are you in the FKB?
Love French Kitty's look!!
totallyconfused
13 years ago
Sorry Becky Jo. I don't have any pics or any idea how to post them if I did. The only camera I have is on my cell, as I'm not much of a gadget girl. And DD, who is the only one who might be able to help me figure it out, just left this morning for her summer job out of state.

Totally Confused
jdechris
13 years ago
We used natural cherry perimeter cabs & espresso island. Kept same granite for both. Like the contract, even though I have a small kitchen.

How matchy matchy should the island be?

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stevev97

BeckyJoTX
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How matchy matchy should the island be?

Comments (7)

stevev97

BeckyJoTXOriginal Author

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rhome410

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BeckyJoTX
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