skip to main content

dark upper cabs light base cabs; show me your pics

15 years ago

I am considering keeping my lower cabinets and only installing upper cabinets. The current upper cabinets don't go all the way to the ceiling and the shelves are not adjustable, so I am losing valuable real estate. The lower cabinets are oak which I don't care for. I am considering painting the lower cabinets cream and then glazing them with brown/pewter/something. I am further considering wood for the upper cabinets, something on the darker side of medium. The granite which came with the house is Absolute Black. The backsplash is Absolute Black 12x12 tiles on the diagonal.

Is it going to look odd to have light lower cabinets and dark uppers? I have looked at pictures on FBK and cabinet websites until my eyeballs are ready to fall out. Everything I can find shows dark on the lower areas and light upper. If you have dark wall cabinets and light lower cabinets, please post a picture.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

lovemcm
15 years ago
I am guessing that having the lowers light is a function of wanting to disguise the undesired oak on the lowers, not that you desire the look of lighter lowers. If that's correct, recently someone posted about having gel-stained cabinets to disguise an unattractive grain. I've included one link below. There is a picture of the finished cabinets in an espresso color, and they look beautiful. If that appeals to you, you could then do your lighter cream and glaze for your new uppers. Hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: gel stain on oak thread
bbstx
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the response, petlady1. I would also like to change out the lower cabinet doors, thus the need to paint the cabinets. I am beginning to think that perhaps I should just put in painted upper cabinets too.
Related Discussions
Input needed: light upper cabinet, dark lower cabs trend
Q
Comments (4)
Just so you know, the link needs an "h" before the url (it got cut off). I like the mix - it's the best of both... oh please don't make me finish that Hannah Montana song. Anyway - I think that with two kinds of cabinets, it's like getting two kitchens at the same time. I think a lot of us have a couple "dream kitchens" in mind but we can usually only do one at a time. I don't know if it's a fad... but you know what? It's your house. Do what makes YOU happy. If this makes you happy, you should definitely do it.
...See More
Please show me soapstone with medium to dark wood cabs!
Q
Comments (12)
Thanks for the links and pictures! The contrast level in cotelehe's quartersawn oak kitchen is probably what we're looking at; love the name of the burnt sugar stain! The other kitchens are all gorgeous, but we don't particularly like our yellowy red oak floors, and since they're throughout the house and not going anywhere, we'd like to contrast them and not be too close in tone. rjr, those birch cabinets are stunning! I love your top cabs with the glass doors, and the shaker-y doors really highlight the wood choice. Swimmer, I'm glad that my desperation can help you too!
...See More
show me pics of your paneled DW with full overlay cabs!
Q
Comments (12)
Are any of these DW's a KitchenAid? That's my top runner... I saw a YouTube video instructing one to use a normal toe kick panel along the full run - to hide the fact that it is a machine - just like it appears in Cat_Mom's pic. You will have to remove the entire toe-kick if you need to remove the machine, but 1) This rarely happens and 2) it is easy to do. So, this is my plan too! Munchladyland - Our DW died and our kitchen remodel is a ways off, but I'm going to get the paneled DW now and just change the panel when we know what we are getting. I think these come with some sort of temporary front (correct me if I'm wrong!), but I think DH can make a temporary one if need be.
...See More
dark cab people, please show me your wood or wood laminate floors
Q
Comments (13)
original maple floor (1912). Straycat, I use photobucket and there is an "HTML Code" I copy and paste (it's in a box titled Image Link Code.) You'll see the actual code when you paste but then you can see the actual picture when you "Preview Message." My pictures always end up really big so I change the size by inserting a new height and width into the code (in this case I added height="400" width="299.5" just after the part of the code border="0" in the code ) First try finding the HTML Code and click on it (it should copy automatically) and try putting it in your message--you can see if it worked by previewing your message. Then you can try playing around with size. I hope this helps---I don't know much about this, only what I've learned from other patient posters on the site. You can try it without actually posting, you can keep checking to see if you got it right with "Preview Message" without ever needing to "Submit Message." I hope this helps :)
...See More
malhgold
15 years ago
Is there a reason you wouldn't want to paint the lower cabs the dark color and have the new uppers painted or stained the lighter color? Are the lower cabs full overlay? If not, and you don't get the same type of wood for the new door, the grain will still show thru on the outside of the cabinet, even with the paint.

Related Stories

KITCHEN DESIGN Are You Ready for a Dark and Sophisticated Kitchen?

By Scheer & Co. Interior Design

Black kitchen cabinets have a rich, timeless look. Get ideas for your next cabs — and how to paint the ones you have

Houzz Call: Show Us Your Paint Makeovers

By Becky Harris

Let your newly repainted house or room do the "How d'ya like me now?" strut right here — it might just be featured in an upcoming ideabook

KITCHEN DESIGN How to Lose Some of Your Upper Kitchen Cabinets

By Becky Harris

Lovely views, display-worthy objects and dramatic backsplashes are just some of the reasons to consider getting out the sledgehammer

SMALL KITCHENS Houzz Call: Show Us Your 100-Square-Foot Kitchen

By Mitchell Parker

Upload photos of your small space and tell us how you’ve handled storage, function, layout and more

KITCHEN DESIGN Show Us Your Best Kitchen Innovation

By Mary Jo Bowling

Did you take kitchen functionality up a notch this year? We want to see your best solutions for the hardest-working room in the house

KITCHEN DESIGN Standouts From the 2014 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show

By Ventana Construction LLC

Check out the latest and greatest in sinks, ovens, countertop materials and more

KITCHEN STORAGE Show Us Your Hardworking Pantry

By Mary Jo Bowling

Do you have a clever and convenient kitchen storage setup? Throw some light on the larder and share your pictures and strategies

DECORATING GUIDES Explore the Art of Light and Dark in Design

By Jen Dalley //

Play with dramatic contrast, the art of chiaroscuro, to add depth and interest to your architecture and interiors

LIFE You Showed Us: 20 Nutty Home Fixes

By Becky Harris

We made the call for your Band-Aid solutions around the house, and you delivered. Here's how you are making what's broken work again

KITCHEN DESIGN 3 Dark Kitchens, 6 Affordable Updates

By Jennifer Ott Design

Color advice: Three Houzzers get budget-friendly ideas to spruce up their kitchens with new paint, backsplashes and countertops

Sponsored

More Discussions

Omega cabinet shaker door outside edge profiles

2

Kitchen remodel in my future

9

Matt tiles - quality issues out of the box

12

I am working on the kitchen of an investment house we are refurbishing

1

Is my sink too big?

2