PS the cabinets are cypress not oak.

I don't have much to say about the layout of your kitchen...I think it seems great. It is hard for me to tell without being there. I too have the same color palette in my home. I would paint the cabinets off white. I chose Moonlight white by Benjamin Moore. It is not stark white but not a dark cream either. It is a neutral creamy white and I am so pleased with it. Here is a link to help pick out whites based on which direction your house faces, if you prefer warm whites, cream etc.
http://troveinteriors.blogspot.com/2009/05/paint-colors-white.html
check out the recent post by redroze "after a year...we're finally done" or lesmis kitchen. They have beautiful kitchens with a similar color palette. There are others too, I just can't remember. I am not sure what type or color of countertop though...perhaps something that pics up one of the colors in the brick floor? I like your recessed celing, but i would choose a different light. Mabey a beautiful chandelier or a drumshade pendant. It really just depends on your style. I know I am not much help but these few suggestions are a start. Good luck

I think your kitchen has really good bones to work with. The layout looks decent. Depends on what type of budget & how much renovated you want. I think if you added new countertops, back splash/tile & new sink/faucet & lighting it would be a whole new look. The cabinets & flooring look decent, in my opinion. Hope it helps.

Since you're looking at a wolf cooktop, I'm thinking you're going to need to take out that OTR microwave and put in a much stronger vent.

Check around on the appliances board. I've seen posts re: the strength of vent needed for that type of cooktop. I don't know whether it will require wall mount or undercab...but I'm fairly sure you'll need something much stronger than what is there now.

I love the "bones" of your kitchen. Am I right in thinking that you want a "beach" or "cottage" type of feel? That is the feeling I have from your color choices in the rest of the house. I like the cabinets, but have you considered painting just the uppers and routing out some of the inside panels and adding glass? Will changing the window ruin the balance outside your house? The style is fairly modern while the rest of the kitchen goes the other way. Black soapstone or creamy countertops on the wood cabinet perimeter, white subway backsplash, or inexpensive beadboard backsplash. Keep the corbels under the island, and paint the island base a contrasting color. If you paint all the cabinets white, I would either keep the island base as is (different top) or paint the island base black (to match the soapstone.) If you use white counters on the perimeter on top of the wood bases, you may want to paint the island white and add a butcher block top.

I prefer (and after all, it is about what you like!):

1) keep wood perimeter bases;
2) add soapstone to perimeter top
3) remove center panels from some of the upper doors, including in the upper desk section/ add glass instead;
4) replace the upper doors of the built in pantry: match the edges and style, but add instead a 1/3 on top glass panel with 2/3 below solid wood. (a square above with a rectangle vertically below) - This would give you four square glass panels above horizontally - I would add lights and use those to showcase something pretty. It would be a less massive wall and balance the light a bit.
5) paint the base of the island black (this would also tie in with your furniture in the adjoining dining area) and add either a countertop of butcher block or a slab of white marble.
6) redo the window to a more colonial look and add appropriate trim.
7) bump out the sink cabinet a few inches, add bun feet, add the farmhouse you want;
8) change the lights and fan/light to compliment the style
9) add either beadboard or subway tile for the backsplash

10. add a more powerful vent.

I'm a little concerned that the cabinet you currently have your sink in may have difficulties fitting a smaller farmhouse sink in. Is it currently 39 or 42 inches? Or larger? You will need a good carpenter, or maybe you would consider having a made to order soapstone farmhouse sink? I'm sure someplace like Vermont Soapstone would be able to make a sink to your specifications. They cut to order. It would look really excellent with your cabinets if you chose to have soapstone countertops. And you could have them add yummy runnels. I've added a link to see some of their sinks. You are very lucky that your dh brother is a contractor!

Here is a link that might be useful: soapstone sink examples

You have a great space to work in and it looks like your cabinets already have a lot going for them, other than the orangey color! I would paint them a nice creamy white. See what white works with your flooring. (By the way, I love your floor!)

I know it's against the rules of not having a traffic pattern in the middle of your work triangle, but... you could put your new built-in refrigerator where those tall cabinets are on the desk wall. Do you want to keep that desk? You may want to use that space for food storage if you don't have a pantry. Could you use that corner next to the door for a small message desk?

This would free up the current refrigerator and cooktop wall for a big Wolf Range with a gorgeous hood that would provide a nice focal point for that wall.

Keep the sink where it is, but consider losing some upper cabinets and adding more windows on that wall. If you go with a range, you could replace your wall ovens with a nice hutch cabinet for dishes. This is a good spot between the table and dishwasher. You may want to move the DW to the other side of your sink.

And finally, I guess you could consider a drawer micro in the island or a second oven if you feel you need one.

I agree you have a good, basic layout here. It really reminds me of my kitchen a few houses ago. I wanted a new kitchen on a really small budget and here's what I did.

I sort of kept the basic layout, but removed the peninsula between the kitchen and breakfast room and and had a great custom built island put in (perpendicular to the direction the peninsula had been). I put a nice stainless cooktop into the island and used a pop-up downdraft. That was pretty newfangled back then and people were knocked out by it! Doing that freed up some more counterspace near the sink. I replaced the wall ovens in the same wall-oven cabinet.

My wood cabinets were kind of similar to yours, I thought they were fine. Don't recall the wood species, but they were fabricated on site when the house was built. But I had a good carpenter, and he took out that peninsula and fixed up the end of the run of base cabs, so it looked perfect. I tell you this because if you want to put in a Wolf, you will need to do some reconfiguring as I did. And you definitely will need a new venting system.

The island he built was awesome and I had is custom painted in a great green color w/a darker wash over it to give it depth. So if you want the creamy painted cabinets, consider having a new island built with some really warm wood, like walnut or cherry, for a great contrast. I put the microwave under the counter in the island, which I have done in every house since then and love it there.

In the wall cabinets on either side of the sink, I had him take out the center panel and I had custom made glass panels installed with a gorgeous flower etched in each panel. That sounds really expensive, but it must not have been or I couldn't have done it. Either that or I justified doing it because it was only two. Anyway, the etched flowers matched the accent tiles handpainted with flowers on cream field tile.

New countertops, sink, faucet, cabinet hardware. Oh, and floors. There was icky vinyl there when we bought it.

Are your floors real brick? If so, awesome. If not, I have to be honest and say they will bring down the rest of your beautiful kitchen when all is said and done. If at all possible, put down some warm wood or ceramic if you like it. Hope maybe that helps you. Good luck.

I think I'd talk to the BIL and see what he thinks about being able to put in a Wolf range on that far wall and putting your built-in fridge where the ovens are. If a 36" built-in will work for you, then you could keep the layout, but the cooktop or rangetop might seem a bit cramped over there. How large is the existing cooktop?

That sink does look very large, but Shaw's has a 36" one and you can have a lip around it. The door height would be more of a problem -- you could be looking at new doors, but that's not so bad if you are painting the cabinets.

My vision from what you were talking about was to either paint your cabinets a soft blue or green or the cabinets white and the island at least one of the colors. I'd do a mixed stone and glass mosaic backsplash.

Counters could be anything, and I would probably use at least 2 with the island and desk in there also, maybe 3, chosing from light (white to sandy toned or even dove to charcoal) granite/marble/quartz, stainless, wood/butcherblock, copper (if going more garden feeling than beach/coastal -- which might be good with the brick flooring if you are going to keep that). You could certainly use soapstone or a black granite, but it's not the first thing I picture with those cool tones.

See if you can find the recent postings by gracesantacuz. Is that the feel you want? One of my favorite multi-finish kitchens is Allison0704, but I couldn't find any of her photos.

Not much time (getting ready to leave)...but here are some suggestions:

1. Definitely move the DW to the other side of the sink to reduce range/DW floor space conflict as well as remove an obstacle (when DW is open) b/w the sink & range.

Replace the OTR MW w/a real hood and vent it outside.
Do you need 2 ovens? Some people do, some don't. If not, replace the double oven w/a single oven and MW above it. If you rarely use a second oven & MW at the same time you might consider an Advantium or Convection MW (I would go w/the Advantium as it's more versatile than a Convection MW.) Just keep in mind, though, that if you're using the Advantium as a second oven you will not have a MW available until you're done using the Advantium as an oven.
Consider getting rid of the desk (a.k.a., a junk collector for most people) and replacing it w/a Message Center for keys, phone, charging center, calendar, paper, pencils, etc. Put in full base cabinets rather than the "desk" area.
Base cabinet interiors: If they don't already have them, replace stationary shelves w/roll out trays (ROTS) (a.k.a., pullout shelves).
Replace 3/4-extension drawer glides w/full-extension. Soft-close would be nice, but I don't know if your drawers could be retrofitted with them.

However, before making the ROTS soft-close think about it...you will have to wait for the ROTS to close completely b/f you can close the cabinet door(s). Soft-close does delay drawer/ROTS closing by a few seconds...if you're impatient you might not want that, otherwise you could do it for the ROTS as well. Regardless, get full-extension ROTS.
Install dampers to make the cabinet doors soft-close.
How do you like the full-height pantry cabinets? Too deep? If you think they're too deep, consider replacing them w/either shallower cabinets or putting in a drywalled reach-in pantry.

Will you be able to fit a Wolf rangetop in the existing cabinet? Right now, there's very little work or emergency landing space to the left of the cooktop, you don't want to make it worse...

Will you be able to modify your existing sink base to hold a farm/apron sink? Sink bases for this type of sink are usually made specifically to hold them. At the very least you will have to reinforce it to hold the much greater weight of the sink.

How wide are the aisles?

How deep is the seating overhang? How much space is there b/w the back of the island cabinets & the pantry wall behind?

Wow thanks for the quick responses and great ideas. You guys rock!

megpie77 - exactly what I was thinking about the old white/off white color for the cabinets. Thanks for the link to the blog. I love reading those and am addicted to reading the decorating blogs. Absolutely, positively getting new lighting for the tray ceiling. That ceiling fan is obnoxious as are the florescent lighting. I saw redroze's kitchen. Awesome. I am thinking white marble for sure on the island and something else on perimeter. I also like the idea of gray to pick up the grout colors in the brick. They are brick pavers but fool everyone who sees them thinks they are real brick. I don't want to play up the earth tones too much in them. Thank you for the info!

Lascatz - yes i can fit a 36" in either the oven space or the existing fridge space. We actually are talking about flip flopping the ovens and the fridge for better flow. I am worried about the Shaw sink because the cabinets. How much room does the 36" one take in height? I really don't want to tear much up in the way of cabinets. I do love Allison's F&B french gray island and have tested that paint color and may use it.

toomuchstuf - love your screen name. I can relate. Yes, i am going to add a custom hood or chimey hood to vent the wolf cooktop out.

heistaflames - great, great suggestion on the long cabinet run. I hadn't thought of new doors with glass on the top to break it up. I also like all of your other ideas especially using 2 or 3 colors. If I painted all those cabients white - it would be horrible.

andrea - the flooring is real brick paver and they are really pretty. Not usually a choice on this site but, very popular in my town in Louisiana as A. Hayes Town architecture prevails all over here. It would be too expensive to take them up. They are traditional and nuetral so I am keeping them as they also run down both hallways and are in my living room.

I hadn't thought of putting a whole range where the cook top is but, am considering now.

I will be getting rid of over the cooktop microwave. Don't necessarily need 2 ovens. We really grill out more than we cook. I definitely don't back unless it's a holiday or I cooking slice and bake cookies.

Thank you all. I soooo appreciate the input. more to come later.

Anyone have any suggestions on a blue paint color that is not too pastel. I am testing Farrow & Ball Light Blue with a dark glaze for the island and I like it but I wish it just had a little more brown or gray in it. Blue is soooo hard. I never knew that...

I am in love with the color of my linen fabric that I am using in my living room with is Swedish Blue in color. It is a green/blue. F&B light blue is close too it. I'm just so scared too have it come out too pastel.

Hi, Kimmieb. What a great project you have. It's nice reading about some of my favorite colors because I was just thinking of them. Your kitchen being totally separate creates a nice opportunity to break a little loose with color since it's not on view all the time and decorated as part of one large living space.

But first, my usual favorite advice for making a kitchen feel wonderful to be in and losing the standard builders-kitchen look: Take down some of those upper caibinets.

Then, for the base cabinets, how about a color instead of the usual white? I love your brick floor. Perhaps you could do a takeoff of the grout color. Or one of your blues to bring in the sky. Or gray green to tie the kitchen to the garden.

Would you like more window on the sink side? This would be a great time to do nice size and shape window there. Would what's out there allow you to make a feature of a nice big window?

Does the raised ceiling feel good and right to you as is? From the pictures, it seems to me as if it should stop over the kitchen and define that space, letting the breakfast area be set off by a more intimate lower ceiling.

Kimmie, it's a great layout and you already have lots to work with. I love those floors!

There are some great suggestions here for layout and functionality. I would echo lascatz's comments about the colours and pick up some of the blues/greens from the rest of the house. I'm glad you're testing Allison's island colour - hers is one of my favorite kitchens, and was one of the first in my "inspiration" folder. BM Serenata is a very pretty soft blue that doesn't read pastel. BM Exhale is also very nice, as is BM Atmospheric. Atmospheric is probably too dark but you could do it at 50% strength.

You're at the fun part now!

Eliz

Kimmieb,

Could you try to scan your linen fabric? Fabric can be tricky, but it may be able to be color matched. The F&B light blue looks more like Duck Egg Blue to me - Swedish Blue tends to be a bit more silvery grey. That can be a challenging color to get right - it can look too blue, too green, or too grey. You may want to search for "duck egg blue" +paint and you may find the color you want already mixed, as many of the premixed duck egg blues tend to look more like Swedish Blue. Fingers Crossed!

Hestia Flames - here is the scanned fabric swatch

Jefferson Linen Swedish Blue
{{gwi:1538745}}

The F&B Light Blue goes different colors depending on the light in the room. In my kitchen on my sample doors with a glaze on it, it is more gray. I painted a hallway in it in another part of the house and it went really light blue. Light has so much to do with it doesn't it?

Here is a kitchen in F&B Fawn on the cabinets and light blue on the remaining walls.

{{!gwi}}

Does this help? I was thinking F&B Light Blue and Old White. The other possibility is F&B Pavilion Gray & Wimborne White. I just love the Farrow & Ball colors, they are so subtle.

The other caveat is if you glaze them, they become another color altogether.

Real brick is fabulous, I didn't want you to think I disliked the floor. Just from the pics, you can't be sure of what the material is!

Color is a tough one, very specific to you space and light etc. Remember that doing a color at 50% (or whatever) will not make it half as light. And it may be counter-intuitive, but changing the concentration actually can change the color too.

Hi KimmieB,

I googled a bit, and was looking for kitchens in your color. I searched "norwegian blue" and "duck egg blue" and "gustavian" - the work gustavian is associated with norwegian kitchens. Here are some links for you to look at:

hhttp://willowdecor.blogspot.com/2008/04/swedish-kitchens-from-kvnum-kok.html

http://www.housetohome.co.uk/imageBank/p/pg49.jpg

http://www.warwicksimpson.co.uk/resources/_wsb_520x344_Kitchen1091.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_emBida-jvuk/SbZBypkz6-I/AAAAAAAAAVs/b5KNdKwCf7U/s400/kitchenblue+1.jpg

http://www.blackorchidkitchens.co.uk/images/Duck-egg-blue.jpg

Also, someone somewhere on "that home site" boards (don't remember if it was here or on the paint board) recommended a Benjamin Moore color (linked below) - I love those colors (blue/green/grey) as well, and put the BM color in my reference folder.

One thing I noticed about lots of the kitchens painted with this color: there are fewer uppers and/or a lot of glass in the uppers; the floor is usually wood or whitewash. I am not sure how your floor will look with this color, as it is a fairly intense, rich color, and you want light and airy, unless you are careful to try and match the grout and use the color in the tile elsewhere. You could conversely whitewash the brick floor (don't everybody scream at me - I like brick too.) I just think that whitewashing the floor, adding a larger window, and adding glass to some of the uppers (and adding a light reflective backsplash) will go a long way to giving you the style you want.

Also, what do you think of having all glass uppers/adding a little molding to your large bank of pantries to have it look like a gustavian cupboard? Inspiration photo:

http://www.cupboardsandroses.com/items/609.php

Scroll down on the above to see the painted version. I was also wondering if instead of adding a glaze to your paint, there are other techniques - have you posted to the "paint" forum? It may help them for you to post an example of how you want your finished piece to look.

Off to enjoy the day. Hestia_Flames

Here is a link that might be useful: Benjamin Moore Raindance

Hestia - I too wanted to whitewash the floors but no one seems to know how to do it. Do you know anyone that has done it to brick paver floors? Do you know how to do it? I asked my former architect, my former potential contractor, a decorator friend and they all look at me like I'm crazy. I just got home from a work meeting all last week so I'll take some time to look at the links you sent me tonight. Thanks so much.

Keeping the floor the color it is (which is, imo, pretty) will make upkeep a lot easier than whitewashing them. Kitchens get so messy it's a pain to have light floors in there unless you're really neat and clean up after yourself a lot.

I think your layout is fabulous, and I'm saying that because it is almost identical to my layout (which I didn't design - it was that way when we bought the house) which I love. The only major differences that I can see is that your dishwasher is to the left of the sink (and I agree that it should be moved to the right of the sink) and that your cooktop is in the same run as your fridge while my cooktop is in my island. For my mini reno I kept the same layout and cabinets and just replaced the formica with honed Jet Mist, replaced the 30 inch electric cooktop with a 36 inch Wolf gas cooktop, and replaced the sink and faucet. Last two improvements (not yet completed) will be new double ovens and a beveled subway tile backsplash. I would say definitely go for the big farmhouse sink (I wanted one but didn't have room), the built in fridge, and the Wolf cooktop.