Because the kitchen is 4 years old and is nice, I'd do the island and add whatever storage and change the counter on it, then use the rest for a few years more and get new stuff when it shows signs of wear. I'd even look into adding more of the same cabs to the existing island cabs instead of making a whole new island. If I had extra cash, I might do all the counters when doing the island counter....

As for the bar pulls, I think that in a few years, those will be dated. They have been very popular for a few years already and I see the use of them waning already.

I'd keep the bs if possible because it works with the floor and the white ceramics would not. The wt would also work less with the white bs....

Just because "better" things are out there does not mean what you have is not fine. There will always be someone "thinner and richer" I have learned, so it is more about appreciating what you do have and changing what needs to be changed that will determine how happy you are.

I am no designer but in my opinion, bar pulls would not fit the style of your cabinet doors as well as your current hardware does. I am also a bit skeptical of glass subways in your kitchen; they strike me as a fairly style-specific (and possibly date-specific) choice and they may not fit in quite as well as what you already have. I like your kitchen very much and it does not look dated to me; it is in a warm transitional style that I think blends well with the modern elements in your eat-in area. I like your countertop too so if you do change it out, I might suggest choosing another darkish tone instead of white. (That's if you leave the backsplash alone.) Your glass cabinet panel is very pretty!

You do realize that your kitchen is much nicer (and at least 20 yrs newer) than mine, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. :) You made good choices 4 yrs ago, so I don't think you need to rush to change anything -- at least not anything messy/expensive/difficult like tile.

I totally agree with the previous poster. My kitchen is similar in layout to yours but smaller and 30 years old. Now MINE is due for an update! YOUR kitchen looks great. I would not change the back splash. I think soapstone on your island would be beautiful! Love your backsplash!! And I like how your fridge is built in...way cool! I think you made good choices four years ago.

the space looks fairly traditional with the cab doors/floor/backsplash.I'd stick with that but go a bit more eclectic with pewter birdcage knobs or some heftier metal knobs/pulls/...soapstone or dark walnut on the island-something with visual weight. Don't see a shift to hard contemporary working very well. The backsplash and floor look nice...agree with above comments-just focus on that island and you'll get a nice upgrade-

I'm no designer either, and I made so many mistakes in my current kitchen, I probably shouldn't be giving anyone advice. I think your kitchen is very nice, and the only thing that jumps out at me is so many different colors. I think all counters should be the same, and something that coordinates with your beautiful backsplash -- love it! The blue/gray counters on the perimeter would be the first thing I would change. The green walls and orange accents are enough contrast, so perhaps something more neutral. Just my thoughts.

Mom- I like the idea of a glass backsplash, that will work with your cabinets, green walls and other colors, in the family room. Maybe something with green and onyx accents? Here's a link.

Once you decide on a backsplash, then I'd choose the countertops, for the perimeter and the island. I think it's easier to do it that way, than to try and find a backsplash the works with the countertops. Unless you are already in love with a countertop...which may explain all the backsplash questions, on this forum :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to glass tile

Hello! Thank you all for your time and comments! I appreciate it.

Sounds like no one thinks a white countertop would look ok in my kitchen? I was considering soapstone, but always thought that it would not fit so well with my transitional space, am I wrong about that? My current counter is a black w/ white specks laminate. I actually do like it and was initially thinking of replacing it with a leathered black granite. Maybe I should revisit that thought?

Island - what does everyone think of a white island? Bright white or antique white? Bad idea?

Backsplash - hmmm...I do like this backsplash and agree that it goes with my floor etc...but I don't "love" it, and it wasn't something that I picked. My tile guy actually designed it and I went with it. It is the same tile that I have on my floor w/ accent squares in absolute black granite. We also want to add undercounter lighting. I love the look of glass subway tiles and was really hoping that I could use them.

Joyce 6333 - I agree with you, I'm not sure I like my Island and perimeter counters being different, but I think I would like a white island with my existing cabs as long as all of the counters were the same.

Lavender Lass - I like that tile, but dh doesn't care for the smaller glass mosaics. However he does like the traditional subway in green, like below:

{{!gwi}}

I like the green backsplash tile, especially if it works well with your wall color. With that white grout, the white quartz countertops would really brighten up the space and look good with the white chairs and bench.

A white island with soapstone countertop sounds like an interesting idea. It breaks up all the wood, or the perimeter cabinets and breakfast table. A dark soapstone (almost black) would pick up the black in the appliances. Don't you have some black in the family room, too? Maybe post a picture of that area, so everyone can see what's on the other side of the breakfast table :)

Hello,

Here is the adjacent living area:

Hi mom2sethc!

I remember your dining area update from the decorating forum. Your entire kitchen looks more like an "after" than a "before". I still understand wanting to update things because I am in the same boat. :)

When I was debating about going really dark with my countertops, what I found very helpful was putting a bunch of black construction paper on my island and leaving it there for a couple of days to see how it would look in different lighting. You could do the same with plain white paper just to get an idea if you would like the look. I also printed out pictures of my kitchen and colored the countertops different colors (my kids kind of looked at me funny when I was doing it :) and it definitely helped narrow down what I liked and did not.

I may be in the minority, but I would prefer your perimeter and island counters the same. Since your space is transitional, I definitely think you can do soapstone.

I normally love white countertops, however, I think with the white chairs, door, bench, and lighting fixture over the table, the darker countertops provide a nice contrast.

I like the backsplash with your floor. If you want to change it, what about something that has a mix of stone and glass? It's from the Tile Shop but I cannot seem to post the picture:

http://www.tileshop.com/glasstile/glassstonemix/Multi-Calhoun-with-Glass/1626.aspx

I think the above tile would look awesome with soapstone!

This one is cool from GlassTileStore.com:

http://www.glasstilestore.com/collection/stone-mosaics/glass-stone-tiles/tao-toffee-marble-glass-tiles-taotoffee.html

They also show that one above as an accent row between subway tile.

I would not do white ceramics as a backsplash. Your space is too warm, and coming from someone that has white ceramic tile, there isn't a lot of dimension to it.

Here's one from Home Depot. It has brown instead of green in it.

Hope this gives you some more ideas :)

I love the kitchen the way it is but I would change both counters to something that goes well with the cabinets, backsplash and floor.