Looks like you can pull Asian out of what you have so far.

Get some cupboard pulls like the ones that are used on the Chinese armoires/cabinets for your uppers. The bisected circles with the teardrop hanging handle. Alternate these with simple large round knobs on the uppers. Use larger, ornate handle pulls on the lowers.

Paint the room a parchment colour, maybe even (dare I resurrect it ??) a little tea-staining in the corners. Find a print or have someone write some chinese characters on a backsplash sized piece of rice paper. Sandwich that between two sheets of glass and mount it on the wall behind the cooktop.

Find a Noguchi lampshade that you like (I know he's modern Japanese and the rest of the things aren't but Asian is eclectic just like everyething else) Use wood, red, and sea grass in your accessories.

Voila !

Here is a link that might be useful:

I certainly agree that you can pull off Asian which, for me, is clean lines and natural materials. One option might be a flat pebble backsplash in a light grey or green. You could use Asian themed hardware, either modern or old style, and they're easy to change if you get tired of it. Beyond that, the accessories will really make this room. I like what you've done so far, and it's going to be beautiful.

I like these (Waterwood Zen) Asian rustic pulls...a bit over the top pricey, though :(

Much more affordable, the Twin Bow collection from Lee Valley:

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Waterwood-zen

I really like the calm dignity of what you have so far. I personally would go for a more modern Asian look in hardware; something pretty minimal would look wonderful. The apple green would have been nice. I'm also currently having a love affair with a sort of pastel butterscotch (sort of a pale beige-gold-apricot) that's warm and pretty in daylight and glows beautifully under artificial light. It would look lovely with your cabinets.

I'm thinking more minimalist in the hardware as well--more modern Asian than ornate Asian--would look really good. I think IKEA has really nice minimalist choices for handles and knobs. I like the pebble/natural material backsplash idea a LOT...and think green would be just perfect...but I'm biased. I just painted my whole kitchen Wind Chime by BM. It's not apple green--a little quieter than that...maybe your husband would go for a calmer green? I played up the shaker in my kitchen so not an Asian example--but made finish choices similar to yours and think the green looks fabulous...especially with a little Chinese red thrown about the room here and there in the form of a print, towels, accessories or the like.

Take a look at Berkeley Mills kitchen pictures . Some of them evoke asiana and do so with fairly quiet hardware. Your warm wood is indeed right on, there is nothing wrong with the shaker style. What I'd consider doing if you want an "asian feel" (although that is such a deceptive term, really) is either replacing one or two of your upper doors - especially any glass ones - with a shoji-screen like finish or better and less disruptive yet, a similar thing on a spare wall. A quite water or bamboo-like effect for your backsplash would evoke the same - you could use glass tiles running vertically to create the green forest, blue water-fall, or even white waterfall like ambiance (see catmom's kitchen for some lovely inspiration on the backsplash tiles).

Green and wood are a good "zen-asian" colour. But if the DH has a problem wth that either make him yeild to you on this if you feel you've made too many concessions away from your ideal OR accommodate him with blue either in the wall colour or the backsplash (and I do think they should correlate).

Take a look at the Berkeley Mills kitchens - a lot of them have an asian air: The tansu sure, but so also does the Sereno, and Madera ...

Here is some hardware you may like.

Not to hijack this thread, but Rosie, can you give me more details on the butterscotch paint color you speak of. It sounds intriguing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nobu Hardware

Well, as usual, the GW crowd is "in-the-know". I was so afraid that nobody would get the Asian-thing. I too was thinking what some of you expressed--natural materials, clean lines, geometric simplicity.
I had seen the Berkeley Mills kitchens and the Hardware from Yellow Mountain. I am leaning toward a more modern Japanese style hardware. Originally, I had intended to use black tansu-style pulls, until I realized they were $27 each. I chose a similarly shaped pull in ORB, but they seemed to be too dull. I like the more modern Waterwood and the Nobu hardward. Though brass is very traditional for Asian cabinetry, I'm thinking that black would make a stronger statement--especially with the black countertops.
As far as the paint color, I tried a couple of buttery golds, but they seemed to make the environment too warm. I was looking for something light and airy. The green was fresher, but hubby's tired of green. Apparently, I've used too many shades of green over the years.
I love the idea of parchment and/or tea-staining. If it weren't a kitchen, grass cloth might be nice.
Backsplash? Haven't even figured that part out yet. I'd like something simple and timeless, so that the kitchen won't become dated.
Keep those ideas coming. Your input is feeding my appetite for inspiration.