First thing I thought of was a cool backsplash and lighting fixtures, and hardware. Those 3 things should be enough to give it that pop you are looking for.

yes, I agree with dreamywhite. It's like you have a great little black dress and now you need to add the jewelry and shoes! Backsplash, lights, hardware, paint color, window treatments - these things are the jewelry and shoes!

I agree - I'm still looking for the bling for my kitchen. Just one thing with a little pop!

Are you kidding me prill? What about the most amazing soapstone I have ever seen!

High quality spotlight bulbs. The light will cause it to look good.

I don't have any pop. Others might consider my kitchen boring but to me it is cohesively warm. Nothing stands out and distracts my eye. I enjoy the whole experience of being in it. My kitchen sounds similar to yours--we have medium dark mahogany cabinets, dark gray/black counters, maple floors and a mixture of black and stainless appliances. I didn't want an eye-catching backsplash. We just went with a 4" stone base and beadboard above. To me, it's just right. I love seeing the bling and pop in other kitchens but I'm not sorry I don't have it in my kitchen (I even consider lit up cabinetry as too much bling.) Btw---I had the same worries as you when my kitchen was under construction--it's hard not to when reading this board every day. But it turned out that my kitchen, as a whole, has wowed me every time I've been in it for the last 4 years. It still hasn't gotten old.

My advice is wait until you're finished. You can always add the backsplash later or wall art or accessories or interesting lighting (as long as it's already wired.) Good luck and enjoy. Your original instincts might end up being just right for you--the cherry cabinetry will add quite a bit of interest on its own. Wait until it's totally done---the smallest detail left unfinished can make it feel not right (for me, it was the unfinished trim around the window.) And for some it takes a few weeks after completion to get to a certain comfort level with the new space. It did for me---it was so drastically different from what was here before that it took a bit of time for me to feel comfortable enough to love it.

I don't think I have any POP in my kitchen either and I like it that way. Just like zelmar, I find it warm and cohesive where others might just find it boring. I agree w/ the advice of others in that if you want pop, you can certainly add it in the light fixtures or backsplash.

Thank you all - especailly zelmer and crazyhouse. You may be right - I am pretty traditional. And I hace certainly over and over selected funtion over form. While I am wowed by some of the spectacular mosaic backsplashes I have seen, I really don't want one. (AND our budget is about shot.) Our ceilings are low (7'8") and island small (2' x 4') so I don't really want pendant lights I don't think. (I keep waffling on this becuase I have seen some very cool pendants that match the dining room chandaliers we are considering.)

With no wall space except the backsplash area I am trying to figure out where to tuck a couple of family history items - such as a photo of my aunt cooking or a framed copy of my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe - in her handwriting.

zelmar - I love beadboard. Any chance you have a photo I can see?

You don't need POP. What you have already should have plenty enough contrast to look really lovely. Quiet is okay!!

All you need is one really fantastic accent. A red mixer or coffee pot. OR a nice painting with some bright color. Or fresh flowers. Just one focus point that grabs your eye when you walk into the room when no one is in there to make it look not-empty.

Remember that this is your kitchen. It's not the one you like looking at in pictures. It's the one you want to live in and cook in day after day after day. For instance, I love looking at Redroze's kitchen. It's beautiful and serene, and subtle and desaturated. And if it were mine I'd have to change it because I need more saturated color to live and create in.

You know what you love and want. Trust your instincts. And if you still think you need some bling, you can always add some polished nickel knobs. :) (I.e., traditional and simple, but shiny.)

Have you seen the Finished Kitchens Blog yet?---a wonderful compilation by starpooh and helpers. You can get some great ideas there. My kitchen is in the "In-Progress" kitchens section (I'm not sure if I'll ever consider it "done"---but I'm glad to see I'm not alone.) The bare bulbs are starting to grow on me.

I don't have great pictures of the beadboard backsplash.

{{!gwi}} {{gwi:1570742}}

We didn't have any wall space and ended up hanging some pictures on the sides of tall cabinets (the ends of upper cabinets would have worked also.) The framed photo and recipe sound wonderful! Stay true to yourself and it will all work out (others can pull things off that I can't because it's naturally part of who they are.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Finished Kitchens

That does look really nice, Zelmar, proving your point. Including the edgy bare bulbs. :)

Dewesley, it's probably good that you have no "pop" in the big things. Too often the pop!, bling!, and wow! added by amateurs come from the passing excitement and attraction of current style, which way too soon turns into the similarly exaggerated Soo old!, tacky!, tired!, and passee! of last season's hot item.

I think of that every time I see a drum shade (which makes a perfect bling element since they look really sharp right now but can be changed out so easily), because as an appraiser I saw plenty of nasty old ones hanging over matted shag in tired old homes that'd worn their big excitement for a few months a couple decades before. So, get a drum shade? Purple is hot now, so maybe in purple? Facetious, of course, but it takes a very skilled designer to create bling that'll last the life of a kitchen, making adding it with accessories a good route.

Wow, if those gorgeous pix are boring kitchens, I'm in trouble! :) DC - go with what you love and feel comfortable with, as the others say. It is easy to add pop later if you want it.

Many kitchens I see suffer from too much of a good thing or not enough. Balance is best. But I do believe in sink jewelry.

There are lots of really nice faucets but one with just an extra helping of style or is just the right size to get played up a bit can make a difference.

I just put in a pull down, chrome. It was 2nd choice, far less blingy than 1st choice. But it's tall, sits between 2 windows and the height lines up with the bottom of one window sill.

So it adds a little zing, smack in the middle of a main sightline. Substantial without blending in = balance.

Think zing, not bling. LOL

My suggestion is to add pop with the wall color. Go outside of your comfort zone with something bold and fresh. No whites or off whites or beiges! Apple green or eggplant or a deep blue or lavendar.

I, too, loved the serene look and elegance of Redroze's kitchen, and when we interviewed our GCs I told each of them: this is going to be a white kitchen. Light granite, white subway tile backsplash, white cabinets....
And then we decided on a darker island (like Redroze) and I couldn't find the granite I wanted...so I got Bianco Antico (like Redroze). But my walls are a deep russet/burnt sienna, like westchestermom has suggested. And so I'm not a total clone....I've got that color around the edges and in the two adjoining rooms. And we love it! So I'm a "wall color girl" too.

I don't think I have any 'bling' planned for my future kitchen... I thought just moving away from a plain, solid beige counter top was a bold step for me - lol!

how about framing those pics/ writing (matted) with glass and using as your BS? or if you do have other wall space hang them there. maybe they could be matted with a punchy color?

maybe my Slaymaker prints will be my pop...I don't know.

Just saw this post when I was looking for an old post of mine. So interesting...just for those of you who mentioned the serenity and neutrality of my kitchen...some updated photos with more POP in the way of pink and orange...LOVE the pop...and LOVE that I can take them away just as easily. But that's just me! I couldn't do coloured walls in these rooms. But it's a personal choice.

DCWesley,I hope you are able to have the kitchen you love with the wow factor you crave.

Zelmar,

Thank you from the masses, those of us who feel we don't have the knack for style that stands out, and if we try, it's klutzy or overdone or put on. Quiet is OK. I thought about what would be standing out in my kitchen... answer, nothing much... MAYBE one little pendant. But I love how you described it... as the experience of being in the kitchen rather than the shock of the moment when something in particular catches your eye. My goal is for my kitchen to be a pleasant, comfortable and welcoming background, not a showplace. To me, it's like the difference between the wedding and marriage. I want to put my time and energy into the long-term, not the immediate impression. I mean no insult to those who have a showplace kitchen ... it comes naturally to some people and and it should be that way if that's you.

If you still feel you need something extra. Go for a luxurious valance that you take all the way to the ceiling. Try Silk It's only one window space. It will give a sense of posh without taking away your lighting.

Gail

"I am trying to figure out where to tuck a couple of family history items - such as a photo of my aunt cooking or a framed copy of my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe - in her handwriting."

What an absolutely MARVELOUS idea - especially the sugar cookie recipe from your grandmother, and in her own handwriting. I admit that I might have to "steal" that idea.

I'm not sure in what stage you are in your kitchen remodel, but if you are finished, or nearing the end, I'd LOVE to see pics, especially one that shows where you placed the photo of your aunt and your grandmother's framed recipe.

redroze - we also have a bowl of clementines on our counter that is easily accessible for anyone that wants a healthy snack - love them and the color they add

One lesson that I have used over and over again is this:

"Every room should have a surprise"

It can be small, or big. Just something that someone who walks in might not be expecting. In my case, (we have a 2x4 island too) I hung a small Irish crystal chandy over the island. Most thought I was crazy when talking about this idea, but it really works in my space and it does give it that "surprise" that I needed. I also used the same light over the table with a sheer drum shade over it. This way my sparkle continued in the room.

I always feel I don't want to spend the big bucks on anything risky--stuff I might want to change when it gets "old". So a backsplash that is popping wouldn't be my cup of tea. I can change my chandys without too much pain.

Redroze--love the oranges--funny thing, I've got a bowl of them too decorating the kitchen right now. Love that pop of color. We get a giant box as a gift every Christmas, no way to eat them fast enough, so they accessorize for me.

here is an "in progress" photo, still no paint on crown moulding and no backsplash yet...

{{gwi:1561896}}

here is a shot to show you the chandy over the table, this is pre-floor, pre-paint, pre-lots of other stuff....

{{!gwi}}

It was fun to revisit this post! As a follow-up, I have found that since we finished in November, I have had several paintings framed that we got on our travels to see our kids...one is Haitian street art, and the latest is street art from the Dominican Republic. We have a small inlaid wood picture from Nicaragua that I put in an inconspicuous area, too.
I love the "framed recipe in Grandma's handwriting" idea, too. Hmmmm...today might be a day to go digging!
{{!gwi}}

"I am trying to figure out where to tuck a couple of family history items - such as a photo of my aunt cooking..."

We have three framed photos on our open shelves - one of me about to eat a spoonful of dessert, and the other two are wedding photos. The frames are fancy vintage-looking silver frames from Homesense. DH actually suggested putting them there, which I never would have considered before. It gives it such a personal feel. The framed recipe is an amazing idea! I admit I may have to steal that one too!! I'll as my mom to write one out, and my mil to write another one, and it will be their "signature recipes". Great, great idea.

Countrysmile - DH calls them Christmas oranges as his family always eats them around Christmas time. They're great as snacks and decor. ;-)

Beekeeperswife - Your chandelier is just perfect, especially as it pulls togetgher all your focal points - the great range hood, the range, and the island. Have you decided on your backsplash yet? I love the other perspective with the kitchen table...

Hi redroze--thinking about doing the daltile 2x8, matte, with an area over the stove in the harlequins, same color--arctic white. Turned out the biscuit color was too creamy with the undercabinet lights on. Just have to decide on how to frame the harlequins (not sure if the 1/4 round is really the right thing, want something small and simple as you suggested). I will have to visit the showroom next week when they reopen afer the holidays. But I do believe this is the answer. Well, at least this is what I believe today! Happy New Year! Sorry to hijack the thread.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you too!! ;-)

We have started demolition. Hopefully cabinets arrive in a couple of weeks.

You have all helped me feel better about my lack of "pop." I don't know yet what I will do about a backsplash, but I really don't want to do anything too dramatic. It is the cherry cabinets I want to stand out.

I may spend some time this weekend selecting items to frame for the kitchen.

Perhpas when the kitchen starts coming together you will all be able to help me think of some accents to add.

I wanted a very neutral kitchen, white or grey everything. I did however really want some pop in that pallet...
So what I did was a coloured range. A little more committal than a bowl of lemons, but hey, you only live once.

I am trying to do some fun coloured fabrics on drapes too, bright rasberry and mixed coloured floral. We'll see how it looks when it all comes together. Fabric is a good start, easy to replace if you get tired of it.

Pop can come in the form of layout, knobs, pulls, lights, lighting, backsplash, paint and pictures - all of which, except for the layout, come at the end when you are better able to visualize. a caveat: this is only my second kitchen remodel and I have no expertise but have learned so much from this site. If it feels right and makes you happy, that is the pop you need.