As you say, they're both beautiful, but OMG that's a gorgeous red.

I like the gray!

Both gorgeous... depends though... what kind of stone are you putting behind the range ?

Thanks for everyone's input!!!

remodelfla - The stone is going to be an old fieldstone with a lighter mortar....trying to make the house look like it was built a long time ago!

What color is the cabinet that hangs on the wall where your sink is??

mercymygft - to the left of the sink? that upper will be the cream color

oh - and the hood is going to be stucco (prob similar color to the lighter mortar in the stone) with the rough wood beam around the bottom

The deep, gorgeous red.

I think I like the grey, the red may be a little too country with the other colors you have for me. But they are both great.

Definitely red. The plan is gorgeous.

I vote for the deep red. I love your door style and colors. The plan is going to turn out beautiful.

The red makes the greens very green while the grey tones them down. So, you have to decide how prevalent you want the greens to be.

What colors are in the field stone? Will either go with the stone? I think the red is nice with what you have shown. Is that the French Grey in the front? It looks green on my monitor and very nice with the red. The first pic looks neutral. The red "spices" things up.

Red!

The red is a little bit Paula Dean's Country Christmas, if that's what you want.

Please note that the red "color break" will draw the eye to that one element that's in an actual color in the whole kitchen. Start shopping now for smashingly attractive garlic powder.

Actually I think I would like it in the walnut! If that's a choice!!! The red is perhaps a little too bossy ~though it's beautiful!!

OK.. now that I know fieldstone and look back at your choices... I go with NOT red. The walnut of your island is so beautiful and I am a believer in allowing the beauty of natural wood to shine. That, and all your other choices are somewhat soft and worn looking in tone (in a good way ). The red will scream "look at me". It's a gorgeous color, I agree; but will definitely pull your eye away from a weathered look stone and look really really intentional.

I agree with gr8day...I'd do the walnut there, too.

Hey, take your image and print several copies and color it up into different schemes. Then see which one you like.

Gorgeous design! I vote for the red. Love that pop of color, it is warm yet muted.

I was thinking red when I was imagining it empty, but full of things that have color to offer is another matter. I think I like the gray because of that. If it were blue or green it might be Ok, but I agree that, although I LOVE deep red, that it's a little too demanding. I want the spices to stand out a little, not be lost or outshouted.

I love the red, but not in your kitchen where it is the only pop of color. I think it might unbalance everything, unless you have a touch of red somewhere on the other side of the room. Especially right next to your hood and that beautiful hearth-like look, I think it will be out of balance.

Andi- You know I really like your kitchen and banquette design. My question...what color are your accessories? Are those plates, on the other side of the range? What about fabrics, on the banquette? Any window treatments? What about the area around your wood stove?

I like the red, but that french gray looks 'gray/green' on my monitor. If you plan to have some rustic country accessories...maybe in golds, greens and/or red...I think it would look wonderful :)

Thanks so much for all the feedback! I'm totally torn! :)

For thost that suggested the walnut, that was actually the first choice. So, we saw this cabinet below, which inspired us to design a custom cabinet...very very similar, but a few tweaks. The plan was for it to be in either the charcoal, red or walnut, and we leaned toward walnut. But, all the quotes came back around $2K! And, we've been in the process of getting a few more quotes. The piece below was around $600, and we have considered just getting it bc the quotes were so high and seemed crazy. My KD received a note today that it's being discontinued, and we can get it for $250!!! But, only painted. So, I've gone over budget on just about everything in this kitchen, so I want to just snag this for the $250 and sacrifice the walnut version.

The cabinet is about 26W x 41H x 9.5D. This is the red version, I dont have a pic of it in the charcoal...

lavender - the plates are just what the KD put in the drawing, so I don't really have anyting picked out just yet. And, I need to get new dishes, etc bc the ones we have are 12 years old and chipping away as we speak...lol! I haven't picked out fabrics yet for anything else, so really have a blank slate to work with.

What keeps me towards the red is that red is my favorite color...always has been, and I'll never tire of it! I'd do every room in my house red if DH wouldn't freak out :) The french grey is a grey/blue/green...I know that doesn't clear it up, but it's kinda hard to explain. I don't think it looks like a "color" when you see it live.

But, I love the charcoal bc it is very complimentery and will mix with the stone hood and soapstone, etc. (Although I do worry that the stone, soapstone, hood and a charcoal cabinet will just be blah) AAHHH!!! :)

I'm a sucker for red...I LOVE red. If you go with red, it will be the first thing people look at in your kitchen. If you have a different focal point in mind, I'd choose the same gray that your dish pantry is painted since you already have so many beautiful finishes.

Grey!!!
I think the red might move it from the Old kitchen look. I love the subtlety of the grey in your sophisticated design.
Can you find that gorgeous red in servIng platters or dinnerware?

You could always do the gray and paint the back beadboard the red. With your stuff in front of it, it'll look more like a subtle accent.

I'm glad you are set on the spice cabinet. I just have to say that is one gorgeous kitchen deisgn!!! I love the fieldstone behind the stove. Good luck. I can't wait to see the finished kitchen!

It really sounds like you like the red ;) DO the red! Why not?!?! Like you said it's a clean slate, you can get fabrics to help tie it in and YOU love red! It will pop off the wall alot more than the grey, the eye will go right to it. When you talk about the red cabinet do you smile? That's how my DH helped me narrow things down, he would look at me and say you just smiled - that's the one! Can't wait to see your kitchen finished!

Although the red is an absolutely gorgeous color on its own, I agree that it may look unbalanced. The charcoal grey will tie in better with the soapstone, the hood and backsplash and the French grey dish pantry. Love the design! Please keep us posted with photos.

Charcoal.

I like the gray, but I don't think you can go wrong. I can't wait to see everything come together for you!

RED....absolutely.. the cooking zone is a draw in your design, as it should be with cooking [the whole reason for a kitchen-the food and bringing people together]...red implies this inherently and the color will embellish this zone additionally.

In that case, I'd do the red. It may be the first thing your eyes goes to, but certainly not the last. :)

Grey. I agree with blfenton. On my monitor the red makes the other colors very green looking. The grey cabinet can have red in it or you can even paint the inside of the cabinet red for an accent while leaving the outer cab charcoal grey. Beautifully designed kitchen. Good Luck

I love red, rather obsessed with it really. And that red is gorgeous. But I'm afraid the other color does appear green with it - and then you are balancing precariously towards the edge of farmy/barn colors.

I'd actually play around with the other choices (that french gray/greenish one) to make the red work though. Can you do that? (dish cab- black? walnut? other?)

and I might put one other red cab in the mix - what about the open shelf one on the left (fridge) side?

hopefully I didn't just muddy your decision waters...

Gray all the way. The red is too harsh with the softened colors of the stone. I'd want those to stand out more.
You can always add red accessories later on. If you do this red cabinet, it would be hard to use other reds because they may clash.... so it could stand out like a sore thumb.

You all are so great...thanks so much for all the great feedback!!!

I'm leaning to the charcoal! Mostly because of the comments re: it being the first thing to look at, and I want the hood/dish cabinet to stand out more. I want this spice cabinet piece to be beautiful, but complimentary. And, marcolo's comment about finding "smashingly attracive garlic powder"...absolutely hysterical...and very true. Because there's the see-thru chicken wire, I'm thinking the grey will be less "hey come look at my spices, aren't they a mess!" :)

Will you fill it with spices? If not, get the grey and paint the inside red?

Also, if you later decide you want the red, you could have the cabinet repainted/sprayed?

I would get the red...if you plan to have red in other areas of the kitchen. If you're going to have red in the curtain fabric, maybe red in plates (which I like that look) on the other side of the range. Maybe red around the banquette...then it's not the first thing you'd see in the space. Right now, it's your only color, but that will only remain true, if all your accessories are white, walnut, gray and black.

Go for the red...do what YOU love and make it your kitchen. Don't play it safe. It's $250 and if the french gray does have some blue/green in it...then the red will look even better! :)

I'm revisiting my answer. The french grey... is it really grey or green, it looks green on my monitor.

I originally said the charcoal but if the french grey is really grey, then I think I might like the red. If it is greenish, then I like the charcoal.

Actually, whatever you pick... your kitchen will be stunning!! So quick, make a decision so we can see this kitchen complete!!! LOL!