Kellie, I prefer the backsplash tile and granite in the final picture of your previous post. The subway tiles in this post while nice seem a little bland and ordinary IMHO. On my monitor you pendant light looks like the amber glass version of my lights. The amber color looks great with the finishes in your previous post but with your new choices in this post I think it might look better to get the brown glass version. Before I ordered my lights I had the lighting company order samples of the glass ( because they didn't have the colors I was interested in in stock). Maybe you could do that too to help with your decision on the lights when the time comes.
Don't get frustrated by all the ideas and choices you are considering, take your time and it will all come together

The taupe in the granite you are now showing does not go with the light fixture as well as the previous granite you showed in your last thread at the bottom. I also think the last bs worked better with the light fixture.... If you want the more recent granite and bs, then you need a different light fixture.
I also think the cup pulls are confusing with the other elements. They are a completely different look than your other choices. If you like a more modern look, then embrace that and just don't go too stark as to not fit with the rest of the house.

Thanks for the suggestions, I am all over the place in my choices and need a bit of help now and then.

The reason why I changed the granite is because I couldn't find the Colonial Cream locally that I posted in the last thread. I found a couple other "cream" granites that I liked (Bordeaux Cream, Siena Cream, Sage Brush) but they were in the "high" price category, so back I went to the "middle" grouping. The Ice Brown is fantastic, it has these gorgeous chunks of quartz that makes it look like it has lots of depth. I didn't see any taupe tones in the slab, more brown tones. I tried to find a similar one online, but you guys all know how that goes, it really is much prettier than that picture. So, that being said, with the granite being pretty bold and beautiful, I wanted a quieter backsplash than the one that I had posted (if it reads plain, hopefully the granite will make up for that). I do like the look of the subway tile, and like the bit of interest a contrasting grout adds. Maybe I could tone that down a bit from the super dark to add some interest without being too busy.

Other granite contenders were Bianco Antico, Artic Cream and Delicatos. But there was something about the almost three dimensional quality of the Ice Brown that I really loved.

There is a brown version of that light fixture, and I totally agree with you all. I was trying to add some color in to all of the brown tones. I would love to find something with maybe a bit of red and glamour, but that may be too much. Off to search the internet for a new light and different pulls (I do think that the simple curve pulls may be a option from the cabinet maker, I will have to look again).

If you keep going back to full on modern choices, maybe you'd rather redo the rest of the house to match your new desired style? That's one possibility out of the three choices. The other two are do a isolationist kitchen that is "shut the door" completely different than the rest of the house. Or the third choice, which is your stated choice, is to do something transitional that brings together the modern that you love with the traditional bones of the home.

You've gotten a lot of good advice on how to achieve what you say you want, but you keep "backsliding" to the cooler tones and less interesting choices. It's time to fish or cut bait. What do you really want? You can't have it both ways!

So, in light of your stated desires, here's a critique on your choices. The plain backsplash is a total wimp out. The other one you posted (or the green one you loved) would work much much better. You are letting fear be in the driver's seat here. And the warmer granites work much better as well. You want that hint of yellow undertone. That's what "cream" is! And the raised panel door that you showed would work much better as well in a a stain not quite as dark as you showed. Nix the cup pulls. They are too traditional for transitional and only look hodge podge wrong.

You want plain and simple lines on semi traditional choices, but with more modern interest added with color and texture. That's the very definition of transitional when compared with either traditional or modern. That's why the cabinetry should read more traditional, but the backsplash should be more modern and colorful.

What do you really want here?

I prefer the choices in the last pic of the previous post as well. The light fixture looked great with the amber and brown of the mixed glass tile of the previous post; now it just looks a bit out of place. Maybe changing the color of the fixture would help that, but I'd rather see you change the backsplash back to the green/amber/brown.

I don't think you are any more likely to get tired of a green backsplash than a white one. Probably less so. My mom loved her coppertone range and hood from 1960 until they day they conked out in the 1990s. She still loves the green carpet in the living room, also from 1960, although now on its last legs.

Ultimately, it's what about what YOU want, and if you want a modern kitchen more than you want to match the style of the rest of the house, then that's what you should do. If the more important thing is to match the style of the house, then that's what you should do.

I see what you are saying GreenDesigns. I am trying to make the transitional thing work because redoing the house and shutting the non-existent door aren't viable options. Thus the cries for help because I am not doing so well on my own. The cabinets are going to be the more traditional styling, I posted this door style in the other thread, but couldn't find an online pic of maple in a similar style and color, so am using the one I posted for a color reference mostly. They are working on sample doors so hopefully I will have the "real thing" next week. I think it will tone down the modern look a bit, here is the style example. To me it is a compromise in keeping true to the rest of the house and is "just OK" but I am hoping to dress up the rest so the overall look will be more "wow".

Got it on the cup pulls, I'll look for something different.

I hear what you are saying Kellienoelle. I am trying to design a put together look for my traditional house too and its really hard. I can see why so many people do the OTK - easy to imitate and everything looks good with white.

I think the traditional raised panel cab you show above will be an element to tie to traditional design, as well as white trim which is used in the other areas of your home. The darker wood stained cabinetry will give the kitchen a transitional feel.

IMO, Stainless Steel appliances are expected and your granite choice is a calm choice, which makes it more transitional. I think someone who was trying for a more modern feel would pick something with more movement or streaking to give it a modern edge. To me, the backsplash above leans towards traditional. I like the bs shown in the previous thread alot, but I think its the trend right now and you have to love those color tones to go with that choice.

Lastly, I think you light fixture is the unexpected element in your design. To me it reads somewhat retro with a modern twist.

Anyway, I have no design expertise whatsoever, but overall, I like your plan. I think it is giving the feeling you want to achieve.

Here's a list of "cream" granites that you could check out, but the best way is to take the sample you end up getting ot the granite yard and look for something that reads "warm" (yellow or red based) to go with it. What is cheap in my area may not be in yours.

Raw Silk
Millinium Cream
Shivkashi Cream*
Gold and Silver
Ivory Cream
Bordeaux Cream*
Absolute Cream
Sunny Gold
Aran Cream
Delicatus*
Harvest Cream
Ghibli Beige
African Beige
Silver Cream
Ivory Silk
Carmel Cream
Giallo Fantasia
Sahara Beige
Zeus Beige
Sucurri
Jura Beige
Rosalia Light
Ivory Chiffon
Rust Beige
Giallo Ornamental Light*
Yellow Fantasy
Madura Gold Light
Zaidal
Yellow River
Juperana Arandis Light
Ivory Brown
Spring Cream

Or there's always an inexpensive cream engineered quarts like your inspiration kitchen appears to use.
Silestone Blanco City, Diana Pearl, Beige Olympo, Minerva Cream, or Urban Cream are all low cost colors and are the creamy light tones that would be perfect. Higher in price but also in the right color range would be Haiku, Tigris Sand, Yellow Nile, Halley, White Dune, Ivory Coast, Capri Limestone or Bamboo.

Green Designs just mentioned the idea above, but I was thinking of Caesarstone in buttermilk to give you that warm cream tone of your inspiration pic with a clean, modern feel. I have never priced granites to have any idea about how they compare to Caesarstone.
I like contrast between floors and cabinets, but anything dark really fights the tone of the woodwork in the rest of your house. I would try to go as light as possible on the cabinets while still having enough contrast to make it look like you weren't trying to match the cabinets to the floors.

I like these choices...everything, but the sink. It looks too cool and gray and I think it should be warmer. Is it stainless or gray? Maybe stainless would work, but the picture looks like a gray finish...and I think a match to the background of the granite, white, or stainless would looks better. I guess I like warm or shiny :)

Sigh, well my "middle price range" granites are $75/sq ft (I have $50 budgeted), so nix this entire plan anyway. I think maybe I'll just duct tape some cardboard to the cabinets and just spend my money on enough wine to drown the disappointment.

OK, wallowing moment over, I guess it is back to the granite yard for me with strict instructions to NOT let me wander into the areas that I can't afford. Thanks so much for the list! Surely I can find something that I like in my price range out of those. I had initially wanted quartz but (say it with me folks) I couldn't afford it (that was going to be $65/sq foot). Maybe I could shop that too.

Trust me dilly - if my husband wasn't so set against the white kitchen look, all of these decisions would already be made! I didn't realize that this was going to be such a tough look to pull together.

Lavender - the sink is stainless, the image is just dark. I think it will tie in well with the SS appliances in color. The design is a bit contemporary though, surely why I like it!

Kellie, don't get discouraged about your counter tops. I have always liked granite with a lot of movement and that is what I thought I would have in my kitchen. When we went to talk to the fabricator showed us pictures of granites that are considered "stock granites". My first reaction was to disregard all of them but then I asked for a couple samples. I decided on verde peacock but then found that at the first 3 suppliers I went to there stones were quite different than the sample I had. And i didn't like them. I was told my sample was probably very old and that the new supplies were different. But when I went to the 4th supplier I fell in the love with the verde peacock they had and had 2 slabs tagged for me.
So my kitchen has a low end, common, ordinary stock granite but it looks extraordinarily beautiful when put together with all the other elements. I saved lots of money by choosing that granite and no one would know. So far everyone who has seen my kitchen raves about the granite and the beautiful splotches of colors in it and they love my tile that picks up on those colors.
I think you need reconsider those less expensive granites and go to several stone yards to look at one that you think might work. You may be pleasantly surprised like I was

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I haven't been trying to discount "stock" or any other types of granite specifically. I just walk through the warehouse, point out what I like, the granite people log it on a sheet, call my GC with the names, he calls the distributor and responds to me with pricing. What is funny is that I don't think that I have picked anything over the top with crazy movement or colors. The granite place I have been going to doesn't price for the consumer, but they told me "high, medium, or low" pricing levels, so am a bit frustrated because the ones that I liked were "medium". I had discounted quite a few since I was told they were "high" and can't even imagine what that will be. I am going back this weekend to reevaluate. Stay tuned, I am sure I'll be back with new ideas asking for more help.

Hi there, me again.

Ok, so went back to the granite store and found a few options in warmer tones that are only ever so slightly over our budget, so here I am to share again. I like the Typhoon Bordeaux, husband likes it but thinks that it may be a bit pink. I disagree.

He likes the Gold Bordeaux, I like it but I think it may be a little too "goldy-orangy". He disagrees.

Also like the Sienna Cream, and think that we would have an easier time picking out a backsplash to coordinate since the pattern is a little quiter. However, it is a little more over the budget than the others (by an additional $3 per sq ft, but when you are already over ever dollar counts).

BTW - these were just the slabs that were on the top so once we narrow our choices down we can search for the perfect specimin.

Thoughts? Opinions?

And then I also have to keep in mind backsplash options with each as well. We also went to the tile store, and I do seem to love those that have all sorts of sparkly and flash. Not sure something like that would fit in with these granite choices.

The TB does have pink in it but depending on where/how they lay out the templates; that can be minimized if you so desire. I'm not a fan of the middle one... to rusty for me. I love the one on the bottom. But which door/wood/stain did you decide on?

I agree with your DH, I like the Gold Bordeaux because the grey veins seem to have a slightly greenish undertone, which balances the warmth of the rust. The Typhoon Bordeaux does seem a little "pinkish" to me. I think if you both like the last option it might be worth the $3/foot to get something you both like.

Here is the door style and stain color, for the life of me I can't just find an image of the actual door in the actual tone I am hoping for. I should be getting sample stain from the cabinet guy early next week so I can see for sure. I superimposed a portion of the granites onto it.

But the door style will be a more traditional look like below.

I think the coloring in the Siena Creme looks the most like the Ice Brown that you showed in the first post above. There have been several posts on here that used the typhoon Bordeaux and it looked great in those kitchens but I agree with your husband it definitely has pink tones in it. I think if he does not like the pinkness that will be all he focuses on once it's installed ( at least for awhile). Of these latest choices I like the Gold Bordeaux The best. I like the fact that it has the warm tones in it as well as the grey. The grey in it will work well with the stainless appliances and more importantly with that stainless apron front sink you want. Good luck with your continued quest.

I think all 3 could work. You might try having the stone yard move around the slabs of the Typhoon Bordeaux if there are slabs from a different batch on site. Heck, even slabs from the same batch can look different. However, it's the "pink" undertones that make the stone seem so warm and organic, so you just need to find one that has more "red wine or cherry" of a look than "pink" and that might satisfy your husband.

Also, it's funny, but vocabulary can really make a difference in perception. If you refer to the "cherry" or "mahogany" tones in the stone, that sounds a lot more masculine to guys than "pink" does and that might help to ease his objections as well as sorting through the slabs.

As far as liking sparkly stuff for a backsplash, if you do go with the Typhoon Bordeaux, you can find a mixed stone/glass backsplash that has a bit of iridescence that will subtly pick up the "cherry" tones in the granite but not shout pink to your husband. Look at Susan Jablon for just about everything under the sun, even custom blends.

We had picked up samples and I have been watching how they change in different lights, and frankly, I just can't tolerate the orangy-ness of the gold bordeaux. In the sunlight, it looks almost garish. Somebody said rustiness, and that is exactly what it reminds me of with the grays and rust...an old can that somebody tossed out their car window and has just been sitting there by the roadside. Shame because it is my husband's favorite. I guess I could try to find one with less of the rust color, but right now I can say that I just don't like it.

I was trying to spin the pink tones into "wine colored" while at the granite place, but I don't know if he was buying it. I have been playing around with the Susan Jablon site and think that if I add in the wine/burgandy tones and we can find a non-pink slab, he may change his tune. Or it may just be back to the drawing board.

The Ice Brown (looks like it is also called Alaska White)at that shop was also the same price as the two Bordeaux options so puts that back in the mix too (but I didn't take a pic). I could put together a backsplash with some flash and sparkle with a mix of all the different finishes available at Susan Jablon, but it doesn't give as many options for adding in an accent color in the backsplash. Maybe the sparkle is enough to add interest more than just the subway tiles.

That Susan Jablon site is truly addicting though. I could play on that for hours.

Ok, I have no idea how I used to pass my time before kitchen planning. It seems like all I do anymore.

OK, so how about this? I think deep down I am afraid to commit to crazy colors in the permanent parts of the kitchen. Maybe I could add them with accessories. Plus, in looking around the house, I really do have quite a few earth tones so it will look like it "fits". And it was a granite that both of us agreed on, so that is always a bonus.

So, the subway tiles in 3' x 12" around the perimeter (affordable) and then the Sicis tiles for the sparkle that I love in either an accent square behind the range or added in some other way (expensive so I can't afford much). Maybe I could paint the walls a nice pale neutral green to add a touch of color.

So fire away, what do you think?

I think that if money is tight, the best thing to do is skip the bs for the first year and use the space in your budget to get the granite you most like. I like the Sienna Creme the most out of the pics you showed.
Let the bs be your Xmas gift in 2012 to each other. We bought our bs tiles yet can't afford to pay for installation yet. It has not affected our kitchen one bit in the 9 months we have been using it. In fact, I sort of like that we will have a new element in the future that will change the look again. I may even have them lay it out differently than I would have if I had had it done sooner.

It is a good idea to see what you want in a bs but just don't commit yet. Your granite will determine the bs, so pick them in that order.

I need to get a pic of the Ice Brown, nobody seems impressed by it except me! The slab that I saw was so so pretty. An alternate name appears to be Alaska White, which somebody recently used and posted and it was as lovely as I remember it being at the granite store. I don't think that the little pic I got off the internet is doing it any justice. And it is $4 less per square foot than the Sienna Cream (which I agree is prettiest of the three that I posted from my last trip).

My original plan was to wait for the BS due to monetary reasons. I was calling it "Phase 2". It seemed that people were cautioning me about that. And by people I mean contractors who we were getting bids from. In the back of my head I wonder if that is so they can get sloppy with the wall repair or if they just want to be able to include it in the project so they can charge for it. When we went to the tile store, they recommended to get your granite intalled and then pick up samples to take home and compare with your actual granite. It is good advice, particularly because I am noticing that the looks of things change depending on the lighting. And saving up the money sure sounds like a good idea. With that being said, I do want an idea of "concept" going into it, even if I don't purchase the backsplash right away. So.....are you not liking the elements together?

I think the granite in the very first picture of this discussion is perfect.

{{!gwi}}

Ice Brown like this?

Awww, that pic didn't come through for me remodelfla.

I am planning on going tomorrow to get a pic of the actual slab.

I LOVE the Ice Brown and plan on using it in my kitchen! I have 4 slabs on hold but tomorrow I pick the two I need and layout my templates! So exciting! Go with the granite you love : )

I am almost finished my kitchen and it is almost identical to yours. Doors are a bit different. Painted a cream color with a huge black island. Walnut stainee oak Floors. Stainless steel appliances. And I just picked out the ice brown granite alias Alaska White. And I think I am going to use it for a backsplash as well. I have an 8' vertical window that looks into the forest for the majority of the back splash. I think our kitchens will be stunning! Still working on the pulls. Found some cups at Renovation Hardware that are glass which gives it a bit of bling. Good luck and post some pics when you are done as will I.