I'm late to this party and skimmed through the comments here. What about a waterfall edge on the peninsula that would provide a clear delineation between the entry side and the kitchen/dining side. You could then put a navy blue panel or maybe the flooring material in the inset. I think it might look cool, but definitely on the contemporary/modern side. Here's my humble attempt at a visual explanation :-)

To me, it seems like you like that blue cabinet. I would go with blue cabinets or blue lowers and white uppers. I know it is dark in your house and in Alaska, but I don't think that blue is horribly dark. Do white counters. Worst case, you could paint the blue cabinets (with a lot of coats). My neighbor has blue cabinets and they are awesome. She has white marble counters. You could also do a white backsplash (or one of the white/blue backsplashes). Finally, if you do blue, make sure there is a dark primer underneath. BTW, I totally understand how you feel. If you have seen any of my posts on backsplashes, you know that I am in the same boat with tile. I keep looking for the perfect photo that will be my inspiration.

Steph - go with your heart!

I was still unsure of the right color for my cabinets as I drove to the kitchen store on my way to visit DB. Everything seemed that I was trying to match the original floor (which was staying) and missed.

I walked into KD store and literally bumped into the perfect finish. KD made me drive home(30 minutes the wrong way) to verify that this was perfect. It was just what the kitchen needed. Of course, it cost more than my original options but I love it!

Stained wood can scratch - paint can chip. Enjoy what you want - at the end of the day - you won't be second guessing yourself!

In a kitchen that didn't get a lot of natural light, I wouldn't even think about doing anything other than white cabs. That's just me, I'm all about the light, but it kinda sounds like you love white cabinets.

Your new white cabinets ARE NOT going to look or preform like your old painted-oak ones. The finish is going to be better and more durable, and the door style will be different, and I'm assuming the layout and counters will too. It won't be the same.

I'd do a light wood floor, probably bamboo, since you seem into it. We've had laminate a couple of times and haven't had great luck with it, so for me, I'd pay the extra dollar or so a square foot and get the real bamboo. My dad's had it in his house for 10 years and it still looks great.

Also, thanks for posting that photo of the blue cabs. I've been waffling on my island color, and I think I'm in love. ;-)

In searching on Houzz I came across this pic and thought of you. I lurve the bright white on this color of wood floor. *sigh* Anyway, random thought. Don't mind me...

Aberfeldie Project · More Info

The door is a beautiful color, really appealing.

Your window backsplash sounds more contemporary but the door style reads a bit traditional? Do you think if you did an "analyze these photos" thread as mrspete and amber have done it might help you pin things down?

Do any of these images appeal to you? (sorry don't know why they are so big)

Inner Richmond Remodel · More Info

Amersham Kitchen · More Info

Contemporary Kitchen · More Info

Magellan Street - kitchen · More Info

Wow! Great pictures :)

Steph- I really like Benjesbride's white kitchen with blue peninsula....and Oaktown's photos are amazing! That first one combined with Benjesbride's would be my choice. Add in Beth's cabinet style and it would be a lovely kitchen. Hope this helps!

We did one of our showroom vignettes in the Pearl with the island done in the Blue Lagoon. I think it would be a lovely choice for you as well. The flooring that we chose for the vignette is walnut, with a neutral greyish stain that still allows the warmth of the walnut to show through. As you can see from the photos, good lighting is a must, or the blue reads too dark, like ours does. Also the Metro door has lots of 90° angles that tend to see wear sooner than a softer rounded or beveled edge would. Assess how careful you are as to wear and tear, as well as your tolerance for seeing that show on tose 90° edges. If it would break your heart to have a few small chips in a few years because your family is rough and tumble, I would suggest a different door without the hard angles.

Dynasty Omega Showroom Vignette · More Info

Dynasty Omega Showroom Vignette · More Info

Thanks so much, everyone. I've been stepping back and taking a little break, periodically reading your comments and considering all the valuable input.

A special thanks to all of you who are putting your time into my dilemma, especially those of you who have posted pics, offered empathy/solidarity or found such great pictures of inspiration and illustration. And, of course, a BIG thank you to Benjesbride for finding one of my many layout pics to post up so you can see the basic layout/room we are working with.

I think I have a few things to resolve:

Firstly, I am seriously reconsidering whether I am struggling because I actually want an all white kitchen with all that involves.

Secondly, I also wonder if it would be more cohesive with the backsplash window and small size of my kitchen to go all one color and forget the 2-toned look, despite all the reasons I am drawn to it. Particularly given I really am only finding wood finishes that are available in slab doors only (bamboo, wenge, et al) and I'm not nuts about the idea of white slab uppers.

I think I will research rift oak and at least see what the options look like in that direction for both of the cabinet lines I am considering. Just to see.

Thirdly, if I am insistent upon 2-tone and a shaker/metro door, maybe that means I have to go with painted lowers again instead of stained. And deal with everything that involves in terms of maintenance, wear, durability, cleanability, etc. I could go with the blue lowers or maybe I could live with beige/tan lowers.

Fourthly, I just need to decide on what door style I am going to go with, as that will definitely steer me re: finishes. If I go slab, then I guess we are down to wenge or bamboo. If am adamant about a door with some interest, then I am almost certainly down to painted options only - assuming the rift oak exploration goes nowhere.

I COULD go with white cabinets and a waterfall edge and just put something interesting on the back of the peninsula that would be easy enough to change out if the wear was bad or I changed color schemes or style or whatever. That's appealing but it would mean re-working the layout a bit (giving up the 4" space cabinet at the end of the peninsula run and small filing/mail/charging system on the other end of the peninsula nearest the wall where the corner is). It's definitely something to consider and would offer some flexibility for down the road.

I went down to play with the gliding doors Omega offers yesterday. They were done in a dark wenge slab door, but the Metro and Shaker doors will work with that system. I really liked them and think they would function great on my one wall of uppers.

I'm sure there's more to say but I wanted to at least pop in and tell you I'm listening and thank you!

Hope you are coming to some conclusions on what to do. :)

Here's your kitchen plan....right?

What about something like this for the uppers, with the white base and maybe blue peninsula? It would give you a view, when it's all snow outside :)

Or you could go with a darker blue wall with uppers...

I struggled with the same issues but a bit reversed. I came from a house with stained cabinets, wood floors and a low ceiling. It was only partially open to the den so not much in the way of natural light. Fast forward to the new house we have gutted and taken to studs and I struggled with what to do in the kitchen. It has low ceilings as well but lots of wonderful windows. I knew I didn't want the upkeep of an all white kitchen or to repeat the stained cabinets. I too like the two-toned kitchens but was afraid they are too trendy and I'd tire of it so I painted the cabinets Edgecomb Gray. You may be familiar with the color. It's one of those light "greige" tones. I have to admit they are gorgeous. I have hardwood floors, soapstone countertops, and my ceiling is 6" v-groove painted White Dove. My island is Finney Gray - a slightly darker "greige" from Benjamin Moore. I love they way it looks and that it's not the all-white kitchen everyone is doing here in Dallas. I can't wait until it's finished!! If you're worried about scuffing while seated at your peninsula you could add a footrest. My friend did one out of brass - like you might see in a bar or tavern. It's gorgeous. Her's extends from the back of the island instead of coming up from the floor. It's just deep enough to rest part of your foot on.

Good luck. I know it's overwhelming.

If I were to ever do my kitchen dark..

I think I'd do antique brass or copper hardware, though.

"When we moved into the house, I quickly painted our oak cabinets white.
It did amazing things to the space. It looked 3x brighter and 3x
bigger. But, the paint wore over the years - especially on the lowers."

So maybe that quick paint job wasn't as good as a factory finish? I have had my cabinets for 12 years, and for the most part they look pretty good! It's the stained finish that hasn't survived as well. Go with what you love, not with what you think you should do, and the rest will fall into place. Yes, really. My 2cents? That blue is awesome!

Thanks for the continued dialogue. It's very helpful to have people to bounce off of, particularly because my social circle is the antithesis of TKO (totally kitchen obsessed).

I ran down to the KD's shop before the holiday weekend and brought home every sample of bamboo and wenge they had in the Omega line, along with a white door, blue door, slab door and (my favorite but probably impractical) Metro door. I have the samples spread out around the house as I occasionally google wenge doors, rift oak doors, white kitchen, etc. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the white door looks far, far brighter than ANYTHING else. The blue door looks more navy in our lighting, as seen in ProSource Memphis' vignette, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it mostly makes them look more neutral. What's surprising is that SO likes the blue. Maybe the painted cabinets just seem less dark than stain or the lack of grain makes it seem less busy. There's also a few light bamboo samples that don't have the orange tones of the DuraSupreme bamboo - one is so light that it looks like unfinished pine with a few striations. Another few are more light brown in tone without the orange. The wenges are all on the dark side, with a few grays. I still love the Metro door, but take the point about it being more prone to chipping/wear. I have a neighbor coming over to help me analyze the samples before I bring them back tomorrow. Again, the main thing jumping out at me overall is how much brighter the white is compared to everything else. I'm staring at the doors right now from across the room without my glasses on and the white literally pulls light into the kitchen in a way that nothing else can mimic. Granted, our lighting isn't in and we are especially dark as we are down to studs, but still, it's a point worth noting.

Great kitchens, Lavender Lass. As I mentioned above, my tentative design plans call for the peninsula to terminate with a narrow cabinet on the perpendicular for vitamins or teas or cans or something - and is supposed to have a small cabinet on the wall side for files/mail/charging station. That would make the waterfall edge impossible and I think we could really utilize that storage, especially given I've given up my wall of tall cabinets in the dining area. But, I could still do an insert on the peninsula, maybe, if I extended the narrow cabinet out further so that there were small cabinets on each side of the seating area. I'm just not sure I want to do that as it would frame in the seating on both sides.

When I've presented the layout before, people have advised that I go with a straight line of uppers without glass in order to not detract from the backsplash window. I think we are going to go without uppers on the little range wall/nook - and we lost the few amount of uppers we had on the third wall that we demo'ed out of the kitchen. So, I'm really going to need that wall of uppers and am leaning towards splurging on those gliding doors all the way across from fridge to wall. My partner went and looked at the display they put up and was impressed with the hardware, though he noted that the installers seemed to be having trouble with making them non-glitchy and fully operational.

Motherwallace - your plans sound great and it sounds like you get the dilemma. Your solution won't work for me, as I have never been a gray girl and I'm really trying to fight the gray trend, which occasionally begins to suck me in. We have a LOT of gray up here and many gray days. In fact, one winter I was going to write a book about dealing with my health crisis and I was going to call it "One Thousand Shades of Gray" because I was standing outside one Winter day contemplating the purple grays, green grays, blue grays, charcoal grays, silver grays surrounding me. This was a decade before 50 Shades of Gray, by the way! I could have been rich! Well, probably not, because my content was not nearly as enthralling, apparently! And, I'll grant, I might have been depressed at the time! LOL I do think the new grays are lovely for the right person in the right place - much better than the old, cold modern grays of the 80's. The footrest is a great idea, especially for short people like me. I could even just ensure that my stools have a place for the foot to rest.

Amber - that blue kitchen is quite something. Interesting how it manages not to look dark, even though it is. I think it's a combination of the high gloss and the fact that paint colors just don't seem to read as dark as stain, even in the same range of tones? It's an interesting thing to contemplate, anyway. Brass or copper would look great with that color - it seems to have quite a lot of green. The thing that makes me most twitchy about going with a bold color - even the blue I have on my short list - is that the kitchen is now open and the literal center of the house. So... I'm going to have to work with whatever I do there for virtually everything else basically forever. As you can all tell, I don't do forever very well. lol

Sherri - We didn't paint the cabinets ourselves but hired a "pro". However, there is little question that it was not as durable a finish as a factory finish would be. This is also one of the reasons I decided against Barkers or other RTAs that didn't seem to have a very durable, cleanable finish. If I am going to go with paint, I really want a harder finish than what I had last time. Ultimately, though, white cabinets require washing down more frequently and the dust/dirt tends to collect on any edge. So, over time as you wipe that down, it seems destined to wear. I just don't see any way around all that. And, I did hate having to clean them as frequently as I had to. Which really is a large part of the argument for slab doors and stained finishes. I'm just struggling to find one I like and I'm so partial to the shaker/metro look in terms of adding a bit of character to this small room.

At this point, it looks like it will either come down to:

1 - a light bamboo (did I mention 50% upcharge?!?!) with or without white uppers that probably have to be slab doors

2 - a dark wenge (highly unlikely but I like them but they also have the 50% upcharge)

3 - white painted shaker or metro door, with or without some of that blue.

If I go white, I'm at a loss of what I would choose for counters/tile but it would make flooring much easier. I don't want the kitchen to be cold looking and I've really only considered light counters as I was pretty convinced I was going two-toned. At the same time, it's nice to have the white back on the table. I think it really deserves my reconsideration, because BOTH me and the house really liked them last time around despite the fact that they were high maintenance.

One thing I noted at the store is the display with the wenge, which is made the same way as bamboo, had these uneven looking edges at the top of the doors where the edge-banding was places. Like part of the raw door was uncovered. I imagine that comes with the reality of veneer doors? I wasn't nuts about it...and it was distinct enough to pick up in pics.

Frankly that blue is stunning and with white uppers would be fantastic. And it's quite clear you're drawn to the blue and the white. I say go for it. You won't be disappointed.

How about doing the uppers in white shaker/metro and do the lowers in the blue with the metro doors, since you're going to see the uppers more than the lowers. Pick a nice light (white) countertop and backsplash, maybe with a blue stripe? and you'll have a light bright space that will keep you happy even during the darkest, dreariest winter. The dark bottom cabinets will give a bit of color but because they are dark, will also help to ground the space, while the white uppers will help to brighten it all up.

Add pops of color with accessories and fabrics.

BTW: What are your favorite colors other than blue and white?

steph, you mention how bright and light your white samples look compared to the others, although your lighting isn't in yet. And that actually tells you a lot. Sure, you can lighten and brighten any room with really good lighting, but how nice it is to not have to turn on the lights and not feel like it's too dark.

I have white cabs, old oak boxes painted on-site and new doors and drawer fronts done in the painter's shop. So maybe as good as factory finish, but probably not. After 3 years, mine are pristine with the exception of a few pin holes from cats' claws on the top edge of doors (I have a door-opening cat). Essentially invisible.

Last week I did my semi-annual stem to stern cabinet wash (water + Dawn + microfiber cloth). So easy to keep clean and surprisingly not dirty, except for lower inner edge of shaker doors. At least with white you know where you need to wipe.

It sounds like you really like the white and are still looking for a reason not to get them.

" Sure, you can lighten and brighten any room with really good lighting, but how nice it is to not have to turn on the lights and not feel like it's too dark."

This.

As you know, I am also struggling with the whole "Idon'twantittoodarkinhere" thing. I had my heart pretty well set on Corian Tumbleweed. Loved it, still do. I felt it was light enough to work, but dark enough to be warm. And I had the sample sitting on my counter for days. But finally I looked at it yesterday morning, with sun out and thought, this is as dark as what I have right now. This adds nothing (bright wise) to the kitchen. So I chucked that one, sadly, and am looking at Witch Hazel. Because I feel exactly like what Linelle just said, I don't want to have to have lights on in the kitchen at 8 o'clock in the A.M on a sunny day!

Just my .02. ;)

The sun came out so I've been in gardening mode today - and have to pop back out. But, I took a little break to read your comments - thanks everyone, once again. I'll follow up more later and you all are making valid suggestions that are much appreciated.

Just a quick question: Do you think a shaker/metro door could work with my backsplash window or do you think it locks me in to going more modern with slab doors? Could the BS window work with white cabinets? With two-toned with blue on the bottom? Or, is it going to look thrown together and without cohesion, like it doesn't make sense or as if I threw the window into a kitchen that had a different style?

I want modern cottage. Not too modern. Not too cottage. Just not sure how I can get there...

I think the only kind of kitchen that great BS window might not work with is a very traditional kitchen or a themed kitchen like Tuscan/Mediterranean/Tudor-type. I think you're over-thinking this and I think any of those combinations would work just fine. I agree with all the others that you seem to be drawn to the white but fighting it. Why? I really like cpartist's take on this and, as an artist, I give value to her input.

What combination makes you smile?

I think shaker pretty much goes with everything and anything at this point. I agree with funkycamper - stay away from tuscan (*gag*) and you can do whatever you want. And if you were to go with a shaker door with a rounded inside edge they shouldn't be difficut to keep clean. Something like this:

Kitchen Classic · More Info

My parents' white shaker doors are annoying to clean but only because
they are the squared off kind with deep stiles and rails and dust and dog hair get in
the sharp inside corners. (A big reason I think they should paint their
lowers blue).

I think your look would work perfectly with a backsplash window! Now I think you're overthinking and need to just choose. It's obvious you have a good sense of style, so go with it.

I think blue and white with wood floors will be perfect for your kitchen. It's a traditional choice, so there's the cottage and with some modern accents....I think you'll really like it :)

A few more pictures....

I just noticed on the revived Brooklyn Galley Reveal post that she used slab bases and shaker uppers. It's all stained wood, so not exactly what you were considering, but I think it looks great.

I've looked at those Brooklyn Galley kitchen photos many times in planning our own galley kitchen and I never once noticed the different door styles; your mentioning it in your original post is what raised my awareness to them.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2626772/brooklyn-galley-kitchen-finished-not-white?n=83

I get it. I'm not a gray girl either. Not by any stretch of the word. These colors aren't really gray at all they are just not as tan/gold as a lot of colors. I love the pictures lavender_lass posted. Those blues would make me happy! In fact we painted our desk area/office off the kitchen a deep blue color similar to the cabinets in pic 2. My girlfriend just finished her house and she used painted white cabinets with Statuary marble (the one with large veins, not crazy, scribbly veins), a light blue backsplash from Walker Zanger in a Moroccan shape and it's gorgeous! She's accented with various shades of blues, a few shots of yellow and a splash of green. I know it sounds loud but it's really pretty and light filled! It looks like you are getting some great advice and suggestions from this community. I know it will be lovely when you're done!

Motherwallace- I love color...it sounds like a beautiful kitchen!

Sorry I've been scarce on my own thread. It's planting season up here - and I was enjoying what was left of my long holiday weekend (took an extra day). The KD is out of town on vacation, so I feel like I have a little breathing room. I'm also hoping the KD can be helpful with the design angst.

The good news is that:

a) the kitchen no longer feels as angsty. I hope that feeling lasts... I still feel like spending all this money on cabinets is a huge commitment, but I no longer feel as strongly that I should love it. Maybe it's more a marriage of convenience than a love match? Heck, at this point I'd practically take an arranged marriage. lol If I can keep that perspective, it would be a good thing for my sanity, though we'll see if it is helpful for the actual renovation! ;)

b) it's starting to feel more like I have 3 viable options - any of which I could live with - instead of being forced to marry something when there is nothing I love. The pragmatic part of me says those kinds of marriages can work and who says there is only one soulmate for everyone - or that soulmates even exist? lol

Sure, I'm still swinging a bit, but it feels less so. And the swinging feels less, I don't know, crucial.

Monday I was 90% sure that all of this angst was because I ultimately DID want a white kitchen and have been going in circles because of the search for a stain for a two-toned look that isn't meant to be in this house. Of course, that left me a total blank on counters and tile, as I have only been looking at whites because of the two-tone direction. I still haven't even considered what I would like for counter/tile if I went with all white. I guess I might do a solid quartz color that looked like non-pink limestone or a warm concrete or sand. But, Linelle's comments about how well the white door is working in here in terms of the light issue struck home, along with all the comments from others about the topic.

Meanwhile, I am loving all the blue and white kitchens - even though I'm having a hard time totally envisioning one here. Total eye candy. I like almost every one of them. It feels like the least flexible of the options - the most limiting in terms of the adjoining spaces and future paint colors, etc. It's probably the least attractive for resale, too. And, the blue looks extremely dark here, so navy it is nearly black. I'm not sure I could make it look so refreshingly bright and light and wonderful as virtually all of these pictures. The funny thing about the blue was that on my very first GW kitchen thread, which I can only vaguely remember now, someone asked me if I had colorful items I could work with and I mentioned I had all this blue and white stuff.

Tuesday I found a lighter bamboo similar in tone to the Omega line's natural bamboo, which I can't find on-line anywhere (which makes me a bit nervous). I was struck by how many colors it seemed to live well with in the very colorful kitchen in the picture. I even thought I didn't mind the uppers being bamboo if they were lighter and not orangish... Which, I guess is a consideration as maybe a small kitchen like mine isn't perfect for two-tone and I'm not crazy about white slab doors.... Here's a few pics, just to keep the thread interesting!

I can see the lighting I picked out working well with the painted kitchens. Just not sure if I see it with the bamboo? It's the only thing I've actually bought so far - other than the range hood. Go, me!

Benjesbride - I appreciate you keeping your eye on the slab door/shaker upper question. If you look carefully at Brooklyn Galley's kitchen, her drawers are slab on the lowers - but the doors are shaker (her sink). It does work well, though, in her case to have the slab look on the bottom overall. I think that's the line of cabinets she chose, some of which only provide slab drawers. I've kept a little Houzz file on the kitchens I found with slab on bottom and shaker on top. They are few and far between and didn't leave me convinced I could get away with doing that. So far, anyway. My aunt keeps emphasizing how small my kitchen is and to be careful about all this mixing I am considering doing in such a small room in such a small house. It's a valid caution, even though I vacillate on how receptive I am to listening to it!

With this lighting...I really think you should do a white and blue kitchen!!! LOL

I don't live in Alaska, but we do have LONG winters with snow...and by mid-March, sometimes no snow, just mud. That's worse, since there's no reflection off the snow. When I redo the farmhouse, I am definitely going to do a white, blue and green (plants) kitchen. With wood floors and lots of windows.

Will it look a little cold in the winter? No, it will bounce the light around and I can add orange for fall and green and red in the winter! Think about it....everything goes with white and blue :)

" the kitchen no longer feels as angsty. I hope that feeling lasts... I still feel like spending all this money on cabinets is a huge commitment, but I no longer feel as strongly that I should love it. Maybe it's more a marriage of convenience than a love match? Heck, at this point I'd practically take an arranged marriage. lol"

This, cracked me up! Too funny, and very witty. ;) Sounds like you are making strides, and so glad to hear the angst is easing. Hang in there, it will come! And, I cannot believe the first light you posted. I ran across a thread just today with that exact one as one of two choices and thought how much I liked it! :)

There is a DEFINITE blue and white contingent on this thread! LOL I gotta say, you folks are doing a helluva job at making your case. I look at this eye candy and am almost there! Then I get up from the computer and walk by those doors and am struck again by how dark that blue looks!

I actually prefer the light blue, in the first picture. It's cheerful!

If the darker blue looks too dark in your house, I think you will regret it no matter how lovely it is. A lighter blue may work better.

What do you think about yellow? Yellow goes with almost every other color. Blue, red, green, purple, gray, black, orange, white, you name it and yellow works. And it would make your kitchen feel so sunny even during the gray winters. I live where we have a lot of gray skies, too, and yellow works so well to offset those drab days.

I will be honest, I agree with funky about the dark blue maybe being too dark....

"Then I get up from the computer and walk by those doors and am struck again by how dark that blue looks!"

The color choices through the Omega cabinet line are limited. There's one blue. It looks vibrant and cobalt-y in the pictures. I agree it looked cheerful! But...it looks navy in my hot little hands in my small little house - and in ProSource Memphis' rendition on that island. It's dark, at least here. With lighting, perhaps it finds life, I dunno. But, the lowers are never as well lit as the uppers so I'm not thinking that would help me out much? If I go with this, I have to be prepared for it to look navy.

I'm not going to spend more for custom paint. And while I loved yellow in my last 1 5 years in the house, and did find it warm and cosy by night and light and cheerful by day, I'm not thinking I am going to repeat the same color scheme this time around. I'd be reluctant to paint the cabinets yellow, even if it was a choice. The yellows, oranges/terracottas and golds I used on the walls last time were VERY nice up here and went well with the butter yellow I painted the exterior, but I'm leaning more to whites or muddied modern tones this time around - or at least leaving that door open.

The Omega choices are basically a few whites, mushroom, taupe/beige, battleship gray, black, a pesto green, a color called rain that is like a pastel blue gray, cranberry and blue lagoon. http://www.omegacabinetry.com/our-products/finish-options/finishes-opaques-glazes

PS - I made the case to my neighbor last night that blue is a neutral. We wear everything with our blue jeans, after all. She stared at me for a few minutes, then said a blue kitchen would be a deal breaker for her and she couldn't make it work with her stuff. No sale! LOL

I think there's a big difference between a blue kitchen and a white kitchen with blue accents.

Having the cabinets dark blue would be very pretty, but more blue than some people would like. Having a white kitchen with blue accents....that would be pretty for those of us, who love blue...and easy to change for others, who do not.

White kitchens with wood floors are very neutral. So are wood kitchens with light floors. It depends on what you do with your backsplash, stools, lights, etc. that really make the kitchen your own. I know you know this...but it's worth repeating!

A neutral kitchen is not stressful, because you can always change it. That's how I feel about DIY painted kitchens, easy to change :)

A 10% upcharge will get you any color blue or purple or yellow that you want in Dynasty. Somewhere I have a pic of a bright turquoise vanity going down the production line destined for a beach house in FL.

So, instead of a 20K kitchen, it's a 22K kitchen. In the scheme of things in a kitchen redo....maybe cut somewhere else if you want the "perfect" color. I know it's easy to get caught up in upgrading everything, but, if there's one thing worth upgrading, it's to cabinets with a factory applied finish in the exact color that you want.

Purple??? Okay, maybe not, but nice to know :)

What about minimal uppers, white backsplash and navy base cabs? I saw this picture and immediately thought of you!

I think blue lagoon looks lighter than the blue in the kitchen I just posted. You could also do a lighter floor.. Maybe like this..

I really want these blue cabs to happen.. Can you tell?!

I admit, I'm a sucker for the vibrant darkish blues - especially on-line with the perfect professional pictures with light flooding the space, apparently. In real life, not sure how these colors actually translate. I took the blue door out in the sun yesterday and it started leaping into life. lol

I read an article this morning about how two-toned with a small U can end up closing in the U. I hadn't thought of that, but it seems like there might be some validity there?? I've always thought my layout would work well with two-toned. Huh.

We probably can't have this thread without THIS blue and white kitchen, which is deservingly almost famous:

Love that kitchen. And, it illustrates exactly what I like about two-tone kitchens with dark lowers and then white counters, tile, walls and uppers. Such a clean, crisp look and doesn't look striped at all. Just grounded and fresh.

Amber, I'm not much of a pastel person so I'd be hesitant to go with a light blue. I think I'll only have one wall of uppers, but I really can't afford to give up any more uppers than that. And, the backsplash window would look silly without cabinets above it - and no way in heck we are modifying that as we literally just put it in with a huge header and expensive permit when we did the exterior two years ago. This is a tiny house, tiny kitchen with minimal storage. I'm really only giving up 2 SMALL cabinets on the range wall if I go without cabs there - probably two 12-15" uppers. And, still, I wonder if I dare give up that storage for oils, spices, etc. Tearing down the wall already removed one wall of uppers.

Do I dare mention I saw a great induction range in, um, blue? Can be yours, if the price is right ($9,039)

http://www.vikingrange.com/consumer/product/products/cooking/freestanding-ranges/viking-professional-5-series/30-w--5-series-ranges/30--electric-induction-range---visc

Saw this today and thought you might be interested....links at the end to the personality assessment if you haven't done one! I'm sure something will turn up unexpectedly and feel just right, just keep looking.

Match your kitchen to your Myers Briggs personality (not sure why the link keeps going away...can copy and paste below address)

http://www.thekitchn.com/the-perfect-kitchen-style-for-your-myers-briggs-personality-type-life-in-the-kitchen-219617?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Kitchn+52715+-+Which+Kitchen+Style+Matches+Your+Myers-Briggs+Personality++How+To+Make+Thai+Iced+Tea++A+Faster+Way+to+Cook+Brown+Rice++12+Ways+to+Use+Wire+Shelves+in+the+Kitchen++The+Difference+Between+Mozzarella++Burrata++5+Clever+Tortil&utm_content=The+Kitchn+52715+-+Which+Kitchen+Style+Matches+Your+Myers-Briggs+Personality++How+To+Make+Thai+Iced+Tea++A+Faster+Way+to+Cook+Brown+Rice++12+Ways+to+Use+Wire+Shelves+in+the+Kitchen++The+Difference+Between+Mozzarella++Burrata++5+Clever+Tortil+CID_7d1bfece2bf33a025e3b3713266e66a0&utm_source=email_newsletter&utm_term=See%20which%20kitchen%20style%20matches%20your%20Myers-Briggs%20type#.j7io9m:x9CE

Williamsen- that is a hoot. Maybe start a whole new thread on the MB kitchen

DH is INTJ and I am ENTP- oh no!

Steph - maybe this will help inspire or justify your thoughts.

I don't think this works for me....I got eight different answers. LOL

Edited to add....now down to about five. So, I'm an eclectic bohemian, who likes romantic, rustic, traditional style. I guess the eclectic was probably closest! :)

What a fun read, Williamsen. The kitchen for my type would be one of my last choices. While I love all the color in it, I HATE all the clutter. But it was still fun.

Try it, Steph. It may help drive you to a decision whether it agrees with your type or not. Although I think you've reached the eenie-meanie-miney-moe point, lol.

LOL. Fun. I'm an "ENTP: The Visionary: Your kitchen style is Eclectic. When it comes to designing your kitchen, rules are made to be broken. You find inspiration in all kinds of styles and periods, and you're not afraid to mix and match. If it doesn't work, that's okay — you're just going to change it again anyway."

There's truth in that...and it illustrates something about my panic about COMMITTING FOR LIFE TO SOMETHING I DON'T LOVE THAT MUCH! ;)

Ironically enough, I got a two-toned kitchen with the only two colors (gray and yellow) I expressly said I wouldn't consider for the cabinets. With a pantry filled to the brim with books!! Oh, irony pleases me so...

And...for our next game, we'll spin the wheel to pick my next kitchen! Lol

Steph - we match! I wanted two toned but ended up single tone with a glaze.