Great house. I just searched white dove cabinets on houzz, and a million photos popped up. I think you can get a good idea of how the paint looks with lots of different variables. Yes, photos aren't 100% accurate, but there's a reason that color is so popular, right? It must work in a bunch of different spaces.

Sorry I can't be more help, we went with stained cabinets, so never explored all of he painted options.

I think you're stressing over really nothing. I'm a color person. I live color and after everything is put in, along with all your decorative items the difference between dove white, atrium white or super white or even white or decorator's white will hardly be noticed. As you've already learned all colors change depending on the light in the room, the time of day, etc.

Whites are not a color (non color) I would stress over. Actual pigment colors yes. Now if you wanted to compare a linen white and an antique white withe a white dove, then yes, you'd be talking apples and oranges, but you're really not with your choices.

We have used white dove in our last 2 houses for trim and ceiling color. Compared to stock primed trim it looks creamy, but not yellow. We used it on our island in this house and I love it! I've also seen kitchens with simply white that looked just as beautiful! Definitely agree with cpartist. I don't think you will notice a change with either.

This picture is of my island. (Don't look at my dirty floors. House is under construction lol) There are 12 windows shining light all day in my kitchen, if that helps any. Google both colors with your granite and I'm sure you will find both have good examples! Good luck!

I love your house so far!!! It's really hard to assess how colors will react to light when you don't yet have walls and windows in place. Other things, e.g., trees and vegetation, will also affect how your whites look.

For my cabinets I started with four choices: White Dove, Mascarpone, Simply White, and Cloud White. I decided White Dove was too gray and Mascarpone too yellow. My painter did two sample doors for me in Simply White and Cloud White. I put those doors in every location in my kitchen and pondered them deeply. :) I found very very little difference between them and liked them both equally. I found it better to not put them side by side because then I just compared them. Instead I put each one up on a separate wall and decided how each one made me feel. Kinda touchy feely.

In the end I chose Cloud White which is a slight tad creamier than Simply White. For about a month I second-guessed myself and thought I should have gone with Simply White. But then true love bloomed and I realized Cloud White was the right decision all along. It's 3.5 years later and I could eat it with a spoon.

BTW, on some bright days, the light reflects off my tree and my neighbor's and there's a greenish hue. It would be there whatever white I chose, so I discount it altogether.

Good luck! If I had your choices, I'd go with Simply White. Do a Houzz or Google search for Breezy's kitchen. It's one of the nicest using Simply White.

Thanks for the feedback! I know I am probably making a bigger deal of this than I should.

The turn in the peninsula was decided on by my husband, the GC, and the cabinet people. I think it was to gain some extra storage and counter space. I have it mocked up on Home Designer Suite and it looks okay, but there is definitely not going to be more than one person back there (it's 42").

Is it something I should make a fuss over? I have just been picking my battles so far! haha!

Ignore the mismatched walls and weird backsplash stuff... and my poor excused for exposed beams (it wont let me do diagonal ones!) This is with dove white cabinets/trim, revere pewter walls, and a white quartzite counter.

From kitchen entry:

From near fireplace:

Colors look great! I had to pick my battles too on our rebuild. We also have revere pewter walls. That was hubby's choice and I hated it in the sample!! Too brown for my taste. Once we got it on walls with white dove trim, it looks beautiful! It looks gray in certain rooms and taupe in others.

Lisa's option is more practical. I think the small amount of counter space you gain is not worth being cut off from the rest of the kitchen.

Maybe compromise and have a pull-out work area that would be a great baking space? Slightly lower than the other counters? It could be 2' across (to slide under counter) or larger, with drop leaves.

The pull out idea is interesting--but the microwave drawer would then go in the middle there and we'd have space for a small cabinet and a drawer under the microwave.

Is a set of drawers next to the stove, a lazy susan,, corner cabinet, and narrow cabinet enough storage? There Is a full height cabinet on the bottom wall (on left), but that will be the only food storage, as there is no pantry. With the windows on both sides of the kitchen, there is limited upper cabinet space as well. Maybe I just need to throw away a bunch of stuff...? haha.

You have given me something else to ponder! I still have time to nix that bend, since the cabinet order hasn't gone in yet. Not sure if they wired for the microwave in that area, though, but I'm sure that wouldn't be the end of the world.

I'm going to tell you what happened with my paint selection. It hasn't been ordered yet, but I've decided. It started with BM's Off White brochure, myself and my designer. Simply White was immediately eliminated because it was way too white. Being the obsessive researcher that I am, I saw that Simply White, White Dove and another white that I don't recall the name of were used a lot, so I got samples of the three, and when my designer returned I had them plastered over the walls and cabinets in different locations. Long story short, I'm going with Simply White. In fact, I still have the Simply White in a few different places and one of my friends told me she loved how soft and creamy it is..... until I took it down and showed her how white it actually is. In my house, it looks great with everything that I put it with. Now having said that, I'm sure I will absolutely hate it for the first few weeks after the cabinets go in because it will be too white. :)

I understand picking your battles. However, before you place the cab order, mock up the kitchen (boxes work well) and see how it feels. I wouldn't like it - I'd rather a longer peninsula than working in 2 smaller sections - but it's not my kitchen. If you're the primary cook, make sure it works for you.

Do a tally of your kitchen items to figure out whether you will have enough storage. Group items and measure them to help you figure out if you have enough storage where you need it. This is the time to weed out what you really don't need. Be ruthless: if you haven't used that fancy glass bowl you got as a wedding gift in years, donate it or sell it.

And definitely do drawers as much as possible and add drawer organizers (after market is generally cheaper) for better storage capacity in the drawers. Here's a recent thread on drawer organizers, What cabinet drawer organizers do you love, could do without?

How tall are you upper cabs? Are you maxing out the vertical storage, too?

The other way to gain storage is with toe kick drawers.

An Elegantly Functional Kitchen in Durham · More Info

(sorry, I don't know why the above link isn't working. I've tried to fix it 3 times, no joy. You'll have to copy and paste.)

Toe kick drawers?

One other way to add a bit more storage is with shelving in front of windows like this:

Main Cabin · More Info

This kitchen has a shelf across the window and one above the window.

Mt. Baker · More Info

Kitchen with a View · More Info

Is your pantry a pull-out pantry? If not, add roll out trays or another type of system so that you don't have to dig deep into a 24" deep cab to find items.

Kitchen for Jonathan Williams Kitchens · More Info

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Mt. · More Info

Even the smallest kitchen can hold a lot more than you think it will if the storage is well planned.

Can I also vote for nixing that peninsula? I think LL and Lisa are right. I know how important storage is, but I think it's coming at a huge cost. Just my 2 cents.

You guys are awesome!!!!

I just called the cabinet guy and had him alter the drawings. He couldn't really give me any "cons" to getting rid of the turn in the peninsula other than losing a potential prep area, I guess?

I tried to organize the kitchen by what goes where and how it's used. Do you guys see anything that I'm missing? I don't really like where the glasses are--they might be able to fit in the upper near the stove, and the "nice" plates/dishes could go in the left one. Also not really sure what to do about the silverware. When we got rid of the bend in the peninsula we got rid of a lazy susan in that corner, so either the drawers there were getting wider or the trash bin area got wider. I have lived with a single-can pull out for forever so I thought the drawers were more important?

I also labeled the appliances in red, and the work zones (as I am guessing...?) in green.

What the heck am I going to be using the peninsula for? Baking prep and maybe just serving?

I also included the elevations for reference.

EDIT: Sorry just noticed the pics were unreadable.

Move your trash to under your sink cab on the non-disposal side and devote the space where the trash pull-out was to drawer storage.In a small kitchen like yours, it makes good sense to use the sink cab for trash.

My kitchen is larger than yours (but not huge so I made every inch count) and I chose to put my trash under the sink because I did not want to give up drawer storage.

Here's mine:

I had the cab company make a pull-out for the other side of the sink (disposal side).

If you do that, then you can move your dishware to drawers in the peninsula and devote the upper cabs by the range to prep and food items.

What the heck am I going to be using the peninsula for? Baking prep and maybe just serving?

Both. I can see it as a potluck/buffet area, appies & drinks area when you entertain and definitely would be great for baking prep.

Have you considered moving your baking sheets to the cab over the fridge? See the 2nd to last post with photo in this thread You could then turn the cab for baking sheets into a pull-out for spices and oils.

Are you planning on a double bowl sink or is that just the way the drawing was done? There have been plenty of threads on single vs double bowl sink. I don't think I've ever seen anyone who went from a double bowl to a single bowl regret that decision. Including me!

I just noticed that your corner Susan is a 33" cab. Have you had one that size before? You might want to do a search on that topic. Some people are okay with it, others say that it's not as useful as they'd hoped because the opening is small. Most here recommend a 36" corner Susan for that reason.

The other option is to simply block off the corner. I did that after I did my kitchen inventory. Corner storage just wasn't as useful to me as drawer storage. If you look at my pics above, you'll see I put drawers next to my corner. The only way to know if this is a good decision for you is to do your kitchen inventory. I knew exactly what was going where before my kitchen was remodeled. Yeah, it's a bit anal and time consuming but it paid off big time in the end.

Lisa you are amazing! Thank you for the ideas!

Would storing baking sheets over the fridge be practical if I was 5'3"? I would either have to climb up onto the counter (which I am used to doing for top shelves anyway), have a step stool, or find my DH to get anything out. It is a counter depth fridge though, so it wouldn't be as far back as I'm used to. I was planning on putting things that don't get used often there, like the pressure cooker, Panini press, etc.

That's a really good idea regarding the trash pullouts under the sink! I will email those pictures to the cabinet guy tomorrow and see what he says! Although I should probably gather my thoughts and have one big list for him instead of bugging him every couple hours :)

I called the GC and asked him if changing the peninsula was going to have any huge affect on the construction, and he seemed a little annoyed that I was changing (it was his design...) but said it wouldn't be a huge deal except the AC guy was thinking about putting a vent in one of the toe kicks or something.

I wish I could change the title of this thread now! I think I am going to cross my fingers and go with White Dove. I think I'll use Simply White in the basement bathroom that has no windows, though.

ETA: Yeah it's a single basin stainless sink. I HATE dual sinks--that was one battle that I picked with my husband because he likes them for some reason. I don't get it, I don't think I've ever been in such a hurry that I had to do dishes and soak something at the same time.

And I think the 33" will be okay--I was planning on using it for extra food storage (cans, spices?)

The corner cabinet on the peninsula should not be a susan but accessible from the other side.

You're welcome! And oops, sorry about the hijack but I guess it's a good thing if your kitchen winds up perfectly awesome for you.

I'm also 5'3" so I can relate. I keep a step stool handy. btw, some GWers store their step stool in a toe kick drawer.

Anyhoo, I can reach the items on the bottom shelf in the cab above my fridge (also counter depth) so I think you should be able to reach baking sheets, cutting boards, etc if you stored them over your fridge. I have mine over my oven/MW so they're a little lower than they would be if they were over my fridge. One thing I plan to do is to add blocks at the back of the slots so things don't slide too far back. Does that make sense?

Stick to your guns and never mind if the GC is upset that you aren't using his plan. It's *your* kitchen and *your* money. You should have the final say. Pull all your ideas together for one email to minimize his annoyance, though.

I just looked at your elevation drawing. Is your fridge a built-in? If so, then the cab above it will be much higher than my cab above my free-standing fridge. That would change what I wrote about being able to reach items in that cab. If that's the case, keep them where they're planned or store them in toe kick drawers. Or put them in the pantry cab.

As a fellow shortie, I planned storage for heavy items, including small appliances, where I could get them without using a step stool. I just didn't feel that I could safely haul a heavy item down while also balancing on a step stool. Light stuff should go up high. That way if it falls on your head, it won't hurt as much, lol.

Just want to reassure you about the 33" corner cab -- in my very small kitchen, I didn't want to lose any storage space by making it a dead corner, and any other type of storage in the 9" arms wouldn't have been really efficient either. I can store my biggest, rarely used pots, mixing bowls, Foreman grill, etc. Haven't found anything that I can't fit through the opening -- just have to take care, can't just open and sling it in! Also, putting one of those Ikea variara narrow pullout bins on one wall, and adding small LED tap lights have made the space easier to use. If I were 85 years old and couldn't get down to reach in, that would be another issue but I am still flexible enough to easily reach the back of the space.

When I was deciding on a white, I first narrowed them down outside in indirect light (the shaded side of the patio) then inside under an LED light that was the same lumens and color temp as the one I planned to use. Looking at different times of day is true, too -- in late afternoon the reflection off the red sided house next door gives my yellow dining room a definite pink tinge!

Edited to add: if you can, definitely put a door on the other side or make it drawers!

Thanks, raee, for sharing your experience with a 33" corner cab with the OP!

Benjamin Moore re-formulated its ever popular White Dove in 2014 to take some of the gray out! No, seriously. They added more white to it, and reduced a darker color (? black). This was in response to criticism it was at times, a tad "gray". My trim is now the new BM White Dove. It's a lovely white. Good luck.

I usually don't go into discussions about decor and color because I really don't feel I have much to add but I decided to pop in because I do want to learn more about those issues. And then I saw your layout. As the self-appointed DW Nazi, I can't help but comment. Sorry. I really hate to add to your stress but I want to throw out some ideas.

The counter space between sink and cooktop where you will do your prepping is not a good place for a DW. This means nobody can help do clean-up while you're prepping. And if you have a DW that throws out steam and heat, it may be uncomfortable to prep there while dishes are washing. So here's an idea, explanations below:

I realize some people don't like the sink on a peninsula facing a room but this layout is much more efficient. With a deep, single bowl sink, dirty dishes can be hidden in the DW without looking like a mess from the dining area. You would need to be able to make that peninsula at least 30" deep to keep splashing from happening into the dining area. Some folks prefer 36" depth. I guess it depends on how much of a splasher you are and how close people will be sitting. If they're not too close, I think 30" would work. Hope you can have 6" overhang into the dining area.

You can prep by washing in the sink and then turn to look out the windows prepping on that nice, long stretch of counter. It gives you so much more uninterrupted space to prep in. I think this, alone, makes this change worth it.

Plus, with the DW out of the prep zone, someone can be loading or unloading the DW while you prep. I moved some of the storage around to work better with this arrangement. Glasses, dishes and silverware are just across the aisle from the DW. They can be put away without disturbing the cook. This also makes it easy for someone to grab them to set a table without getting in the cook's way.

I also put the microwave there as they are often used to heat snacks, leftovers, or defrost meat. This way the microwave is right by where you would get your snacks, in-between fridge, freezer and food pantry. You could get a leftover out of the fridge, put it on a plate, pop it in the microwave to warm up, and never even have to go into the main area of the kitchen. Perfect if someone wants a quick snack while you're in the middle of baking or a complicated dinner.

Obviously, some of my suggested storage locations might not work for you as we're all a bit different but I just put some ideas there to see if it would help.

Oh, I forgot to do this on the drawing but if your dining area is on the other side of the peninsula, I would switch the fridge and food pantries. This makes it easier for someone to pop into the kitchen and grab a drink without having to walk as far.

Hope this makes sense and that, if you like it, that it's not too late to make those changes. And that the further suggestions don't add to your stress.

Um who does the cooking in the house? If it's DH, then DH should choose whether or not to keep the extra bend in the counter.

If it's the GC, then the GC should decide.

If you both cook, let DH know that it will be difficult for both of you to work in the kitchen at the same time.

If you are the main cook, then it's YOUR choice as you will have to be the one walking around it constantly.

Um I hadn't read through all the posts when I posted the above. I think you'll be much happier with the layout you have now.

Don't forget some shelves behind your stove either or a small built in niche.

In the corner in my soon to be I hope kitchen, I'm planning on putting in those corner drawers.

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I agree with funkycamper on moving the dishwasher and the cleanup sink. Getting the dishwasher out of the prep area was one of the prime motivators for our kitchen remodel.

Me, too, mathteachr. That's why I'm so fanatical about the issue. Nothing else in the kitchen has caused so much cursing. We bought my parent's house. My mom remodeled the kitchen this way and she cursed it from the day it was finished in 1971. My dad cursed it, my sister, me, both our husbands, all our kids, and now even the kid's spouses. It's crazy my mom never changed it. 44 years of multi-generational cursing at the damn DW! Yup, crazy.

funkycamper, don't worry about stressing me out! Building this house and being pregnant with my first child has made me pretty much perpetually stressed out. I wasn't even really given any notice that I needed to be the one who helped design the house before construction started. My husband's family owned the lot and we thought we could get more money if we built a house on it and sold it (rather than just selling the lot)--but then we figured we might as well live in it for 2 years to claim residence to limit the taxes. So that's when it became my husband and I's task since we were actually going to live in it. So I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off! haha!

The plumbing is too far down the road to really do much movement of sink/DW in the kitchen. Is there a way to make the peninsula more inviting to be primary prep space instead of secondary prep space, to limit the interference with the dishwasher?

At least if it is totally annoying I won't have to live with it forever. And hopefully it wouldn't be something someone buying the home would notice. We are planning on remodeling the current house we're in while we're living in this one, so I can learn a lot from any mistakes I make here. Which sounds totally selfish to whoever buys this house, but it will probably be a vacation home anyway.

And yeah, the fridge is a Sub Zero built-in (not the integrated one), so it has that grill at the top. A battle I lost with my husband. I like the integrated ones better, but they don't have a french door option :(

What is a good width for drawers to store pots and pans? I am wondering if I should join any of the 24-26" drawers together to make one really wide one?

Have to second Lisa's suggestion about the inventory. (In reference to your question about pots and pans). Yes it is anal. ;-). But it sure does help figure out what you actually need. I would suggest you group like items and then measure the max heights, cubic inches, etc.. Make sure you have spaces for your stuff!

If you can join 2 narrower drawer banks to be one wider drawer, that's nearly always the right decision to make, provided the end result isn't wider, or not much wider than 36". A few here have had drawer failures on very wide drawers (too much weight over too large a span).

My pots and pans are in a 36" wide drawer under my 36" wide cook top but there are many here who have their pots and pans in 30" drawers under their 30" wide cook top.

My dishes and mugs are in a 33" wide drawer. Casserole dishes are in the drawer below dishes. I split the top width into 2 drawers, one for silverware and other items, the other for trivets, hot pads, spatulas and tongs (the ovens are right across the aisle from this drawer). Here's a pic of the silverware drawer. Ignore the newspaper below. That was temporary while we waited for the glue to dry (we made our own drawer dividers).

Not to sound like a broken record but you'll have a much better idea how wide a drawer you need after you do your inventory. I marked out drawer widths and depths with blue tape on my counter and then filled the space to see how it would work.

Pity you're too far along to move the plumbing but I don't see any reason why you couldn't prep on the peninsula before moving to the range as well as prepping between sink and range.

If you do a positive reveal on your sink, you could get a cutting board to fit over half of your sink to expand your prep surface under the window.

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I can't think of anyway to fix the DW placement issue if the plumbing can't be changed. Although, if you want to pursue that layout, I think it's worth asking the plumber about it. It really shouldn't be a very hard or expensive job to move the plumbing a few feet. I've seen DH make such plumbing moves in just a few hours and he's not a pro so he's probably a lot slower. Unless maybe if you're on a slab? I'm not familiar with those.

Yes, I'm sure you will learn all the what-not-to-do stuff on this kitchen so you can make your real permanent home's kitchen more functional. And bring your plan here before you start work on that kitchen so we can help you plan a great kitchen that you'll love.

I think the width depends on how many pots and pans you have. You should gather them together, stack them how you would want them stacked in a drawer and then measure them. This should give you a good idea on both width and height of drawers you'd prefer and how many drawers you need. I currently have all of mine in a 30" with excess room for other items. The lids are in the drawer in bottom of the range. I keep my casseroles in another location.

I know, I apologize for being totally backwards on doing this. I must seem like a moron! I really do appreciate all the guidance you all have given.

You are NOT a moron and don't need to apologize to anyone. We all do the best we can, right? Having the DW in a spot that would drive me batty may not bother you as much. And, if it does, we can all live with something we don't like for a couple short years and then you'll have learned what not to do in your next kitchen. It's all good. When it comes right down to it, I figure things always turn out the way they were meant to be. So don't sweat it and enjoy the process. :)

And don't stress. It's not good for the baby! :)