Go over and look at the 'masculine kitchen' post on the kitchen forum. In fact, I'll attach it for you. Be careful with gray.....

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3311840/help-gray-kitchen-looks-masculine?n=89

Gray base cabinets with white uppers? Maybe gray island with white perimeter cabinets? Or gray cabinets with lots of white trim and plenty of wall space for another paint color or even wallpaper? Or a much lighter gray? Gray kitchens can be very nice, but I would want a very clear picture to follow (maybe a literal picture) or it can get away from you and you may not like the result.

Do you have a style that you like? Is there a common theme for the house? Do you have any outside details and/or interior details that play up a certain style? If so, then it's sometimes easier to make choices because they can work together with your style. If not, then try to find an inspiration picture (or two...or twelve LOL) that will help you make decisions. Hardware, light fixtures, floors, backsplash, etc. and MANY more decisions.

Try to have fun and make choices as soon as possible. It's less stressful and keeps your build on schedule. Always a good thing :)

thanks for the info. We had 2 contractors mention that stained would be a more expensive choice but we haven't seen the actual numbers yet to see how much of a difference we are talking. I will be looking more into it.

Mixing the finishes for hardware was one of the toughest things I had to decide on for the house we just built. I knew I didn't want the same finishes through the house. Which I believe can feel contrived and would never go with my very eclectic decorating style. I also knew the door hardware, faucets and light fixtures all flow together and look well thought out and not thrown together.

I look for photos online to see how other people mixed the finishes and I found this article useful http://southernhospitalityblog.com/mixing-metals-in-your-home/.

In the end, I am very pleased with the way the mixed elements came together. Good luck!

My mantra when I built my house (2005) was..."anything permanent must be neutral". I built a house in 1988 at the height of the grey and mauve popularity. Lots of grey and in that house. I found it very hard to decorate around.

Mixing metals...I Like mixed metals. I find it jarring to go into a home where everything is ORB right down to the faucets although it would certainly be easier. I think a nice blend of nickel, ORB, and some designers are even throwing in brass (not the shiny stuff).

I am also surprised that you have been told that stained cabinets are higher than white. I think quality and style would determine price more than finish. Maybe reconsider a neutral such as white or stained and simplify the style. Do the gray in something less permanent?

I think that mixing finishes is fine as long as there is some consistency. For example, I decided on chrome cabinet hardware and plumbing fixtures. I did ORB for all of my interior door hardware. Light fixtures varied depending on the room.

I think it would have been fine for cabinet hardware to vary depending on the room, but would have looked off if the interior door hardware wasn't consistent throughout. Also, probably ok for cabinet hardware that doesn't match plumbing fixtures, but would look off if sink fixtures were one finish and shower was another.

There are some people who think that in a bathroom the light fixtures, cabinet hardware and plumbing hardware should all be the same finish. I did ORB light fixtures with chrome cabinet hardware and plumbing fixtures and think it looks good. Could be because the interior door hardware is ORB, the tile is white/black pinwheel, and the cabinets were super dark stain, so the light fixtures relate to other elements in the room. In the master, which has white tile floors and shower and white cabinets, I did chrome light fixtures because I thought ORB would look out of place.

I found pinterest boards for each room with pics of the finishes and inspiration photos very helpful to visualizing how it would all come together.

Here is a kitchen with nickel or chrome cabinet hardware and different light fixtures.

Hope this helps and have fun picking everything out!

Thank you for the help with the finishes! I am feeling much more confident that I can make this work. We are meeting with contractor this week or next to discuss the numbers more in depth so I will know a little more then about why the cost difference. I'm also looking at some diff shades of gray to see what may work the best.

painted finishes are usually less expensive because they use a less expensive wood to build the cabinets, stain requires a very nice grained wood that doesn't mean the painted wood is weak or of less quality we have painted cabinets, i'm 62 i've had 3 stained wood kitchens and 5 painted kitchens and i'll choose painted any day we do have stained wood in the bathrooms and utility room (they look like furniture instead of cabinets) it breaks things up a bit we have some stained doors and some painted doors and we mixed metals on lighting, cabinetry, door knobs (crystal and porcelain) we love every bit of our home....

zippity1

The fact is that the labor and equipment required to apply a "paint" to cabinets (not actual paint, but baked on catalyzed conversion varnish is more expensive. The wood may or may not be cheaper depending upon the species (painted cabinets are still made of wood, no? - my painted cabs are made of alder with the exception of the center door panel).

I've had 4 places quote my cabinets and every single one of them came back at least 10% higher for paint. One was 50% higher.

Like I said, "painted" can mean a lot of things. Painting an MDF cabinet door by spraying it, in place, which I have seen in on HGTV and DIY network for example, will result in a less than durable finish. Hand-painting also.

A factory applied "paint" (which is not paint) is certainly more expensive than stained. Every day of the week. Every RTA cabinet maker I've looked into charges more for painted.

It's a HUGE red flag that they are saying to the Katie that painting is cheaper. HUGE. What kind of "paint" is that?

Our painted cabs were definitely more than stained.

Also....mix away!! We've got ORB door knobs, and some cab hardware, and some chrome light fixtures, chrome pulls, etc. and it all looks great together. I think cohesive style is more important than the same finish.

Mixing finishes can look extremely hodgepodge if you don't do it with some kind of rule that keeps it from being incoherent. If you are overwhelmed with decisions, some of the best money that can be spent will be on professional help. Like an architect and interior designer. Getting decisions right the first time is always cheaper than making 5-6 mistakes that cost you much more in the end.

I agree with Sophie. In retrospect I should have just sprung for the interior consultation with Maria Killam. Last time I checked it was $700. It would have saved me so much time. andmoney. And regret.

Keep the interior finishes and metals as harmonious and consistent as possible for a unified, "designed with a purpose" look, rather than a hodge-podge collection of uncoordinated stuff. Just choose a finish which works with your other finishes. Bronze metals (burnt orange) or brass (sienna yellow), for example and gray paint are not very harmonious; brushed chrome or nickel and gray are more harmonious. Others mileage may vary!

With gray, I'd really like brushed nickel, but if your gray is light enough, I'd think oil rubbed bronze (not a regular bronze) would be nice. Brass not at all with any tone of gray.

Gray cabinets can be lovely with so many metals... I disagree that brass & bronze are out of the running though. :) It really depends on the tone of the gray. I think warmer grays tend to feel cozier in a kitchen if you have a lot of cool toned metals, But really it all comes down to person preference. One of my favorite kitchens ever has multiple metal finishes (orb I think, brushed steel, chrome & brass) but it feels wonderfully cohesive to me... the wood island helps. (I know this is a distinctly green kitchen, but I had to show all the metal mixing!) Will you have wood floors or wood furniture near the kitchen?

And here, I've found a darker gray kitchen with multiple metals. :) I think the brass & metal bracket shelving helps to keep the gray from being too cold. Again, the wood touches help.