If you do decide to change colors, I just thought I'd put in a suggestion to look at the Benjamin Moore Historic Collection of paints. There are some lovely tried and true colors there and some neutrals that would go with about any color scheme. If I'd gone that route in my remodel instead of just looking at the whole color spectrum it would've simplified my task amazingly and I'd probably be happier with the results. More choice is not always a good thing. I think the color decks are great from when you've got everything else all picked out and are looking for that perfect color to tie it together--otherwise a much narrower tried and true palate is much easier to work with.

i was planning on gel stain, ive been reading that GF is one of the best to go with. Hubby has nixed the painting idea (i originally thought white) he wants to show off that its "real wood" and not just some cheap composite or something. we;re hoping to list our house this year, so we also want it to be "netral" enough it wont deter buyers while also not looking so 70-80s "oak" thorughout the entire house

How exciting a new place for yourself! My girlfriend just had her entire million dollar house redone in natural oak floors. And she has amazing taste to go with her money. I do not think natural is out. If you visit Kraftmaid, Thomasville, Yorktowne, Merrilat, Diamond.. (Visit finished kitchen blog too) kitchen cabinet sites you can see med maple or dark cherry with the oak floors you are thinking about. I personally like a contrast between cabinets and floors. But, there are 1000 of combinations that make people happy. Make yourself happy. Here are some images to visualize. It always helps me to see. Please know I put in a bunch of different woods not specifically what you said. But a few have blk counters. And perhaps you can see if you like the contrast or not. All good to think about. ~boxerpups socketsite springwoodbuilders realestate ad

Laurie, I too love your inspiration picture. No one I know can afford to renovate their home every 10 years and keep up with the latest trend. I have found the key is to pick out what I will be happy with in 10 years or 20 years or longer and getting what makes me happy. I wish picking the perfect cabinet color was as simple as saying BM Simply White or SW White Duck, but to get just the right white is a bit trickier than that. If you have a sample of your back splash I would take it to the BM store or the SW store and look at all of their whites next to the back splash. Pick out a bunch that are close to the lighter colors in your back splash. Then go outside in the sun and look at them again - eliminate the ones that are not quite right. Sunlight will give you the truest vision of the color. Whites are quite funny and can appear too blue or too green or too yellow or pink next to other colors. If you will be using a satin or gloss finish the cabinets may appear lighter than you expect because light will reflect more from shinier finishes. Keep this in mind when selecting the color samples. Get a pint of your final selection and paint another sample before committing to the color for all the cabinets. After you find 6 ish good candidates order a few samples from https://samplize.com/ or buy a few sample cans and make your own samples. I like using 140 lb water color paper for samples from Michael's. Heavy enough not to curl or warp. Get a pint of your final selection and paint another sample in the same gloss you will be using for the cabinets before committing to the color for all the cabinets. You can always use this paint as a first coat if you decide that it is too light or just a bit off.