I'd go to the bottom of the hood.

Is the counter installed under the cardboard? If so, Can you remove some of the cardboard off the peninsula by the tile and take another picture?

Thanks for the feedback so far!

I don't think tiling to the ceiling is a good option, since my upper cabinets don't go up to the ceiling.

Can't remove the paper right now, but here's a picture from before we hung the shelves:

I think I would stop it at the lower shelf. To the range would split up your shelves, where one would have tile behind and the other wall behind.. Though going to the ceiling would be cool. It seems like the gap between your uppers in the ceiling is so small--you're not adding crown to take it all the way up?

I vote something to crown the cabs to the ceiling and tile to to the ceiling. Btw - no matter what I LOVE the tile!

To the bottom shelf to line up with under the cabinets but tile the stove portion to bottom of hood.

I second nightowl's suggestion!

I'd also like to see tile go all the way up - even if you don't crown the cabs.

You've got a really strong horizontal line with the shelf and the bottom of the hood. Not saying the tile _shouldn't_ go all the way up, but if _that_ tile stops at the bottom of the hood top shelf, you have a second very strong position to do something else with.

Or to the right of the hood stop under the bottom shelf, but continue up the rangehood wall, which I think would be a stronger vertical than including the shelf part of wall. I'd suggest also just up the rangehood wall, but you already have tile under the shelf???

Just some other ideas to throw out or ponder.

Joe

i'd vote for to the ceiling first, but if not - to the bottom of the upper shelf / bottom of hood - mostly because of you went to bottom of cabs, there is an upper cab that isn't in the same line and I am assuming you are bringing the BS all the way up under it? that kinda negates the strong horizontal line of under the lower shelf.

Either way , but I would bring the tile to the end of the counter on the right. Love the tile.

I would definitely add crown so that you can have a cohesive look on that wall where there's so many lines and different elements. Even if you don't go to the ceiling, I'd do as anitamo suggests and bring the tile to the end of the counter so that you're not creating another place for the eye to stop.

bottom of hood is okay with me but please bring tile to the end of the counter. Where is the tile from? I love it!

Why aren't you taking the tile to the end of the peninsula?

I would NOT take the tile to the ceiling because if you do that you are going to create a very right-heavy visually weighted wall. Look at the entire wall - not just the stove area. You will also create a top heavy stove area compared to your peninsula countertops.

If your stove were in the center of the wall you might have been able to go to the ceiling but not as it is designed.

I like the way mamagoose's first picture is set up (to the bottom of the shelf/vent) and in the clear space to the right of the vent you could add something tall on the top shelf to add visual interest to the area. Or if you used low-slung items maybe add a small piece of artwork.

My 2c worth.

I would actually remove the last cabinet and shorten the shelves to let the hood breathe. I think that will solve a lot of the problems. Single cabinet and shelves might work on the other side of the hood.

Do you have a picture of the elevation from the KD?

I also think the last cab looks to be crowding the hood. If you don't want to tile to the ceiling, then I wouldn't put any tile under the shelves.

To answer some questions: I didn't use a KD — just me and IKEA/Traemand guy who made one visit and then me tweaking the design on my own. I'm not planning to put crown to the ceiling as we are already over budget and we already have the little deco strip that's standard for the tops of IKEA cabinets (hasn't been installed yet. The reason I'm not tiling to the end of the peninsula is that I don't like looking at tile floating out past cabinets or shelves. The tile is from Heath Ceramics, the Modern Basics line in matte cast iron. They are phasing out the 3x3 size, so I got a great deal from the overstock room at their Sausalito factory. I love the texture and the gradations of color! But since they're on the darker side, I think tiling all the way up would give them too much "weight" against the lighter elements in the room. I want a little contrast to the white and marble, but not too much.

I think we're going to tile up to the bottom of the range hood and then to the bottom shelf to the right. Thanks for all the ideas and opinions! I will post a picture when finished.

Yay, I'm glad someone agrees with me, lol! I think that'll look great. It follows the path of the cabinets and shelves and adds visual interest.

I agree, too. And running the tile to the end of the peninsula makes that end look more dominant than it is with the white top and the white-ish wall. The end of the shelves is far more dominant an element. Going past that would look like a mistake, imho.

Or you could put a strip of tile up the right side of the shelves to frame all that in! :-P

Joe

I agree with not carrying tile past shelving. That's always been my preference. Make sure you post finished pics.

Tile jutting out past cabinets is my pet peeve, but I don't think the same holds true for shelves. I think yours need that visual support under them, especially when they're filled with dishes. The tile moves the eye the full length of the kitchen to the end of the peninsula. Otherwise it ends abruptly and messes with the wall. I'd like to see it photoshopped to be sure.

Look only at the shelf and tile here and ignore the molding on the left. It looks perfectly balanced, and the tile gives the appearance of supporting the shelf and its contents.

Lucy McLintic · More Info

May have to change my response after reading mayflowers post. I'd also like to see mocked up. I'm not clear tho if you've already started tiling - would you still be able to change where it ends?

I like your tile. Why don't you just do longer shelves going to the end of the penninsula? I think the shelves also need to be closer to the hood equaling whatever the cabinet on other side is. Actually to the tile edge under hood. Something like this maybe?

Thanks again for all the thoughts. It's really helped me think things through.

The picture mayflowers posted is lovely, but it doesn't exactly correspond to my situation. Those shelves are centered and symmetrical within their stretch of wall. With the range hood right next to the left end of the shelving, I feel that extending the tile past the right end of shelving would look imbalanced. (By the way, the shelves do start at exactly the same distance from the hood that the cabinets on the left do. Photo perspective might suggest otherwise, but we measured that carefully.) The peninsula also overhangs into my dining room, which you can't really see in the picture, and I'd like the end of the shelves to end "in the kitchen", with the rest of that wall over the peninsula feeling more "in the dining room."

I had the shelves made that specific length because there's a chance that someone might sit at that end of the peninsula, near the wall, and I wouldn't want shelves there crowding their headspace.

smm5525, "Yay, I'm glad someone agrees with me, lol!" That's exactly what I thought when I read your post. ;)

Looks great!

Joe

Oh, I love that tile. Really helps to see the whole view. Helps to see why you wanted more white space. The thought you've put into everything shows.

Keeping the tile off the shelf wall also allows you to put whatever you want on the shelf without fighting with the tile and allowing it to be seen.

That's exactly what I was thinking blfenton. It looks great JC! Can't wait to see the final reveal. Love the pendants.

What cabinet fronts do you have on the lowers?

Paul, those are flat sawn walnut fronts from semihandmade, on top of ikea boxes.

Here's a more full picture. Almost done with this kitchen-- just odds and ends to fix now! Thanks again for all the input!

Beautifully done.

Joe

Looks great!!!