Well, I know it has been a while, but I realized I forgot to post an update! We finished everything in Dec '11, and have really enjoyed it. The house went on the market this weekend, so we got a little over a year in our 'new' kitchen. We got a full price offer today, and our home is priced higher than anything in our neighborhood (the house 2 doors down in 500 sf larger, and priced $5k cheaper). I think it was worth it - total cost was right around $7K. Granite: NVG light Gel Stain: Java (General) - 3 coats Tile: Home Depot Backsplash: Home Depot Here is a link that might be useful: More Kitchen Remodel Pics This post was edited by leightx on Tue, Apr 23, 13 at 12:40

Well, don't go break the bank on something that hands out radon, or cannot be effectively cleaned without a college diploma! A very nice countertop that is a solid surface, and just simply white will be very pretty. Keep it simple, Let your floor shine. Oak and cedar wood does go with green(I call yours' Emerald and Gold....not really Forest or Pine on my monitor) just take a walk in a park or maybe just in a Nature area. There is nothing prettier than wood and green grass with the colors of birds and butterflies around. Nature does not make mistakes...so I think the counters, and the appliances as they can(need is the only thing that moves mine out)be changed to white with your sink....will be a very pleasant transition, and be careful doing that drywall painting. Your floor and your wood and your counters will need some time and effort to be duly protected. Maybe that will sink and counter top will lead you to the right shade for your walls. There are alot to choose from in just the family of lites/ whites..

I would love to see a lovely "white washed" oak looking vinyl in this space. The teal counter tops should be able to pull together the "wood" tones of the cabinets and the "soft grayish" tones of a white wash. Something like this is an example of what I'm thinking of: https://www.armstrongflooring.com/residential/en-ca/vinyl-flooring/luxury-vinyl-tile/luxe-plank-with-fastak-install/item/A6716.html If you can find the right vinyl plank, you should be able to get this to run throughout the space (including bathrooms, entrances and utility rooms). If you cannot find one that works nicely with the counters, I would suggest you leave the kitchen floor in place (it is the PERFECT match to the counters...you won't find anything better) and replace the carpets with a wood-toned vinyl. Now...just for fun, these homes are often built with "carpet" in mind. That means the subfloor (whatever it is...) if possibly the lowest of the low in terms of quality. That means it is often wavy or as far away from flat as you can get. Again, this is always the case...but it happens so often that you need to ASSUME there is a problem before you rip out the carpet. Once the carpet is gone, you will need to have the flatness and the subfloor SURFACE (the material that is sitting underneath the pad) assessed for vinyl. If you FLOAT the vinyl, then you only need to deal with "flatness". If you GLUE the vinyl then you have to deal with the type of MATERIAL as well. And that's where the headaches begin. Many times there is fibre board or luan sitting under carpet in a trailer (regardless of how well built it is). Both of these materials are "OK" underneath a floating floor, but they often have to come out if you want to glue down. And then the "flatness" has to be dealt with. Vinyl HATES wonky subfloors. And I mean HATES it. The subfloor has to be SMOOTH (vinyl telegraphs things like staples, staple holes, seams, etc. to the surface). And to get fibre board or luan smooth is a nightmare. They don't like "patch" material. Again, this could mean they need to come out and be replaced with something that can handle patch, etc. Please be prepared for some ++prep costs to deal with whatever is underneath that carpet. Whomsoever is doing the work for you will need to WALK INTO your home and pull back the carpet BEFORE they offer a quote. And the quote should include a range for the prep. It should look like $1-$4/sf for subfloor preparation (the range will depend on where you are and how expensive it is to hire local labour).

That is not a particularly traditional kitchen. And in my opinion, not necessarily so elegant. It also looks like that kitchen has white cabinetry. There is a ton of contrast in that space you show above, and a lot of ”shine” - on the ceiling alone. The light blue tones of the ceiling may evoke some degree of calmness in the space, though; light/pastel blues on a ceiling can do that, and they can also make the room appear more spacious/ the ceiling appears higher. But the main thing that is saving that space from seeming completely chaotic is the lighting. Notice the lighting in that space. If that space had your fluorescent lighting, it would be a nightmare. Look - there is nothing wrong with your kitchen. Really. Wood for cabinetry is very much en vogue right now - plus is classic. All types of wood are trending, including yours. And the slab front type styling on your cabinetry is also trending. There is also nothing wrong with the finish (shine) on the current granite. It is classic stone, and is not out of date. Would a piece of marble with some shine be considered out of date now? No. These are all personal preferences, at this point - not mandates for what is in style or not. The lighting in your space is the MAIN ISSUE. And if the lighting has not yet been settled, you are not even seeing the space accurately. Your space is really MUCH MORE cohesive and ”calm” than the kitchen in the pic you are showing above. Nothing wrong with your black appliances, either. They worked well with the counters and cabinets. But the stainless is fine, too - and will help to integrate your floor.