a)Your cabinets look very nice to me. don't change anything major until you get closer to your plans to change countertops. Frankly even then I'd change countertops and backsplash, and would leave these cabinets alone. Professional job will be very expensive, and they look good, really. If you're worried about what's in or out-stain comes back, so you'll be the fashionable one:) If you can't stand them-still better to wait until you know the rest of the elements, as already suggested upthread. b) Don't paint walls gray, but not because it's on its way out (even though it kinda is)..decisions on paint, and colors in general, should be dictated by your house, existing elements, light a room gets, your style, preferences, etc. Your kitchen stays the same for now-it means most grays except for greiges so warm they're already taupes etc, don't have anything in common with it. Cabinets would work with gray, it's quite versatile wood stain you have..but your current granite and backsplash won't. I'd go with warm colors just lighter...creams, for example. c) I know you've said you've decided on it already but I agree to go with slightly lighter stain on the floors. More forgiving. (even though some people like me fuss about floors whatever color they are) Disregard if you're set on it..do check though how they'll look with your cabinets, this stain flooring, that stain flooring, if you haven't yet. I understand that the decision to stain the floors drove the question of painting the cabinets, or?...

Kaya the thing that turns Farmhouse or Modern Farmhouse into Industrial Farmhouse are components like heavier metals, metal trimmed out furniture with rivets, heavy beams, pulleys or industrial style wheels on furniture factory style light fixtures (your island pendents) etc. The term can be thought of this way. It is basically an old factory that is turned into housing but farm style added. If that makes sense. Exposed brick can be one, but this goes with several decor styles so I wouldnt want you to think , I love exposed brick that means I like industrial. I may not be describing this well so I googled definition and they say what I am but better LOL "Industrial farmhouse style combines comfortable and welcoming farmhouseatmosphere with the edgy, rugged lines of industrial style. Traditional industrial style is based on the concept of living in a factory or warehouse setting—picture a modernloft apartment in a big city." Some photos here rivets on hood, barn door, metal pendents, barstools, weathered island here exposed air ducts, island, lighting, windows and painted brick walls here metal and exposed beams, weathered brick wall, concrete island Here hood, weathered walls, heavy beamed island here weathered beams, metal trimmed weathered island, pendents, weathered flooring Hope this helps

Thanks all. I'll move forward and work toward a compromise with the contractor when he gets the last part of the fence in. He is a nice guy and I have no intention of being a jerk, but it's disappointing. What I take away from this thread is in keeping with my experience over the years — that contractors think differently than many homeowners, and success boils down to communication. The challenge is, no matter how good of a communicator the homeowner is, they can't inquire about, request, or challenge projects they don't know about. Homeowners are not the experts, the contractors supposedly are. And frankly, the communication of most contractors is terrible. As witnessed in this thread, there are contractors who assume a client would know enough about fencing to demand a survey, design sketch, stakeout, etc. for a simple, 145' fence job that is not remotely close to any property lines. Having never installed a fence, and not being fence experts, we don't know to ask for these things. We provide the info. requested by the contractor and assume (yes, assume since he is the supposed expert) he can do a good job with what we provide at his request. Now, if the contractor had requested x,y,z and we didn't provide it, this would be an entirely different story. He didn't, yet somehow it's our fault. On a final note, I will say that I'm sure there are many crazy homeowners and valid complaints from contractors. I also know that running a business is expensive and so is doing good work, and many people don't want to pay for that good work. This was not a case of trying to get something cheap and cutting corners.

You can find several good photos from @danielkantor on Instagram of his white house and black garage and fence…it looks really sharp and the difference isnt at all stark or imposing as the combo might sound, the fence just kind of fades into the background (but of course that is completely subjective). And I think it makes a really attractive background for anything planted in front of it