Here is a pic of the kitchen. We are adding cabinetry to the left wall with double ovens etc. all appliances are ordered and are brushed stainless. Thanks again for any advice!! happy holidays!

beautiful floors. in real life, do they have any charcoal grays to it, because in the pic they almost have a warmer red tone.

Since you're doing white cabs and white tile splash, doing the white counter is going to be a lot of white. Have you looked at the quartz Calacatta? (or the real thing

But if you're unsure, take a few planks of your wood and go place them next to the slabs to see how they look

it would look good w/TajMajal quartzite

Brittanica Gold

Surface One Aria

I helped my Dad remodel his home recently and he picked Taj Mahal quartzite. It is so beautiful. His floors are a nice medium oak woodflooring, his kitchen cabinets are a warm white, and the paint color is SW Accessible Beige (a greige leaning warm). You might want to visit a stone yard near you and look at the choices. Taj Mahal is a natural stone, so the slabs will vary, so you have to pick your own slab in person. What I like about it is that it can marry the warm and the cool in the room. There are some warm colors (tan, rust, cream) and there are some cool colors (light gray, sometimes a little hint of greenish gray).

Here is a picture when it was getting installed.

I would do the white so I’m not stuck in the gray trend forever.

that being said, if you love it, do it. A wood floor is like a pair of jeans, it goes with anything.

I borrowed the analogy! I should credit designer, Maria Killam.

I think the gray quartz is stunning and would look great with your floor and white cabinets. I would NOT do an inset of different tile over the stove. That will make your brand new kitchen look instantly dated.

https://www.veronaquartz.com/

https://www.veronaquartz.com/

Your floors are very beautiful. Regarding the counter top choices, I'd do neither. The marble-look quartz with those fake veins are really unattractive--they scream "I'm trying to look like marble, but I'm not, and I won't fool you." If you're going to use quartz, use one of the more subtle, muted patterns. Caesarstone "London Gray" and "Frosty Carrina" are two of the quieter quartz patterns. Silestone "Lagoon" is also very nice. I'm sure there are many others as well.

If you can break away from the quartz crowd, then try honed Jet Mist granite--it's a beautiful black granite with soft white swirls, and very durable and reasonably priced.

I agree with Diana Bier but there are some quartz's with veining that look much better than just a few years ago. On our "modern" kitchen we did white quartz counter and a dark gray island. It really pops and after 7 years still looks like new. Good luck! And yes those floors are incredible!

Diane Saulnier,

What did you end up doing? Can you give us an update? Do you need anymore input?

Sorry for the late response. I went with the grey quartz and BM chantilly lace white cabinets. The white is perfect. there is no yellow or green hue that we saw when we did mock ups with dove white and some of the other whites we tried. it's not stark at all. We love it with our floors.

It's the pental quartz-serrano

Love the hardware! You made really nice choices here.

What is the brand/ manufacturer of your wood floor and exact name? Love it. Thanks

Our floors are from realwoodfloors.com. gallery collection - hermitage. we love them. they have been ok with the dogs toe nails but if you drag a chair on them it will scratch the surface.

Diane, I just ordered some samples from them. Your choice is really nice. I ordered one sample of the Lourve. same collection, just a bit lighter. Was the cost you paid the 13.99 as listed?

No I think we paid a little less than that but my brother in law is a contractor and he purchased the flooring.

Diane, I have been looking at the same quartz options as you. In addition I am planing to frame tile over the cooktop. Did you use pratt and larson starry skies? That is the one I am looking at.

In addition I am planing to frame tile over the cooktop.

Going OT from this thread, but please know that framed tile over the cooktop is a dated look. If you love it, go for it. But wanted you to be aware.

but please know that framed tile over the cooktop is a dated look. If you love it, go for it. But wanted you to be aware.

not all framed tile over the stove top is dated looking. It depends on the style of the kitchen, and the tile that's being framed. framing a fruit scene in 4x4 tiles is dated. some of these others are not. just depends on the kitchen layout

Shannon, I have noticed some backsplashes with the same tile from beginning to end. I considered doing this. But I have expensive taste and I could not afford to tile the whole backsplash with the handmade tile I chose. So I think I will frame out a rectangle or square behind the cooktop with the more expensive tile. Then the rest of the tile will be a non expensive tile.

Beth, Thank you for sharing all of those beautiful kitchen pictures. Each of them have gorgeous looking backsplashes.

We did move this year to Colorado and I have been trying to figure out what people want here in their kitchens. So that if we have to sell I will not be too far off the norm.

If you'd like a more interesting way of using a feature tile have you considered using it wholly behind the range, all the way up? Like these:

Diana, thank your for posting the pictures. I especially like the blue tile behind the range. I am partial to blue. I just started noticing photos of backsplashes with tile from the top of the cooking surface all the way to the ceiling. Is it considered modern? I interpreted it as a modern. I may be wrong. I think Denver embraces modern decor. But I think my neighborhood is more traditional. I won’t do a super traditional look but I think I will make the kitchen somewhere in the middle but leaning toward traditional.

Because of the wood floors and its warm tones, I would consider quartz options with warm veining or warm base, likeCaesarstone Taj Royal (delicate veins, rich, profound depths, soft texture, and warm hues), Caesarstone Tuscan Dawn (darker option with taupe colored base and rich, light and creamy veining), or Dreamy Marfil that features softer look than the previous two. It may be best if you take samples of quartz options you like best and put against the flooring, cabinetry, and see what you actually like.

To your question, joshua123, I think that the type of tile is more indicative of modern or traditional than whether you frame it or use it all the way up and across. For instance, the first 2 examples look more traditional to me--they are rustic and the shape and patterns are more traditional. Also the colors are more muted. The blue tile looks to be a more modern shape, and the coloration is more intense.

Also the tile doesn't exist in a vacuum. All the other materials, colors, and shapes in the kitchen will give its vibe. What else do you have in the room?

Diana, I would have to agree. The tile shape is indicative of being either modern or traditional. We are going to be starting from scratch.. The only items I have already purchased are stainless steel appliances and a monogram induction cooktop. Because I did not know where to start, I decided to start with the backsplash And design around it. The kitchen is open to the family room. The family room has a large red, gold and brown brick fireplace. We may paint the brick white or cover it in a light colored stacked stone.

Last night I took the Sweeney test. It was helpful but I am still working on the final mission statement.

What is a Sweeney test?

My mistake- it is called a Sweeby test. My phone autocorrected and changed it to Sweeney.

If you look through the kitchen forum you will notice a post labelEd New to kitchen read this first. The first or second comment explains what a Sweeby test. My understanding is you use the test to help you figure out a mission or goal for your kitchen to guide your choices.

http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/p/the-sweeby-test.html?m=1

HI joshua123,
The kitchen tile is from Pratt & Larson. It is a custom waterjet mosaic piece in marble. The color is a dark grey with a lot of variation. the exact color is bardiglio. the white boarder and interior boarded are snow white marble. kathy and Micah at pratt & lason were extremely helpful finding exactly what I wanted for our kitchen. I'll have to post a couple more pictures from a sunny day, as the ones I have posted dont really reflect the real colors. as far as style and mosaics being dated or not, I'm a firm believer that you should go with what you love and what speaks to you. you are going to be living in the house and walking into that kitchen every day. I dont think our kitchen mosaic looks dated at all, but I'm also not a designer. I can tell you it makes me happy when I walk in to make my morning coffee in that room. I did consider using more of that tile to cover the entire backspace area from the cooktop to the hood, as diana illustrated in some of her photos, to really give it a more modern look, but it was too expensive to justify in this house.