I don't know why your designers stress so much of what's dated and what's not-maybe they're trying to tell you that what you have in mind is anything but plain, and in order to get it right, one does have to have certain kind of the kitchen and tons of money. Real gorgeous mosaics are very expensive-and cheap glass ones almost never looked too great even in the peak of their popularity.

Then you mention very prominently veined countertop-it's a question of how much you like the stone, and if you do, go for it..stones are highly personal. It's true people used them a lot in the past few years, hence feeling of oversaturation.

If I liked a stone for real-any stone-I wouldn't pay attention to what others do, but then I wouldn't pair it with busy mosaic either. Stones often have strong nature, and if your preferred stone is of such strong nature, it wouldn't want mosaic next to it. They'd be constantly fighting each other, and the overall concept of the kitchen will be the one to loose in this endless battle.

As for the framed element , or accent, over the stove-they're considered more traditional and "dated". I'd put it like that: one can do it if he loves it. And it can be pretty and unique. But it's not plain, especially not next to the heavily veined countertop, and mosaic with bling.

Simply put, you'll need to choose what you can maybe sacrifice from all the elements you were thinking about, to get a cohesive and pretty kitchen that will make you happy. Every room, and kitchen is also a room, is more than just a sum of parts that might or might not relate to each other.

But I'm answering without having enough info from you..do you think you can post inspiration pictures, of kitchens you had in mind?

Maybe you can share your kitchen, I mean if it exists already to a degree, with floors, cabinets, whatever's already there?

I think it'll be helpful to answer the question better.

thinkdesignlive, thank you for mentioning the ideabook-I always forget about people having them, and how helpful it can be to look through some.

joelcoqui, I looked through yours-and the best kitchens with strong character stones on countertops indeed have either much plainer more homogenous tile next to them-or the backsplash is made out of the same stone-very striking if the plan allows for it.

There was one exception with mosaics-but it is a very expensive one, and the stone used on the countertop is somewhat tamer in that picture.

Two people are giving you the same information. It squares with my understanding of trends and such as well. If you are confident in your choices, then go with your picks. If you think you will change your mind when all the pretty kitchens look very different from yours, then take the advice. Know thyself. Minimally though you should choose just one busy/strong element.

I want to give Green Designs' response 1000 Likes.

GreenDesigns Wow... I know I do have a history here, but your posting makes me feel stalked. LOL. The kitchen will be gone... it is around 27 years old. The front of the house has changed along with the front doors. .. so has the railing, its now dark brown. That fireplace is also different. I guess I have not shown anyone the after photos and we are talking several years ago. The white and granite kitchen floor you see here is not coming out. Its staying. The reasons for the mish mosh designs and remuddle as you call it (great word) is because we are torn between leaving the state and downsizing. Money is tight and we are trying to be fruggle and yet keep up with some trends for a few more years.

Thanks the the advices.

GreenDesigns' advice is sound and pretty simple.

"A remodel that completely ignores the home around it is called a remuddle. You have a great Post Mid Century Modern. Don’t ruin it. All of the traditional touches are what ruins it.

It creates conflict and disharmony with the house. It also shows its age rather quickly as styles change a lot. Remodels that respect the home’s style and work with it hold their value the most, and give the greatest return. A remuddle chasing current fads is a poor investment."

Stay consistent with your house's architectural style. This has nothing do with budget, potential moves or downsizing.

The fastest way to date a house and have it look incongruous is to “keep up with trends”.

You may not have liked the tone of what Green Designs said but he was spot on

Just saw your new pics. Love the railing's Art Deco's vibe. I could see that in many homes. Your fireplace and front door look traditional to me.

Love the stair railing.

First I think your stair railings are gorgeous.

I am not a designer and just finished a complete remodel including mostly new furniture (retained those pieces which I still genuinely loved).

My place is not trendy - in fact it probably Is somewhat counter to trends. I was somewhat disappointed that the teal blue I fell in love with was on trend LOL.

I live in a high rise condo built in 1965 with an exterior that to me resembles Bauhaus but realtors call mid century modern. So theoretically I should be going with something that is within the gestalt of urban MCM. In fact one of my neighbors did a Mad Men type of remodel - the real estate listing actually says so LOL. I think it's great but not something I would particularly go for unless I was really living in an MCM house in Palm Springs

I worked with a designer who translated my tastes into something much more than I could have done on my own. However, I sent her loads of my inspirations photos and we talked about styles I liked and didn't like. When I was in doubt regarding something, I generally acceded to her design vision and it worked out.

That said, her design vision was pretty much what I liked anyway - it was just taking it to places I might have been too timid to go on my own. It wasn't her imposing a stringent set of "trends" that I should slavishly adopt. Often she would explain why something should be done a certain way in terms of how it would "open" up the room; or how the symmetry worked better in terms of configuration.

So my answer to you is do your style choices - heavily veined fake marble and blinged mosaic tile reflect what you actually love or what you have seen or think you love. My design loves have remained fairly consistent throughout the years - Art Deco; Art Nouveau; Arts & Crafts so I am not afraid that I will wake up in five years and hate everything that I've done.

So if these are looks that you well and truly love, then go for it. If you are seeking design advice because you want your kitchen to look as though it is on trend, then two professionals telling you the same thing is probably a good reason to follow their advice.

You have to decide which way you are going to go. Are you going to trust yourself and lead the design or are you going to defer to the professionals? Either choice has a price tag. If you are the lead, the price will likely be a diminished return at sale time. That may be a price you are willing to pay in order to have the house you envision, regardless of what others think is best. Or you can choose to follow the advice of professionals and pay the price in ego.

I too love the stair railing you chose. It is a bold choice with a big payoff.

Houses are terribly personal spaces where we long to see our best selves reflected. We get very little practice in making up these spaces and they cost a lot of money in present and future dollars. It's natural to be nervous about the choices we make under these conditions. I think pros in this field are worth their weight in gold for the peace of mind for those of us who are not among the talented amateurs.

Good luck with your project.

As others have said, the staircase is stunning. However like others have said, the fireplace and front door don't work with the staircase and in fact they don't work very well with one another. It's like you have three different looks competing with one another.

Frankly, if you feel all three choices work well together, please do yourself a favor and work with the designer.

The doors and that fireplace are examples of things you've done to that modern house? Oh my.

It's not a difference in taste. Change the preposition to "of".

Listen to the designers. You may want to replace those doors. And the fireplace. That house needs modern designs for both. Those aren't even good traditional choices.

So what does your kitchen look like now? Is it the same as what Green posted, or no? That's a lovely kitchen.
But if you are seriously thinking about selling the house in a couple years anyway, seriously consider not remodeling at this time. Save your money for now and let the next owners decide what they want instead of trying to predict now what someone might want in a couple years. Or keep that money saved up to do a bit of a refresher to the kitchen closer to market time if it needs it then. If there's anything that is actually broken/damaged, get it fixed.

I rather liked your original front doors, but I also like your replacement :) And that railing is wonderful.

M Miller and to all. I do not take offense at all. ..but there is always a reason not to take certain advice. ex. Im told to get rid of the ceramic/granite floor. I cant because not only is piping buried under it but because 700 sq feet will snowball into the other rooms and exit door heights will have to be changed due to 4in. mud application. The layout of the kitchen will stay the same except that Im changing where the appliances are. As for resale, My home will be leveled or gutted completely. No young couple will come here and accept an en suite that is an 8 x 10. The entire neighborhood is re-constructing. Im not looking for a better resale value. We are just looking for an inner happiness. Anything new, makes us happy. We are simple people but getting involved with this website made it complicated. No offense at all. Its all appreciated.

Whoever contributed to the rail design should be helping with your other choices.

I don't have a design background, but I do restore historic homes. I'm a real estate appraiser. That means I come at this looking for the value in the effort.

In order to get the most from the house today and five years from now, I suggest you throw out your current wish list. Anything traditional that appeals to you just doesn't fit in this particular home. That means that most of your go to ideas don't work. Not a criticism because I would find myself in a similar dilemma. I'm a traditional girl. I would have to fight my impulses, too.

Here is what I suggest. The kitchen really isn't that bad. The goal is to refresh, be sympathetic to the style of the home, and not spend a fortune. I suggest you keep all of the cabinets and only replace the countertops. Then follow the guide of keep it simple. Select a countertop in a single, cohesive material. I don't know what the designers have suggested, but I would consider a solid quartz material in a light color or a quartz with very little movement in a light color. I actually like what is on the wet bar cabinets. Have your designer help you with the selection. Tell them to give you two to three neutral choices and you make the final decision. Don't look at anything else. You are hiring them for their expertise, use it.

The second thing that I would do while replacing the counters is change out the appliances. Use stainless steel as your appliance material finish. It's timeless and can be used in many different periods and styles. It will give the kitchen a lift.

I would forgo a backsplash. The backsplash dates a kitchen more than any other item. You are going to sell the house and want to appeal to the greatest number of buyers in the future. Keeping things neutral and simple is the key.

That staircase modification was stunning. I really like it. The mantelpiece is an unfortunate choice. It looks very 1990's and doesn't fit the style of the house. It sucks to have to redo something, this is an item where I might ask for designer assistance.

Listen to the designers on this one. Your first instincts aren't really sympathetic to this particular house.

He is the second one that told me that the big veined countertops are out and will be dated soon. The more consistent smaller veins are IN.

So? When you're talking about stone countertops -- which are extremely expensive and come with an environmental cost -- you shouldn't pay a bit of attention to what's "in". Rather, choose something simple that will last for decades, something around which you can redecorate, something you'll still like even if you paint the cabinets or make other significant change in the future.

In addition, they're saying the mosaic backsplashes with bling are out and so are the picture framed details behind a range or stove

Backsplashes aren't as permanent as countertops. Changing out a backsplash isn't as cheap /quick as repainting, but it's a whole lot cheaper /quicker than changing counter tops.

The question is, what's going to be the star of your kitchen? If the answer is, counter tops, then stay simple with your backsplash. Or vice-versa.

He said thats traditional and does not fit my kitchen style of shaker white outer cabs with black stained cherry wood island.

You're using two-toned cabinets ... that's already a stand-out item, which means you need to stay simple with your other choices.

Was everything I had in mind the wrong choices? Im confused. I want it plain but classy, not boring.

Without seeing the items, I'm going with "Yes, wrong choices". Specifically, I think you have too many "stars" and not enough coordination, not enough thought about how the items work together as a whole.

From your descriptions, I don't think you want plain at all; every choice you're making tells me that's not what you want.

Overall -- not speaking of you, but people in general -- many bad choices are made based upon the fear of "not being boring".Stay simple (not plain) in your big-ticket items ... bring in trend and personality with accessories, which can be changed out with a trip to Home Goods.

Pick a counter with movement or a backsplash with interest. Not both. One. The two together are visually overwhelming. The other element can still have character. It will just need to be less visually complex.

Well stated.

The reason that you are getting advice to simplify your overly fussy and traditional ideas is that they are in direct conflict with the bones of your very contemporary home.

Oh, your house is contemporary? Oh, yeah, you're on the wrong track. No, no, no to white Shaker cabinets (even if they are the king of the kitchen at the moment). Contemporary and Shaker are not friends. No to two-tone cabinets. Instead, look to slab fronts in a deep, rich color. Consider simple, oversized pulls. Pick a strong color for accessories.

Think about it this way: By choosing a contemporary house, you've already "set the tone" for your decorating ... going traditional in the kitchen will create a mis-matched look, and it will never work.

This is your house?

My first thoughts: I don't care for the pale wood. Your cabinets are spread out /unusual in shape ... which is a reason to keep your design simple. The clutter on the countertops /open shelves is distracting. You have no "star", no focal point now. Your uppers vary widely ... too many styles; I vote for no more than two cabinet styles for your uppers.

This is a lovely room. I'd like to see some color brought in through pillows and throws, and then don't change anything. This room is simple ... yet also inviting. The items mesh together well. You have two standout items (fireplace and wall of windows), yet they don't compete with one another because of the room's size and because everything else is simple in style.

I mean this with no snark. If you know what you want, and resale is not an issue, why are you inviting pros and the GW/Houzz community into the process? What do you hope to get from these new points of view? Are you looking for validation? That will not come. Are you looking for hand holding as you execute your vision? Then hire someone and explain your goals for the relationship.

If you're convinced your house will be a gut when you sell, do what you want and take those railings and front doors with you. :) (I like your new front doors as well but prefer the initial ones for your house.)

Taste is subjective. Things can appeal to us for many reasons but a house is a whole and the aim should be style cohesion. When we're contemplating elements in a vacuum, we're likely to get into design trouble. It takes a deft hand and a great eye to mix different styles in a home. When working with a designer, I'd choose one who's well-versed in different styles and respects architectural integrity. Btw, I wouldn't qualify stainless as timeless for kitchen appliances. I find it a pain to clean and it doesn't look all that great against all cabinet finishes. I much prefer white or panelled appliances. But that's my taste. :)

If it were me, I would read these comments (and pass by the snark) and try to comprehend the basis upon which folks are giving you advice. Most posters here have taken the time to give detailed explanations as to why you might like to make this or that style choice. They have outlined the design principle behind their advice. For example: there's no right or wrong with going for a blingy countertop, but if you do, the sound advice/reasoning is then that should be the star. Concurrently, if you go with a lot of other colors and patterns and bling, then the room will read "too busy" to the eye and also you've made a big monetary investment in a very dominant feature that might control a lot of the other decisions. There are lots of ways to bling up your home that are less expensive and easier to change out. But if you have your heart set on the blingy countertops, then folks have advised you to consider that big investment the "star" of the room and design around that.

So maybe your designers are not communicating with you very well the reasons they are giving you this advice, or are not helping you to make decisions you enjoy. For example, if you enjoy color, then of course you're not going to want plain blonde shaker cabinets. But your decorator should then help you think about other options, not fall back on "it's dated" or "not in style" as their justification. They should justify their decisions based on sound design principles and be able to communicate that to you.

IMHO you would be well advised to read through these comments again and figure out whether it is just a communication problem with your designers and maybe you can work on ways they can communicate with you better to help you achieve your vision. Not everyone who is a designer has this additional skill, but maybe you can find a way to work with the person you already have, or find someone who is great at communicating. Not a bad idea to screen people for just that skill ahead of time before committing to the whole process.

When I decorated my first home, I read up a lot of design principles in books like "Use What You Have Decorating" by Lauri Ward, and a couple of others that escape me, but color and design theory type decorating books. Helped me develop an eye and a language to describe the decorating process more precisely.

Just as a side note, here's a little idea my husband and I came up with to add just a touch of bling to our backsplash, which might work OK with your kitchen. I wouldn't do the pattern we chose, but add just a line or two of glass tiles to a plain backsplash. Many ways to do that, two are shown here. Note: showing our tub surround photo, which had a similar pattern to the backsplash because that's the photo I could find. Same idea, writ smaller.

Mrs Pete I made the railing 30 years ago in a bleached wood. I had them stained, I painted the spindles to match. These are old pictures that greendesigns posted. My appliances all dont work except the cooktop that has a crack in the glass. I would never replace with new appliances to a broken down faded dated kitchen. Too much to fix so we'd rather replace. The family room has new furniture and window treatments dark stained flooring. I dont want blingy countertop.. who said that? Im looking for white with simple veining (large or tiny, not sure). One color for all the counters. What is everyone’s opinion on the hardware? Polished nickel or brushed nickel? I am definitely going with a longer lengthWhich ever I choose.

I am just correcting things that are misunderstood and not disagreeing with you all. the Houzz community is giving me validation that has never come. Pros and regular folks have varied opinions. Everyone is so different... the validation will never come as Zalco said. Im not going to start telling y'all that I love the farmhouse glam look so chandeliers might be dangling in the new kitchen!! These shaker type with cove moulding was ordered 3 months ago by a KD. Definitely transitional. They are due in any day now. Not sure if I want to continue responding to these posts. Again,too many opinions with wrong and not enough information understood. Not selling in a few years... possibly more like 8-10. TY bye.

"Bling" was imprecise. Just my shorthand for something with some presence. Even that is imprecise. This is a prime example of the difficulty with communication that can arise between people. It is quite possible that you aren't clicking with two different designers but that would not be unusual considering the variety of personality types and communication styles in the world. Keep looking and maybe you can find either the person or whatever other tools you need to help you. Could be books, searching for inspiration photos, a designer, a neighbor, etc. Does not seem like a forum is the best for you but don't be discouraged, keep looking and hopefully you will find something that "sparks joy" for you in this process. That's what decorating should be all about. I know it can get stressful when you are right in the middle of it! I find what helps me the most is using search terms to look for inspiration photos online. I do pretty well when copying others . . .

“I dont want blingy countertop.. who said that?”

Your OP said “He is the second one that told me that the big veined countertops are out and will be dated soon”. Evidently you told both designers you want big veined countertops. Big veined counters are not considered plain, and I don’t know how you would think that large-veined counters would be plain.

The real thing, such as Calacutta marble cost $20k, so they are blingy just by their exhorbitant cost. The imitation, Quartz, are blingy because they are going for a similar look. Maybe you aren’t articulating what you are looking for. A picture is worth a thousand words. Why don’t you post an example of what you meant by “big veined countertop?”

Examples of quartz with big veins.

MM those countertops you posted are very lovable! So Joelc I wouldn't worry if your designer says they will go out of fashion if you love the look. However, as someone who uses her kitchen counter space constantly and has white ones that she has to scrub with bleach constantly as well to remove stains, I would not do it unless I loved cleaning and/or didn't cook/spill much. YMMV. With an open concept kitchen and that bold of a choice, you will have to keep it looking like the show stopper it is, unless you don't care about that either. I am not so bold, but I wouldn't dare tell anyone else how to live! I am a color junkie so I would not hesitate to do a backsplash with glass tiles picking up the grey and silver tones from the quartzite or marble. But I wouldn't do it in a pattern then, so disregard my previous post about mixing glitzy tiles in with plain ones.

This is a prime example of communication, because I was imagining a darker countertop when I read your OP. You may be too. That's why it will help to have inspiration photos to show your designers.

@I pink mountain, the OP said “Im looking for white with simple veining (large or tiny, not sure)”, which is a change from previous post where she talked about ”big veined countertops”. Anyway, those comments are why I posted those pics of white counters with big veining. She also said she wants plain, so it’s hard to know what she has in mind without photos. So as I said, the OP should post photos of what she has in mind, because otherwise it’s impossible to advise her. I recommend she do same with the designers she hired. Show them photos. Otherwise they may not know what she is looking for just from her verbal descriptions.