Just a thought ... I've seen some beautiful laundry rooms done with Ikea cabinets. I've seen it done in multi million dollar homes. Here is a link to two beautiful lottery homes. You'll see in the sources that many items came from Ikea in the laundry and I think they are beautiful. http://houseandhome.com/design/photo-gallery-2011-princess-margaret-showhome?page=32 http://houseandhome.com/design/photo-gallery-2010-princess-margaret-showhome?page=18 Here are some photos. Last two are Sarah Richardson with cabinets by Ikea.

mlweaving, Thanks for your vote and input and your help once again. I have not posted on the new build blog much lately as my rate of progress as a DIY person with a big family is just not what the typical builder can do. We have made a number of key decisions recently on most of the finishes. It looks like the medicine cabinet as shown is out. Do you all think if we made the medicine cabinet into a single door in same width as the window and only say 5 inches deep it might look better? Or is blank wall above the laundry sink the best. I will try to get DH to redraw the medicine cabinet and put in white counters with all blue cabs. mlweaving, I hope your home progress is advancing despite the hiccups that go with the territory. may_flowers: Thanks very much for that image! I see that those Shakers have a sloped edge rather than flat like standard Shakers. Thanks for taking the time to clarify your idea. Carol

It really is a hard decision, but usually there is some sort of indicator to the right direction - you may just have to listen hard and dig deep to find it. People gave all sorts of good things to clue in on in this thread from just sitting and staring at your kitchen daily and it coming to you over time....to looking at inspiration pics and tuning into which ones make you sigh in wonder.....to just making a final decision one way or another and seeing if peace comes with it. For me, I did decide on white with my previous cabinet maker, and I was excited, but still felt very nervous about it. The glaze or no glaze choice was not sitting right at all either. I wanted the warmth of glaze, but not the potential to be dated or the lack of control over how heavy or light it was applied. In the end, we switched cabinet makers, and I realized that stained wood really does fit more with our house. That's what all our millwork and window casings/trim are. So that's what we chose (stained birch, actually), and I feel peace about it. There is something about the warmth of wood that paint can't really replicate. Yet, I get my white painted fix too - we have a cream fireplace mantle and surround, so I am adding to that in the adjacent kitchen with a creamy white island, hutch, and columns. I am still toying with the idea of using black or green on the island instead of white...we will see! BTW, our kitchen should be completed by the end of the year. Our aim is Nov 1, but I think that's going to be pushing it.

I decide by whether the lampshade is primarily seen on or off. If off then the true color of the lampshade will coordinate with whatever is around it and in my case its the furnishings (not the trim or wall color since both are white/neutral). But now I have a lampshade that when the light is off is a white linen. When the light is on it's off-white and yellowy... in the room it's viewed both on and off so even if I wanted white I'd only get it half the time.