Help with Starmark slate cabinets and Skara Brae countertop remodel
Hello houzzers, we need your feedback and suggestions!
We are about to start a large kitchen remodel which includes removal of 2 load bearing walls.
I have attached a rough sketch of the overall floor plan as well as the proposed layout of the new kitchen. Basically we are going for a completely open floor plan with the fridge, sink, dishwasher and ovens on one side, a large island with an induction cooktop and then additional pantry cabinets on the opposite side. For cabinets we are planning to go for Starmark cosmopolitan in maple slate for the perimeter and a darker rustic cherry slate for the island.
For countertops we are planning to use Cambria Skara Brae quartz on the island and a more uniform light gray quartz for the sink and pantry countertops. Appliances will be Miele induction cooktop, steam oven, speed oven and dishwasher and then an LG standard size fridge. Flooring will likely be some kind of light/greige LVP.
We would love to get some feedback and suggestions from everyone especially on the layout as well as cabinet and flooring colors.
Rough proposed floor plan:
Cabinet layout (Sink side):
Cabinet layout (Pantry side):
Island (Top View)
Color Scheme / Samples:
- Countertop: Skara Brae
- Cabinets (perimeter): Starmark Maple Slate - Cosmopolitan
- Cabinets (island): Starmark Rustic Cherry Slate - Cosmopolitan
- Flooring: LVP
- Appliances: Miele Pureline / LG fridge
Comments (19)
T Larsen
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Tweaked layout again... better?
Comments (28)Ya' ever watch Extreme Homemakeover when the recipients say, "it's like you were inside my head!"? Well... you're so close to what I'm envisioning it's kinda freakish. Think mysterymachines kitchen... I know I want neutral color cork floors, toffeeish stained maple perimeters, the granite... I vacillate. Torned between something like Yellow River, love Azul Macabus(?), even had thought about soapstone but I like the movement and color of granite. On the island I was thinking of maybe doing some contrast but concerned that with such a small house it may not work. Love marble or white quartzite. The quartzite may work better because it may be a little less formal and I want this home to give off an informal vibe. The kitchen will most definately be the heart of the home; second to the outdoor living space. I will probably take inspiration from the outdoors using warm neutrals and countered by some cool blues. I know I have a long time before I get to that part of the remodel. It borders on sick regarding how excited I get even thinking about it... or is that just a symptom of being TKO? In terms of the layout... WOW! Now that I look at it in 3D I think I might prefer the straight countertop run on the sink wall rather then the double oven cabinet. I know I"ve read on the appliance forum that people have installed the Advantium under the counter but specs say above counter. Doesn't make much sense since you can install the Monogram under the counter. It doesn't have to be an Advantium; just a speed oven, micro convection. But... I think I will find an under the counter space for that. The eating area wall is only offset 28" so I can do a small cab with glass front wall cabs above it... love that. I might also consider the glass front flip up wall cabs that run horizonally for either or both of the 5' cabinet runs. I'd use some kind of wavy or frosted/opaque glass lit from the inside. Backsplash... Some kind of mini subway or bamboo style glass or the slate and glass mini subway I saw on this forum. Probably waaaayyyy more info then you wanted/needed but once I got going on my dream list my fingers wouldn't stop skimming the keyboard! It's almost impossible to believe that it will become a reality in a year or two. Like I mentioned we will DIY as much as possible and probably push the envelope on that a bit. Thanks for letting me dream out loud here!!...See MoreHelp w/ Budget Conscious Layout
Comments (17)So, this is a brick rowhouse, but without a dogleg? And you are going to enclose and winterize a porch that runs across the back of your house? If you are going to enclose the full width of the porch, the space might also accommodate some storage for the kitchen, buying you some additional space in the kitchen proper. You might want to consider allocating your budget first to the structural changes you know you want, with the idea that you might be able to save money by finding good quality used cabinets and/or using Ikea butcher block for the countertop until are ready to upgrade. A lot of people on this thread actually also swear by Ikea cabinets, so much so that if Ikea doesn't sell the door style they like they buy Ikea "boxes" and fittings and order the doors separately. In your current photos, I am confused by the one that shows the fridge and then the back door. It looks as though the wall the fridge is on corners off to the right rather than going straight to the back wall. Is the room really the rectangle you are showing? If so, I wonder if you might consider keeping the back door where it is and building a U-shaped kitchen. With the money you save there, you could have your sink window widened and deepened, which requires taking out bricks and maybe installing an iron beam in the brick. It would probably be cheaper than moving the door. Also, I don't actually see how a centered door would be great unless it is french doors through which light comes and one can see directly out to the garden or yard. This is a very rough idea of how such a layout might work. I am showing an oval table against the right wall it could be a shallow counter-height table and a couple of stools. Of course, this arrangement would be most pleasant if there is light coming through the back door. Anyway, I made the sink too big, but you get the idea. The base cabinets in the corners would work because vendors now have these swingout peanut shaped lazy susan things that allow full use of the space. I noticed that one set of cabinets you like have stacked uppers. As someone who also has a small tall kitchen -- very like yours, actually, but 11 x 11 with 10 foot ceilings, a window about where yours is, the a glazed door where yours now is, and another window on the back wall -- I am a big fan of taking advantage of the vertical space, for drama as well as storage. Anyway, I live in a 1901 rowhouse on Capitol Hill. My kitchen badly needs redoing, so I am facing many of the issues your are. The one thing I am for sure going to spring for is a Liebherr fridge. They are genuinely counter-depth, providing space by being 80 inches tall, which is great for small tall rooms. So these are just some other ways to think about things. You will get other from other forum members as well. I strongly urge you to look on craigslist and redfin for photos of renovated city rowhouses for ideas. It is also worth while to make the rounds of like houses open on Sundays. You would be amazed at how innovative people can be in addressing the spacial limits of these houses. Finally, I don't know what neighborhood you live in, but I assume security will be a factor how you arrange your porch enclosure. I will be curious to see how you deal with it. Be of stout heart, and cheers. hbk...See MoreBrittanicca Gold Countertops - Matching Option?
Comments (16)Keeping the countertops the same ties the island to the wall cabinets, especially with the colors being so completely different. We did a wood island with white wall cabinets as a display in our showroom, to show a variety of finishes and color schemes. However that is not typically what clients want in their homes. Unless the second color is very similar to the first it will look too haphazard. Cambria shows two different products here but they are so similar they blend well together. Generally we see more kitchens like this, with the same countertop throughout. Best of luck!...See MoreHelp--Need to choose kitchen cabinet hardware, faucet and sink
Comments (14)While the darker granite composite sinks are pretty indestructible, the white and cream ones stain easily and are harder to clean. If I were only choosing white/cream sink, I would get enameled cast iron. I don’t think a white sink will look that great with the OP’s choice of counter. To the OP - Cambria Skara Brae is a pretty contemporary look. I would choose a black granite composite sink like the Blanco Silgranit anthracite color to set it off, and I’d choose a polished faucet finish like polished chrome (not a brushed finish) so that the faucet gleams like jewelry on black velvet with the counter and black sink. Here are photos of the OP’s choice of counter. I could only find pics of it with stainless steel sinks which the OP says she doesn’t want....See MoreT Larsen
3 years agoT Larsen
3 years agorebasheba
3 years agoT Larsen
3 years agoHI everyone!
We have made some modifications. To brighten things up a bit we now use Tarragon maple for all perimeter cabinets and Slate maple for the island.. We have also shortened the upper cabinets to get a little more headroom and the backsplash will be a pearl white glass tile. Flooring is now a brighter Everlife Andover Highcliffe Greige from MSI.
Opinions and suggestions highly appreciated!
Kristel Quintana
3 years agoJust a thought, we have 21" of space above our counter which I love. It's open and airy. The cabinets include a light rail to hide cabinet lighting.. I'm 5' 9" and my husband is a little taller so reaching is not a problem. We do use a stool for hard to reach areas in the pantry but its not very often. Also consider a mirror behind your sink. I did that in a townhouse where I faced the wall and it didn't feel as claustrophobic. As to comments about different color cabinets, I don't think your's are so different that they would look disjointed and I think the space is big enough to pull off the darker cabinets without feeling confined. I found the below color scheme that is the reverse of yours - it reminded me a little of your layout. The difference is that you have quite a bit of wood with the flooring. The island my blend a bit being a lighter color but the expanse of counter top and choice of stools may balance it.
Jessica DeMarco
3 years agorheniser
2 years ago
Sandy Wu
9 months agoT Larsen
9 months agolast modified: 9 months agoHere are some pictures of the finished project. Despite various issues with our GC, We are super happy with how it turned out in the end. Can highly recommend the raised dishwasher. It is awesome!
T LarsenOriginal Author