question,,,,why aren't you doing a U layout? I would think w/a peninsula you'll be able to do some counter seating which would be nice for a rental.

If you want the stove on that wall, why not keep sink under the window where it is now, keep that countertop extended like it is,

In the dead corner where it slopes, that's where you build in your cabinets onto the countertop.

basically this layout, but not the modern look.

I like the fridge over on this wall. and you get a little breakfast bar

Or, even this one. similar to what you want to do except no island, and a peninsula on the other side

around the stove you could do something like this

and maybe something like this tile to match your light blue

@Beth H. : Unless the OP installs a tiling substrate (drywall or cement board) over the kitchen backsplash area, I'm not sure how tiling could be done. Is there something I'm missing?

the paneling could be cut away and green board installed. Or she could extend the countertop up the back.

@Beth H. : I'm not sure how this cabin is built. My sister lives in a 2500 sq ft log home. All her exterior walls are the logs that have been planed flat. It's an open floor plan so the few interior walls she has are conventional 2 x 6 with drywall. But she has an L-shaped kitchen that wraps an exterior corner. There'd be no paneling to cut.

ah, well, then never mind! lol. i saw the white backsplash in her rendition and thought she was doing something. maybe she will just take the countertop up the back.

what is she doing behind the stove? she can't just have wood there. and you can't just put something between the stove and the wood. (that something can still get hot and transfer heat to the wood paneling)

however, you could still prob do a simple backsplash tile over the wood paneling too. The stove area would need to be addressed w/something else, but the tile splash above the sink-wall could still work.

I was thinking intalling 1/4" hardi and tiling over that. My sister has a freestanding range with the traditional high back that's just set against the wall. No venting whatsoever. It's been that way since 1992.

does she cook a lot? I don't know how people can have a stove without a good vent! maybe she doesn't fry! lol

She doesn't fry but both her and husband cook all the time. She also bakes bread a lot. Meats tend to be roasted or grilled year round outdoors. At the time she built it wasn't required. She does have a big 8 foot window along the long wall or her "L".

I like the black cabinets. You should consider the peninsula idea for a simple seating arrangement. If you rent to rotating medical people, they’re more likely to grab a meal at the peninsula with a stool. Your cabin is adorable,and keeping the family plaid is a charming touch. The black works if you’re dead set on the white Corian, but I would certainly consider green since it “goes” with the feel of the space.

I had a U shaped kitchen plan as well. I really like it a lot. The main reasons I moved it to 2nd place is because I will end up with 2 corner Susans, not my favorite form of storage, and I would have to put the dishwasher in the peninsula and moving the plumbing into the floor will be more expensive. Also there will be more cost in cabinets and countertops. It’s still an option as I haven’t gotten bids to get an idea of the cost difference.

Here’s that layout, I flipped the U because the door you see to the right is the entrance. The door hits the cabinets that extend there every time you come in. So seating there would be problematic.

On to the color, I really love green and would use it absolutely everywhere if I could(ask my husband lol). To me the IKEA Green is pretty but possibly too formal for this space? I’m concerned this finish may be more susceptible to chipping. I may be wrong about that as I’ve never had factory finished cabinets.

Whereas the black is stained and more of a shaker.

Maybe I’m wrong and the green being glossy will be more reflective?

As to backsplash, my hope was to do corian like the counter. I believe it can be attached directly to the wood and not require the work, (extra expense) of doing tile. Plus there would be no grout to clean.

On a side note, there is no code in my county requiring any sort of backsplash even behind the range. The main cabin(built in 1997) has a gas range against the same wood walls with no backsplash and no exterior venting! I wasn’t thrilled about that when we first bought the place but it’s not been an issue. My husband fries something daily.

The green is beautiful and no not to formal. I think both could work well. I like this layout better. Its more functional because it pulls the barstools away from the door/doorway and out of the way as well as makes an excellent division in your open space setting up a great designation for a dining table. As far as corner cabinets they have some amazing pulls outs now to remedy those pesky corner storage issues. How wide is that kitchen indent? That seems like the natural place for the "bedroom" to be in all honesty.

That is a gorgeous cabin!

I think the black will look great, especially with the white Corian counters. Have you considered butcher block countertop for just the island? I know there is already a lot of wood but I think the butcher block will serve as a nice transition from the deep contrast of the black and white kitchen to the rest of the space.

I am still considering a freestanding island as opposed to built in cabinets. I would do this island.

The indent where the kitchen is would be would be a better spot for the bedroom probably. But I’m not looking to spend the money to move the kitchen elsewhere. I think the original owners designed the space as an office or entertainment space and didn’t really have a sleeping space at all. I’m not sure why they had a full bath at all, maybe it was just a resale thought.

Here are the dimensions of the entire space.

As long as you have good lighting I think black is a good choice but no to the green appliances. I like the green cabinets, too.

black kitchen in log cabin - Google Search · More Info

black kitchen in log cabin - Google Search · More Info

Dark Green- just as lovely against the wood

30 Rustic Kitchens Designed by Top Interior Designers · More Info

One thing about the green for you to consider is that if you do need to touch it up it will probably be harder to match than if you went with black cabinets. And as far as factory finish, my own experience ( 7 kitchens to date ) that the factory finish has always worn better than the "custom" cabinets. Though not all factory finishes are equal based on the quality of the cabinet, too.

The green will look wonderful. Reminds me of spruce trees.

A warm deep green and a SOAPSTONE counter. It's a woody cabin, folks. Think nature. Add lighting. Lots of lighting : )

Lot's of stuff gets "touched up" in a rental. If you hate touch ups, you don't lease.

I love, love, love soapstone, but I’m not sure it would be as sturdy as corian or quartz. Doesn’t it require regular sealing? From my previous research it is VERY expensive around here, but I will look into it again. I would have to have a counter company from Atlanta do that and they usually charge a significant travel fee to come up here. I could do a honed quartz or granite. Maybe even Paperstone in black.(That we can do ourselves as it is cut with standard wood shop tools)

Touch ups don’t bother me, but if I can start off with something that will need less of that then I’m hoping to go that route.

@Annette Holbrook(z7a) If you were to select something like Beleza soapstone which is a 4 to 4.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, it would compare favorably to Corian and quartz. It would have a much higher heat tolerance than quartz, and scratches would be as minimal as you could find with a soapstone, actually much better than Corian which is a 2 to 3 on the Mohs scale. Soapstone does not need sealing and indeed cannot be sealed due to its density. It can, however, accept the application of topical treatments like mineral oil or wax-based compounds. The harder soapstones do better with the oils and the softer soapstones with the waxes. Many soapstone countertop owners choose to leave the soapstone untreated. Due to its chemical composition, soapstone does not etch or stain like some other natural stones, though some users say that oil and water marks take time to evaporate. Yes, soapstone is expensive, but it's in mid-range pricing when you place it on a scale of all the natural stones commonly in use today for countertop material.

Putting any two whites side by side risks having one look dingy. Consider a pastel color Corian for your countertops instead.

This blog post details a woman's experience with her soapstone counters. She loves them. It's a good read.

https://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/soapstone.html

Black Jet Mist Granite Honed. The owner and I selected this for her vacation rental home kitchen island to give her a similar look of soapstone. She says she loves it as it doesn't show finger prints. Eventually she will replace the perimeter with it also.

With knife block · More Info

Ted, that's beautiful.

Annette, soapstone is soft, but it isn't that fragile. it's what they used in chemistry labs for a hundred years.

Jet Mist, Virgina Mist,,,honed, are all good choices.

they also make a quartz that looks like soapstone. Silestone Eternal Charcoal

This one is real Soapstone. I saw it at one of my stone places. The slab was maybe 2K or so? not too expensive. Soapstone gets oiled.

this is the quartz eternal slab (I actually have this same one in the light gray in my own kitchen)

Negresco. (they say it's a quartzite. but I haven't verified it. looks like soapstone tho. this is the leather finish)

Another quartz option.

If you will be renting out the cabin, keep in mind that renters won’t take care of your property like you would. I think the “soapstone-looking” granite is a good choice. You don’t want to be worrying about your new kitchen when someone else is living there. I think that look is pretty perfect and tedbixby’s photo shows how nice it is with either color cabinet.

I love the Honed Black Mist granite and the Silestone Eternal Charcoal. I’ve had Silestone in my other house for 23 years and it looks brand new.

I love the black! I think the white counters will be bright and clean enough, and you're going for a woodsy feel, not cottage-y or beach-y. Plus, since it's all one big room, the black has the feel and weight of furniture; makes it feel less like you're sleeping in a kitchen. If anything, you could consider doing the perimeter cabinets black and the island in a color if you wanted to break it up. But your instinct is good!

ETA: reading back up it looks like you're considering other options. I really do love the black cabs and white Corian you started with. I adore green, too--if you're just doing the freestanding IKEA island that would be easy to paint green and it would look lovely with the wood top. I recommend against soapstone for rentals. We have soapstone in our master bath and I love it but wouldn't trust other people with it. I'm in Alabama and like you it's tough to get fabricators for soapstone down here.

Budget will be the deciding factor on whether I do the L or the U layout. Still up in the air regarding black vs green. If I go with the U, what do y’all think of the china cabinet type unit on the counter? I need somewhere to put glasses and mugs. But I’m concerned about how accessible this cabinet would be. It would be easily accessible In the L layout obviously. I was thinking the two drawers would be a good spot for placemats and napkins and such.

If you want the white Corian countertop, you might consider a different color for your cabinets. If you have already settled on white cabinets, you might consider a pale gray Corian for your countertops.

I'd like the dark green for furnishings but wouldn't want white cabinets. It comes down to your deciding if you prefer a dark warm vibe or a lighter airier vibe and then working toward that objective in your choices.

That photo Ted posted is a fav of mine. Did you notice how they did the backsplash! So clever. Jagged top edge to simulate mountains. Anyway, black stained cabinets would be most durable in a rental space. Boy, I would hate to rent this out. It is too sweet! I would find a rolling island with countertop for kitchen so you have the peninsula and a couple seats for snacks. The pull out corner space savers are great but still very expensive. Here are a few. They come in a wide variety of styles, sizes and price points. I like the idea of mobile cart because it has more functionality than fixed cabinets. Less cost than fixed cabinets and you could keep it if you ever sold this place.

One more thing. Black is a neutral so more flexible for future too. Green is limiting.

So narrowing it down to black(first choice for durability) and the green (love the color, not the finish as much). What color appliances with each? The retro looking ones are a good price point and I like the look for a cabin. They come in white, black, turquoise or mint. They have a red fridge but no matching range for some reason. The stainless options are more modern looking. And tbh I’m kind of tired of stainless.

White or black. Other colors will add visual confusion.

I think you need to decide on the cabinet color 1st, then the counter top and then the appliance color.

You also need to verify height of those refrigerators in the kitchen layout.

Haha ted. I was already assuming black cabinets and white Corian. Have to check the “whites” so they don’t fight!

Narrowed down to green or black cabinets and several options on counter top choices still being digested by Annette. My choice is the black as the green doesn't seem as earthy as I think it needs to be. And there is a lot of black accents in the cabin so it pulls all together. And can always do a green distressed cart if end up with a U shape and if there is room.

Black is timeless, of course. Depending on the choice of countertop the retro white appliances could be adorable. Then you keep the white Corian, which is how this got started!

With a bit of imagination if you can imagine the cabinets black instead of navy you can get a bit of a feel what black cabinets, white counter top ( I think it is white) and a retro white fridge would look like. And the flooring looks like yours?

black kitchen cabinets with retro white appliances - Google Search · More Info

I’m going with 2 choices to give to my husband. Unlike all of my friends, I have a husband who wants input on these decisions. However, after 24 years of marriage I have learned that I can’t get him involved in the beginning as he will stymie the process with analysis paralysis. So I try to narrow things down to 2 options (L or U, green or black). Usually we agree on the final, so he is a great way to get the choice made when I’m the one who can’t decide 😂. But I need to present him with mostly finished designs otherwise it will start the whole process over again!

Needless to say, y’all have been immensely helpful. Such great ideas! I love the retro white, total throwback to my childhood kitchen memories. And the black is so sleek, which I also love.

As much as I love green(seriously, every time I have that option I go with green) I think the black cabinets are the best, timeless option for me. I like that with black I can change accents for fun.

So black it is! My plan is to order the appliances and have them here before I choose the countertop.

Flo, you are right. I will need to make sure the white appliances work. The height shown is 71.5 which is what I have drawn in.

Love your logic and the process you have developed for success!!

Black it is! Have you decided on the color of the appliances?

You get bonus points for knowing how to handle your spouse around these projects. Glad you’re choosing the black (and I’m with you around green - when it’s an option, I’m drawn to it).

Well just asked DH which he prefers regarding appliance color. He says the white looks more accurate to him as far as a retro look, plus after living with a black range in the main cabin for 3 years he doesn’t like that the black shows every little thing. Kind of like a black car, when all polished up they are beautiful, but water marks and streaks are always there. So white appliances it is.

He makes a very good point! He has earned extra hubby points on that one. Black cabinets and white appliance is the way you are going?

Looks that way. He also remembered we looked at Semihandmade and they have a nice green if I’m really set on green. But I believe those are thermofoil so I don’t know if there’s any point even pricing that option. I’m good with black and white at this point. I like the idea of the butcher block on the island if we go with that layout.

He also liked that pic of the navy and white kitchen you posted so that fridge may have won the point!

Super. I'm thinking it sounds like you are ready to go forward on it. You've been circling around black cabinets since you posted so go with your gut and and don't listen to all the back ground noise 2nd guessing you. From your photos you've posted, it shows that you have an eye for design so go with your white Corian and black cabinets and post photos when you are done. As we all look forward to seeing your new kitchen which I know will be adorable.

I think you have it covered!