I don't think it will ever look like your inspiration because it's more the style of cabinets than the other finishes that make them what they are in those pics. BUT, I think your kitchen looks nice. I agree with changing the outlets to white. Get your floors changed if that is in the plan: hardwood would nice. Slate too but may be harder on your feet and back. Add a runner with the colors you like and pull that to your counters with - vase with flowers, spoon caddy, etc. And then bring up the wood from the floors up by adding cutting boards,

I like your kitchen. I like the tile, the countertop, and I like your old cabinets. Your black stove is jarring to me. I'd switch it to white (I know most here would prefer stainless, and that would be OK, too.)

It's funny (maybe not to you), but I like your kitchen. I love that exposed hinge look. Sigh.

OK, I do agree with others about fixes, but just in case you're on a real tight budget.... I can offer you something to consider, which is what I would do in your position.

I'd get rid of the counters (which you hate) and go for butcher block (can be had at IKEA) on the island, and either prefab marble/marble-look slabs (pretty inexpensive, in the scheme of things!!) OR laminate prefabs, for the perimeter.

The tile backsplash can be painted, you know. It's possible, and might tide you over for a couple years.

First of all your inspiration would not have been in a craftsman style house so if you were trying to stay somewhat true to the style of the house, your inspiration pics are not it. A craftsman kitchen would have had colorful tiles on the counters and backsplash or had soapstone or wood counters. Definitely not marble unless you lived in a mansion and then you as the homeowner would never enter the kitchen.

Floors of the period would have been linoleum flooring in the kitchen.

Also the cabinets you have now are not original to the house. They are from the early 50's - late 60's.

I actually like the granite as it gives some life to the kitchen. I personally am so dang tired of white kitchens with gray/white marble. Your house is not HGTV so why are you trying to make your kitchen look like something from HGTV?

I can't imagine how those slabs ever looked white. They're busy. Try to put something simple on the floor.

Beth and Beverly nailed it with their ideas/suggestions as usual. I absolutely love your granite and your backsplash. I agree w/ all of Beth's suggestions and love Beverly's mock-up.

Oh man...

I'm so sorry but I'm not feeling it either...

Can you please stand in front of the sink and take a pic pointed outward and post?

And what light bulbs are you currently using?

Do you have under cab lighting and does any of your uppers have a glass door with in cabinet lighting?

Can you change the grout in the subway tile to white?

Do you do okay getting pots & pans off your back burners or do you have to "helicopter" them?

Also need to add you do have a nice, clean, tidy kitchen!

Ur lighr over sink is too cold. It needs to be more a warm. I agree gray cabinets...but can try a cream or taupe.

"The slab looked white, but cut down and installed it's full of black and blue veins I didn't even notice before. "

Those counters are VERY busy for a sample that looked white. Perhaps what was installed is really not what you selected.

If the counters had less pattern and movement the backsplash would not stand out so much. To encourage you--I waited years for my black oven to die so I could finally buy a white one that blends in with the other appliances.

Your cabinets are great. (And many craftsman homes had cabinets just like that, although depending on the date, they might not have been built in. The stained woodwork and tile were in the living ares, not the working kitchen!)

Rho is right--be sure that the correct granite was installed.

Lightbulb changes will help.

Oh wow the thing that jumps out at me is the fridge adjoining the oven.?? Prettiness aside. Is that ok?

It is unfortunate your attitude toward formica clouded your judgement on your counter top choice. With your current cabinets you would have gotten closer to your inspiration if you stuck to WHITE no matter what the product was. I find your grout lines in your back splash to be too messy/rustic for a kitchen. I just get queasy when I think of cleaning. Can they be cleaned up or is that due to your tile choice? Your cabinets are vintage I think they would have played nicer with a very plain understated white as you had initially planned for. To update them, new hardware would take you far!! It's disheartening not to be happy after all the money and mess of a kitchen refresh.

I agree with others who recommend that you take a second look at what you had chosen. There seems to be no way in the world that granite could ever appear to be anything close to white. You must have paid a good price for all that work and it looks like you have received some good suggestions, including the one to recheck what exactly you ordered. That is fine granite but it seems unlikely that it would ever be mistaken for white. It is anything but.

Your vision of what you want your kitchen to be seems nothing like what you have actually chosen and your cabinets are old school while the inspiration that you are drawing from is clean, sleek and modern. These are two entirely different aesthetics.

Lucky that you have, otherwise, nice and fresh kitchen counters.

Check what you ordered. That is not white by any stretch of wanting it to be.

When we first moved into our house the fridge and the oven were next to one another. I know that it seems as if that is something that should not be. I did change that.

You’re getting good advise here - do the floor, stainless DW and micro sized to fit the opening, range with no back and you will be happier....cabinet reface down the road would be icing on the cake.

@HU-482960219 I love your kitchen, much better than the inspiration ones. I think the granite goes better with your period cabinets than a slick modern countertop like in the inspiration photos. I've always loved that classic little detail cutout pattern on the sink base cabinet and I love the arch profile above the sink with the glass front cabinet. From the photo, it looks like the countertop, backsplash and cabinets all match, so I'm not sure why you think it doesn't match. It's a great kitchen! The only think I would change is the color of your outlets.

First thing: get good lighting. Some of your pictures make the cabinets look yellowish, some pictures look white, and one makes the end of the island panel look purple!!!

If you need more light fixtures installed, do that. Replace every bulb with a “daylight” light. Then see what you think.

My first impression is that your cabinets are a creamy color but your countertops run to gray/black/blue. I don’t care for creamy mixed with those colors.

Your kitchen could never have resembled the inspiration picture even with light counters. You are just disappointed (I know the feeling, I wasn’t able to gut our last kitchen and made choices to work with what couldn’t be replaced). I think though for your kitchen your choices work fine.

To help it all come together, I’d paint the cabinets a crisp white, change to darker hardware to compliment granite, add pendants over island, replace blind and when adding new floors, suggest going dark to tie in with the counter. In the meantime, you could add a cute runner. I’m sure you’ll be happier. Good luck.

I’m commenting to come back to this when I have more time later this morning. It’s really easy to spend other people’s money, but my preference is not to be wasteful or overly rude. You saw one idea and ended up with another. You can make this work, but it restarts with resetting your expectations. I’ll be back with some ideas shortly.

Replace refrigerator and stove with white. Island counter top is too dominant. Change it to (anything) white or any wood. Floor can be white or wood. Cut existing counter top into cheese serving boards and give as gifts.

...

Okay, I'm back. I live in a 1929 Spanish bungalow and we moved our kitchen. So guess what? It's "in the essence of" what would work with our house rather than a restoration or rebuild of the original. And it fit our budget and the price range for the neighborhood. GASP - I put in Corian counters! Can you believe the Universe lets me still live there???

Your current kitchen was re-worked at least once and therefore you don't have a Craftsman/Bungalow kitchen in the truest sense of the word either. So we have the opportunity to meld what we like with what works with our houses. That gives us great creative license - way better, in my opinion, then trying to jam an "old" kitchen in a 1997 tract house!

So I would first start with a budget. If you had the budget to replace the work you just did, my guess is you would have gutted the kitchen. I'm going out on a limb and suggesting that at least the counters have to stay. Maybe the backsplash as well. They are not terrible. IMO what would have been terrible would have been an oversized wavy brown granite and a teeny tiny multi-colored backsplash. What you have can act as a neutral, if you let it.

Next I would take a look at a couple books. My favorites are Bungalow Kitchens by Jane Powell & Linda Svendsen and The New Bungalow Kitchen by Peter LaBau. These books provide photos AND reference reading so you can understand the why's and how's.

Then I would revisit your kitchen as follows:

Your cabinets are not original, but they are cool/funky retro in an old house. Do you have the budget/desire to paint them? If so, what colors work within both the "old house" and the "new counters" framework.

I think the floors absolutely need to be addressed, but not before you decide on the cabinets. If you don't paint, then I'd think about wood/darker flooring. As someone with 6" hex tile on the floor, make sure you understand the upkeep of that much grout. I would do mine all over again, but a different color grout to hide the dirt that tracks in from the only door to the yard. Remember, we old house owners have the luxury of "patina" to hide behind. If you do paint, then coordinate the floors with the total look.

Should you change the hardware? Possibly. But make sure you can find something that will work with the existing holes. The "fun" thing about vintage hardware is that's not always the case. We have vintage glass knobs and handles on ours. I love them. Neutral, period appropriate and - in our case - let the green cabinets be the star.

The window covering would be a cheap and easy transformation. Maybe a simple cafe curtain - assuming the view isn't of your neighbor's bathroom or something like that.

A new light above the sink would be good too. I love vintage lighting in general, but we chose new from Schoolhouse lighting in Portland, OR.

The others are right in saying that the inspiration and realization of your kitchen are two different things. I agree that the inspiration, while it looks great in photos, lacks character in person. Put that kitchen in the 1997 tract house and do something more interesting in your vintage home.

Lastly, take a deep breath and let it grow on you before you make changes. I love renovations, but every one of mine has been shocking at first. Have a glass of wine at your new bar, look through the books I suggested and plot your next updates - not from a Pinterest/Houzz/HGTV photo, but right in your own space!

No one has mentioned this, but what is the distance between the countertop and upper cabinets? It looks like less than 18", which is a big part of why your kitchen looks less open and light.

If your cabinets were built in place it may not be possible, but perhaps you could raise the cabinets and remove those above. I think all the cabinetry is contributing to not achieving the look you want.

I am confused. You show pictures of what you want and I see Carra Marble looking countertops and shaker cabinets with modern hardware and SS appliances and then you installed something completely different.

But here is the bright spot I just did a flip where I bought similar Granite color and sold it for top dollar. IMHO there is nothing wrong with that granite color. It is all the other things that are the problem.

One, you are comparing your mix and match appliances to high-end SS sets.

It is hard to tell the color of your cabinets. You might paint them a color that goes with the granite and install some more modern looking hardware.

Then update all your appliances to match maybe SS and get a new sink in the same fixture as the light and cabinet hardware.

I don't see the light fixtures and that also can make a big difference in the overall look.

Also hard to tell what your floor is. But maybe install high-end vinyl plank flooring.

Personally, I think that is the issue with the kitchen, not the granite or backsplash. Just my 2 cents worth.

Here is the house I renovated. Of course, it is not going to be the exact same. But you will notice the granite is similar in color and the place does not have Shaker Cabinets. I Painted the ugly oak cabinets that were there and installed new modern looking 6" Bar Door handles. I also installed matching appliances and you will notice all the fixtures including the kitchen sink match. I also installed new laminate flooring and new recessed lighting. The previous light fixtures were hideous.

It is about everything coming together and looking right.

Again your granite and backsplash are not the problem. And that is good news as you can take your time and just keep doing more updates with time.

I am sure if you take your time and search you can find kitchens with your exact granite color and traditional slab doors and subway tiles that look amazing.

Have you thought of slate or soapstone countertops? I have black slate and love it. My friend has vintage cabinets like yours, she had them painted white and put in dark green soapstone countertops. They look great. You could sell your current countertops or maybe use them elsewhere in your home.

I read all these suggestions and too many give ideas that don't address your dislike of the counter top. You want a white kitchen. The age of the cabinets or the material of the appliances don't bother you. As I previously said, change the island top, leave small appliances on the main counter tops to hide it, then deal with the floor. Slate or soapstone are good alternatives, except they are not white. Take a door to the stone yard and look for a new top.

I want to thank everyone for their ideas. I got more responses than I expected!

To address a couple of the questions people have had:

I painted my cabinets before the granite was installed. They are Sherwin Williams Pure White. I realize it looks more yellow in the pictures. I'm not great at taking pictures and my phone's camera always seems to make things look warmer than they actually are.

As to how I ended up with something so far from what I originally wanted, honestly, I don't know. I started this project in late February, before my state shutdown due to COVID. My granite fabricator pressured me to pick a slab before things shut down. I ended up making a rushed decision on the last day businesses were open. Additionally, I selected two slabs as I was told I would need two for my project. One of the slabs was my top choice, with the other being similar enough for the small amount they would need from it. Both slabs were alaska white, but I definitely preferred one over the other. Ultimately I only needed one slab, but they used the second one, not my top choice. They also cut the granite without my approval on the template layout, so I wasn't able to catch any of this ahead of time. I'm not great at visualizing how things will look when complete either, so that played a part. Obviously, in hindsight, I should have just waited and started the entire project next year.

I think Rosenhaus Design Group, Inc. is right. I'm going to start by trying to find something different for the island top. I also have an irrational hatred for the tile. I think it's the imperfect edges, which cause the grout lines to not look clean. I'm going to try and find some other tile choices. Any suggestions for a different island top and tile choices are appreciated. If I can't find tile and an island top that compliments the existing granite I'll just take it all out and start over.

I don't find your kitchen problematic at all and kind of vintage-y in a good way.

That granite looks like ice cream I'd happily dig right into!

If you wanted to, you could cover the front of the dishwasher with a stainless stick-on panel.

I'm not sure I care for the red in the floor.

And are those red-stools?

You could get rid of those as well.

But if it is Marmoleum verum, then keep it and see if you can't get some more red accents so they don't seem like afterthoughts, (coleus, dishtowel, etc)

Ok, it's not the Clorox white kitchen you thought were getting.

You couldn't make a thread long enough for all the oopsy decisions we've all made. oopsy situations we've all gotten ourselves into.

I know it cost a lot of money, but ultimately,

This should be the worse thing that happens to you!

Thanks for the shout out.

As I previously posted, I Personally do not see anything wrong with the granite you purchased and you can find expensive homes with similar color granite. You could have an amazing looking kitchen with that granite, but if you hate it you hate it, what can I say. I would just make one other suggestion you stated your camera is not proving accurate coloring and "I'll just take it all out and start over". I would suggest hiring an interior designer that can see the true colors and work with you this time to help design a look and pull everything together the way you envision the kitchen.

I also have an older home - built in 1918, which I love, though I envy you a bit for having a Craftsman. Mine was a farmhouse stripped of almost all trim and period details. I concur with 1929Spanish-GW ‘s recommendation to get the books she mentioned. I think you need first of all to sit down and think through how to integrate what you have with the rest of your home. Even though you may feel like you have finished your kitchen I’m assuming you’ll be changing out the appliances to all the same color as you move forward (post pandemic!) and you are already planning on changing the floor too, so you are really just at the middle to two thirds stage of your project now. That’s worth keeping in mind. No remodel looks awesome midway.

The problem at this mid point is that the style of your cabinets with their slab faces could read as 1950s-60s, (though given the height between counter and upper cabs they may well be older) and kitchen island is post 1970. Then granite as a material is more of a 90s to early 2000s thing. So, at present there are three-four different stylistic periods trying to live in one room. I think if you can move some of the stylistic details back in time you would find that everthing would blend together better. Could you replace the island with a good size farm table, which would be more like what you would find in an older kitchen? And go with some of the other posters suggestions - change the hardware to a more vintage 20s-30s style? Ditto with the light fixtures. There are some classic 1930s looks. And perhaps go with Marmoleum for the floor. Also exchange the light plates to vintage style, either solid metal in nickel or chrome, black or white - perhaps porcelain. I think the room would settle down at that point and you might come to love the parts of your kitchen that would then feel like a graceful update - i.e. the nice smooth and durable countertops. Trust me, 1920s housewives would have switched their tile counters for those in a heartbeat.

You had originally mentioned you didn’t want to tear everything out, but the island counter and/or tiles may help if you can’t live with kitchen. If it were me, I’d update the floor first and then make decisions to compliment flooring.

Expectations are important, as the other elements will never lend themselves to your inspiration kitchen. Consider what changes will make you feel better, but know kitchen won’t look that much different in it’s overall style without more of a gut.

Well, the problem is.....your inspiration photos all have solid white counters. You chose one that is very patterned. So, of course, you're disappointed that it doesn't look like those inspiration photos, because it is NOT the same. I think if you replace the island top with butcher block it will add needed warmth, tie in the seemingly warm white cabinets to the perimeter counters, and give a nod to Craftsman style.

An immediate quick fix for making the kitchen feel brighter & harmony with colors, is get all new light bulbs. Get the same hue for all.

Right now, the one above sink is too cool & giving off blue hues.

The ones in front of cabinets are giving off too warm giving off a yellow glow.

Just to show how much lighting can change colors,

the picture below is all the same paint color, all that was changed was the lighting.

Amazing how much lighting can effect it's surroundings

If you do change lighting, please post a photo after.

The red x shows the space between kitchen cabinets is not the standard 18" from bottom of cabinet to top of counters. That will make a huge difference when fixed.

I would not invest anymore into the kitchen, until new cabinets can be put in for at least

the proper spacing. Once you have the proper spacing, it will make the room feel so much more open. You will feel an immediate difference.

You may be able to save your counters, but most the time it breaks at sink seams, so do not count it, but you could try. Besides, since you are not in love with the counters, then just redo it when you get new cabinets one day when you can. When you do get new counters, I highly suggest a less busy pattern for smaller spaces. It helps the room feel & look bigger.

Hope the above info helps.

I really love Beverly's suggestion of painting the cabinets charcoal! this will of course make the kitchen feel darker. but it looks really good and it does tone down the granite.

change the lighting to something less warm.

if you don't want to do grey cabs, you might need to paint them a brighter white (but try new lighting first).

I think one of the biggest problems here is the flooring. it's completely wrong. if your keeping the cabs white, then do something dark and neutral such as charcoal. or if going with grey cabinets, choose a new white tile, or hardwoods that match the rest of your home.

remove all red / orange elements. (is that chair to the right orange, or is it warm wood? either way, would suggest a more neutral color for the seating, like walnut.)

If after all that you still think something's off, whiten the tile grout with a product such as grout renew.

if the dishwasher is still functioning fine, I don't think it's the worst thing there. but it will look better when a SS one is in its place one day.

finally, when all of this is done, I think you need better accessories. cuter kitchen rug, walnut knife block, replace the plant with a fruit bowl. (is that plant dying? either way, an island is not a great spot for plants, it needs a new location, perhaps closer to a window.)

You are receiving too many ideas, which may be confusing. I think the DW should be the color or material of the base cabinets for a more cohesive appearance. Otherwise, since there aren't many cabinets, you get the 'missing tooth look'. In a small kitchen it is better to have fewer materials.

Since white countertops is what you really wanted, could you take out the ones you have, and hopefully, they wont break, and you could sell them. Then buy the white countertops you wanted in the first place. You can always redo the backsplash later, since you also seem, not to like that very much either. I think the countertops are beautiful, however, I think in your kitchen, they are way too busy, and actually make your kitchen look smaller and busier. I would change all the countertops, rather than just the island, so you get closer to the look that you actually want.

See the difference in the current kitchen & inspiration picture?

The cabinets are suppose to be at least 18" H of space from the countertop to the bottom of cabinet. Usually if you measure from the floor to the bottom of the cabinets it's 54" H.

That is one of the reasons why it is so dark under the cabinets with more shadows.

It's also functional to have the proper spacing for using counters.

One day when it is possible, new cabinets hung at proper height will help transform this kitchen visually & functionally.

If no one else has suggested it, I'd add a soft roman shade or a pair of cafe curtains to the window above the sink. They will add softness and pattern that can tie other elements in the kitchen together.

Hire a designer. Wading through crowd sourced opinions results in more dissatisfaction and confusion. You need to provide a lot more info than you have to one single person who gives one targeted stream of advice, without the competing voices.

Everything is sunk costs on the changes you have already made. No matter what you do to move forward, do not let that past expense constrain your choices on the possible. Let the only constraints be the character of the home. An Edwardian inspired kitchen in a Craftsman home wouldn’t be clothes that fit.

I prefer your present kitchen to the ubiquitous inspiration pics you posted. It has original charm plus pretty new counters. Stop comparing it to other kitchens and start looking at it on it’s own. Add some personal touches like a less generic window treatment, some wood bowls or cutting boards for warmth and enjoy your lovely kitchen.

We've all made mistakes, so please don't beat yourself up over it. Celadon said it best--whatever you spent is a sunk cost, so forget about what you did, and make a plan on how to fix it. Hiring a designer would be a good idea, just make sure that you select someone you trust and can work with. Even if you don't hire a professional, do a lot of thinking and planning before you take the next step. And have a budget in mind.

I totally understand your dislike of the granite--if that were my kitchen, the first thing I'd do is remove it. If you hate it, then all the commenters above you tell you they like it means nothing. You can donate anything to Habitat for Humanity or another such charity, which would be thrilled to have it.

The cabinets are cool in a 50s retro sort of way, and I would keep them unless you hate them too. What would go great with them would be a linoleum floor and a laminate counter top with the metal edge, if you can find someone to make that for you. A butcher block counter top would also look great, and wouldn't be a budget buster.

Here's one of my favorite kitchens that is a throwback to the 40s/50s:

Retro Kitchen · More Info

And a closeup of the counter tops:

Retro Kitchen · More Info

If you add up the 3" standard height of a subway tile= 12" space from counter to under cabinets. Is that the measure? Can you pull out a knife, out of the knife block if under the cabinets? This really limits a kitchen's counter's normal use.

Thankfully, it looks like enough space above oven. The left wall cabinet is kind of close to a heat source for my comfort level. I would use the right of the stove more.

I do not know if it's possible to shorten the cabinets & or lift the existing to save costs. If they are solid wood, maybe. Might just be easier to get new cabinets when the opportunity arises. Either way, I would not invest a lot of $ into other big kitchen remodel items until that is resolved.

II think the floor is also throwing you off a bit. Before I spent a ton of money on new countertops I would try painting just the island. Maybe change the nobs out.

I feel bad that you spent all this money and hate your kitchen. Let me try some last advice.

One of the best comments, besides mine of course, was someone that said (I am paraphrasing) it is not reasonable to compare your in the middle renovation with a completed renovation that has high end SS appliances.

You already have spent money on the granite and backsplash, instead of undoing those expensive options, why not use that money to move forward with updates that work for either kitchen and then make a decision.

First IMHO you absolutely need to hire a designer to work with.

You stated you painted your kitchen cabinets, but not sure if you did that yourself or hired someone. If you can do it yourself, then the cost is negligible. Try and choice a color that will compliment your new granite. Again if you did it yourself you can always paint it another color if you rip out the granite.

Then work on updates that will work with either kitchen. Obvious high end appliances would make a big difference, but there are other things I think would make a big difference. I dont even see your lights. The light fixtures will make a big difference and maybe even under the cabinet ligths to boot.

And flooring. New flooring that goes with both countertops would make a big difference.

I could go on and on, but you get my point and that is before tearing out what was done, instead move forward with updates that work for either kitchen and then evaluate. Because again you just can not compare your in the middle of renovation kitchen to pictures of completely renovated kitchens done by the top designers in the country where money was not an object.

pulls and lighting to brighten. These are the most cost effective way to make a big difference. The rest is fine. Good luck!

You could cut the bottom part of those cap that's up above the microwave to adjust that so it won't be that close to the stove