How to design around a warm brown stove?
I've been waffling on cabinet paint colors for awhile and now it's time for us to install and paint our cabinets so I have to make a choice. Our stove is this Technogas Deco model in brown - it's a warm brown (sorry no actual pic as it's currently still in its packaging). Brown wasn't my first choice but we got such a smoking deal on this stove we just had to go for it. I'd like to go for a greige/taupe paint color I think - something that isn't white but is still slightly warm to play off the brown stove, but I'm worried about it being too too brown.
First question: I'm wondering what everyone's favorite paint colors for this would be - at a certain point all of the greige chips I have started to look the same and I need to narrow it down without spending $100 on paint sample cans! I know that I liked FB Shaded White and maybe Hardwick white (or maybe that was too green and too dark, it was hard for me to get a sense when I sampled), but it would be great to find something in Valspar or Sherwin Williams lines of paints as it would be a lot cheaper.
For design reference, our cabinets are inset, and we will have a beadboard backsplash with open shelves above (see second picture). We have a Kohler Whitehaven farm sink and an unlacquered brass bridge faucet. I'm including a drawing for reference - the other side of the kitchen will be storage cabinets and the fridge (it's a galley-like layout, though I big wider). The dishwasher will also be paneled, which is not reflected in the drawing.
Second question: Our counters will likely be Carrara, but my initial love was soapstone. I started feeling like the soapstone would potentially be too dark with this stove and maybe wouldn't look good with the brown, even with lighter cabinets. I'd love thoughts on that, though I not looking for feedback on material choices - we are not interested in a granite, quartz/ite, or Silestone for this project.
Third question: Backsplash behind this stove. We use our kitchen hard, so I want to get the right material. When we were going with soapstone, I was going to have them run a soapstone backsplash behind the stove but again, potentially too dark. I've heard marble can stain quite badly as a stove backsplash, so I don't think that's a good idea. Now I'm wondering what else would look good with the beadboard and the brown/brass. I'm interested in stainless with a utensil hook as it seems easy to install and easy to clean, but maybe that would be too stark. Tile is the last option that I'd like to avoid mostly because I hate tiling :). I also thought it might look funny with just one small section of tile. The kitchen is small so uniformity of materials seems important.
Comments (15)
HU-272757914
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agokirsten4224
3 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (2)You have a beautiful "Franklin Fireplace." I would love to have it! You'll be amazed at the warmth it gives. No other type of heat will warm you like a wood-burning stove. Congratulations. We're remodeling our three-seasons' porch into a four-seasons' porch this summer. We will be putting in a corn burner stove with a glass front...but it's not nearly as large and pretty as yours. Our exhaust pipe will go out through the wall horizontally. We plan to have a flag stone hearth under the stove and more stone going to the ceiling behind the stove. I don't plan to "decorate" it as such, but in the summer I'll keep live plants on it. There will be a mantle set into the stone work; I'll probably hang some sort of artwork above it....See MoreHow much working room around stove?
Comments (16)Bfenton: I checked the specs for the GE SXS fridge that I have and it only requires 1/8" clearance on the sides, however to open the Left (freezer side) fully to remove the ice bin it needs 14 1/4". So I would need at least 15" between the fridge and upper Left wall. There is only 62 inches between the wall and current sink base. Upper sink wall as shown is 62" from left wall to sink base a 36" sink base and 66" to the right wall. A total of 164". If I put a 15" pantry cabinet, then 36" Fridge, I would only have 13" left until the sink base. Since I would probably need to add a smaller filler between wall and pantry (1"?) and a panel on the left of the dishwasher (another 1"?), I am guessing I would need to move by sink cabinet down by 15" in order to fit the dishwasher on the left. This will off-center my 36" sink cabinet by 15" on the window. Also, it only leaves 15" to the right between sink base and 36" Corner SS cabinet. I am not sure if I would mind the sink being off-center or not. I think I would be okay with it, but it does narrow the space between sink and stove again. I do like the suggestion to move the stove down and use the 30" drawer cabinet to the right of the stove and give me more counter between the stove and corner. A possible drawback is that we will probably be doing laminate countertops and I think I might have to do a seam if I go further than 5 feet from the corner. (I believe I can get a L shape 12' long by 5 feet in one piece without a seam.) Still might be worth it. I had thought of moving the DW to the right of the sink, but that only leaves me 6" between DW and Corner SS, as well as putting the DW between the sink and stove which I have been told is not a good idea, and I can see why. I just can't seem to make the Fridge in the upper left work smoothly. Maybe I should forget about opening the left fridge door fully and set the fridge only 5 or 6 inches from the wall so I can can in and out of it, and when I need to remove the freezer bins to clean them (only a couple times a year?) I would have to pull the fridge out completely. I could then put my DW between fridge and sink base and only off-center my sink base by about 5 inches. Who knows? Maybe I am not seeing something that could be moved or maybe I just need a different fridge that doesn't need as much room to open on the left! If you or anyone else has any more ideas about moving stuff around, including the plumbing, I am open to suggestions! Thanks so much for your help so far. Pamla...See MoreNeed help with kitchen and designing around a 1920's gas stove
Comments (26)I suggest looking at Modern Aire for a vent hood. They can be totally customized and they work really well with a vintage stove. Modern Aire with vintage stove. As others have suggested, look at 1920's kitchens and butlers pantry's to get inspiration. 1920's kitchens were were eclectic and almost all had a Hoosier or Hoosier type cabinet in the kitchen. In the late 20's and early 30's, cabinets began changing from Hoosier and free standing cabinets to standardized cabinets with toe kicks. Many kitchens became modernized with newer cabinets but kept older appliances.It was the beginning of the kitchen triangle. Also look at Hoosier style cabinets for color inspiration. They were painting Hoosiers in cream with painted trim especially Sellers and Napanee in the 1920's. Generally, they were a cream or white main color with another color for trim. That era also used marble, slate, wood and soapstone for counters. However counters were not normally very wide unless they had a wall of counters, The kitchen table in the center of the kitchen and the Hoosier was where most prep work was done. However, towards the end of the 1920's and early 30's linoleum was being brought to the kitchen but they were mostly black for the counter. Floors were wood or tiled. Linoleum on floors is more 30's. Antique homes is a great place to start. The other site is Archive.org At Archive.org you can look up old ad's for kitchen's, builders books, Hoosier's and hardware to see what was being sold in the 1920's. It's a bit of a frustrating site to find what you want but once you get the hang of using the search, it's got a huge repository of information. Sears catalogs, Curtis cabinets and Hoosier style companies should be your first search. Incorporating your Hoosier sounds lovely with that wonderful old stove....See MoreDecorating a new home around a Swedish Tile stove
Comments (63)@lindsey - stenciling is definitely on the list: Maybe even some freehand painting. Though I suspect it would be easy to go overboard with either or both, as well. And that board is lovely! @lyfia - I'm actually not sure that bow window will even stay just yet - financial constraints will necessitate certain tweaks to the plan. Really, he only sketched in a bit of furniture to help me grasp scale and what WOULD fit in the spaces. Since in the first iteration, I REALLY didn't get how big the plan was, and we ended up having to downsize it quite a bit. I agree, I do like to be able to look out windows, too. The tile stove will slide back from where he has it drawn, and get its own little niche, probably with some casing. We don't really have living room furniture for this space, so we'll be able to plan out a better layout when we shop for that. It's good to keep in mind, though! @beckysharp - that's a thought. I'll have to ask. I've been politely asked not to actually get vintage fixtures, as they can't pass inspection (not UL approved). Though a modern fixture with a vintage shade is fine. I've been doing some scouring of Etsy, Ebay, and local shops for those, as well as cabinet and door knobs and hardware....See MoreSusan L
3 years agolatifolia
3 years agoMichelle K
3 years agonicoletouk
3 years agoMy favorite greige is Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Grey...
And for a creamier lighter color, consider Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee...
As for the soapstone... Black and brown can be stunning together. But then again, soapstone isn't really black... I think it could be done well, but unless you (or your designer) are very good with color I think taking the lighter route is the smarter choice. You can see that both warm kitchens above with the marble are beautiful!
Oh! One more thing... Instead of buying a bunch of paint sample cans, you may want to consider Samplize.com. They sell 12 x 12 peel and stick paint samples that are actually painted with two coats of paint, not printed. They offer all colors from Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore.
Best of luck! Nicolekirsten4224
3 years agonicoletouk
3 years ago
Holly- Kay
3 years agojiddie
3 years agokirsten4224
3 years ago@nicoletouk Without the brown range who knows where I’d be! - I‘m drawn to kitchens that are fairly neutral but also have some drama (I don’t like white kitchens generally). The griege kitchen below is probably one of my favorites ever (hence the love of soapstone). my issue really is that while I’m usually pretty good with color (and am very sensitive to when it’s off), whites are tricky for me. I’m especially unused to working with a color like this warm brown. I don’t want to accidentally pick a taupe or cream that reads weird with the brown and then be driven nuts every day! I need a color that’s warm enough to go with the brown but also cool enough that it sets it off a bit and there are so many taupes out there I’m overwhelmed!
Rachel
3 years agoMizLizzie
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
Carrie B