You've gotten some strongly worded responses here, so I will attempt to temper that and say that IMO a modern kitchen in a Colonial home is no problem at all. Plenty of historic homes have modern kitchens, and even if the white on white theme is super popular now it has also been done for ages. The kitchen is the one room in the house that is more about function than pure aesthetic, so to me it makes sense to defer to a more modern approach if needed. I mean, what if you don't want to be beholden to cleaning kitchen dirt out of nooks and crannies in your cabinetry? I will provide just one data point, which is probably not worth much, but I'll toss it out anyway. We grew up in a Southern Colonial style home in a strongly historic location. The home's interior was Americana-tacky when we moved in (plaid wallpaper, mustard yellow appliances). My decorator Mom redid the whole house in painstakingly beautiful Colonial style, which of course worked perfectly with the house. It was all the same colors you mentioned. But the kitchen was a strong departure and was ultra-modern for its time. She put in high gloss white, slab front cabinetry - and this is like 1974 when probably no one had heard of such a thing! It even had pullouts for all the lower cabs, which I think none of my Mom's contemporaries had ever seen. So the kitchen was sleek and modern, but it did include handpainted accent tiles, not quite Delft but certainly Dutch. These were small accents in deference to the house's style but the kitchen was undoubtedly modern. To get back to your original question, I think subway tiles would be fine but also perhaps a bit boring. Sheet glass is definitely too modern. I agree with the suggestion of marble tiles or something else with a bit of interest in it. You are asking good questions and even if you go with plain subways you certainly won't be committing any crimes! Good luck with all the decisions. :)

One of the best decisions I've ever made re my kitchen, was to replace the hideous laminate countertops that were there when we bought this house, and to use Glacier White Corian. We did not replace the ugly cabinets - we painted them, and since they were quite plain, it worked. We actually had more cabinets made to match them to give me more counter space. But those Glacier White Corian countertops have proved to be perfect AND "timeless"! When we did the fixed up the kitchen after buying the house, we painted the cabinets a color called "Scarab Green" - it matched the green in the fabulous Brunschwig & Fils french documentary wallpaper I used, called "Fraises des Bois". The white countertops made it "work". About 15 years ago, DD told me my kitchen looked dated and I needed to update it. She was right - those green cabinets screamed 1980's, but I did love that wallpaper. Tore my heart out when it came down! But I moved forward. I painted the cabinets a light, warm taupe, used a Farrow & Ball wallpaper for the backsplash and walls, called "Polka Squares". At that time, we also redid the lighting in the kitchen and put in wood floors, bought a new stainless dishwasher (Scarab Green sprayed refrigerator had died and was replaced by a white one), a new stainless hood (goodbye Scarab Green painted hood!) and an integrated Corian sink and a new faucet. But those Glacier White Corian countertops looked terrific with the new color scheme and were in outstanding condition. Fast forward to last year. I had already gotten a new stainless steel Vent-a-Hood and a counter depth stainless refrigerator, and I was finally ready for new cabinets. At my age, drawers are a HUGE help for me, and I wanted drawers. I'm very much attracted to white kitchens, but since my kitchen faces due west and the back wall is taken up mostly by a huge bay window, it would have been very glarey and also just not quite right with the hall and the DR. While not an "open concept" kitchen, one does still need to look at the rooms that abut it! So, this time I chose Repose Gray and Shaker cabinets. I painted the walls 1/2 strength Repose Gray had them leave out the magenta (appears in bright light). I also painted the woodwork a bright white, going against having all my woodwork in the house the same color. It's fine - remember, no "open concept". I removed the old 4" Corian backsplash, and put white Carrera marble large subway tile behind the cabinets and behind the stove etc. But guess what stayed and was re-used? My Glacier White Corian countertops and integrated sink! It's still in perfect condition! And it's truly a timeless classic. It may not be the "hottest trend", but I can tell you that in the UK, Corian (almost always Glacier White) is used in the highest end homes, in particular in highly contemporary ones - it is considered a "luxury" surface there. Glacier White Corian is like a white dress shirt for a man or a great white blouse for a woman. It ALWAYS looks good, and goes with everything. Like the above, it can be bleached if a horrid stain occurs, and since it is a solid surface, it is very easy to keep clean. Yes, it does scratch, but all those scratches are light surface ones, like the scratches that appear on ones sterling flatware over years of use - it's called "patina", not scratches, as it is not something one must simply accept (as one learns to do with etching and stains on marble) - it actually enriches the appearance of the surface. I think painted cabinets are far less likely to look dated than stained wood ones are. We've had cherry, golden oak, and now are using rustic alder etc. They date a kitchen as accurately as an Avocado Green or Harvest Gold refrigerator! Other "timeless" features are true site-finished hardwood floors throughout the house, stained in a medium warm color. There have always been floors like this and there always will be. Bleached woods, hand scraped wood - all these are trends that will date a house. Good windows are also timeless. Replacing the pair of double-hung windows with a huge bay was a very good move on our part. It brought the back garden into the room, made the small room (11x15) feel longer, and gives me a place above my sink for plants. My white orchids LOVE it there - great light, and all that humidity/steam when I run the hot water (I do let it run to give them this steam and humidity, while the dog eats, before washing her dish). As lighting looks change, one can easily change fixtures as well. Undercounter lighting is going nowhere - we must see to cook. Pulls can be changed for a newer look if that's what one wants. I don't see stainless going anywhere as it makes our huge appliances appear, well..not quite so huge. And it's neutral. My advice to anyone doing a kitchen is to stick with good bones. Make the more permanently affixed things more classic. They are not only expensive to replace, they are disruptive and destructive to the house and just a PITA in general. There are a ton of granite countertops out there today that instantly date a kitchen; in 5 years, there will be a ton of quartz ones that do the same. Most people do not like the look of "aged and used" marble and it's going to be coming out. Mosaic tiles for a backsplash? That was a trend that didn't last 5 years! Screams "dated". Subway tile may not yell "I'm hip and trendy" anymore, but it also won't scream that one is dated. H&M is the place to satisfy ones hip and trendy wants and desires. Just don't do it in a kitchen that takes forever to rip out and replace, and will cost one a fortune. And don't let anyone tell you that Corian is "dated". Some patterns certainly are, but if one sticks to Glacier White, it will still look good 5 owners after you.

What does a timeless kitchen look like? It looks like a kitchen that belongs in the style of the house. That means you don't put traditional cabinets in a contemporary house, or shiny contemporary flat panel cabinets in a Victorian house. It's not a kitchen that is whatever the latest and greatest trend is. It is choosing what you like and what works for your aesthetic and not what is popular now. I love the current look of white cabinets with white quartz counters (or maybe soapstone), with a little color or shine from a tile backsplash. I'm also drawn to the "current" look of grey cabinets or navy cabinets, which is where my question comes from. If we're spending $50,000+ on a new kitchen, how do we avoid it looking dated in 5 years? What would you consider classic for a kitchen today? What trends would you avoid? All the ones you just mentioned. I really must be an oddity because I never thought of my kitchen being on or off trend. I first seriously delved into designing a kitchen in 2004 and what I wanted then was more or less what I am doing now. In 2004 I would have opted for a cherry Shaker door in a natural finish and my current remodel has a Prairie inspired door (off spring to a Shaker) in medium quarter sawn oak. My changes have chiefly been refinements in terms of new technology and my learning more about how I use the kitchen. Helen could be my sister from another mother, except I first delved into kitchen design with my first house back in 1987. Back then if I could have afforded it, I would have put white shaker cabinets in my craftsman bungalow house. Instead we put in white Ikea cabinets. The least expensive door style they made. However i kept the original white subway tile on the walls. When we moved into our 1898 victorian/colonial revival, I still would have put white shaker cabinets in the house again if I could have afforded to change out the 50's cabinets. Fast forward to my condo 8 years ago. I decided that condo needed cherry cabinets for a more contemporary look with a nod to craftsman and Asian design. So I put in cherry shaker cabinets. Just built a new home that is craftsman inspired and what did I put in? Shaker style white perimeter cabinets with an dark stained quarter sawn oak island. As for the kitchen Helen showed? I really like it although I'd want to make sure it's laid out right. And I consider it timeless. I think if we saw pics of it 20 years ago or 20 years from now, we'd still think it looks good. Our designed an unfitted style English kitchen in our last home and did another English kitchen in our new home, but it’s more refined. Alison your kitchen was definitely an example of a timeless kitchen design. Mjlb, I love that kitchen too!

How do these inspiration pictures compare to the actual space you want to remodel? That may make a difference in what I think. Honestly, I like both spaces, but I probably prefer the turquoise a little more. Im not certain which option is more timeless, These are both clean, fresh looks -- and neither is trendy, which is a positive. Trendy will go out of style, but these are more unique, not something that'll scream 2022 in a couple years. White subway Ugh. Is anything in decorating as overplayed as dull-as-dirt white subway tile? Oh, yes, the term "spa-like". So many other descriptors exist! Calm, organic, natural, clean, open, restful, a retreat, pampering, light-filled, zen, relaxing, plush, soft, simple, indulgent -- nope, we have to keep rolling back to spa-like. Rant over. Here are a few more: I love the Zellige turquoise but fireclay tile also has beautiful handmade tiles — I would take a look at them as well. I love handmade-looking tiles -- that second picture is really appealing. I agree with cpartist that I would just do the whole shower in one tile — no accent walls or niches. I think doing one tile is more “classic”. No, you've gotta have some storage space IN the shower, so niches, ledges, whatever -- they are necessary. In a perfect world you'd have a pony wall and could hide your storage behind that. Also, install more storage than you think you need ... or embrace bottles on the shower floor. While we're talking about practical ideas, don't forget to plan a space for your towel bars ... we're talking about a bathroom that looks good, but a bathroom that WORKS is even more important. doesn't mean they know how to properly WATERPROOF a shower. On the subject of waterproofing, consider adding grab bars to your shower while it's being built -- if you need to add them later, you can damage the waterproofing /risk mold behind your tiles. Maybe you don't need grab bars now, but having them couldn't hurt. You can buy attractive grab bars that don't look like they belong in a nursing home. The tub is blue and has steep steps to get into it. It’s an accident waiting to happen. Oh, yeah. I've used that tub in a hotel. Putting aside the color, it takes forever to fill and isn't all that comfortable.