I like the idea but agree that you need two woods whose grains don't clash. The part painted/part stained look is something we thought about too. Our kitchen currently has an L-shaped set of cabinets along the back wall (the sink wall), and then on the wall opposite the small leg of the L, there's a door to outside, then our range, then a peninsula. So we were talking about making the L-shaped cabinets white with soapstone, and the peninsula quarter-sawn oak with soapstone. Both sets of cabinets would be Mission style. We've kind of put this idea aside because now we're talking about turning that door into a window and running lower cabinets along that wall, so the cabinets would come up to the range on both sides, and we thought it might look weird for there to be white cabinets on the right of it and oak ones on the left. But I don't know, maybe it would look okay. What do you folks think? Have you ever seen a kitchen where two different cabinet colors were separated by a range?

I am facing the same dilemna. When it comes to the working kitchen, I am planning to have wood stained crown molding to match cabinetry. For me, its about more than just the crown molding. During my renovation, I am replacing and adding new doors and windows. I will also have a fire door in my kitchen that must be white (cannot be stained), also my existing door to basement will be white. I am also planning to add french doors to my LR and another to my DR, probably both to be white. I hope to pick a transition point wherein white trim will prevail, but I think I am going to stain the window over my kitchen sink and leave windows in my eating area white. Not sure if this is the best option, but that is what I was planning. I will be interested to see what other GWers have to say on this topic.

The two sources I linked to HLM one is from an excellent finisher who was a long-time custom furniture maker and host of Wood Magazine's Finishing and Refinishing Forum before retirement. Bob Flexner is a well-known author and finish expert. His advice is sound and always based on research, trials, and again many years of experience running a finishing and repair shop. He's my hero when it comes to finishing. Neither is some "stranger" posting uninformed advice on someplace like Pinterest. Unfortunately, sometimes the advice on the can is improper, though. Such as "do not thin" which happens to be related to VOC regulations and not performance. Another is the "Wood Conditioner" directions that say to apply stain within 30 minutes. They work much better if left to dry overnight (Flexner's advice, which I have confirmed with my own trials).

OneRidgeOff - That's a lovely color - Some of the stains I saw specifically named when I was looking at the Crown Point Galley did have a glaze on them and I was drawn to them although I had never contemplated glazing as I had associated it with those obnoxious Tuscan kitchens from the Real Housewives shows. I'm having the cabinets done custom so I can do anything I want - subject of course to the actual wood and also whether glazing would drive the costs up stratospherically :-) My dilemma is that I actually love them all. I don't hate the red (the first is the Sapele which is naturally red but has a quiet grain) but when I went to look at flooring yesterday, my friend and designer said red tones are limiting potential because they make a statement. The rest of the living area will have some green or teal green - I am keeping a 1920's dark green Chinese Chest; have two Chinese Art Deco area rugs I am keeping and am going with a teal blue upholstery or elements that go with that color. And I actually like REAL golden oak. I had to part with a gorgeous buffet from the turn of the century and I don't mind the color or look at all. But I hate the modern "golden" oak kitchen cabinets that were ubiquitous a while ago - they look completely different to me for some reason. Posting pictures of the Golden Oak Curio Buffet cabinet (which I had to part with) and the Chinese Chest (which I am keeping. I like the dark stain on an abstract level when I see it but I think that it works better when you are really restoring a period home or going full out Mission/Stickley :-). I am also having the den/office area done with built ins that would match the kitchen/dining area hutch and that would be a LOT of dark heavy wood. And then I think - maybe cherry with a light natural stain instead of Quarter Sawn White Oak - EEK - the brain is really disintegrating with this decision. It's ironic as yesterday went to the stone yard - and immediately fell in love with a particular slab of Calacutta and no second thoughts - no buyer's remorse but this wood stain is a new brain worm :-) Golden Oak Antique Curio which I had to rehome as there is no room at the inn for it :-) This is the Chinese Chest I am keeping - it's green but a very drab - not Christmas green. The stained glass window in the background is being repurposed as the mirror in my guest bath with mirror substituting for what had been clear glass. Ironically all these years so many of my female friends instinctively went to it when they needed a mirror :-) I don't mind the color of the wood floors which are being replaced. They are innocuous oak floors which were finished on site but not stained as I recall - just finished with the finishing agent so they were light but not bleached or white - just floors not making any kind of statement :-) In terms of flooring, I am bucking the trend for wide planks as I want rather narrow ones - 2 1/4" or 3" at the most. They are difficult to find - especially when coupled with getting a stain I like so I might have to just go with raw wood finished on site to get the width and color - assuming I decide on colors before my brain explodes and they find me in a quivering heap in the crash pad I am renting while the remodel takes place :-)