olliesmom - thanks! I like the MW English Chestnut also, and we're using that to stain our wood floors. Since I wanted the doors to be darker, I used a custom mix of MW English Chestnut (1 part) and MW Dark Walnut (5 parts). To test the custom mix, I bought the small cans of each stain and a piece of knotty alder (cut into several sample pieces). Using a plastic spoon and paper cups, I made several stain mixes, starting with one part each and working my way up to the 5 parts of Dark Walnut to 1 part English Chestnut. Then I tried each mix out on the pieces of wood to see which I liked better. Once I found the right mix, we bought the larger quart sizes to stain the doors. After staining, we used several coats of a sealant (with UV protection) in a satin finish.

taggie, I don't think you are wierd at all. I love this kitchen, the huge crown and mitered end panel cabs and the color are fantastic! And yes, I really like the over the top kitchen I posted also, but in a different way. These two types of kitchens I posted were common in the very high end homes 2003-present in the area where I live. Lateley, in the last few years, I have seen more "contemporary" or modern style kitchens, which I like but don't love. In a modern loft, high end apartment, etc I would love it, but not necessarilly in a beautiful estate type home. I like the creamy white kitchens I have been seeing here, but I would want them more "ornate", even baraoque! ;)

Well...since you want stained cabinets, one has to ask what is the style of your house and how will the interior design be executed? There's a lot more to a sensible answer to your question than simply playing spin the bottle. For example, if you are going to have a lot of stained interior wood throughout the house, besides the kitchen, then there's some consistency in having stained wood cabinets. On the other hand, if most (or all) of the trim in your interiors is going to be painted, but your cabinets are going to be stained, you have a situation where your kitchen is going to contrast and stand out against the rest of the house. I have Alder cabinets, and the doors have various knots, holes and textures. The cabinets are finished in a middle value brown finish, with black hardware. It looks OK, but it's really not my favorite. Too rustic. Too brown. Perhaps those qualities will fit right in for your interiors. Good luck!

What color are the rest of the doors? What color are the walls? Are you going with a dark stain, natural? Lots of factors. I don't think it's inherently wrong to paint the door and have wood trim. Why do you want to match the wall color though? Are you trying to make the door disappear? If so, it won't with the wood trim. It would help to have a better understanding of what your purpose is... Congrats on the new house! If you have any pictures yet, it's always helpful :)