Herbflavor, to the left of the window is a built in microwave with a pull down door. I’m having a custom island built. It’ll be moveable (though i don’t really expect to need to move it much), and counter or bar height, with seating, and with drawers for utensils, and open storage below.

Possibly something like these:

FWIW, I just finished reading all of the threads you started. Glad you found the Decorating forum. Our taste seem very similar. I've had two English kitchens. The first was an unfitted style and my island was based on a Chalon piece with open ends. Three paint colors, one stain, three counter choices and lots of copper and beams. The last was more refined with walls, trim and cabinet one paint color, and also had beams but lighter and thinner.

What did you decide to use for bathroom sconces? Our first custom home's powder room had a wall mounted round copper sink, ORB faucet. I used antique sconces that were darker and had copper color painted accents. Mirror was custom (local frame shop) and was dark with copper wash accenting. I believe your door hardware choice mentioned was Emtek, which is what we used in that house.

Have you decided for or against any wood beams and/or accents? I understand the feeling this would bring to your space. Ideas are at bottom of vent hood, lintel over interior window and/or doors, window sill, along with seperating the kitchen/dining area from living room.

What did you decide about hood? Copper is another choice, and it can be built on site around a vent hood insert. I did this in our first English kitchen. Our HVAC supplied/installed the copper sheeting exterior. I also used this materlal for a backsplash in one part of the kitchen and laundry room, as well as powder room ceiling.

I would love to see photos of your places! Below are the bathroom sconces. I also have a flush mount hallway light with a raw copper finish just outside of the bathroom. Right now I’m wrestling over what to use for a vanity top, and what tile to use in the alcove bathtub/shower.

As for wood or beam accents…
I have Douglas fir doors in the bedroom and bathroom. Using a Douglas fir piece at the bottom of the plaster vent hood, and Douglas fir sills at the bottom of the windows. Also getting a custom Douglas fir book shelf area in the bedroom. Still undecided about beams between living room and kitchen. I expect the builder will have some suggestions on that as we finish things up.

I have some sheets of copper around here somewhere that I’m considering for a backsplash, either in the kitchen at the sink, or in the bathroom.

I also have this small collection of tiles i need a home for, from the Moravian Tile Works (Mercer tiles). I really, really want to use them, but have no idea how to do that!

Lights and tile

I vote to repeat the soapstone and not use tiles for multiple unrelated reasons.  Repetition is a key to pleasing art. Continuity is key to the perception of expanded space. Soapstone has anti-microbial properties important in a sink area. Tile's grout lines can harbor… you know… stuff like tomato sauce splatter. Tiles are beautiful too, but I think the other three points are more important.

I have to state in the interests of openness, that I am leaning towards soapstone in my kitchen remodel too and was drawn to your post to see how I felt about a soapstone backsplash, because I am a fan of a mirrored backsplash in at least one part of my kitchen…not so sure now that I see the soapstone. :-)

Other topic after seeing the pictures of your sink area is the asymmetry in this area. You have some symmetry but also some asymmetry. Do you see it? I don't like the gap between the base cabinet on the right and the wall cabinet; the wall cabinets are just hanging there. There is no ballance with the refrigerator; it's just sticking out there. Your stove area is beautifully symmetric! Though you may not be able to create perfect symmetry in the sink area, it would be nice to create a bit more visual balance. I was wondering if your upper cabinets are the same color as your lower ones and if your walls in the entire room are white. If so, would you consider not having a glass door on the one upper cabinet to the right of the uppers over the sink? Keep the ones over the sink glass; that's perfect there. I think that might better connect the upper and lower cabinets to the right visually and create a visual weightiness to balance that of the refrigerator. Also, would you consider adding white corbels of the appropriate transitional styling under the cabinet to the right of the sink to visually connect top and bottom there for better balance visually but not take away counter space? What's a corbel? https://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Moulding-Millwork-Corbels/N-5yc1vZc62i

Also, I am concerned about the "hand" of your doorknobs. The one near the sink and the one near the microwave both seem on the side opposite of what makes sense. Think about trying to open them and maybe you will see what I mean. Regarding light and these doors, have you considered adding a mirror to the front of the door to the left of your refrigerator to reflect light from the window opposite? The door would have to be a slightly better quality than the flat hollow core door the designer seems to suggest. Maybe you can order a white door with the mirror inset already.

I like your "floating island" idea. I like having a kitchen table in the kitchen too. I am curious about what material you will use for your flooring and how close to the rendering of the table you will stick. You will want to consider the flooring, island, and table together. If the floor is wood, might you consider other materials for the table, for example? Perhaps black iron with a glass top to repeat the other black and glass elements in the room? Perhaps grey apholstered chairs or even a white bench with grey apholstery and then the iron table and a pair of iron chairs? I'm thinking of complementing and balancing the visual weight of all the cabinets and appliances in the other half of the room. If you don't like the actual weight of iron, black caning or ratan or even black painted wood or a mix of these would do the job.

If your floors are wood, I think a similar wood for your floating island would allow it to visually connect to the center of the room and not throw the whole thing off balance.

I have to say I am falling in love with your kitchen. And you have furthered my commitment to soapstone. I could see myself enjoying a chat about it in your room when you are finished. I can't wait to see more pictures and how it all turns out.

Bookshelves are another good idea. Maybe add a wood accent above the shower and/or tub opening. I forgot to comment on the fireplace and tile. Love the fireplace shape, and would let that be the star and not do tile around it. You could do the larger terra cotta tile up higher as an accent, or one of the bird tiles. If you do a mantel, I would not do any tiles on the FP. I've also seen a single large tile used on a range hood, but not really a fan.

The larger blue tile with a circle with detail looks interesting, but it's cut off. FWIW, years ago I did limestone and detailed accent tiles and a border and tired of it quickly. It is still there (house just sold again) and makes me wonder what I was thinking. What about shower niche?

Glad you went with the copper fixture. I saw the tiles, and forgot to comment on the fireplace. The shape is so great, I would let that be the star and not do tiles around the opening. If that doesn't appeal to you, maybe the largest (single) terra cotta color tile up higher as an accent or one of the bird tiles, and skip the mantel. You could also do the largest tile or a bird tile centered over the range. In our first house, The larger blue tile with a circle around a pattern looks interesting, but it's cut off. FWIW, years ago I did limestone and detailed accent tiles and a border and tired of it quickly. It is still there (house just sold again) and makes me wonder what I was thinking.

Here is an update thread on our last house. Kitchen photos are there, but you'll need to click on "see ### more comments" in order to see them. I just noticed the kitchen sink wall photo is not there, so I'll find one and post there. I got ideas for this kitchen from Humprhey Munson, Tom Howley and other English kitchen websites.

(going to post this so I don't loose post.)

Here is the kitchen in the house before that one.

Posting photo of laundry room so you can see the copper backsplash.

ETA: Also look at deVOL kitchens. They also have a show called For the Love of Kitchens. S2 is now available on Discovery+. Also Plain English.

I am going to do soapstone behind the sink and to the windowsill, as a matter of function more than form - kind of keep the splash zone as waterproof as possible. I will also have a fridge next to the sink cab, and am considering extending it to that side, against the fridge panel, as well. SInce it would be epoxied it would be pretty bulletproof - and I am still not sure on tile and that might be a later phase project. Aside from the sink I won’t have any vertical soapstone (just doesn’t make sense in our design, but yours will be gorgeous!)

Soapstone is very tricky to represent in photos, it often appears to have a bit more light reflection than it actually does (assuming it is the matte finish). In a room without many windows it will absorb a lot of light, especially if it is used as counters and backsplash. The counters in my kitchen, which has a lot of natural light, sometimes appear like a black hole, this unusual hazy deep black (even though mine are actually very dark green). The area in which I see this the most is a 5 foot section that is sandwiched between the fridge enclosure and a wall, even though it does get a lot of natural light the walls create more shadows.

Additionally, soapstone is not the easiest counter material to keep looking evenly matte dark or light without grease marks or blotchiness. This is even true for sealed soapstone. Each type of soapstone is different in how frequently you will want to oil or wax it to keep it dark, some take much more work than others. I decided to use an enhancing sealant on mine to keep them evenly dark (after sanding my extremely shiny stone down I tried various ways to keep it dark and and was happiest with sealant because the stone did not hold the wax or oil without getting blotchy quickly, something that would probably have gotten better over time but was more work than I wanted). The sealant does keep the stone dark without adding any shine but when grease gets on the counters I have to lightly scrub with dish soap to get the shiny spot off, otherwise they look blotchy.

If this were my kitchen, I would wait until the cabinets and lighting are in to get a full understanding of how light will factor in to your choice. I would also get the largest sample of the counters that I could to see in the space and test how much work it will take to keep them looking as you want them.

I feel for your size kitchen and natural light locations that the full soapstone backsplash seems heavy handed. I’d prefer all tile in this situation.

After a lot of reading threads, one where a lady tested everything on samples, this is what I used. Ordered online from the big A. Ours was honed, so I did the sealer every 6-8 months. Did not have issues with greasy spots, but then I clean as I go.

That soapstone is beautiful! So many good thoughts here. I particularly like K L’s focus on balance and Allison’s focus on using wood. I had to make some compromises because of support beams and other factors that made for some awkward decisions. I went through several “planning supervisors” with the contracting company, mostly because of covid. So there are some unfortunate design quirks that can’t be changed now. I’m really not fond of the way the placement on sink and fridge wall turned out, but the window had already been cut, and there was no room for the original design.

That said, I’m still excited about it. Would a tile like this be too much? Again, the sink is a white undermount, not a black apron sink like this one. But maybe the black and white might tie things together? I had also thought about similar tiles, but with a more antiqued look.

That soapstone is beautiful! So many good thoughts here. I particularly like K L’s focus on balance and Allison’s focus on using wood. I had to make some compromises because of support beams and other factors that made for some awkward decisions. I went through several “planning supervisors” with the contracting company, mostly because of covid. So there are some unfortunate design quirks that can’t be changed now. I’m really not fond of the way the placement on sink and fridge wall turned out, but the window had already been cut, and there was no room for the original design.

That said, I’m still excited about it. Would a tile like this be too much? Again, the sink is a white undermount, not a black apron sink like this one. But maybe the black and white might tie things together? I had thought about similar tiles, but with a more antiqued look.

Ellen, to be clear, my post was not trying to discourage you from using soapstone as a backsplash. It may be the option that you decide upon in the end. I did want to point out some of my experience, incase it could help. I do think that the finer details, like backsplash, come together better once more of the surroundings are complete. Good luck!

Thank you! i appreciate your thoughts.

The slab I’m looking at.

@ellen braun That slab is gorgeous! What is the variety?

Oh, Ellen, that's beautiful!

Very pretty slabs!

I would want to see the tile sample with the slabs. There is a good bit of movement in the slabs, it might be too busy for your eyes.

Very pretty - and is leaning green (not charcoal or black)….best to wait on the backsplash until the counters are in and then reassess.

This is prob too modern, but for light reflection, I love backpainted glass. No seams and waterproof. My kitchen faces north, so not great light and the reflection is great.

Every case is different. To answer the OP's question: Both. On the wall above the soapstone that includes our main sink, we have a semitransparent tile that matches the color of the greenish inclusions in the soapstone, as well as a color in our peninsula tops (Piracema white/wave) granite. At the back of the cooktop peninsula soapstone is a 6-inch strip of soapstone "supporting" the same granite type raised counter top for the facing seating area.

I’m just considering this option: https://www.jennasuedesign.com/diy-concrete-bathroom-walls-with-microcement/

The hood for the stove and the fireplace surround will be done using this material, with the intent to have the opposing walls echo one another. I think I’ll have the entire wall around the doors and fireplace with the same finish. I left the doors and windows frameless, and am really happy with the way they look so far. I think the concrete look will be just what I’m looking for. So to keep things clean and simple, I’m thinking that rather than extending the soapstone as a backsplash for the sink area, i can just extend the concrete look of the hood/fireplace wall.

Ok, so I’m leaning toward the following, and am having trouble with color choices. I’m a bit timid about color.

Going with Benjamin Moore White Dove for the kitchen cabinets.
Aged pewter hardware (lighter)
Aged pewter door fixtures
Soapstone for the countertops and the full backsplash around the stove
Aga Legacy black stove
Douglas fir sill for the window and a door
Plaster-look range hood, with Douglas fir trim
Similar rustic woods for kitchen island
Hallmark esquire maple LVP flooring (neither too dark or too light)

The hood and the sink backsplash (which will both match the fireplace surround on opposite wall) are my questions. I want to keep things bright, but not stark. All of these will be a plaster look (micro-concrete sort of thing). Should i choose another “white”, and if so, should i go warmer, brighter, with greater contrast or less? And should i paint the ceiling the same color (which i think could add the illusion of height)?

How to choose the wall/ceiling/hood/fireplace color??? I need guidance!

The first two are opposite directions. In the first, the wall color contrasts, in the second, the walls, ceiling, everything, is the same (and actually the Benjamin Moore White Dove in question). Next is the finish for the drawer pulls, then the doorknobs.

Your inspiration photo has black hardware, and you originally stated you like the sharp contrast between white and black. Help me understand why you are leaning towards pewter now. What are you trying to achieve with pewter?

In your wall and ceiling colors, the common thing in your choices is white ceiling, and you are considering a color in the walls. You want to make your ceilings look higher. There are whole articles on how to do that. Some use a dark color in the ceiling. Some use a high gloss paint on the ceiling. Some use crown moulding with ceiling trim too, and you use the same color paint for trim and wall, visually borrowing from the ceiling to create the illusion of a taller wall. Others say using the same color on ceiling and wall minimizes the boundary between them, and that contrast reinforces the end of the wall and draw attention to a low ceiling. Search for the articles on Houzz to see examples. So you will paint the walls and cabinets the same white, right? You could have ceiling moulding in addition to your crown moulding and paint the ceiling a glossy dark color... Or stick to the same white for your ceiling. I think the wall color being slightly darker than the ceiling also is ok, but a bold wall color and white paint will visually lower the ceiling. So even with white cabinets, if you choose a color for your wall like a cream or grey, then try a "white" in the same family for the ceiling, rather than your cabinet white. If you match the cabinet color and ceiling color but have a different wall color, your eye will go back and forth between ceiling and cabinet and "lower" your ceiling.

In that room you showed with white walls and ceiling but brown floor mantel and beams, it was the wood, not the white, that made the room. And the contrast between white and wood.

You write, "Going with Benjamin Moore White Dove for the kitchen cabinets.

Aged pewter hardware (lighter)

Aged pewter door fixtures

Soapstone for the countertops and the full backsplash around the stove

Aga Legacy black stove

Douglas fir sill for the window and a door

Plaster-look range hood, with Douglas fir trim

Similar rustic woods for kitchen island

Hallmark esquire maple LVP flooring (neither too dark or too light)."

I'm good with everything but the hardware. I like your inspiration photo's black cabinet hardware with the white cabinets. Black and white works especially well with a warm wood for temperature balance. You have a warm wood mobile floating island and warm wood floors. I suggest that you include one other warm-colored material and also add some reflective contrast with brass door handles, not antique brass but regular brass. A bit of basketry someplace also would add another hint of warmth in a different material. You are doing a similar thing with glass cabinet doors, and I suggested a glass table top, mirror on one door, and I would add a glass crystal door knob on the other door. And for the black you have soapstone coulter and backsplash (great choice!), black cabinet hardware, and I suggested black iron looking table. Whether you choose these or not, I am trying to show you the power of color repetition with varied materials to ground the total design. With dull black shiny glass and middle-lux wood and white, you hit three reflectance levels. That's really awesome.

What is the finish on the exterior sliding door hardware?

For the look you are tryng ot achieve, I would stay with black cabinet hardware, door hardware and hinges (when choosing between pewter and black), or find an ORB finish you like. I am not familiar with Weslock, but Emtek also has a poured bronze collection with more finish options.

Since the space is on the smaller side and 8ft ceilings, all one color on the ceiling and walls, doors, windows and trim. The White Dove will be lovely. Ceilings painted the same color as walls always look a tad lighter than the walls anyway since the light reflects differently.

Here are some examples of what I’m torn about. I plan to use microcement for the fireplace surround, sink backsplash and range hood, and then paint with lime wash paint for the walls and ceiling. The walls and ceiling will be the same color. I’m thinking that because the cabinets will not be textured the way the hood and walls and ceiling, etc, will, even if it’s the same color, there will still be some contrast and depth that will make it more interesting. But still wondering if a shade different from the cabinets would be good or not.

If you want good capture of cooking plumes from the front burners/hobs, the hood will need to extend a distance of at least 24 inches from the wall. Without side cabinets, it will have to be wider than the cooking surface by about 3 inches on each side (up to 36 inches above). These parameters could well influence the desirability of a given design/color combo. Hence, sketches and images used for comparison need to take this into account, at least in one's perception.

All of those examples look nice. It all boils down to your personal preference. I do not think you could go wrong either way. The second photo, with walls and cabinets same color sends a calm feeling to me. The last photo also feels serene. Art, accessories and anything on the kitchen counters will add character, personalize and show life.

Kaseki, I always wondered why people would put side walls around a stove. I guess after what you said it's to create a chimney effect? That's very interesting!

Side skirts (for commercial cooking appliances) and cabinets around residential cooktops can help restrict the expansion of the cooking plumes as they rise toward (one hopes) the open capture area of the hood system. With hoods that are large enough to overlap all burners' plume expansion angles, side restraints merely aid resisting cross drafts. When the hood is undersized, then at least the back burners may have decent capture.

Thank you kaseki for explaining! Houzz can be so educational. I see them in pictures and think it could be awkward for lifting a heavy pot off the burner to a nearby landing pad. How does one "get around" that? Just asking about the practicalities, because I think it would look nice. Do they just come forward half way?

There is wide variation in side skirts. Greenheck wrote this in a catalog (they call them 'end skirts': "End skirts are available in both full and mini configurations and are constructed with either series 300 or 430 stainless steel to match the hood. End skirts can lower required exhaust rates as they improve capture." The provided image was of a mini version:

Hoodmart calls them 'side curtains' and provides an image of a larger design:

You can probably find any shape you might need, or have a sheet metal shop fabricate a pair.

One gets around lifting issues by pumping iron. :) What can I say? The Houzz image:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/textured-kitchen-hood-traditional-kitchen-chicago-phvw-vp~205896 shows one way of side-skirting with room for pot landing.

OK, I will pay more attention to the shape of the side skirts I see in pictures. And having wider skirt areas that include a landing pad on either side can solve the problem. That's exactly what my parents had when I was a teen.

So it seems these aren't for everyone if you have to be able to lift heavy pots off a stove. People who are directed not to lift anything heavy for medical reasons like back and leg problems, or the elderly would not be able to have these then. Or they might need a rolling cart in the kitchen. I use a rolling cart at work to help me get 60lb bales of compressed potting mix to a potting bench, so that would help someone in their home.

Here are other skirt ideas.

I do not think skirting is necessary. Vent a Hood and Wolf both make very good hood inserts that I am familiar with owning.

Keep in mind that the plumes diverge at 10 or more degrees from vertical around each pan/pot. There is little pull-in by typical residential venting until one is very close to the capture area. Hence, these partial side skirted images with only partial overlap of the cooking zone by the hood portion may well not support searing, say, on front burners without plume spillage in front of the hood structure.

Note that not intercepting the plume is not the same cause of spillage as having too little CFM to keep all the captured effluent in the hood, as in the schlieren image below.

The skirts remind me of a fireplace. I really like the way they look. I was telling my husband about them this morning. We looked at our space to see how we could make it work.

Here are the cabinets installed! The whole space looks brighter than I’d anticipated. Any further advice?

(I was playing house for the holiday. That’s why the table, rugs and stockings!)

I love progress and finished photos! Thanks! Glad you feel it is brighter.

@ellen - I’m thinking of soapstone countertops and love your kitchen. Would you mind sharing the picture update?

Here you go! I’ll add some photos of my old kitchen too, which has soapstone.

More

And more

And my old kitchen…