Kathec, I feel your pain on the builder's oak kitchen. (I'm on the verge of finally tearing mine out, since the builder had obviously never washed a dish or cooked a meal in his life. Such a waste.) *Loved* the video and sent it on to numerous friends and we all agree that we've gone backwards in kitchen design. It's ridiculous that "all drawers" is still considered revolutionary ;-) (I also look at my friend's vintage Frigidaire Flair and realize that not only does it cook the pants off my 80s cooktop, but it's also better laid out with a wide burner spread and double overhead ovens.) I live in hope that since home cooking is on the rise, good kitchen design might be making a come back ;-)

That is a lovely kitchen on the Velvet and Linen blog. It's quite true as Tina mentions above that there is no black and in fact no strong contrast in it at all, and as such I think the main thing you would need to do to move toward the look is to mitigate the strong contrasts you have. I don't think bringing in more black or white will achieve this effect. Rather, perhaps you need something between black and white to mitigate the difference between them into a gradation, and not a sudden jump, and - this is where my understanding is too amateur to be certain - maybe one method would be to use things that have both black and white in them, like the chair or a variegated marble. I do think too that more wood would help. The other thing that might be worth considering is to change your knobs and handles to something that doesn't contrast quite so much. I think the green transparent pulls in the blog have a lot to do with the overall softness of the look. Maybe grey would have a nice effect for you. In terms of softening the counter contrast, one advantage that you have is that your counter is soapstone and not shiny granite or marble, which I think would be much harder to soften. Thanks for mentioning that, by the way, I wondered what it was and I really like it. Regarding the beadboard, I also have wood that gets wet often but is in fine shape. It all depends on how you finish it. We did our wood floors with a water-based clear coat, and that is definitely harmed by water - a mistake in our kitchen and bathroom. However, we did our bathroom window sill and our wood kitchen cabinets with diluted paint - I think it both cases it was oil-based but might have been latex in the bathroom. That window sill is right next to the tub and has gotten wet every day for 16 years and looks like new. And to repeat something I've said elsewhere, mocking up ideas is often not that hard. You could put coloured tape or fabric on your pulls and knobs to see how that would look, or put a few pieces of coloured paper on the backsplash. I find I can often rule out certain things really quickly doing stuff like that. KarinL

Here are the final photo's of the remodel of my neighbor's kitchen and front rooms, i.e., living and dining area. The tile is Interceramic Expressions Celebrity The laminte is Royal Oak from Sam's - sells for about $1.49 sq. ft. The yellow paint is BM's rich creme and I've already given the name of the blue is Behr Rocky Sky mixed by BM. My neighbor is absolutely ecstatic with the results. She'd tell you herself, it was such a run down mess before. It's like an entirely different house. Now they only have the bedrooms left to redo. Portable work station Chandi in dining area Laminate flooring Kitchen flooring Built in counter Ceiling fan

First, read the "Read Me" thread. It has a lot of useful information to help you get started. In particular, take the "Sweeby Test" (link to the test is in the "Read Me" thread): http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0215535329506.html There is a lot of information in the above thread! Everything from how to use this Forum to planning for storage to links to helpful threads. Don't ignore it! Next, learn about kitchen design principles...i.e., research! Here are a couple of good resources: National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards: http://www.nkba.org/guidelines/kitchen.aspx BH&G Kitchen Design Guidelines (it appears to have some updates to the NKBA guidelines that are not in the link above): http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/kitchen/planning/kitchen-design-guidelines/ Note, however, the BH&G slideshow of "kitchen styles" violates quite a few of the guidelines they quote from the NKBA...so be careful about buying-in to their sample kitchens. BTW...it's not just the BH&G site, but most sites that show "dream kitchens"...most of these kitchens are really what are known as "show kitchens" as opposed to "working kitchens"...i.e., they look nice, but you wouldn't want to work in one for very long! Research your appliance choices as well. Hopefully the "Read Me" thread + Sweeby Test have given you a good idea of what you want. Then there are the myriad of other choices...research them all as well! #1 What is your goal or vision--Take the Sweeby Test #2 Layout!--This is actually the most important item but will be, in part, driven by the results of the Sweeby Test. It will drive the rest of your decisions/choices. Read up on "work zones" (see the "Read Me" thread). Don't scrimp on time or effort! General Kitchen Layout--Galley vs L vs U vs G; Island vs Peninsula vs Table vs none; Open to rest of house vs definite room separations; wide open and airy vs small and cozy Kitchen Style--Modern/Contemporary, Transitional, Traditional, Vintage, Craftsman, Minimalism, etc. Flooring--Wood (engineered, full 3/4" or so), Tile, Vinyl, Linoleum, Laminate (like Pergo), etc. Countertops--Granite, Soapstone, Quartz, Marble, Solid Surface, Butcher Block, Stainless Steel, Laminate, etc.; Edge (eased, ogee, bullnose, etc.); 3cm vs 2cm thickness Backsplash--Full or partial; Tile, Countertop Material, Stainless Steel, etc.; Simple pattern, Complex pattern, Mural, etc. Sink(s)--Main/Cleanup Sink, yes; Prep Sink?; Stainless Steel, Silgranit, Cast Iron, etc.; Undermount, Overmount, Farm/Apron, Integrated, etc. Fixtures--Faucets & their styles; Pull Out, Pull Down, Bridge, Separate Side Spray, etc.; Soap Dispensers, Air Switches, Sink strainers, etc.; Finishes...polished/brushed; nickel, SS, ORB, Chrome, etc. Cabinets--Wood Species; Paint, Stain, Glaze; Framed or Frameless; Inset or Full Overlay or Partial Overlay or Frameless Doors;...