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Remodeling Design Dilemma Kitchens

Countertop color in small kitchen

last year

We start renovation of my little 10.5x11 kitchen in six weeks. I’m trying to keep it light and airy so it appears spacious: white cabinets, one wall with glass doors, paint two shades of a light tan, white trim. I don’t like stone counters or backsplash, so I’m going with butcher block and bead board with a blue and white Mexican tile backsplash. (The living room is tan, the dining room is Wedgewood blue, both with white crown moulding and chair rail.) My issue is light maple not stained vs a dark walnut stain on the butcher block. Light seems logical to keep the open feel, but the dark finish works better with the paint colors I want and I do love the look. I’d appreciate opinions. (No pictures because what I have now all goes away soon.) Thanks for your input.

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Comments (4)

HU-918119203
last year
Dark, definitely. You will have a light and airy feel based on all your other choices, and the dark will provide a needed contrast. I find light butcher block to be yellowish, which risks clashing with the whites and tans you have planned for the rest of the space.
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Sabrina Alfin Interiors
last year
Can you post a picture of the blue & white Mexican tile? Does it have black accents? If so, I might go with black counters in a honed finish.
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Personally prefer the wood look. https://cdn.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ButcherBlockCountertops_Cover.jpg Are you planning a higher "bar" level cabinet behind the stove and cabinets beside it? https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1f/dd/65/1fdd658bcce421154d02c9143c871c3a--tan-kitchen-cabinets-kitchen-floors.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ce/ab/43/ceab43d59e04d3f304a799d7eab119dd--rounded-kitchen-peninsula-two-tiered-kitchen-island.jpg https://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/05/10/3afda5fc8c42.jpg
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Thanks - and I was planning the white perimeter uppers and lowers with a darker quartz counter top ( i like the darker charcoal -matte finish- on top of the white cabinets)and the light gray island cabinet with marbled quartz top. I do love a dark gray cabinet but I have a small kitchen and worried it may be too dark. We are a family of 5 with three messy kids - although they are getting older and less messy lol. Ill have to look at the stained gray - i just dont like to see the grain of wood in cabinets. This island below has the pendants I will do (I'll do 2 smaller Hicks pendants). I like the look of this island and top and the white cabinets with dark quartz in lower pic what do you think?
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commenting b/c I just found this thread and I really want to know too! Would love to see pics of the hickory cabinets as well, if they're done. Hickory is one of my husband's choices for the kitchen.
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Mary Ellison
Original Author
last year
The yellow is what worries me.

The tile I’m looking at is navy and white, but I will be using about 1/3 of those to 2/3 plain white - because $$$. Photo (if I did it right) is a single and then a group of four.
Mary Ellison
Original Author
last year
Try again….

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