@Debbi Thank you! Yes, I do feel it will be great. We have been contemplating designs, colors, and have consulted on the layout. Without gutting the kitchen and getting new cabinetry we feel this is a great alternative. It’s just my husband and I most of the time and we do entertain but plan to also use the finished basement and outdoor kitchen.
Thanks for the flooring tips, we have a contractor doing both demo/install on the floors and proper or not (lol) we will be doing them all at the same time :-) Warm whites do look great and I will update once we pick out ours! Thank you again!

@AnnaKH and I think it’s absolutely worth it…love the way it brings outdoor elements inside. I don’t have any young kids either so less to clean on a regular basis. Good idea about painting on the wall itself, we will try this and will check out the paint color as well. We have a very large sample of the floor and will make sure to have it handy. I plan to update after. Thanks again!

@Buehl While I appreciate your opinion, we plan on moving forward, we have already scheduled and really want to have some of these items completed prior to moving in. We are not just doing this ourselves and have contractors doing the floors and yes, they will be removing and replacing…amazing tips for the flooring, thank you! We are just blowing out the wall next to the small cabinet next to the range. I really do appreciate your thoughts and everyone’s :-) because I am trying to do this quicker is why I needed guidance, thank you!

@HALLETT Thank you, we are keeping the cabinets as is on the left side and only changing the peninsula ourselves. Not me (lol) my husband will be doing that and later the island and built in bar/coffee. He used to own a home improvement company. We have not had time to actually draw it out, but if we do, I will update. Not there yet.

@aitecch Thank you very much! I see what you are saying about the odd shape, we decided to just embrace it and add a spectacular range andll hood. Microwave is already gone Lol!! I am not putting stone behind the range that would be a nightmare, completely agree!

The kitchen countertop and the island countertop are definitely the most noteworthy parts of the kitchen. No matter where you start, they are in the center.

@JAN MOYER We went to the stone supplier/fabricator yesterday (Hard Rock Stone Works) and we told that if we picked out stone today it would be able to be installed by the 20th. They take only 3 days to prepare order/measure and then 10 for fabrication. We decided against choosing yesterday, we want to make sure the counters coordinate with the stone wall as suggested and those available were not to our liking. While I will not be taking your offer for lunch, I did want to provide guidance that it can be done…at least in Michigan where I am from.

From your photos it is unclear where this island is going as it doesn't look like you have room for an island. Very minimum and not very good is 36" between cabinets. That is from the farthest thing sticking out, not the cabinet boxes. That however is not optimal, it creates pinch points. Least I would have is 42". This is from personal experience.

I think you have some great ideas and know what you like. I would take the advice of the pros on this forum and slow down and make sure the money you are putting in to this kitchen gets you a kitchen that is not only beautiful but functions well.

@cubby14 There is a breakfast nook area currently and we plan on extending the kitchen to that space by adding an island and a built in coffee/bar area (in wall to left). The area is 12x10 and are hoping that by removing the current peninsula it opens it up. Thanks for the tip on between cabinet space, we are accounting for this :-) We are downsizing and thus, do not have the square footage to have 42” I can’t wait until the lighting and finishing touches part Lol Thank you again!

Painted my kitchen walls and cabinets Maritime White - Ben Moore. Off white with the tiniest hint of mushroom - at least in our space. I loved it.

I also like this pallet.

I'm here to second the notion that counters can wait. We couldn't decide on a counter material and had plywood counters covered with clear contact paper for 6 months. (I actually grew to like them!)

What piece did you end up liking at the stone store? Got pics or a name of the stone?

It’s better to live with temporary plywood countertops than make a mistake in choosing your stone. Once the kitchen is mostly done, you may get a different idea of which countertop will complement the cabinets.

The very ORGANIC brick look you want in your splash, pairs well with a very very subtle MARBLE, which will etch. A Danby $$$$$$

The very organic look of the stone splash pairs well ONLY with another organic, mother nature material. It does not pair well with quartz, stirred in a basin and man made.

It will do very well with a Soapstone, ( gorgeous ) a honed solid granite, less expensive, such as Virginia Mist....or even a honed Absolute Black.

Why am I repeating myself?

Because those options will be accessible.Three of them are easy care.

You can't have multiple stars. Were you to get lucky and find the brick you want to use, and you take it to stone shops and fined a honed Taj Mahal quartzite? That MIGHT work..........

But. You must pick the star of the show. It

s the backsplash or it is the counter top, not both.

What's the star of the show down here???? and my bet is the counter is soapstone. Very PLAIN,

This why everyone here is telling you , you are rushing, with a half imagined, figure it out as you go plan, to meet a date that is but ONE TINY nano second in your life in the "forever" home.

My advice? Find soapstone on Monday.

STUDY your own inspo.That kitchen took six months minimum.

Without belaboring the issue ( and I am doing that ) the rivers of tears to be found in these pages, from folks who have used your "non plan" plan...........? You can't count them all. : ) So.......slow down.

Now I'm done lol

@kenrah would love to see a pic of the walls and cabinets the same color. Great colors! Yes, I’m realistic on the counters not getting done now lol Going to use your contact paper idea for sure!!! We liked a very non busy creamy but not busy granite, can’t remember the name but am going back next week and plan to really hunker down on some viable options.

@JAN Thank you for the laugh below :-) “river of tears” I needed that! I’m truly laughing out loud! I have never liked the look of quartz personally and happy it is not a suggestion. I have never even seen a soapstone counter but will be searching tonight and looking now. Marble scares me, only because my last table was marble and always seemed to show spots if anything wet got on it and was not immediately wiped up. I’m likening the sound of sandstone.
I would say that the star is the backsplash and yes, now I get it. Just got carried away with my son returning for Christmas (he is only 19) and in the Marines…I wanted everything done I guess so it would be like home since he left. Thanks for your suggestions, I’m going to dig in and continue working towards the end goal. I will for sure be posting here!

What a waste of 100K. It will just have to be ripped out and redone, because no island will fit. Even if some salesman tells you it will, it won’t. You are fast tracking ruining the space.

Just wondering who is painting your cabinets and how?

@Zumi Who said 100k? Do you need a hug, seems like you have some built up anger. Best of luck to you.

@Barrheadlass We hired a local company that removes the fronts and takes them to their warehouse for painting and then the actual cabinet will be painted also by them. We decided to go with painting because the insides of the cabinets already have the pull outs and soft close organizers

@Diana Thank you!!! We will be 100% focusing on him when he comes :-) and agree, he won’t mind and glad because it will not be done by then Lol Just really wanting to take advantage of getting what can be done prior to moving in but am slowing it down a little

Your flaw is right here........

"We are downsizing and thus, do not have the square footage to have 42” I can’t wait until the lighting and finishing touches part Lol Thank you again!"

The DOWNSIZE has nothing to do with adequate clearances which become even more important as you AGE. The downsize has nothing to do with good design. Good design can occur in a trailer! On a ship!

You've plowed ahead, you have cabinets ready to go on what walls? What is the gutted kitchen space, minus the peninsula and including the breakfast area? By that I mean the walls, the windows all of it in feet and inches. If you can't produce that? It tell us all everything we need to know. What are the exact appliances? What are their locations? Exactly!!

Every single last bit of this SHOULD be on a paper plan with every dimension to the merest fraction of an inch noted.

You "can't wait" until you get to finishing touches? While understandable, your buggy is so far ahead of the horse, so ill planned, that I will eat every single word if you DON'T run into a big problem. It matters not your hubby was a contractor. He was never a designer,right?

Read again, what I said about the f.l.a.w ( yes......I missed that comment yesterday, or I would have said all this..yesterday.)

@JAN why do we have to have 42” around the island? I guess I’m not understanding, we have “36 planned around the island. We are keeping most of the current cabinets, minus the couple uppers (above current dishwasher) and the peninsula. There is 7ft between the new fridge (counter depth) and the new sink cabinet facing the dining room. We are not doing a full tear out and don’t have a floor plan at this time to provide unfortunately. We have stainless steel appliances ordered and have measured and they will fit the new layout.

Fridge and matching dishwasher

Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/KitchenAid-23-8-cu-ft-French-Door-Refrigerator-in-PrintShield-Stainless-Steel-Counter-Depth-KRFC704FPS/207176320

Range below, current microwave already gone . Will be doing a hood (TBD)

Look at this product I found on google.com https://g.co/kgs/ZLkuFPV

Please don’t take my comment on “can’t wait” wrong. I understand I’m far from that but also know how fun that will be. I do plan on doing a very simple floor plan to provide and hope to post soon. I’m not understanding the comment on adequate clearances and deign, but perhaps once I post a layout it will be more clear :-)

"There is a breakfast nook area currently and we plan on extending the kitchen to that space by adding an island and a built in coffee/bar area (in wall to left). The area is 12x10 and are hoping that by removing the current peninsula it opens it up."

There is no "hoping" in kitchen design. There is only fact of fit and clearances.

You are asking us to imagine a kitchen, an inspo you posted, from THIS

I See a passage beyond the fridge. You are going to walk in to the side of an island you "hope shall fit"?

Will there still be a breakfast area table or not? You're removing the cabinets above the dishwasher......and on an on. The microwave is already gone..

And you plan on doing a very simple floor plan..............

But you are asking what is the problem with 36" clearances around an island that we can not even understand where it is going and in what direction, as you hope the peninsula removal opens things up.

After 33 years AND hundreds of remodels and builds? Gotta say I am totally lost.

36” is inadequate for a work aisle. 42” is the absolute MINIMUM work aisle space. Measured from the furthest obstacle that projects forward from the cabinet boxes. 48” is much better. Math does not lie. There is no way you have room for an island. No way. You are WASTING a lot of money on the WRONG THINGS and you are making the kitchen more dysfunctional.

I thank you all for your OPINIONS. I understand that without a floor plan posted, it may be hard to envision. I will post once I have it and in the interim will continue to more forward. I can’t imagine thinking that all homes in America have such large clearances…every home is not a mansion and many function and work well at 36”. Like I stated above the kitchen itself has a clearance of 7ft (84”) between fridge wall and sink wall (this is NOT where the island is going). Floor plan to come, thank you!

36” counter to counter is the minimum. I’ve used it in small urban condos where every decision is a trade off. Typically I aim for 48” aisles and will reduce to 42” if I have to. My island is 60” from my range wall as that’s what has worked best for our family. Shoehorning an island in where it doesn’t fit won’t help the kitchen.

Bad islands make a kitchen worse than just leaving the very functional peninsula. You are well on your way to the Wall of Shame, Island Edition.

Aisle clearance is important.

Bad islands make a kitchen worse than just leaving the very functional peninsula. You are well on your way to the Wall of Shame, Island Edition.

Aisle clearance is important.

Bad ideas, plus bad planning, plus the inability to measure correctly, equals a terrible result.

@HUL Lol!!!! Your ability to not read is what concerns me. Island is not going in the main kitchen area….breakfast nook area Lol I will post when completed :-)

@Crystal, it sounds like an interesting project. You are here asking about paint, is that correct?

The concept of a whole house wall color can be limiting. In a smaller home especially, it helps to have a palette of colors, as Kendrah suggests, that work well together so that sight lines and the transition from room to room are visually pleasant. But each of your rooms will have different exposures (amounts and qualities of natural light), different light fixtures, and different uses. Finding the right paint color that looks truly beautiful in each of your rooms is the goal more so than choosing one color you will use everywhere. But this really seems to be a generational choice.

If you feel you must have one wall color everywhere, you are right to consider your cabinet colors. Your may be limited to a few options, so wait to choose your paint palette until you decide on cabinet color. Once you have your sample doors, take them to be color matched at the paint store so you have a close approximation of what your cabinet color will be (they will not be exactly the same). You can sample the paint on large cardboard boxes with different wall and trim colors in your own space and light to help you narrow in on your choices. Or you can wait until the cabinets are installed and work with the real thing in your actual space. It is more efficient! Best of luck on the renovation.

A really expensive, tall, uncomfortable, kitchen table, without adequate leg clearance, is a super terrible idea. People need table height tables, not ”islands” as eating areas, for multiple reasons.

@eam44 Thank you for your suggestions and yes, I was asking about paint because although not ideal, will be the first thing we have done. We plan on adding accent wall colors later as the current paint/trim is just dirty. Our painter will come back to touch up trim after the floors are installed (12/9). Do to what you and others have said, and I agree…we have large samples up of actual paint up to make the best choice we can with the various lighting from room to room. Thank you and I am now realizing I should have said renovation and not remodel when originally posting :-)

@Zumi We have an adjoining dining room with a table. The island will serve as an additional space to food prep/storage, or have casual meals, drinks, etc.

Update, we are currently having our walls painted white sesame by SW and found our counters…Flooring starts Monday!

Flooring

For those that had questions or hesitations towards us getting rid of the peninsula, this is why we are choosing to remove it and add an island space extending the kitchen. There was not adequate spacing which seemed cramped :-)

Those are 12” tiles -way too cramped

Apparently we will never get a to scale plan and you are now into the holidays so enjoy . I am sorry but doing this backwards is all wrong but it is your choice .

@Patricia Holidays were great, thank you. Apparently it seems that many on this app are unprofessional and just rude. I was asking for help with color choices and provided pictures, some have been great in providing ideas and I did take those into account. We moved forward and have completed a good portion of what we set out to accomplish and all not in perfect order…crazy! So nice to be moved in and not have to worry about the flooring or painting (only touch ups needed now). FYI Island clearance 42”-we made it work.

We are going to do counters last to ensure a good fit after drywall around opening is complete. Measurements next week.

We still have a ways to go, but are very happy with the results thus far. Island is floating right now until counters get installed and trash can will be in a drawer under sink. We are starting to look into lighting over the island. Yeah, thank you to all who provided input

Looks good so far!!

That lost little cabinet hanging out in the breakfast area is just ridiculous. No way will it ever provide seating unless it is anchored to the subfloor, and gets a slew of steel brackets everywhere. Putting stone on top of it without all of that needed work is just a tip and kill a dog hazard.

Love the white cabs with your pretty floor -

@Debbi and la_la Girl Thank you! The color is more of a linen color (hard to tell from the pics).

@HU I can’t take your response seriously knowing that you do not have the basic skillset of reading and comprehension. Must be a bot.

pretty floor! where will this last piece go?

@Jenn-z9b-AZ Thank you! It’s going to be almost centered with the windows, we wanted to make sure to have enough clearance so did not overdo the island size which is 36x60. Looking for lighting and 2 full back stools there and then in the opening to the dining there will also be 2 or three stools for extra seating when needed. Any thoughts are welcome on lighting or stools. We do plan on as Phase 2. :-) having the walls in that area stone.

@Jen Because due to clearance it will be off center about 4” which is why I was thinking a rectangular or linear light fixture opposed to pendants and would love to hear any thoughts