Countertops: light or dark with oak cabinet? (UPDATE: black canyon silestone it is!!)

[Sandy22]

I prefer the darker countertop with lighter cabinets look. Your cabinets have a classic look to them - I think if you repainted them white you could really modernize them.

Have you checked out the finished kitchens blog for inspiration? The before and afters are sure to give you great ideas. Here's the link: http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/

Also the kitchen forums at GardenWeb is really helpful and another great source of before and after pictures. Here's the link: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/

 

[Disney Doll]

We have oak cabinets circa 1985-ish which are nice and in good shape. We just got a new granite counter which is a charcoal gray color with swirls of peach, green and lavender through it, stainless steel appliances. I live in a Cape & I thought the stainless steel appliances would be too modern looking, but they aren't.

 

[wtpclc]

If teh walls are going lighter, go with teh darker counter tops. It's oging to look great!!

OK, shuold have read the whole thread. Love teh silestone!

 

[Muhlenberg]

First of all...I have the same color cabinets. I'd go with lighter countertops. Here's a picture of part of my kitchen...it shows mostly the floor, but you can see the color of the counter. Hope it helps.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Before I read the whole thread my vote was the lighter counter tops, or paint the cabinets. Now that I have seen then I say they look just fine they way they are.

I am going with Silstone (after I did a thread here asking people about it) and I think we will be happy with it. We have spent all today and yesterday cleaning up the kitchen and great room, and we still have so much to do. I think just getting the kitchen ready to do is going to be half the work. Cabinet come sometime next week (and we still have electrical to run.)

Now after reading the full thread I think the 1st light choice, with a bit of browns would be a great way to tie it all together.


New fridge and stove and it will be rocking (it never ends does it. )

 

[pppiglet]

I like the darker with the colors you have now, but I think the lighter will make your kitchen look bigger.

 

[lg3]

We have a similar shade of cabinets and ALL black appliances - LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT. I don't know why you are concerned with dust accumulating there isn't any........ Our countertops are a very deep green marble look to them. It is dramatic and without fail we get compliments constantly from everyone who comes into our kitchen. Side note: I used to work as a kitchen and bath designer before dd came along, and you can implement the theme without a great deal of money if you go about it correctly. For my .02: Please don't mix too much beige with the other tones - decide if you are going with neutrals/beige (not my favorite in a modern kitchen, but great in a french or english feel) or the blacks/modern. If you don't like stainless, don't do it!!!!! You are the one who will be living with it. enjoy!

 

[SplshMtn99]

We originally had plain almond laminate...so I know exactly what that looks like with the cabinets. lol

DH & I really like wood (we wanted a log home at one time). We have wood trim & wood doors in our condo. I know painted is in....but we don't care for it exactly. I grew up with painted cabinets & woodwork & doors. It was my job to clean the fingerprints off everything every weekend. Not going back there. lol I'm also an a nut about touching up paint if something is scratched or knicked. I would so insane if we had painted doors, trim & woodwork.

We were supposed to move into a new condo we were having built -- and had picked everything already. But I quit my job. (dummy) So we are stuck here. LOTS & LOTS OF TEARS SHED LAST YEAR OVER THAT DECISION. Oh....the stuff I would love to update & change if $$$$ wasn't a factor. So for now, I'm doing what I can. I would love new appliances...but these are still alive & in VERY good shape since I don't do alot of cooking. Not practical to replace them --- but I could paint the frig for $200. Stoves can't be painted they say.

This is rural New England. It will never be a magazine home. Its a low to medium priced condo for our area & already looks better than most of them here. And I've only got a military salary to work on. Luckily we have no debt & mtg is almost paid off...no vacation for past 2 years...so we are "splurging" a little with the countertop cost. Thats why I don't want to make a mistake.

It seems there is no right answer to light or dark. The poll runs pretty much 50/50. Thanks for everyone input & great info & websites.

 

["Got Disney"]

what I did was purchased same color tile granit as the slab I wants and then brought them into the house to be sure that they looked good.

I ended up with Maple cabinets with Dark granit.....I would go with light granit due to our CAbinets being so dark

Will help give it contrast and balance withoiut looking like it blends to much

 

[mla973]

I voted darker - I love what Patty posted for your kitchen. Based on everything you have said, I think darker is best. Good luck deciding!

 

[Galahad]

We love our Silestone counters! Good choice!

 

[SplshMtn99]

I prefer the darker countertop with lighter cabinets look. Your cabinets have a classic look to them - I think if you repainted them white you could really modernize them.

Have you checked out the finished kitchens blog for inspiration? The before and afters are sure to give you great ideas. Here's the link: http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/

Also the kitchen forums at GardenWeb is really helpful and another great source of before and after pictures. Here's the link: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/

Sandy, that blog website was really MEAN of you to share. I can see this "little" project of mine could possibly be growing larger just from looking at all those beautiful kitchens.

And then there's the rest of the place.......................

 

[Mike.Wazowski]

Sandy, that blog website was really MEAN of you to share. I can see this "little" project of mine could possibly be growing larger just from looking at all those beautiful kitchens.

And then there's the rest of the place.......................

ha ha ha
that is funny because I ALMOST linked you there...
but then decided against it because I KNOW it caused me to second and third quess every decision and caused me more confusion then necessary. I have still yet to upload my pics to the site cuz I am waiting for one window treatment

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'm on that blogspot! I forgot about submitting mine (I'm smbnobles). I actually picked my cabinet paint color from Reno_Fan on there.

My kitchen looks so piddly compared to some of those!

 

[SplshMtn99]

I used to visit the forum a bit when we were planning the new condo, but I wasn't in the price range of alot of those people. Even less now.

Am_I_There_Yet, I remember looking at your kitchen before. I just went thru your album again. I didn't realize you had painted your old cabinets. I love your kitchen. Its a REAL kitchen and REAL size & its beautiful. Not some unrealistic size in some unrealistic gigantic mansion. I'm sending you a PM.

I think my friends & family would think I'm crazy if I even thought of spending the amount I'm even thinking some of those people spent.

 

[Disney Doll]

I Like the Silestone you picked. It is similar in look to the granite I picked, which looks nice with the oak cabinets.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I used to visit the forum a bit when we were planning the new condo, but I wasn't in the price range of alot of those people. Even less now.

Am_I_There_Yet, I remember looking at your kitchen before. I just went thru your album again. I didn't realize you had painted your old cabinets. I love your kitchen. Its a REAL kitchen and REAL size & its beautiful. Not some unrealistic size in some unrealistic gigantic mansion. I'm sending you a PM.

I think my friends & family would think I'm crazy if I even thought of spending the amount I'm even thinking some of those people spent.

I just went through it again too. It brought chills down my spine!