What's Inside Design Ltd. Hi mbts,
The last slab you just posted would be my vote! (River White)
There are many things to consider when trying to achieve a certain feel for your space.
(i.e.: beachy and peaceful)
When I saw your first two choices I cringed a bit. Those are very "active" slabs. The broken up movement of those slabs would not help you achieve a peaceful feeling.
As for your latest pic, Yes, yes, yes!!! :) That slab to me defines the word....peaceful!!!
The long lines of this slab have a beautiful rhythm to them, and no, they will not look "boring" at all!!!
Good luck with your choices and have fun with the process!!!
Caroline

mbts We are going to tile our floors...does anyone have thoughts on what tiles might work with River White? Have considered NuTravertine in Silver or Walnut...but perhaps it's too busy/wavy..like the idea of porcelain with a natural look to it but don't want it to be dizying. Also going to look at Imola Brown Travertine. But I'm seeing more grey in the river white and not sure what floor would go with that.

Deirdre Fahy Design Associates River White is green white with occasional burgundy and it much more uniform (linear vein) rather than a cross-cut vein of Alaska White or Blue Ice. Is it too boring? No but you need to decide your comfort level with the quartz deposits of the other two--you should love your slabs before they are cut. You should also ask to see all of them--especially if you are using more than one--either at the stone yard or at the fabricator yard before they are cut. Some slabs are busier than others. You may want the one with more detail for the island or not.
The layout of the stone matters--always try to follow the grain of the stone as much as possible.

For the floor--I love travertine for a kitchen floor but this takes more maintenance than a porcelain look-alike. Larger format tiles (16" or larger ) are typical. Tumbled tiles have a wider grout line and will take more maintenance.

My comment of "skip the Caesarstone" is only based on trying to limit the number of different materials in 1 room--not a comment on the material. If your cabinets are modern the Caesarstone may make sense. But it works less well with a more traditional kitchen. Hope this helps. Deirdre

mara117 Whew, we finally got some projects done this weekend! We made our windowseats, I love the fabric. Thanks everyone for helping us pick it out! After we made them, I remember that Kathryn had suggested keeping the corners square--I think we should have done that, but overall we're happy with how it turned out.

We also did a little Ikea hacking and glued a Lack tabletop to the bottom of another Lack side table to make a cube table like one we had liked at West Elm (this one only cost us $16, though). I am hoping to find a nice aqua lamp to put on it.

Our windowseats definitely are crying out for some throw pillows to finish it off, but we want to stencil that area first. Does anyone have any suggestions on what color or pattern might look nice on those inset walls by the windowseats?

mara117 We decided we needed a console in our empty entryway so we built one this weekend! Trying to make good use of all of those new tools :) Still need to stain it dark like the coffee table and get some baskets for the shelf--we want it to look like this: http://ana-white.com/2010/01/plans-easiest-rustic-modern-console.html

mara117 Woo hoo, our console table project is done! Now we just need to find some fun accent pieces to style it with. Sorry for the poor quality photos--I took them at night with my phone, so the light is not great.

What's Inside Design Ltd. WOWZERS!!! Great job....it's beautiful!!!

Bay Area Design of the Berkshires I will look for some of the interior photos.

Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design One of my favorite B & A's!

What's Inside Design Ltd. Hi there,
Sounds like you want something lighter than your current colour and in the green tones. I recommend Alexandria Beige by Benjamin Moore. (Don't be fooled by the name... its not really beige). It's a beautiful toned green that's medium in value. It will look amazing with both your drapes and art.
Good luck and have fun!
Caroline

momof5x This colour is nice:

tabetha5 I also agree something in the grey family!

What's Inside Design Ltd. Good mornign Helen,
A dark paint can give the feeling of a higher ceiling! (I know, it goes against our common sense...but it's true!) I've attached a picture that is a great example of this effect! The ceiling feels endless....like a night sky.

What's Inside Design Ltd. Here's the same effect in a bedroom:

bumblebee728 I'm not sure if you're already settled with furniture for your son's room, but tall, narrow pieces will add vertical lines and give him more floor space.
Also, a cool color on the walls, but not bright. A warm or bright color will advance, cool will recede.

What's Inside Design Ltd. Yes, for example using a navy blue on the ceiling would create a "black hole" effect. The ceiling then looks much higher and further away!

Natalie Hi---upper cabs creamy white and perhaps espresso for the bottom cabs. Remove the 4" return on the counter/splash area and add a neutral glass backsplash. Blue pendant light... Good Luck! [houzz=utensil rack][houzz=LBL Miyu Steel Blue and Satin Nickel 10" Wide Pendant Light][houzz=Second sink location]

What's Inside Design Ltd. Good morning,

You have a great start here, and I agree with many of the comments above!
I would suggest:
1) Adding pattern in additional throw pillows
2) I would remove the white chair from the room
3) Bring your personality into the room with the artwork you choose. (Be bold) :)

Please post after pictures! :)
Caroline

What's Inside Design Ltd. Here's a quick visual I put together for you. (Insert your own personality!) :)

decoenthusiaste You need art over the FP since the mirror is reflecting just walls and ceiling. If the view out the back is nice,you might hang vertically between the windows with a nice chestjust 6" below it.. Loosen the drapery and let if fall freely to the floor. Extend the rods so the panels just cover the window frames. Reverse the large and small sofas, pulling them away from walls and onto the rug, which might need to be turned, or replaced, to be adequate for all the front feet to sit on. Pull the chair into the grouping for a "U" in front of the FP. Add a coffee table and two end tables

pcookie Love the plans that are in the works and you're off to a great start already. The color I would suggest is a Sherwin Williams paint color called Loggia. It is a taupe-y gray, but warm and accessible. Very versatile. This layout very is similar to my own. I have a sofa table behind the sofa btw two windows, with a table lamp anchoring one end and a cluster of tall candles on the opposite end with a round decorative mirror between the windows. Good luck!

What's Inside Design Ltd. Both tables will work beautifully, you just have to be aware of the look and feel you are trying to achieve!

Light table considerations:
-Will make your space feel bigger and brighter (You can still achieve contrast through dark accessories)
-Will feel more casual

Dark table considerations:
-Will make the space look smaller (As a result of both dark colour and contrast to the rest of the space)
-Feels more dramatic and slightly more formal

If you send me a link to where the tables are from, I could digitally add them to your space and help you better visualize your options.

I hope this helps!
Caroline :)

What's Inside Design Ltd. If you're considering visual weights, I would say yes. One side of your kitchen would feel very heavy, where as the other side would feel quite light in comparison.

What's Inside Design Ltd. Hi KC,
I'm sorry, I was unable to "borrow" those photos for you.
What I can tell you is that if you're looking for an open and spacious feel, the rule of thumb is to keep all things in a similar value (lightness or darkness). Especially larger items like furnishings! The less contrast, the less visual interruption and therefore a larger feeling space.
Based on what you just told me, I would recommend the lighter table.
Good luck, have fun and please post after pictures!
Caroline :)

Schroeder Design Group, NCIDQ, Licensed What ever you do, think in terms of a bit of contrast so everything is not the same value. And if you go with a light table think about the colors you have in the floor. Try to bring a sample of the table finish home and see if it pulls out any of the colors in the wood tones on the floor so you know you have a nice complement to what you already installed, not something completely different. Also a large oblong, low handmade/hammered bowl or platter on the table would help pull in the bronze cabinet hardware.

What's Inside Design Ltd. Hi KC,
As I mentioned above both tables will work beautifully! :) They both contain the same underlying hues of your flooring - yellow and orange. You did an excellent job of narrowing things down to two very plausible options!
However, I heard your express that your ultimate goal is: "to achieve a light, open kitchen".
Unfortunately, (as beautiful as it is) the dark table will not help you achieve a spacious feeling.
I found an article for you to review that supports this advice.
http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/small/make-a-small-kitchen-look-larger/#pag
Caroline :)
(page 2 "Use a low contrast color scheme" is what I'm referring to)