HI --- I think you have a little buyers remorse -- I did it myself. This is very common , your second guessing yourself. There is always a bit of disappointment before and after it's done . When I did kitchens , it happened almost everytime with clients. Don't make judgements before it's done. I don't think the granite is taking away from the cabinets at all. Keep going it will look beautiful when it is done and you have all your decor items in place and you have lived with it for awhile. You will see .... I love the counter tops.

Hello:
I think the granite looks lovely also. I also think once your lighting is turned on which isn't shown in the photo, it will make a big difference. I really like the room.

The granite is fine and so is the backsplash, the main problem you have is where the crown hits the ceiling, you might consider painting the ceiling to contrast the crown "or" change out the crown to a contrasting color that would match or blend with the floor. I also do not see any light valances under the uppers, you could repeat this color there in a light valance. I just see too much which on white that needs to be softened or blended.

Re: painting the ceiling. I wouldn't go sandy on the ceiling. I prefer a light silvery blue to give a sky effect. It's subtle and very pretty.

i think it's gorgeous, but it definately needs your personal touch for texture and color. i would personally paint the ceiling in contrast to the cabinets as well- don't be afraid to go bold.

Looks great, is that Fusion granite on the counters?

Yes it is fusion granite and thank for the kind comments :-)

I think the kitchen looks beautiful. I also like the layout with plenty of space around each appliance. The only thing I would say, and this might be just the photo, is that it looks a bit cold. I agree with some that painting the ceiling a warmer color will balance the space. And if you have any wall space, some colorful artwork will bring it together. Good luck. You'll love living in this space!

I did the exact same thing and, I too, was very disappointed. I ended up buying an iron scrolled piece and hung it over the range (and under the hood). It broke up all the granite and now I'm fine with it. With a few other accessories and a little greenery your back-splash will fade into the background. It looks really beautiful, but I can feel your pain.

You're kitchen is BEAUTIFUL! This is going to sound weird, but if you have a tall mirror somewhere that can be carried - Look at your kitchen in the mirror. You'll get a different perspective. I would definitey add some colors - white, black, green, red, blue, yellow....whichever is YOUR favorite. But keep it a solid. Not necessarily bold. I can see soft colors working very complimentary to the granite. You did GOOD!

I personally think that the granite doesn't take away the beauty of the white cabinets. It seems to help them stand out more. This is a beautiful space, it just needs some color added to it. Even if you can't change what you just installed, add the pop of color elsewhere in the accessories and artwork! Good luck :)

Mahalo Nui Loa for the kind words!

Since we both like fusion I need your help,if you don't mind, I am using fusion in my master bathroom and mixing it with Creme Marfel, for the tub and the vanity I know what to do but in the shower I am stuck how to use both of these stones together, your input is appreciated

I think the pendants are at just the right height, and the size of them also works well. Those pendants with the rods tend to come with 3-4 different lengths of rods, so lowering them or raising them just a couple of inches is sometimes tricky to do. I think at that height, they don't interfere with your sightline when standing at the island, so stick with them as is.
Don't spend too much time second guessing yourself, you will drive yourself batty!
I think you have a gorgeous kitchen that has a nice warmth to it, and truly, the lack of accessories is what is likely causing your anxiety, not necessarily the granite. It's not a finished kitchen yet!
For your window treatment, I would suggest a roman shade, mounted as high as possible above the window, so the window looks bigger, and you get a bigger oomph of fabric (that's my new favorite design phrase....oomph)
I'd go with a fabric with some grey in it, perhaps a stripe, something on the sumptuous side, as that will work well with the traditional feeling of your kitchen.
For the barstools, you may want to consider something with an upholstered seat, and preferably an upholstered back, so you can bring in more fabric....greys and creams, perhaps in a classic damask pattern?
I would not add any dark banding at the toe kick or under the upper cabinets, as I think it would add a stripe and cut the room in half, or would make the lower cabinets look like they are floating, which takes away from the traditional feeling. Same with the crown, I'd keep it exactly as is.
I do agree with Amy and Cynthia's idea to paint the ceiling. A super soft barely there blue or soft grey would be awesome. It will add a teensy bit of depth, without screaming for the attention (think super pale, paler than a robin's egg kind of blue)
Please repost when you are "done" as I am sure you will eventually see the beauty you have created!
Well done!

Mahalo Nui Loa for your kind words, ideas and inspiration - I will certainly post it when it is finished. Great tips and I will take it to heart :-)

Your kitchen is stunning! All you really need is a few accessories, ie. greenery, lemons/ limes in a vase, a few Pellegrino water bottles on counter and you're set. Stools will add a lot too.

IMHO the kick plate under the cabinets would look best if it matched the colour of the cabinets.

Good luck and post more photos after.

Your kitchen is stunning! All you really need is a few accessories, ie. greenery, lemons/ limes in a vase, a few Pellegrino water bottles on counter and you're set. Stools will add a lot too.

IMHO the kick plate under the cabinets would look best if it matched the colour of the cabinets.

Good luck and post more photos after.

Mahalo Nui Loa for your kind words - I will post more when the project moves forward :-)

Mahalo Nui Loa for your kind words - I will post more when the project moves forward :-)

Beautiful kitchen. You simply have a color imbalance which is very easy to fix. You have both the granite and floor competing for attention. One must dominate and they are fairly equally proportioned at the moment. Easiest fix is a rug. I always talk about Oriental rugs in kitchen for both modern and traditional interiors. I can't tell the actual colors in your granite but the rug I'm posting will give you a sample of how to pull your granite colors down below eye level to soften the floor. Bar stools are another subject, but just finding a runner for your kitchen with some pattern and heft will make all the differene in the world. Never mind the actual colors, as it is the overall effect I'm trying to put across.

I love this Oriental rug and there are alot of these colors in the granite. Where do I find these? Thanks for your idea, love it...

Oh - I LOVE fusion - don't regret that! In years to come, a million people can have white / cream-painted cabinets and hardly anyone will have FUSION in a kitchen! I am using a large remnant of a green fusion as the shower wall in my master bath and only wish I could use it in my kitchen!

I think all the comments above about lighting are very key. Fusion has so much iridescence and beautiful color. Even if the lights were on in the photo you posted, it would show more of that, but the under cabinet lighting and additional attention to that is very important to *lighting* fusion so it shows how beautiful it is!

I also agree that window treatments and an area rug will help. For the window treatment by the sink, be sure to hang it HIGH. Maybe 2 - 3" from the ceiling (and decorative molding, if there is molding - hard to see.) Most people make the mistake of hanging it 2 - 3" above the actual window. You should go up to elevate the area and bring your eye up, then just make sure the valence or shade is long enough to cover the section that is solid wall.

And, as folks have said, you have no "life" in the kitchen yet. That beautiful stone will get covered as you go along with small appliances, etc. And, in general, the white is fairly stark against the cream overall effect of the fusion but that will soften with time.

It's beautiful - I wish I was living in that kitchen! :)

milimoana, you simply shop for Oriental rug runners, on line or locally. The great thing about an Oriental is it doesn't show dirt, grime, or spills. Easy to wipe up and very forgiving. I have a dog who thinks the kitchen (with an Oriental) is his back yard. The trick is to do a reverse background (color) as opposed to the creamy/beige background.

Now, on your barstools (and this is a concept only), you pull your dark (black) flooring up to eye level and reintegrate the warm tones of your granite by using something warm that has texture, to integrate countertop, rug and floor.

Now for your window, you can do a woven grass roman shade, or somethin akin to it. You can either do something that integrates with the tones in your granite or you can go full tilt on drama and do this. The object with this is to reweave into the scheme your textures you have already established, and to align with existing colors with texture. This would be brave, and it also will now bring the floor back to eye level and above. So you will have completed a full circle of color and texture.

Now your ceiling. If you do the natural wovens, you can leave your ceiling white. If you decide to do drama with black (actually something softer like ebony, etc.), you choose the lightest version of your granite and depending on the amount of pigment, you will most likely want to lighten it. The reason for this is to now decrease the contrast between the white and black and find a light to mid point for your ceiling, taking your warm colors now above eye level, which will also be referenced in your rug. So you will have completed another circle.

Some have mentioned your kick plate, which you need to match closely as possible with your floors in the closest possible patina. Also, it has been mentioned you need to raise your pendant lights.

Finally, if you have a wall that gives you opportunity for a piece of art, then do so, and make sure it is "real" art. Be certain you break outside your pre-set colors and move into other color directions, while still capturing a few colors you have already established in your kitchen. In other words, give it your best shot for color and drama.

I think that if you painted some parts of the cabinetry with a color that matches the granite countertops, you would blend the two blocks of color together more. For example, I would paint the crown moulding over all of the cabinets and the two "pillars" on the island a beige color that would match the granite. If you didn't like the effect, you could always repaint it white again, no harm done!

Mahalo Nui Loa for the great tips - I like the bar stool and the window treatment shown - I think it would work rather well in my kitchen. I so much appreciate the great feedback!

Love all your ideas Karen, except IMHO the kick plate will have a more cohesive look done in the same colour as the cabinets. The kick plate is more a part of the cabinets as opposed to the floor. The oriental rug would look super!

I understand what you are saying Zen, and she can certainly do that. It's just with a kick plate, they actually get "kicked" continuously and then you end up with all these black marks. The reason for the identical patina from the floor, is to disguise the fact that you are onto a different medium. With the kick plate being the same as the floor, it will actually disappear. This wouldn't happen with any other type of floor except black.

Your kitchen is beautiful-- elegant and tasteful. I did a recent kitchen remodel and have regrets about the size and shape of the island. It's gorgeous, but impractical (two levels) and too big. I just stopped beating myself up over it and focus on what's great about my kitchen. You will get to that place soon.

I think you just need to pull the color(s) of the granite into the kitchen more. Black cabinet accents (like above the cooktop) and other key areas (the island?) would help weight the kitchen and give it some definition. The white just disappears, leaving the granite and the floor as visual anchors. Some black on the island cabinetry and above the cooktop is where I would start. I would not want to clutter the kitchen with many accessories, so paint in strategic areas should help. An alternative, is to paint the cabinets a creamier off white with some black accents. I think the white is just too much.
Good luck.

Hi millimoana, I think your kitchen is great and enjoyed reading all the comments.I agree that a woven wood roman blind would look great. It will add a touch of a deeper, natural color and texture up higher that would balance the deeper color of the stone. I would do standard white toe kicks and put some classic white ceramic cannisters on the counter to break up the darker tone of the splash. I think iron stools with backs in a woven wicker would look great and wouldn't start painting the ceiling until you have it finished, as it seems that you will have that beautiful fresh white it sounds like you were striving for.

Mahalo for your comment Toni - I am receiving very good ideas from my fellow houzzers and really appreciate it. I will post a photo when completed and reveal what tips I have used from all of you. I am always open for more great suggestions so please keep them coming! Thanks...

Don't be so hard on yourself.

Thanks for the thoughtful words of wisdom- in all the comments received thus far it's refreshing when someone comes out of left field with a gentle reminder that having a sense of calm, happy satisfaction and enjoyment as the ultimate goal for the intended space is what really matters. Great reminder in so few words! Mahalo Nui Loa..

Beautiful space. Like that you did some glass cabinets and others solid.. breaks it up. Agree with the comment re silvery blue on ceiling- if it goes with the rest of your palette. Will you be doing under counter lighting? Re barstools, I pictured something with wrought iron to play off the darkness of the floor - whic btw is beautiful.. Few people are brvae enough to do a dark color on the floor like that. Its bold and elegant. Llike the granite - you want a contrast between the countertop and the cabinets so you can appreciate each - otherwise it blends too much, but...if you truly feel its too much granite, whats your thoughts on a creamy vanilla subway tile for the backsplash? Theres so much pattern going on with the granite that if you did chose to do something else re the backsplach I would keep it simple so it doesnt compete. I cant tell what the rest of the house style is and not sure what feel you are going for, but personally, I like what you have going on thus far. Congrats to you on your rehab, no matter which direction you chose to go...

What color is the granite. I love it!

I think your kitchen is calling for a couple of leafy green plants!

It's beautiful however, I agree that the dark granite takes away from the white cabinets. I would have the bottom cabinets painted a darker color to 'anchor' them. The other suggestions above are also helpful! Overall, it looks lovely!

Thank you for the comment - I think that's a great idea to anchor the look of the dark granite - didn't think I picked that dark of a granite and it would have been fine if it wasn't on the back splash but just on the counter. My idea was to have the kitchen light and bright especially with the dark wood floors. It's almost complete now...thanks again.

Great Thread. The kitchen is beautiful. I agree with Shannon. Install an inexpensive White subway tile on the backsplash and you will have the look you are seeking. The backsplash is the least expensive part of a remodel and gives the best pop. Good Luck

Great Thread. The kitchen is beautiful. I agree with Shannon. Install an inexpensive White subway tile on the backsplash and you will have the look you are seeking. The backsplash is the least expensive part of a remodel and gives the best pop. Good Luck

nice kitchen, really.
I think you may consider adding light trim under wall cabinet...

Ahoha, Everything is gorgeous. Really very well done. Stunning taste. I hope my kitchen project comes out as well.

Aloha Nui Loa and thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I will submit the latest photo on this kitchen remodel shortly and please feel free to offer me any future advice - I welcome and appreciate all my fellow houzzers! So many great inspirations from Houzz - love it!

Aloha Nui Loa and thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I will submit the latest photo on this kitchen remodel shortly and please feel free to offer me any future advice - I welcome and appreciate all my fellow houzzers! So many great inspirations from Houzz - love it!

A perfect kitchen ! What are u cooking ? Keep it healthy !