Yes it's a walnut countertop for the island. It's almost like I want you all to "help" me like it because it's installed & done so there is no turning back. How do I post pics? I can take some pics on my iPhone----can I post from my phone?

Walnut counter

Walnut counter

It's lovely!

It's a very nice island top but it doesn't compliment the floor. The island has red tones and the floor more golden brown.

But----does it look strange that the wood flooring & wood island counter are different colors of wood? (I appreciate the nice comment!) I'm just having regrets & wonder if the wood looks out of place.

I agree cottage! What should I do now??? What should I get my contractor to do?

I can help you like it! It's gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!!! What a special kitchen you will have with that expanse of a hunka, hunka, beautiful walnut!

I never thought I'd be so in love with walnut furnishings, but somehow, somewhere, I got it in my head, that that was what I wanted for our DR table, and I never looked back! Added a buffet, floating shelf, and little bitty accent table (all from the same tree!), and then a walnut C&B dresser in our guest bedroom and I am completely on the walnut bandwagon!

If you're nervous about keeping your counter looking nice, during the honeymoon period (!), use placemats. We use them with our DR table. There are some scratches, but nothing terrible, and I know it can always be sanded, buffed, whatever, if need be.

Enjoy it, it truly is a work of art!

::swoon:: Its definitely lighter than my tiny walnut counter, but lovely. We have natural red oak floors and walnut. I wouldn't worry about floors and countertops matching.

In the interest of full disclosure, when the furniture delivery company dropped off all my new custom upholstered pieces, I wept. I thought it looked horrible. Now, with rugs, and art, and throw pillows....I swoon. It's hard to look at anything before the vision is completed. You are over analyzing everything. It's normal. Relax. Let it marinate.

It's beautiful. Soon you'll see that too.

Grlwprls---ok this is making me feel better---I wonder if there is any way to make it darker one it has been installed & sealed?

It's solid wood. It can always be sanded and restained and resealed. However, before you do that, live with it for at least a year. Unless you're extremely OCD you will have bowls, plants, food, placemats, ornaments, etc. all over it. The wood on both your floor and your counter will age/darken change colour over the first year.

IF, in a year's time, the colour difference still bothers you, yes, then you can have the stain changed. Right now, you are a little disappointed, but I agree with breezygirl, use placemats/coasters and try to keep it from getting too banged up looking.

I think it's beautiful! My walnut top is also redder than my site-finished white oak floors. I was trying to find a good pic to show the difference. This isn't the best, but is all I could come up with right now.

Oh, and you do not need to cover it with placemats and coasters to protect it. A good finish should wear well. Again, with what is it finished?

I agree with cottagewithroses and think what's bothering you the most is the red tone in the walnut stain and how it conflicts with the floor stain.

I dealt with this issue once upon a time when a cabinetmaker screwed up our cabinet stain and delivered alder cabinets with medium red tones that conflicted with our medium brown white oak flooring.

While I'm no expert at stains and finishes, I would think that sanding and going natural or staining it darker (a stain with more black/brown) would be very complimentary to your floors.

Here are some pics from houzz.com that you might get inspiration from:

[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Dc Metro Kitchen And Bath SKD STUDIOS

[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by New York Kitchen And Bath Brooks Custom

[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Birmingham General Contractor Structures, Inc.

HTH!

Personally, I think it's beautiful. I think you just need your bar stools, faucet, furniture, etc, and it will look completely different. Or at least I would wait till you do have that stuff before changing. It's like when you paint a room, and it has no furniture in it, and you think, Oh no, how did I choose that colour. But once your furniture is in there, it looks great.

I is lovely. The whole floor/counter not matching thing does not really jump out at me. I think once you finish out the kitchen with rugs, stools and such it will tie in just fine. Is making a quick change really going to buy you anything at this point? If not, I think I'd give it time. Enjoy the beauty of that wood and see if it grows on you. Couldn't it darken a little over time? If in a year it still bugs you at least you can say you got a years use out of it.

I also think it's gorgeous...I think it looks lovely with the floor. I think that when you have an image in your head and then it looks different than what you thought, people tend to get disappointed. But once you live with it for a bit, it will be awesome. This happened to me with my flooring in my laundry room. I wanted the grout to blend in and i got it too light. When i got back home to see it, I was so disappointed that the grout looked so light but you know what? I think it looks awesome now! It just wasn't what was in my head but it's really nice and i don't even notice it.

It looks so good! I am not sure you'd want to be matchy matchy with your wood. I don't really think the floors need to match but I am not a decorator. As for the counter - it really is beautiful!

What finish is on the island? Also did they stain it before finishing? Maybe they put a stain on it you don't like. Make sure it's the natural color.

I think it's beautiful. I'm with the other folks who say it's fine with your floor. Does the walnut tree say to the mighty oak, "Oh no, we don't match"? You're feeling what many of us feel when our kitchens come together. Usually it passes. Unless you discover that the counter people put the wrong color on, live with it for a while. I think your kitchen is looking fantastic.

My first reaction was wow!

But, i do see what you mean about the tones.

I think wood can be very different tones, but when they are close, but not quite, it can sometimes look like a mistake.

It is hard to tell when the room is empty --- is your table yet a third shade of wood? That might actually help.

I am pretty sure they can darken it for you if you are really unhappy, but it is just too soon to tell!

My first reaction was wow!

But, i do see what you mean about the tones.

I think wood can be very different tones, but when they are close, but not quite, it can sometimes look like a mistake.

It is hard to tell when the room is empty --- is your table yet a third shade of wood? That might actually help.

I am pretty sure they can darken it for you if you are really unhappy, but it is just too soon to tell!

It looks absolutely gorgeous. It is wood and can be refinished later if you still hate it. I think it is actually a good thing that they don't match. The wear pattern on the floor and the counter will be completely different and it would be hard to keep them looking alike even if you did get them to match. Slightly different looks much much worse than intentional dark shade.

GUESS WHAT??? My husband called our contractor & he is getting the fabricator to stain it darker & distress it slightly the way I envisioned it. I will post pics when it is done. I truly think I will love it then!!!

Just want to say thank you for the helpful & nice comments--VERY nice because I was stressing!!!! Ha

I'm so glad- I was about to be the odd man out and say that I prefer a more distressed look too. I think it will be much prettier in a darker color and that you will be happier with your new kitchen. It looked fine the way it was, but it wasn't what you wanted!
Renee

Thanks Renee & you know it is ALL about what you are imagining it to be! It is just such a huge part of my kitchen that I don't want to regret it---

I think it looks great, but happy for you getting it the way you want it.

Just give yourself some time to get used to it. I know that when my cabinets were first installed I was stressed that the white was too white. Also, the red oak natural floors looked too pink to me. It took me a month to realize that everything is fine and the individual things don't stand out anymore.

I am swooning over your walnut island. I wanted one but that was one battle with DH that I didn't win.

Off topic---my friend came over and was saying she loved my 'white' kitchen. My cabinets are off white & then the walnut counters are dark so I don't view it as a white kitchen but maybe I'm wrong?

Kate -- it's beautiful! I like the photo of it now; I'm sure it will be beautiful distressed too. Better it than you! :)

Kate-I believe you made the right decision. Walnut and wenge, unlike most woods, will lighten with age, especially if exposed to sunlight and will become more orange/copper. UV protection will slow down the process, but not stop it all together.

Yes, you have a white kitchen.

The cabs aren't 'off white' enough not to read as white to most. It looks white to me also, especially with the reinforcement of the white subways. Is that a bad thing?

post a picture--would love to see the "new" version!

I'm already distressed.

Anyway, that overhang is fairly significant. Do you have something underneath to support it?

Yes, I'm a little worried about overhang. As soon as it is stained darker & distressed I will post pics

The first thing I thought was that the overhang looked too big. Like it'll crack off if someone leans on it. End brackets, maybe. That'll look better to see it supported 'visually'. Your counter is pretty the way it is but I hope you like it better the way it will be!

The walnut is beautiful. I would definitely call your kitchen white. It's very pretty!

Good! I think your changes will make the island look much better with the floor. Can we see another picture of your light over the table?

Yay Kate! It is a good thing to satisfy that minds eye.

I will add though that for me - I like floors enough but I always think of wanting the eye to wander up to a higher level so I'd much rather have the floors nice and all but have the wow factor be the counter or something at that mid line level as it will be more prominent in your sight line? Of course they all need to meld together to bring a nice cohesive and soothing space. I could be way off on that but those are my thoughts anyhow.

Can't wait to see the distressed walnut!

I think your kitchen is beautiful and the cabinets read white to me. Your top is beautiful but the person you need to please is you. I just went through a similar dilemma the other day. I am going to have a walnut top and my hardwoods are red oak. When they put down the stain samples I was so unsure. I like the look of a darker floor but I worried that if the undertones were different red (red versus brown) it might look as if I tried to match them and missed. I finally decided to go with natural stain. It looks a little pink right now but the flooring guy said the urethane will yellow and the color will change. I personally decided to go light on the floors because the natural stain seemed more " neutral", something you would just overlook.

I hope that your new distressed and darkened top makes you very happy. Post pictures when it is done!

p.ball2, by "natural stain" do you mean no stain, just the urethane? My red oak floors were installed in 2007, unstained, with three coats of an oil-based sealer. The pink went away before I knew it. They are definitely a warm gold now. I didn't like that color on my old cabinets, but I love it on my floor.

No sorry if I was unclear. We did natural stain and then urethane coats over the top. When I said neutral I meant the color being more of a background color and not a main or striking feature.

No sorry if I was unclear. We did natural stain and then urethane coats over the top. When I said neutral I meant the color being more of a background color and not a main or striking feature.

Thanks Linelle. We have heart pine floors in the house but oak stairs. The oak and pine mix never bothered me. We decided to do oak in the kitchen since the room is not open to other rooms and while the pine is gorgeous they are soft and scratch easily. It is good to know that the color will mellow and look more golden like my stairs.