Hi, Lydia,

I've seen her work referenced in a blog before, and her cabinets aren't just stained and painted, right? They're glazed and given those special "treatments" that she's famous for that makes this look "work." (I apologize if I'm stating the obvious to you already.) But if you were to go with just white lowers, your kitchen may look too visually divisive if the uppers and the floors were darker.

Lydia, I have seen many photos of the two tone kitchen with stained and painted cabs, but usually the stained is on the bottom and the light painted cabs on top. I think the reason is probably two fold; the darker stained wood grounds the kitchen instead of looking top heavy. The second reason is functional. Darker stained wood hides wear and tear and dirt better than white. The base cabinets seem to be the ones that take the knocks and dings more, so you don't have to worry about paint chipping and you can touch them up with a stain pen or tinted wax.

I really like the two toned wood and painted cabinet mix, I just usually see it with the white cabs on top. I also think your marble look counter would have more contrast against wood lower cabs. If none of the issues I mentioned is a concern for you, then I say go for it.

I've got the same 90's oak cabinets as you and I contemplate doing the two-toned only the dark on the bottom and light on top. I've tried small projects using General Finished Java gel stain on a bench (which I'd use on the bottom) and using Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation Pure White w/ glaze on a small table (which I would do on the top). Both of the small projects were relatively easy and turned out well. But doing an entire kitchen is a whole different story.

Houzz has a lot of two-toned cabinets in various color combinations to view.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.houzz.com/two-toned-kitchen-cabinets

There is one on page 8 of the link that Hilltop posted.

I wasn't planning on doing all the glazes and whatever, although I may do some light distressing. Just gathering up pictures right now to help me decide.

I've even been considering using the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and doing it myself. I could always start with the lower cabinets and see how I like the look... if I hate it I can go ahead and paint the upper ones too.

Thanks for the input!!

Lydia, I first need to ask where you are in TX since I saw you had gone to Round Top~don't you love it! I'm 20 minutes from Austin, and about 55 from RT. I go to the twice yearly event, and am already looking forward to the fall show. Have you ever been to Rachell Ashwell's Bed and Breakfast there?

Anyway, i've never actually seen that done IRL, only 'on the net'. I have two-tone cabs though, with the ivory glazed being on the interior cabs, and the dark stained on the perimeter, outside wall. It's a nice break, since I thought all ivory glazed would have been too much and all dark would have been too dark~I have dark hand scraped floors.

If your kitchen can be separated(perimeter/interior cabs)or even with an island or peninsula, that makes it easier since you can paint/stain the different areas and it will look cohesive.

I also need to add I painted my cabinets in my home in Ca, and really wasn't happy with the outcome, but it could have been the paint. There's one specifically for cabinets called Cabinet Coat, and if you do decide to paint might think about it~go to the paint forum to find out more. For the stained ones I would recommend a Gel Stain~great coverage and fairly easy, well easier than the painting.

Hi Patty Cakes.... wrong Lydia. :) I am in Missouri, never lived in Texas.

I have thought about the Cabinet Coat.. and the Gel Stain too. I was leaning towards paying to have it done.. but now that I'm seeing pricing I'm not sure.

Please do your homework before tackling gel stain on oak. I have had oak trim reject stain. Its a very hard tight grained wood.

This would definitely need to be done in the right venue and well done with all the right elements in place. This is not something for an amateur who cannot redo it professionally if it fails.