If I were you, I would put a muted black granite on the perimeter counters (Cambrian Black Antique), keep the maple and cream cabinets, and put in a distressed black island with a complementing granite (Crema Boudreaux).

Of course, I could be biased because, except for the creme uppers, that it what we did.

Have fun deciding!

LOL, yes it IS a designer look. Do a search here for mixing cabinet finishes and you will find that some of those spending the most on their kitchens are doing this. The problem though is that you don't like it. If they are the same type of wood, could you have them refinished in a matching stain? Or you could look for a granite that incorporates both colors and it might look more like it "goes together" to you.

Sue

Don't put money in granite unless you're planning on keeping those cabinets. Changing them out later after the granite goes on is a headache and the granite might not survive it. And, unless you are planning on a simple DIY type of refacing, professional refacing of cabinets costs as much as new ones---sometimes more.

Also, one reason your kitchen may not have an island is there might not actually be room for one with your current layout. You need 36" minimum of aisle space around one, and more is recommended if it's a major traffic passageway or you have seating. That means with cabinets on two adjacent walls, your room needs to measure at least 150" to be able to fit a simple one cabinet width island with minimal clearances and no seating.

LIve with what you've got for a while until you've figured out what you want to do. You might even grow to appreciate the style. But, you'll definately have a better handle on the functionality issues---which are more important.

Live Wire gives some good advice, especially since your issues appear to be primarily with cosmetic issues. We knew we wanted to replace the counters and appliances when we bought our current home. Looking at the kitchen, it seemed to have a pretty good work triangle -- better than the average builder kitchen. For a variety of reasons, we didn't get to the updating as quickly as we'd planned. In the meantime, we realized there were a couple of functional issues with the kitchen. We wound up gutting the place. Cost us new cabinets, but we got a better working kitchen with extras I didn't expect to ever get in my kitchen -- especially the 2nd DW and fridge drawers in a coffee/breakfast hutch. And do make sure you have room for the island.

Photos would help. I'm not clear if you don't like the cream finish, don't like the fact that the finishes are mixed or don't like how they mixed them. If it's the cream, you could look at doing those cabinets in another color -- repeating that color in the island or doing a third finish there. If you don't like the way they mixed them, look at ideas like removing doors, adding glass to the doors, making the island or some other details in the kitchen cream so that the partial cream uppers make more sense. Look at whether the upper cabinets might be rearranged or replaced with open shelving. Get creative.

You might also look at being able to order matching doors or getting them made for you.

Thanks for suggestions...I am trying to put photos up to show you , but I don't know how to get the photos up? anybody willing to help ? thanks

living with a kitchen for a while is very good advice. don't rush into it. i understand the compulsion to make everything just perfect right when you're moving it, but you'll come to know what to do after living in the space awhile.

i'd wait 6-12 months and save money in the meantime. if you really want to do perimeter granite now, don't worry about matching it to your island, just use a contrasting/complimentary stone. lots of people are doing two countertop surfaces now.

Here you go:

Here is a link that might be useful: How to insert pictures in posts

Because you're thinking about possibly replacing the upper cabs in the future, I don't see a problem with going ahead and getting new countertops now.

And you mentioned wanting an island--perhaps some of the cream painted uppers could be used for the island? Either intact or salvaged for parts. Paint them another color if you don't like the color. I don't care for the 'designer' look of mixing up the finishes on wall & base cabs, generally, but I do rather like the look of an island in a different color/ finish.

Another way to go would be to postpone getting granite and use the current budget for cabinetry. That way, everything would be done except for the countertops. Home Depot, for instance, has prefabricated slabs of laminate countertops that are very affordable and would let you pull together a look to hold you over until the budget allows for upgrading to granite.

Pending pix--So far as matching new upper cabs to the existing base cabs, so long as the differences are subtle re color/ style, I think you'll be satisfied with the result (esp. weighed vs the cream cabs you have) and ought to be able to get close enough that most people wouldn't even notice.

ok... I think i can get a photo on...it is a bit dark and i couldn't brighten it up for some reason... just keep in mind the tops are light cream and the bottoms are a medium toned toffee colored maple and as you can see, only SOME of the tops are different...the countertop is not granite although some people mistake it to be...it is actually laminate...very nice laminate, but i still want granite.... what do you think i should do about my cabinet/granite dilema stated in my question?? I can't afford a custom made cabinet maker...i like (not love)the bottoms... do you think the color of the top cabinets could be changed? if so, how....should i live with it?....i plan on putting in a baltic brown granite, but thats not set in stone either...i like the darker granites.... ok, here goes...hope the photo comes out and hope it is resized properly:

Ohh I agree--bad mix! I personally love the cabinet style and stain color (in the picture at least!) but that block of cream cabs just doesn't seem to go.

I don't like the combination either. Unlike many of the kitchens here that mix finishes, that one seems to be done just so randomly. Are those the only uppers done this way? If so, I'd go for open shelving in that corner. If you do add an island, you might not miss the enclosed storage of those cabinets.

Another option...

If you could match the finish and find a similar replacement cabinet that had a glass front, the difference in style would be less noticeable.

I bet you those are manufactured cabinets. So, if the builder told you the cabinet company went out of business...maybe he meant the DEALER, not the manufacturer. They kind of remind me of KraftMaid Cherry "Autumn Blush" with a mix of their "pearl" finish on Maple...a whitewashed color...not really cream..but more pinkish. So, don't give up on getting more cherry ones to match. Is there any markings on the drawer boxes? Can you ask your builder what the manufacturer was?

Beautiful kitchen...but I agree, the whitewashed cabinets don't look so good.

Kompy

You have a great kitchen, with nice appliances and cabinets. I agree you should try to match your existing dark cabinets- I'm sure you could find someone that could get the job done. I love the idea of glass doors!

No offense to anyone that has baltic brown, but it is absolutely my least favorite granite. Maybe because it is one of the standard granites I've seen offered at stores where they only have 6 to chose from. With your high end appliances you should go pick out a beautiful slab to complete your kitchen. I think sometimes people think purchasing granite through the big box stores is cheaper than hiring a fabricator and choosing your own slab, but that is not always true-- Lowe's and Home Depot use fabricators just like you would *and* they are making money off of your order.

Here's the other side....as you can see, a significant number of doors are cream and the ones above and left of the stovetop are like the bottoms in the other photo in the other post ....

BTW... there are no identifications on any of the doors or drawers....the builder went out of business too...i asked around to other people in the developement and they feel that i won't be able to directly contact the builder or the ones who installed the cabinetry....i feel that i'm out of luck and may have to live with it....i think the glass idea is good, but it probably wouldn't work for my lifestyle...i don't think i could keep it neat enough in there.

Maybe paint them? Either paint them to be very similar to the cherry if you can find someone who specializes in faux painting, or dark gold glazed or burnt sienna or even dark coffee.

Frosted glass! Or seed glass or something you can't see through...

Bmore's idea works nicely, especially if you do add an island. It could be painted the same. Paint AND glass if you want to be subtle about the paint.

Or paint them a color you love (dark like black or forest green or light like soft yellow or a nice white) but paint the stained uppers as well.

You don't necessarily have to match the cabinets exactly. Get something that complements the bottom cabinets.

Years ago I bought a Danish teak table and four chairs. Years later I wanted to get 2 more chairs. The place I bought them from was out of business so I went to another Danish furniture store with one of the chairs. The woman there knew the exact make and model of my chair but told me they didn't make them any more. Instead of trying to sell me 6 new chairs, she encouraged me to get 2 very different but complementary chairs to use at the ends of the table - I did that and I'm very happy with the result.

Are you open to repainting all the uppers and create an island to match? If you go darker, you could replace just some of the upper doors with opaque, seeded, or any kind of cool glass insert with some lighting to brighten up the kitchen. Another option would be to select a color ( for the upper cabs) similar to the wall color so it blends in thereby lessening the visual contrast.

thanks... i love some of your ideas....i have some comments : 1)the similar style/same color with not too see thru glass is a good idea....2) to remodelqueen: thanks for suggestion me looking for a possible other granite..any suggestions?..3)not that i plan on moving anytime soon, but I don't want anything I do or don't do to seriously impact a sale of the house..if i do the island in cream to kind of tie in everything, the mix of finishes could be passe and out of "style" by then...ALSO, i have some questions: 1)i also want to find out more about restaining the uppers to look the same as the others (you mean restaining, not repainting, right?)... can this be done? how does it usually come out? where do i get this done? is it expensive?....2) to nightowlrn: could you email photo of yours? sounds nice 3) any other suggestion for a granite that would tie in the two colors (not too light)...thanks again

There is such a thing as custom mixed stains. I am not sure where you get them or if some paint sources that do computer matching can do that also, but I know my kitchen installer metioned it. Because he will occasionally install something that is unfinished that needs to match premade cabinets I recall him mentioning have used a custom mixed stain to match the cabinets. You might inquire if anyone local like a custom cabinet maker or professional painter can refinish them for you and closely match the current cherry cabinets. Wood varies somewhat so it might not have to be exact, just very close. You could ask them to mix a stain for you as closely as they can and try it on a test area, like removing a cabinet and trying it on the back or bottom or top if it is unstained. Or insert glass or seeded glass into just one cabinet that you could light, and use the cut out pieces for testing stains on. I think it is going to be a "see what you can come up with" type deal if you don't want do major cabinet replacement.

I think people who mention repainting really are talking about repainting, but in a color that will be less of a jarring contrast to the cherry and that you might not find as objecitonable, like black or dark green or something. They still wouldn't "match" but they wouldn't jump out at you as much, either.

Sue

I'm not familiar with all of the granite names, but I have seen some beautiful counters on some of the kitchens in the Finished Kitchens Blog- you should browse through the kitchens with granite and see if anything jumps out at you. There are so many options. I know you want to go with a darker granite, maybe something with some really nice movement? Or something like Verde Butterfly? It really doesn't hurt to weigh your options, especially when you are going to spend a good chunk of change!!!!

Carol9999--Your cab style looks very, very similar to Lily1342's; FYI, should you decide to go the replace the upper cabs route.

Her cabs are Thomasville, the Raleigh door style.

Thomasville

Here is a link that might be useful: Lily's Finished Small Kitchen

I vote for finding a granite you love and using a color from that to paint the cabs and put in the glass doors. I think that would tie it together nicely. A matching island is a good idea, too!

Here's photo of the door/drawer just in case anyone knows of a match...

thanks and i will look at the granite post someone suggested....

After seeing the closeup, Carol, I see that the Thomasville door isn't even close!

Great that you posted a closeup, though. You might want to do a stand alone 'Match This Door' thread if you're seriously considering new doors/ cabs.

I tried blowing up that picture to look at the detail on the lighter cabinets. Are they the same door style? If so, I'd strip them and then work to match the stain. You can take them down and test on the backs and sides that won't be seen. Nop new cabinets -- just refinishing a few of them. Then do what you like on the island -- a cream or white would be good. If you do it later, get butcherblock, marble, or a different granite (the hardest one -- trying to find two complimentary granites). Make the island cabinet and the countertop completely different, treating them like a furniture piece or in fact buying a furniture piece island.

If they aren't the same door style, I think the separate thread dedicated to matching the door is a good idea. That doesn't look like it should be too hard to match. You might find them ready made or have a cabinet maker custom make them for you. You might find the doors are a style you can order and have stained to match. it may take some legwork, but it would be worth it. Keep in mind that the new cabinets would be in a separate section, not butting up to the old oness.

Seeing the photo, I take back much of what I said. I stared at the photos and tried to come up with some idea for salvaging or rebirthing those cabinets -- even in a different color and with crown added, I couldn't some up with an image I was happy with.

If you need to try to work with them, I would start by removing the cabinet to the right of the stove and the corner to have the cream cabinets on the window wall only. Add a crown or other trim to make them look more different -- like it was intentional, not a mistake. Use some open shelving to the right of the stove if you need it.

Another option -- see if any of your neighbors want to swap cabinets so you can both get matching uppers. LOL

Good luck.

Thanks everyone.....i love the idea of a match the door thread and i will put one up soon..... my ideal solution would be to find the cabinets and buy them for the uppers and the island and then get same granite for all....OR restain the existing doors to match bottoms (and yes they are the exact same style, just different colors), and get a complementary island in same color...maybe a panel that comes out instead of recessed..does this mix well?) and the same granite throughout...oh well, i will be racking my brain and doing some legwork...(unfortunately i don't have much time with a 15 month boy running around!! and 3 other boys, not to mention DH!! I wish i bought a house with everything done already.) thanks to all...carol

I'd get rid of all the uppers...even the nice stained ones and replace them with different cabs with a very similar door style. i'd yank one off and start visiting cabinet stores with it for the closest match.

it looks like they ran out of money frankly and tried to disquise it by calling it designer. its terrible (as you know). but finding something similar shouldn't be impossible. you might look in your phone book under builder resources for a builders cabinet wholesale place as well. they often carry brands you can't find elsewhere...and might be where he shopped.

Personally, I'd spend my time stripping and working on getting a stain and finish match or finding someone who could do it for me. I think the idea of doind a raised panel on the island is good -- that's what we did. You've got lot of ideas and options....

Without a doubt, the easiest thing to do would be to replace all of the uppers like Igloochic suggested.

Another approach would be to try refinishing just the face frames & put new veneer on the end panels. Then buy replacement doors for all the uppers in a similiar style.

I'm not optimistic about trying to refinish the doors--the panel will be very difficult to remove all the paint--as well as all those niches & grooves in the moulding. And, it's likely that the wood underneath the paint is 'paint grade' something and not even the same wood as the stained cabs.

OTOH, it won't cost much to try--experiment with the back side of a door to see how it goes. But having a toddler & 3 other boys, it's going to be one heck of a hassle to attempt a project like that.