whoa!

lots to do. the main thing you need to do is hone down your options. first thing is to narrow in on what you want the overall look to be.

the 'rustic' lodgy look you're after can be achieved through various methods, not just cabinetry. you might be better off going with a neutral wood, like maple, in a light stain, and then adding rustic elements elsewhere--sink, flooring, ceiling treatment, etc.

would we tire of this variegated wood look in a few years (if not sooner?)

i would. but that's me. it reads as busy to my eye. if you're planning on selling your house within the next 10 years, i'd think long and hard about using a knotty or rustic wood for cabinets.

your photos run the gamut of design styles. you've got a craftsman style kitchen in there, a modern-y one, and a couple transitional/contemporaries. you need to figure out what, exactly you want.

personally, i cannot think of two design styles that are more diametrically opposed than mid-century modern and "rustic lodge". is your home decorated mid-century modern as well as just being built during that time frame?

if so, i'd reconsider the lodge look.

personally, i'd love to do a mid-century modern kitchen. i've lived only in older homes and have stuck to old-feeling kitchens, so it'd be a really fun project and there are just so many cool products that you can incorporate.

the modern is a really clean, minimalistic look whereas the rustic/lodge is more rough-around-the-edges and visually cluttered/crowded. figure out which you want, or maybe something in the middle.

Which of those kitchens do you REALLY like? As was said, you've got a lot of different options there.

Do you have any pictures of your current kitchen or other parts of your home that show your personal style? This would make it easier for us to help you. I do think the rustic maple at least in a light shade would grow old quickly and would conflict with your house style. What kind of flooring do you have or plan to use?

As to cherry, it will darken but it will be less noticeable on the medium to darker stains.

You might want to check out the Ikea website for some inspiration. They have several door styles that are a nice blend of modern & rustic that might work well in your house particularly the Fagerland style which has a knotty pine feel reminiscent of the rustic maple. If you find something you like, they are very inexpensive as well.

Fagerland

Ulricksdal

Adel Brown

Nexus Yellow Brown

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Spotted, here's my take on your post. Cab style/finish tends to be one of the first things people settle on when planning a kitchen (e.g., "I want a white/Tuscan/Mission/widget style kitchen" usually refers to white/Tuscan/Mission/widget styled cabinets). You're asking for our opinions on your style. I think that some of the pix you're including are more for cab color than cab style -- because the styles are all over the map.
We can give our opinions on styles (I like the rustic style to a point but wouldn't put it in my suburban house because it would tie me to a specific decorating theme too much) and cabinet woods (I don't think cherry darkens that much, but I don't own cherry and am not the best person to ask) but it has to be what you like best. It helps to know one focal point, or vision of one thing you know you want, at the beginning of a remodel. Other decisions flow from that one.

And if you think deciding on cabinets is hard, wait til you get paralyzed by appliances, sinks, faucets, walls, lights, floors, the color of the freakin' grout between tiles, and my particular favorite, knobs and pulls!

Hope that helps.

Having re-read your post, I have more thoughts.

Don't worry about the weight of the doors and cabinets. Unless there is a structural problem with your house to begin with remodeling your kitchen shouldn't be an issue.

Also, don't be afraid of dark wood. It won't necessarily make a small room look smaller. Light walls, ceiling, counters and floors can help balance out dark cabinets.

Our kitchen is 12x12 feet. One window 6 feet wide. It never feels dark at all. These aren't the greatest pics, but you get the idea. Click on the pics for larger images.

We have a birch patterned laminate floor, very variegated and I love it. If I had a less variegated floor, I would go with a more rustic cabinet, but not both.

I'm attaching two links that might help you. One is for wood samples (bottom of this message), and the other is to a picture of a rustic kitchen that might marry some of the styles you presented in your posting.

I don't know how to embed the picture in my reply, but I know it has something to do with html coding. The picture is on the internet, so I'm going to paste the only coding I could find and see if a picture appears. If not, I'll also give you the URL so you can go there yourself.

Here's the URL: http://www.wood-mode.com/DESIGN-PORTFOLIO/ECLECTIC_EXPRESSIONS/xl-eclectic_N2.htm

Good luck! I, like everyone else in the forum, empathize!
sb

Here is a link that might be useful: Wood samples

--- attempting to attach the photo again
Hey, it worked!!!

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You asked for opinions, so here is my input:

I'd tire of the varigated wood. It's trendy and pretty, but so were alot of other things that we now look at as passe.

My cabinets are the Thomasville shaker style, in cherry, in briarwood stain (very close to the Ashford you posted the pic of). It's a medium brown. The insets are full wood, not veneer. I worried that the cherry would darken, and the veneer would not. That was the main reason I went with the Thomasville. I have been very happy with them, and the color hasn't darkened noticeably. We have had them installed for abouttttt... 3-4 months. From what others have posted on here, the majority of the darkening happens within the first month or two.

Sorry I didn't have much input, but I hope that the input I have given is helpful to you. If you have any other questions from me directly, please email me boxiebabe@yahoo.com because I don't re-read *all* the posts I've already visited.

Good luck with your decision!

Boxie

thank you everyone for your detailed replies!

I really appreciate them, you've given me food for thought and direction in narrowing things down!

presently, there are only a few things I know for sure:

1. the cabs should have a matte finish look, not glossy or shiny; they should be in a light (or at most, medium, color)

after much searching, it looks as if only schuler/medallion and columbia have the matte look;

i like the 'ashford' door style; it's got wide styles and rails, and the inner stepped edge gives it a bit more interest; schuler only carries it in cherry or maple; oddly, schuler's maple looks quite glossy, compared to the other woods, and maple also looks very fine grained; i was hoping for more of a 'woody' look

2. our current kitchen is in horrible shape; just to underline how horrible it is, i've been cooking on two electric burners and a small outdoor bbq for the past two (no functioning stove or oven, and i like to cook!)

the current cabs were supposedly designed by the house's architect, of the mid century modern/internationalist school; the house is certifiably 'mid-century modern' (in fact we researched it and purchased copies of the architect's archived plans), with its flat roof, indoor/outdoor layout, etc...

but, i can't say what style our furnishings are, they're mostly somewhat generic, from crate and barrel, and my husband had previously installed some kind of wide-panel, light wood laminate flooring in the living room and bedrooms

our current cabs are inset (to the extent that the doors' outlines essentially disappear into the surrounding wood), rough hewn oak, push-to-open, and flat, except for decorative wide-set (about 4 inches), shallow vertical grooves

about 15 yrs ago, before my time, my husband installed granite tile countertops in a kind of black and white pattern; he also installed a gray marble floor;

so, the current kitchen is not really a guide to my favorite style, except that when the lighting is right and i can subtract out the defects, i like its smooth, simple, uncluttered look, as well as the cabs' very light brown color and the kitchen's overall, somewhat monochromatic and subdued appearance; i also like the painted brick wall that is on the wall directly facing our stove, on the other side (dining room side) of the room

the somewhat subdued and fairly monochromatic look is what attracted me to that craftsman kitchen picture, but our house is not craftsman style, and craftsman style can also look a bit too fussy, especially with the leaded glass

'contemporary', in the sense the term seems to be used in designers' kitchen gallery photos that i see online, is a bit too stark for my tastes;

so....i guess i am headed toward a 'transitional' look!?

as for flooring: i had in mind some kind of light brown and knotty looking wood; bamboo if such is available in bamboo (though we have 3 dogs, hmmmmm....).....so, the cabs and floor can't both be variegated!

you have all validated my fears about the rustic maple kitchen look: while it initially grabbed me, i fear it could quickly grow tiresome

thank you again everyone for your most helpful replies!

stephanielynn, your kitchen is beautiful, thank you for posting those pictures!

linley1, thank you for posting those Ikea pics, those cabs are very attractive!

samb, thank you for posting those helpful links!

thank you again everyone!

i've got more thinking to do, clearly!

In my bewilderment over how to sort out all the decisions, I've come to feel that in the sequencing of decisions, one of the earliest considerations is the window sizes, light direction and amount of light. The kitchens that knock me out always have big windows, lots of natural light. And, having lots of natural light means you can select darker materials and still not have a cave. In fact, the dark materials absorb some of the light, which is a beautiful effect. The other "modality" is the white kitchen, which is bright because of all the light being reflected back at you by the surfaces. Just a thought, as a place to start. Another consideration is whether the colors and surfaces look as good to you under natural light as under artificial light (day/night) and if there is a tradeoff, do you care about day or night? I personally felt that under artificial lighting at night, wood feels "warmer" than white, but, OTOH during the short dark days of winter, white kitchens are brighter -- but also "cooler." I went back and forth about whether a white/light kitchen or a medium/darker kitchen and came to recognize that what I most want in my kitchen is -- more light. And better ventilation. So, way, way, before getting to the colors and materials came that decision. Next, to the layout. . . .
Hope that helps. . . .

spotted towhee - not sure where you are located but there is a regional brand baed in PA covering about a dozen states in the east / mid-atlantic that you may want to look at. I put a link below. Their factory is pretty much in the middle of nowhere - in Cook's forest and they do carry some rustic styles. They are very weak in terms of marketing (as you will see from their website / brochure) but make a fantastic product (on par with Omega custom IMO) at a far better price (I believe given their location and lack of marketing).

They do have more door styles and finsihes not in that catalog ( I said they were weak on marketing didn't I) - but you really would need to find a delaer to see them

Here is a link that might be useful: Kahles Brochure

i like its smooth, simple, uncluttered look, as well as the cabs' very light brown color and the kitchen's overall, somewhat monochromatic and subdued appearance; i also like the painted brick wall that is on the wall directly facing our stove, on the other side (dining room side) of the room

sounds to me like you want to do your kitchen in a mid-century modern, or just straight-up modern/contemporary style.

once you pick a design style, the elements will just fall into place. there are certain elements that just really scream certain styles.

doing slab doors on your cabinets (where the door/drawer is just one solid flat piece of wood) will really give you a clean, minimalist look that, i think, will work well with the style you're describing.

a nice way to add some rusticity would be to do some rough timbers on the ceiling. your brick wall will also "rough up" the clean smooth feel of a more modern look.

stainless will push that look. sleek, stylized fixtures for faucets and lighting, glass tile backsplash, wood on the floor, no moldings, etc, etc....

seems like a very fun project. go to a big bookstore and leaf through a bunch of magazines and design books. make some notes of what you like. buy some magazines and tear out pages that feature elements you like. make a folder.

thanks again, everyone, for all the additional tips and insights!

Edlakin, thanks for all the most helpful suggestions! you're right, I think it's the modern/contemp look i'm after but mellowed a bit by adding some rusticity!

i agree, slab front drawers would be best, and some timber ceiling beams would add a rustic feel to the room

in fact, one pic i saved just for the ceiling beams:

we can't raise our dining room ceiling now (and probably never) so i'm going to accept its lower height and go ahead and install a wood ceiling (assuming we can stretch our budget)

Samb, thank you for posting that pic! I had saved that pic myself from the woodmode catalog. Woodmode is too pricey for us, but that is a look that also kind of captures what i think would look best.

this kraftmaid also has a similar feel:

so, once I get past this super anxious phase and make the first big decision, i'm confident it will drive most of the remaining choices and i can start to enjoy this process

thanks again everyone!

Are you familiar with Joseph Eichler homes? He was an architect or developer who designed tracts in the 1950s in California (not sure if he was in other states). The style sounds very close to yours -- a California/rustic/indoor-outdoor twist on MCM, with lots of big windows and post and beam construction. His homes have achieved cult status, so I'm sure you can google-search to find kitchen inspirations that are both MCM and rustic. Happy hunting!

Bluekiteobsessed, I am sort of familiar with Eichler homes. Aren't they the ones that seem to also melt into their surrounding lot, or something like that? I think there are supposedly clusters of them around the silicon valley area, and also parts of southern ca. And, yes, I read they are protected and have almost a cult following.

Ours is earlier, built in 1947, one of the last by an architect who started in the 20s. It's more concrete, wood, brick and stucco than anything else, but also with that inside/outside feature and the sense that the interior rooms flow into one another.

Why don't you post us a few pics and let us see what you have to work with?

As to the Omega issue....why didn't you just drop down to a Dynasty door instead? The price is equal to Medallion and you could get the actual door you liked...or very close to it in the finish you liked originally.

igloochic,

I am afraid to post pics (assuming I can figure out how to upload them).

They are too shocking. The kitchen looks way worse in pics than in reality (or maybe it's my ability to subtract out its condition when I use it?)

Nonetheless, I will try.

I can tell you this: when I brought pics to the Medallion dealer and to the Lowes Kd, there was what I perceived to be a shocked silence on both their parts.

The Medallion dealer seemed to lose interest at that point, and for whatever reason, the next closest Medallion dealer is 25 miles away. This is perplexing, given I live in a megalopolis essentially.

If I got Medallion, there'd be NO choice problem for me concerning doors. I'd simply get the 'mendocino' door in knotty alder in a light glaze, and mix the order with some "lakewood," in order to get flat/slab drawers (the doors i most prefer are not slab, the slab doors are 2nd choice; but the 'mendocino' wide rail shaker style doors have similar shaker drawers, not flat slab drawers which i prefer)

As for Omega/Dynasty....that was our original choice. But the Omega is too pricey and the Dynasty door has a bit too much shine for my taste now that I discovered medallion/schuler. The main attraction of the schuler/medallion is that, particularly in the cherry, alder, rustic maple, and oak woods, their doors have a matte finish look. Their regular maple looks too shiny to me.

I have another issue: I have now spent about 6 hours/3 sessions with a lovely kd in lowes. How can i not get the schuler cabs from her now? I would feel really guilty.

no need to feel guilty. that's how it works. don't worry, your lowes KD is being paid an hourly salary.

that being said, before you go with another line, give your lowes person the opportunity to give you what you want for the price you want to pay.

you should be able to mix/match any door style with slab-front drawers. we were given the choice when we ordered our cabinets.

if there's a shiloh cabinetry dealer in your area, check them out. they offer a great package for what they charge. we just went with shiloh cabinets are are very pleased with them for what we paid.

I looked at the shiloh cabinetry website and their products are beautiful! Your kitchen must be gorgeous! Alas, they are farther east and don't serve our area. Their 'wyatt' door would be great for our purposes.

hi towhee ( i like your name)..
from your first post, i prefer the final kitchen (the moderne one). i don't have a house anything like yours btw, and we have dark cherry raised panel cabs. BUT, some things you said about your house really struck me. first of all, you mentioned an architect...which means your house has more of a "style" than something like mine which appears to be a 1920s builder's special bungalow knockoff. or we could be kind and say a regional style.

anyway, you also said this:
"the current cabs were supposedly designed by the house's architect, of the mid century modern/internationalist school; the house is certifiably 'mid-century modern' (in fact we researched it and purchased copies of the architect's archived plans), with its flat roof, indoor/outdoor layout, etc... "
in this case, i would try to get something like what you have now. architects at that time often designed everything including the furniture and if you pick something that goes with the house as intended it will look great and just "right" IMO. i would also suggest to think ahead to what furniture you might want in the future...modern? are you going toward light danish type? aluminum or steel frame atomic style? or heavy pine lodge furniture? then pick cabs accordingly. i like the atomic style and i might even think about those metal front cabs that ikea has, which would be a neat contrast with a wood beamed ceiling. the knotty cabs are also fun, but they remind me of "lone ranger" wild west sort of 1950s style. is that your thing?

i have had maple cabs, though, and i tell you they will go toward yellow tones while cherry will go darker red. again, think about where your style is going. if not toward yellow, i would stay away from maple... good luck! kren

Have you considered a just refacing you will save a ton of money that you would spend on cabinets ,countertops, floor ,plumbing ,electrical,last but not least permits in some states. So if your cabinet boxs are still good. As I suspect they probally are given the year built. You can go with a 7/8" thick door with a half inch solid inset panel in any favor you choose The shaker style looks very nice in a white wash maple. Customer service at taylor cabinet door are very helpful with all the questions you will have from helping you measure to picking your finish that suits your project .Check them out on the web taylorcabinetdoor.com Did my house myself a year ago saved alot of money and got a wonderful custom product in the end.

I was going to suggest you try the Omega Dynasty II Mecca door which is very similar to the Morris Dynasty door...the Dynasty II doors are more affordable. However, if you prefer the finish on the Medallion and Schuler cabinets, then go with those.

FWIW, I have the Omega Dynasty II Anson door in cherry wood w/mandarin stain & coffee glaze and they don't appear shiny to me at all. Yes, it has a 1/4" furniture veneer center panel (actually it may better since it won't warp like solid wood in a flat panel), but I see no color difference b/w the door frames (solid cherry) and the veneer and my cabinets have been installed 3 months now in a kitchen with a huge bay window w/a western exposure (i.e., lots of light to affect the wood color)

I had picked out the Dynasty Artesia...the most expensive Dynasty door! and when we had to cut costs, I reluctantly switched to the Anson b/c it has the detail I love on the door frame like the Artesia as well as identical drawers to the Artesia. By changing doors and eliminating the decorative door panels and furniture molding we saved several thousand dollars (~4K-5K, I think)

I agree that pictures would help, or even the architect's name :). Your home and kitchen remodel does sounds very intriguing. If done right, "rustic" and mid century modern do go well together, especially when the rustic/lodgey look is pared down and simplified.

spotted towhee - We got our Schuler cabinets through Lowes. I am very happy with the quality and I especially like the satin/matte finish of the wood. My granite & backsplash are shiny, so having the floor (porcelain tile) & the cabinets matte, gives a nice contrast. The wood is maple, door style is Freeport (raised panel on doors & drawers), color: Chestnut, not glazed or burnished. Good luck with your search!
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I'm going to try to attach a link to an Atlanta area MCM home's kitchen that I found on the decorating forum. (If the link doesn't work, go to the home decorating forum and search for MCM, then look at pic #11 of 25.) Does this work for you?

Here is a link that might be useful: MCM wood cabs

Thanks, everyone, for so many more very helpful suggestions and insights!

Kren, thank you for all your suggestions, you've convinced me that it makes most sense to try to preserve the kitchen's current simple look. The houses's architect did make furnishings; some of these were shown at a display that I unfortunately missed; in photos, though, the furniture appeared a bit extreme. A wooden chair, for example, had a zig-zag support structure in place of legs. The emphasis seemed to be on douglas fir and redwood, as materials. Anyway, we're not going to be purchasing furniture any time soon, but your ideas sounded great!

Mlchoisser, we had considered refacing the cabs a while back. Many of the cabinet interiors were okay; but some of the drawers have taken a beating over the years. The thing is, though, we can't reface because we're also planning to push one wall back, so its cabs will be demolished. The other issue would be matching new materials with the current oak cabs. (which raises a new issue, just realized: there is oak paneling throughout the living room, very visible from the kitchen)

Buehl, the dynasty doors are excellent, i agree! And the door style you selected is so great! It's just that there's something about schuler's very matte look that grabs me. There's probably no difference in the finishes, in reality, but I don't dare start looking at dynasty doors again!

Laurie, your cabinets are beautiful! It's such a relief to hear of your very positive experience!

Daki, this weekend I'll upload some photos. It's encouraging to hear you say rustic and mid century modern can be combined.

Bluekite, thank you for posting that link! That's very helpful!

spotted twohee: I wanted to add that I'm happy to read you're going to try to work within the style of your home. I have always loved MCM style with lots of windows and simplicity--it feels so liveable--and a sleek kitchen will best suit IMHO; next best might be a style-neutral kitchen (is that possible?) but anything extreme--extremely traditional or extremely country or extremely rustic for example--would seem out of place. My friend has a custom MCM home and the flow, the feel...it's wonderful. The entire back of the home is almost all windows and sliding glass doors with awesome views of the yard. The kitchen floor and counters, though old, "fit". It doesn't feel like an old kitchen (unless you focus on the materials used for counter and floor), it feels timeless.

Personally I can't imagine how to combine rustic and MCM, but I'm not a designer. Maybe you would do it more with the decorative elements that are easier to change than with the cabinets. With cabinets, counter, floor etc you create a backdrop in keeping with the style of your home, but decorate with rustic touches.

Bluekitobsessed: great link! I loved seeing all the pics of that beautiful home. One day I would like to live in a similar home, but for now it's 1978 basic starter w/a now-nice and functional kitchen ;-) As an aside, I swore I wouldn't be on the Kitchen Forum as much now that the remodel is mostly finished, but I c a n ' t s t o p !!!

Melanie

If you really want mid-century, take a look at Modernism and Atomic Ranch magazines. They have featured some spectacular interiors that might give inspiration. One of the coolest mid-century kitchens I've seen is in Frank Lloyd Wright's Kentuck Knob house in western PA. If you are near this location, it's worth a journey for a mid-century junkie.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kentuck Knob

ps:

Bluekite, that house is so gorgeous! Wow! It is just beautiful, and the rooms and furnishings are so incredible!

Hi there -

If I had a mid-century home and didn't want a mid century kitchen, I would go with Ikea. You can get the rustic doors and drawer fronts that you love today and then cheaply and easily swap them our when you get sick of them or if you need to sell the house. I would say that often people buying that type of home are purists and would have a problem with the rustic look.

If I couldn't go with Ikea, I would go with the simplest door possible and embellish the rest of the kitchen.

I was reading this post with interest, just wondering if you picked out a cabinet style yet?

I love the first picture you posted but I'm looking for our cabin kitchen, I think it would fit right in.