I don't know of any rules but looking at your space. I think your choice is going to be fabulous. :)

I am as far from a decorating expert as you can get, but I think dark would be great in there AND matchymatchy would be great.

In fact, I think you have such a nice balance in there already, you could put in almost anything and come out with it looking good. (Oh, I really like your kitchen, by the way!)

I think the tone on tone is a certain look, just not as 'expected' as more contrast. That's a plus in my opinion. I think it's so elegant and nice to do the light counter on the light cabinets, and think it will be beautiful. Trust your instincts. I'm betting your sons and dh won't think about it twice, but you might regret it every day if you don't get what you love. This choice will really let your range take center stage, while being surrounded by something equally elegant, but understated. :-)

Wow, those are some gorgeous appliances! You definitely did not make any compromises by choosing those over stainless steel ... they look fabulous.

I may be biased because I have white marble on creamy white cabinets, but I think if you love that granite you should stick with it. Your appliances and flooring provide the contrast that you need. If your granite has some black in it, I think it's going to look terrific.

I've second-, third, fiftieth-guessed myself many times throughout the process. The only decisions I ended up regretting were in the few cases when I didn't stick with my instincts and allowed someone else to talk me out of what I really liked. It's great to get input from family, friends, etc., but stick with your vision!

Good luck!

I happen to prefer light countertops so I think it'll look outstanding. Question though... is there some reason you're married to this particular yard since they don't seem to be treating you with the expected respect and care?

Erika, I don't think you're biased...

I'm generally Contrast Girl. In this case, however, I think countertops that read white would be perfect!! Anything else will distract from the drama you already have going. And the dark specs tie it to the appliances. And the stone is just not-white enough to define the difference from the cabinets. It's perfect!

But in saying that, I'm assuming that the backsplash will be contrasting with a bit of color, the way the wall color currently is.

oh my, it's gorgeous. I'd choose something subtle because your appliances are show-stoppers. Light might be nice. I can't wait to see your final pictures!

We just bought Bianco Romano too, and we'll have white cabs and S/S appliances and sinks/faucets. With your lovely black appliances, the punch of color is there. Your hardware will be great, too. I wanted BR granite because it's warm and cool with the caramel and gray....it can go either way. So you could bring in one more color (deep garnet/wine??) or a warmer color (I'm thinking of a deep teal-blue, perhaps)...keeping it neutral allows you to play with other items. Trust your instincts. Looks fine!

Oh you guys, I can't thank you enough! Let me count the ways ;-)

kimme: you're right, there probably aren't any rules because it's all so subjective, but I have read here on the forum that the counter top should sort of match with the hardwood floor or something like that ;-)

fiori: thank you for your kind words! I am looking forward to seeing how your kitchen comes together, too :-)

rhome: I do like the tone on tone look, too. You are right, I would find the darker emerald green too much to look at every day. And, you're right, my sons and DH like a lot more contrast than I do and they won't get hung up on it, but it would bug me to clean the water spots off of the dark counter every day! Thanks for telling me to trust my instincts.

erikanh: you made my day! After going over budget with the LED lights I made up with it on the appliances and really lucked out with the refrigerator--it's one of those panel-ready models so I can put wooden panels, stainless steel panels, chalkboard, or anything else if I would like, but I am enjoying it the way it is, too. I love your kitchen, I think it's bold and I love the carrera marble!

remodelfla: I'm so glad you chimed in; I was hoping you would because I love the suggestions you give! Yes, I know Duracite has been difficult to deal with, however, the price is less than half of what I would at other yards and I get a 15-year stain warranty on the granite. They are a Lowes' supplier and you can bet they will be blasted on the survey. I'm not sure if I should complain to their management now because it might make things worse.

pllog: I haven't quite figured out the backsplash yet. I am leaning towards those hand-made porcelain tiles that are a bit shiny. I know I want rhomboids in two colors like a harlequin pattern in the range niche. The rest I'm thinking of going with a brick styled tile and possibly putting in little triangles of color to pick up different colors: red, black, possibly blue... I also like the travertine because it has an old world feel, but I'm afraid of the tomato sauce splattering all over it and don't want to worry about too much maintenance.

Thank you ebse and donnakay for the compliments and vote of confidence. I don't know why, but maybe it's just fatigue over the constant decision making. I am a bit stressed.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you, there's more drama with the crown molding, which also picks up the black. I hadn't updated my Picassa Web album, so here it goes: {{!gwi}}From Karen's Kitchen Project

Close up of crown molding detail: {{!gwi}}From Karen's Kitchen Project

I was leaning towards the tone on tone even before I saw the crown molding. Now that I see that, I am definitely leaning towards the tone on tone. I really think you have enough drama(in a good way!!!) going on with the crown and the appliances. I'd go for the no contrast with the counter. Good luck!!!

What malhgold said. Tone on tone is the way to go, and the black and garnet dots will make your kitchen pop in a good way. A big slab of dark granite with your black appliances would be too much. Beautiful kitchen, and the black in the crown molding is a great touch.

I would go with the white countertops and use the black sparingly in the backsplash to really allow that range be the star. The small touches like the band in the crown are great.

I think the white will also look beautiful, especially from being on this site for the past month looking at so many that have gone that way. And just for the record I have a DH and two DS and I've decided that they should have no say in these very important decorating decisions (I hope no DH and DS are reading) because the majority of them would leave your kitchen and not be able to remember what your granite or wall color is. I realized this years ago when we moved into a new home. I had a book with all my samples of wall paper and paint. I held these up to my DH and DS's to see if they remembered what room each came from and they didn't get one right. I realized then that it is more important for us to like our decor because we are more invested in it. We live it, they move on and don't really think about it on a daily basis like we do. I know there are a few exceptions but for the most part you should go with your gut and with something YOU will get pleasure from looking at everyday. BTW, I love those appliances,the range is phenomenal, your kitchen is going to be gorgeous.

I think you are right on with the Bianco Romano granite - the black appliances will tie in with the black garnets on the granite - it will make both look so good! Perfect match! Do not think the granite will be too white - instead, I think you'll find this kitchen will feature the granite better than any other scheme.

It will have a nice modern-classic feel overall.

On backsplash, I'd shy away from anything with black - I think you don't want any competition with the granite and go with a white porcelain as a starting point. Same for any other stone backsplash that could compete with the granite. Colors would be something to experiment with, specially if you want to tie it into something elsewhere nearby, but I'd wait until granite is in place to decide. You might be surprised how nice it all looks. That's my prediction.

We have very white countertops (engineered stone) on white cabinets with stainless/white/black appliances similar to your color scheme (I wish I had your stove). It's a winner "can't lose" combination.

-DH of gracesantacruz

I hadn't thought of a white on white or tone on tone kitchen before I read this post.

In my granite search I had thought of Bianco Romano as too boring. How about Bianco Antico? It has a little more movement and black marks to tie into your color scheme.

I also think a dark granite countertop looks lovely with white cabinets. A gloss white backspash would look nice with a dark granite and white cabinets.

There is a mosiac tile called pinwheel that has a black accent tile.

I was just at Schoolhouse Electric in Portland. They have a brand-new line of their classic lights (pendants, semi-flush mounts) that remind me of your crown molding (which is fantastic, by the way). The glass shades are white and have a thin black line/lines around the middle...check it out on their website! It won't be in their catalog until the fall. But if you are needing any accent lighting, this may fill the bill.

Thank you all so much for your replies! It is so helpful to be with such a great community of sharing individuals. Your responses are so thoughtful.

palimpset - I think the idea to make the range the star is spot on. It was my original intention while picking the range.

nursetammi - Yes, I know I should trust my own judgment and this is a kitchen I hope to enjoy for a long time. Every once in a while, I guess I just lose confidence or something.

gracessantacruz - You know I loved your color scheme and quartz countertop--it was very calming and soothing. Thanks for the compliment on the stove. I am very happy I could find it off of craigslist and CG Appliance in Daly City had a great price on it and the delivery and setup went very well. I can see you are close to the beach and I love the beachy colors, especially the turquoise, which reminds me of the sky and the ocean.

linda - I know what you mean about some bianco romano slabs being boring. This one isn't boring because the red garnets are actually pretty good sized and so are the splotches of black/grey against the creamy background of the granite, thus the tone on tone feel.

donnakay - Thanks for that tip! I am planning to have pendant lights above the peninsula, they are all wired, I just haven't found any pendants that I like. I am so happy you told me about School House Electric!

I'm going to wait until the granite is in, then I'll figure out the backsplash and the pendant lights. I'm not sure whether to go with two pendants or three, I guess this is a common dilemma, too.

Thanks!

I think your choice is perfect!!! I think the lighter will make it more soothing. It just seems to be the right choice. The minute I looked at your photo I thought I would see the granite and when I did not I said to myself "hope she goes with a light one."

Good luck and gorgeous kitchen!
Amy

I haven't been on the forum for a while, but popped in to see what's what since I can't sleep (it's 4 am here!) and I just have to chime in with a very emphatic YES! to your choice of the Bianco Romano! It will be absolutely stunning in your kitchen.
Do not waste one more moment second guessing your decision!

You will be in love with the quiet elegance of that stone. It has depth and interest with it's colouration & patterning that is beyond beautiful!

I just wanted to chime in and say that I love your fridge. I would have never in a million years thought I would ever like a black fridge but yours looks fabulous with your kitchen and your range. The light counters will be perfect. Can't wait to see the finished project.

Oh, I know how heart wrenching these decisions are and how hard it is as I'm going through it all myself. Decisions are set in stone--literally. Anyway, I did some down and dirty mockups to help you. The first is Bianco Romano--sort of ;-), which lets the range and fridge take more center stage. I would use a plain subway with it with a slightly deeper grout as your kitchen is more traditional. I don't know what you would use in your niche though.

The second is a black granite counter whick is really pretty but takes the focus off the range and fridge I feel. It would be gorgeous with the Landsdale tile shown which has various shades of gray, beige, and cream which would be beautiful with your cabinets and a complimentary mosaic in your niche area.

Hope they help :-)!

WOW! I love the BR! Your beautiful black appliances really "pop!" As they say, "One picture is worth 10,000 words." :-)

I just had the Bianco Romano granite installed in my kitchen. I really like it and I think it will look great in your kitchen.

In my case, though, I'm slightly displeased by how the seam turns out. The BR has lots of grey vein movements and that probably has rendered the seam looks quite obvious. If you will have seam(s) somewhere, you may want to make it a point to the installer. I have two seams, one of them on backsplash(I have a full granite backsplash)

blondelle - you are brilliant! OMG, I wish I had your PhotoShop skills. Are you a graphics artist by any chance? I thought about using some crayons or colored pencils to visualize it for myself, but it wouldn't have rendered like your drawings. Yeah, that's the feeling alright "cast in stone" hee hee... It does reinforce what others have mentioned here about making the range the star in the kitchen. And, it definitely does help in visualizing the whole picture. So kind of you to take your time to help me out :-).

aktillery - thanks for the vote of confidence! I love your kitchen.

katienic - thank you! I remember when your were going through the same granite decision making process and I think your kitchen turned out beautiful with the bianco romano. I hope you can get some rest today, I know I've had a few sleepless nights thinking about the granite!

deee - I didn't think I wanted the black refrigerator, but it made sense because of the black stove. And, the Miele dw that the appliance store sent out got horribly nicked and scratched that they had to give me a new one and the only one left was a black Miele Optima, so that actually worked out to my advantage. Sometimes, things work out for the best although it doesn't seem so at the time.

vegeburger - good point about the seams. Since I have a span that is more than 7 feet on the refrigerator side, they might have to do a seam. But, yes, I will follow up with them to see if they can't accommodate me and if I can get away with no seam on that side.

kimran - glad you joined the forum and thanks for chiming in!

I hope I didn't miss anyone. Thank you all for your time and contributions!!! I can't believe some of the talented we have on this forum. The collective knowledge is awesome!

I don't want to muddy the waters, but did you look at any of the really monolithic quartz colors in white or off white for a tone on tone option?

OMG your black appliances are TDF! I'm getting black too, but they won't be like those. With the mockups - wow, you could go either way and it would be gorgeous. Me, I would go with the Bianco Romano. But, I'm a light counter top girl myself.

Happy to help...(blush)...Yes, I am a graphic designer or was. Love to tinker with this stuff and help if I can as you have to live with these choices for a while.

I did another below. If you want the classic white subway tile with the cabinets it will look washed out I'm afraid and the black appliances will stick out too much. You will have to go to a darker tone like your paint in a shade that matches the granite.

Did a mock-up for you with darker travertine subway tile.

You know looking at the mock-up again, I don't think the Bianco Romano is the best choice for your kitchen as the color really doesn't flatter your floor. It has a grayish, slightly pinkish tone. I think you should go warmer toned like this picture which goes more with your floor I think.

{{!gwi}}

Also, I remember a fellow from a stoneyard saying to me their Sensa finish when they used to put it on marble didn't last more than a few years and he told me the company wasn't standing behind their warranty when his customers had issues with it.

Stonemark also sells granite with a 15 year guarantee, but I'm not sure if you can buy it without going through Home Depot. Below is a link to their colors.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stonemark colors

No, I don't think Travertine backsplash works well - it competes w/ other elements like the floor or countertop. Go with a simple backsplash - white or glass/white - let it highlight the granite whites.

-DH of gsc

There are travertines that are more consistant in color and if a grout is chosen that doesn't contrast too much, it won't be too busy with the granite. It's more finding the right color. Crossville just has a new elongated brick look line out under the cladding label where the color is consistent, but it's manmade. It's 3/8" thick like standard tile. I don't think the color works well though with the floor as shown.

Have you considered beveled subway tile? I'm having it installed in a few weeks. I think it's gorgeous. I think it comes in different shades.

Here is a link that might be useful: beveled subway tile

I had done this before but didn't post it as I didn't think it worked. White tile with the white cabinets and the lighter Bianco Romano granite is a little too washed out, and your eye goes right to the black instead of the kitchen as a whole. The last image above this is so warm, and inviting. A taupe crackle tile would also be very pretty as well as the beveled tile, but it may not compliment the floor as the travertine tile color shows. A soft, warm gray backsplash tile would be better to pick up the gray in the BR granite. The backsplash needs to be a deeper than white to balance out the kitchen.

I have to ask, what type of fridge is that? I'm looking for appliances for my 120+ year old corner store reno. Love the stove...I'm thinking that may work better than a pro looking range in my space.

Hi gentle ladies,

Thank you for helping with my quandary. I am waiting on Lowes to call me back because I am not happy with Duracite at all and I'm getting increasingly nervous because they won't commit to telling me where they plan on placing a seam on the refrigerator wall elevation side. I have a 37 x 75 inch L-shape and no one can tell me in advance where they are going to put the seam. They're being far too cagey about it.

I pre-paid for my granite on May 1st to take advantage of the Sensa granite promotion, which offered a $500 Lowes' rebate if one placed an order of $3,000 or more. Of course, they didn't hold my slabs as they indicated they would even though Lowes' faxed the P.O. to them on that day, and then being dis-respected so much even on my second trip there I just want my money refunded at this point--I think this should be possible on the Lowes' project card although I already used my $500 rebate, so I'm not sure how this works.

I think I'm going to look around some more and re-think my options here. I may look at the man-made quartz, too. There are plenty of granite places and fabricators who most likely will be more accommodating. I'm thinking that if I were to have a problem with staining that Duracite wouldn't stand behind their product. It's sort of like if you are a Lowes' customer you don't count and you don't get to chose the slab, the position of the seams or anything.

lwprls: thanks for the compliments on the refrig and range. The refrig is a Jenn-Air counter depth, panel-ready one, model #JFC2089HTB. It was a close-out, floor sample from a local appliance store. The range is a French-designed range called "La Cornue Fe Albertine."

I am definitely going to keep with a lighter granite if I go with granite for the countertop. I'm going to wait until the granite is in before making the decision on the backsplash.

Thanks for all the opinions!

blondelle: I want to thank you so much for all your hard work on these mockups! I do like the warmer mock up and I do think that the warmer travertine gives a French country feel. I actually did pick up some 3 x 6 tumbled marble from Turkey, which is beautiful. It blends in with the paint color that I currently have on the backsplash area.

I'm going to have to be careful, though, because things can get too busy, but I agree that too much white in the backsplash can have a washed out appearance.

palimpsest: I am going to investigate a quieter option for the countertop, too. Very early on, our local IKEA had a Corian that looked like sand on the beach. Also, I'm attracted to some of the engineered stones, even those stones that have a little sparkle in them. Part of me likes bling!

jeanteach: I'm sort of going back and forth between a porcelain tile and natural stone. The beveled brick with the crackle is beautiful. I like the low maintenance of the porcelain tile because we do a lot of cooking in this household. I don't want it to be too washed out, though.

gracesantacruz: Who did you use for your countertop fabrication? Would you recommend them?

southernstitcher: thanks for chiming in, too :-)

OMG will someone shoot me to put me out of my misery? I guess it is good to have options, though. Good news: Lowes refunded all my money for the granite countertop since I was so unhappy with Duracite, so at least I'm off the hook with them now, which is a relief.

I went out with a girlfriend today for a short lunch break and we looked at some more options. I came up with an idea of going with a sand-like engineered stone it is called astro pearl by zodiac and then I saw some mini black pebbles that might be nice in a diamond shape, or perhaps some black glass?

I'm still torn, I'm afraid and I think it's best for me to step back and take a break for a short while cuz it's a little too hot in the kitchen right now! I guess this how the design process goes and there are so many sides to me, so I'm conflicted arrgh...

Karen, this was mentioned in another thread, but have you seen jan jan's granite? It is simply beautiful and I think would look so great in your kitchen (which is looking awesome!)

Eliz

I was thinking the same thing as elizpiz last night but was a little afraid to mention it being such a rookie at this kitchen design business. I was not sure because I think her cabinets are white and yours are cream???

I think something was telling you the BR was not quite right for you. I am positive that you are going to find something you absolutely love and you will know the minute you see it.

For myself I had basically decided on Caesarstone or another quartz product because I did not want all the contrast. Then I saw jan jan's and I may change my mind back to granite. Her's is not too busy for me - it's very calming.

Here is a link that might be useful: jan jan's granite

jan jan's granite looks to me like Bianco Romano (white with lots of gray veins) except without purple clusters or speckles.

there are so many sides to me

I can relate to that. I'm still voting for the Bianco or something similar and the greyish travertine backsplash. There are some lovely engineered sand like stones out there in the Zodiac, Cambria etc. And though I know that the acrylic like Corian/HiMacs is not in favor, there are some nice ones that are new in those lines too. What was swaying me toward those were the new ones that do look really nice.

You asked about who put in our countertops. It's United Marble in San Jose - I'll put their link below. They do granite, marble, and almost all types of engineered. Our experience was positive with them when they put in our Caesarstone. During weekedays, I was allowed into their fabrication shop to inspect a miter joint they were making for another customer. I noticed their operation looked quite busy in the midst of our housing recession. They let us take big remnant slabs home of engineered stone from previous installs to see how they look and feel in the house - this got me married to engineered over other choices. I would highly recommend them.

I see you may be thinking engineered - it seems to solve many problems with people who prefer lighter colors. First, we found it is much whiter/brighter than any white granites. It doesn't have all the dramatic veining, but still can have pebbles/crystals - and in some cases, some light subtle veining like Misty Carerra. With a calmer, brighter countertop to contrast with the black appliances, you will find more freedom with backsplash types.

Sorry to hear about the granite.

Here is a link that might be useful: San Jose

Thanks guys for all of your responses! I'm going to look at a granite yard/fabricator tomorrow with a lot more choices.

elizpiz & odiegirl: thanks for the pointers to jan jan's granite. I like it, but I was feeling it was too cold for my application.

vegeburger: I have seen Carerra marble on cream and yellowish cabinets, but I'm not crazy about the cool/warm combination. I love the Carerra on pure white or black, but not on cream.

gracesantacruz: thank you for the recommendation. Actually, IKEA uses them and this is good to know. I did look at their granites, but they don't have a good selection. I'm kind of down to wire on the budget, funny you should mention misty carrera because it was used on the P & F inspirational picture that I have in my album. I'm not sure about the cost difference between Cesearstone and granite. My sense is that Cesearstone might even be more expensive per square foot than the granite.

I also want to thank palimpset, blondelle, and remodelfla for encouraging me to reconsider the options.

I hope I am making sense because I'm a bit punchy right now due to lack of sleep :-(.

Cheers!

You are right about their granite selection being not as large, but they will install anything you pick from another yard. We found Caesarstone was only slightly more expensive than granite on average, but of course, granite can range in price depending upon your choice.

Good luck!

Thanks gracesantacruz! I'll post pictures when I've finally figured it all out :-).