Sounds like you have a vision that will work for you. I wasn't getting it until you said Modern. Will the cabinets be a modern/contemporary style? Will you have a backsplash or did I miss your mention of it?

I saw a porcelain tile that looked similar to that flooring when I was doing my kitchen...It was AMAZING.

Honestly, the thing that concerns me is the flooring and counter. The flooring has the brown and the swirly design and the counter is a busier speckly pattern that's all cold grays and black...They're not connecting on my screen, so look like they don't belong in the same room..but the mica looking white sure doesn't help. If the grays and blacks blend and have less contrast going on it will be better. You can see them in person and love them together, so I'm going to trust you and assume they do coordinate.

You're so excited about the combo (as in no hesitation or real question), so that helps me convince me you're on the right track. Can't wait to see it come together!

The cabinets will be frameless slab natural light birch. There is a very small amount of light tan in the flooring that will pick up the birch tone.
In real life the dark quartz is darker than my picture and the flooring has enough grey and black to really blend with the countertop. There's is quite a bit of the SS metallic too. The brown is more subtle.

I looked at porcelain but wanted vinyl due to knee and foot problems.

I'm thinking SS for the backsplash... will wait until everything else is done. I also like the big squares of glass...sigh

Have you seen the ZEN line of Silestone? The colors in the Zen line are pretty much solid. With that floor I'm thinking UNSUI, or KENSHO. GREY EXPO (not from the ZEN line) might work too.

I think your samples look great! It's very hard to choose not-matches (i.e., go but have tension), and you've done a great job! I find your palette interesting and exciting. Of course, I almost went with some similar colors in different materials, so, of course, I like them.

You'll need to check with a sample door, but I think the floor and counter are going to look fabulous together with the warmish, calming birch in between. You'll probably need a few details to pull it all together, like chrome pulls near the floor, and a few coppery accessories, but it all works.

My biggest concern isn't for the kitchen. It's for the LR and DR. All that gray is going to be awfully gray! You could consider things like doing one of your turquoise colors on the walls and then glazing with a gray. For the soft furniture, if what you meant by "medium" was in the dove range, yes, with a lot of red pillows, but a saddle brown would also look good with the floor, as would anything dark and rich like navy, or fire engine, or bright and surprising like turquoise or gold.

I like the gray-toned living room with the more colorful kitchen and the floor to tie them. I figured the paintings would be the wow factor and wouldn't need more color on the wall? I also figured accessories would pick up any slack. Just another opinion. :-)

LOL!! I wasn't advocating a bright floral! It's just draining sometimes when the furniture, walls and floor disappear into each other, whether it's white, beige, gray or bright red. You've found one of my prejudices! I like human scale and contrast.

I'll make sure that in the living room area there is contrast. The reason I'm thinking grey leather sofa is because I have a chocolate lab and she loves a sofa. I'll definitely add color with a painting...think large canvas with a macro close up of part of a flower...maybe even a long horizontal canvas (15X60) with parts of several flowers...I keep ideas spinning in my head and hope the right one pop's up at the right time... won't know until I decide on all the furniture.. I'll need some texture too.

Plllog, I wish I had a cabinet door to put with this right now. I will eventually.

I really haven't looked at drawer pulls and knobs yet, sure am open to suggestions.

It's just draining sometimes when the furniture, walls and floor disappear into each other, whether it's white, beige, gray or bright red.

I'd sure hope against that also! :-D But I am reading dark floors, light walls and medium gray leather couch...Monochromatic, yes, but not without contrast and changes in texture. --Further contrast and color from other things. As usual for us...Much the same point approached from a different direction.

From the descriptions in the original post, I perceived a love for color and fun in a modern feel, and never got the impression this would be a blah home. Maybe I read more than there was, but the follow-up makes me think I was right...

I like it. Moniters can be tricky when trying to accurately represent color. The counter and floor won't be adjacent to each other, so that is one thing to remember. I wish we could see your cabinet color. I am digging the turquoise tones.

Although I am not a grey person, I can understand the soft greys acting as a subtle backdrop to some colorful paintings and accesories. And especially when you throw the word "modern" in there.

I know what you mean about the mica in the Silestone countertop. I wonder if you were able to take a photo with out flash, if it would recede somewhat giving us a truer image? I have a Silestone counter (fleckier) with a travertine (swirly) floor. I think some people were hesitant about it, but now it is installed with everything else (like cabinetry), I think it looks great.

Are you going to have a backsplash? Or will that be the turquoise paint?

The stainless and turquoise paint sounds like it will give your space an almost modern retro feel. It's hard to tell, but on my monitor, the floor and dark countertop surface are a little too close in tone and may squash your space a bit.

Is the kitchen open to the other rooms?

The floor plan is all open, with the kitchen at one end and the living area at the other. There is a double door coming in from the deck separating the area between dining/kitchen and living. Large windows that let in plenty of light. We are on a very large lake and the windows frame our view. Foe about half of the year our deck is full of planters with lots of flowers.

Right now the walls are painted in a dark taupe which turned out gorgeous when we did that 5 years ago. I made the space seem larger and it did frame our view.

Here is a current picture.

The peninsula will be gone, there will be an island and other than the sink, everything else will be moved.

I went to a different flooring place yesterday and brought home a larger sample of the flooring. I'll try to take another pic of that. There really is a pretty good contrast between the counter and the flooring in daylight, as the metallic is reflective. At night the flooring seems much darker.

Paulines.... you nailed it...modern/retro feel is my goal. In the 60's my folks put in nat birch slab cabinets when they redid the kitchen in a modern style of that time. I loved it and have never forgot. No it's my turn, in a different house but one that was built in 1960. I put on a big addition and remodeled everything in 1992, but we still just used it for our lake home, until I moved here permanently in 1998. Now it is getting another face lift... I love the location so it not possible to buy new property and build new.

Nancy,

What might be a really cool look is to do the 'L' of your kitchen in stainless steel counters (it doesn't seem there's alot of space, so it may not be cost prohibitive) and the island in the Silestone or a solid charcoal stone (gorgeous with natural birch!!!).

The stainless and charcoal would be stunning with your flooring and turquoise paint.

Paulines, I did consider SS counters, I know where you are coming from. Then I saw a SS backsplash tile that someone posted about here and liked that thought.. still not sure about that though. I need to order a sample.

I really want the kitchen to end up dressy as opposed to professional.

The fridge will be on the left of where I was standing when I took that before picture shown above. Continuing on that interior wall will be 9 more feet of cabinets.

Are you thinking that my quartz has too much bling?

I can see why you fell for that flooring, it's fabulous.

Which turquoise are you considering - a light color or one of the more saturated shades?

No, not too much bling at all, the Silestone you chose is absolutely gorgeous.

But, your space isn't humongous and your lake view sounds amazing and the kitchen is open to other rooms. The flooring has glitz to it, turquoise is not a shy color, and if you go with the ss tiles....it's going to be hard to pull together (although if anyone can do it, it's you).

What I'm saying is there's lots of statement going on.

Zeebee, I think my little bit of turquoise is going to have be med to darker or else it would just fade away.

Paulines, I hear what you are saying. There's going to be a lot of the birch though, won't that help? I'm not at all sure about the SS tiles for the backsplash, I'll wait until everything else is done...same with the paint color.. it's so hard to know. I could always paint in a grey. I just feel I'm going to need some color..?????

I like your bling!

I don't know why Paulines thinks the stainless tiles will be so much. I think your palette is fantastic. It's also usually easier to see a view, in my mind, through a darker, bolder room, than a lighter one, because the light is focused outdoors rather than bouncing around the room. I don't think the shinies will hurt that as much as a lot of white would.

Someone posted this recently. Frigo Designs has turquoise stainless backsplashes in various designs and bosses.

Oh WOW!!! That is pretty darned cool.... I saved the info!

Thanks!

That tile is awesome pllog!

It's not that I think stainless tile will be too much at all, my concern is there is alot of strong elements going on and I'm still trying to wrap my brain around everything.

Is your layout similar to the link? I was looking for modern retro and this one caught my eye.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1923891}}

I love how the gold color was used in that picture (your med-dark turquiose) and wondered what you though of the feel/style of that kitchen?

Your natural birch will 'read' the same as the white cabinets in the picture. If you are interested in glass for a backsplash, I can buzz Mindstorm for you - she used that in her kitchen (sheets or plates, not tiles) and it's fabulous!

Not sure that you want to go this retro, but I think this line of appliances is so cool. Check them out-lots of turquoise!

Here is a link that might be useful: one more...

I think the Big Chill is a little too retro for me...cool tho.

I guess I'm just doing my thing, kinda urban/artsy more than anything but the turquoise and birch really does add in a retro feel....

Think shoes. When platforms came back they wrapped the leather around the base, rather than really showing the platform.

Turquoise and birch may sound retro, but the colors on your paint cards aren't the 50's-60's turquoise, and the Silestone looks nothing like Formica. The details are different. You can do some referential things, and still be very now. Even something like the quilted stainless backsplash: plain, it's retro, in the turquoise, with your other finishes, it's cutting edge.

Re urban artsy, it might be pushing it, but if you're interested in a built in fridge, you could do a painting on the panels.

Nancy (Hi!), your choices look fabulous so far. I prefer the lighter Silestone just from your picture.

The retro-mod

Keep us posted!

Hi Gina! Yeah, I get the orange. Sometimes even the smallest amount can brighten the whole picture.... I love fresh flowers.

Plllog, those paint cards were picked up on a quick stop at HD. I haven't even cracked open my BM fan deck yet. I love adding my color with objects and paint. That gives me the ability to redo my accent on a whim, like maybe a purple or lime or whatever in a few years... the neutral canvas, accent with anything concept.

Everyone is making me think! and that's a good thing...

Have you put a number of the floor tiles together to get an idea of how busy it might become? I'd be concerned about that, especially with the countertop and turquiose- which I love.

Gwentm. I wish I could. I was able to bring the display sample home, it was 16 X 32 and I thought about that as I was looking at it. This flooring really is quite muted and I have looked at some slate looks too. Marmoleum didn't do it for me, many would have looked fine if I was only doing the kitchen. I was also trying to stay away from any grout lines, just for that reason.