I think you need to decide if you want a warm white (cream) or a cool white (grey).

Cream is lovely, but grey tones in a kitchen are the new hot thing.

Benjamin Moore has some great whites. Ivory white and cloud white are on the warmer side.

I agree with budgel. Your floor colors both look warm to me. If you had a light floor (like maple) I would think white would be great. Try grouping things in either warm colors or cool. For my kitchen I chose black granite with flecks of terracotta so I have cherry cabinets with copper handles. The floor is pecan colored red oak so we used stainless steel appliances. We painted the wall BJ Richmond gold.

If you want that warm fuzzy live-in-the-kitchen feel, then go with all warm or warm neutral colors. I think it was last month's House Beautiful that featured neutral colors and a BM color called Peyton Gray which I had to try in my bedroom. What a disaster. I felt like I was in an institution. Today's gray is yesterday's mauve. Do what you feel comfortable with and don't worry about keeping up with the Joneses with white subway tile just because it might be in.

thanks nanabella & budge1!

I think I'd personally prefer a warmer white. My current kitchen cabinets are a grayer white, and it looks dingy to me. That could also be because they haven't been painted in 8 years and are, well, dingy.

If I go with warm white, does that mean all of my colors have to be warm (and thus does my granite choice have to change?) I'm wondering if my granite demands cool colors with it?

Regarding floor colors - the floor will be red oak (the lighter wood in the pictures.)

I know everyone is doing subway tile these days. But I like it, and it fits the age of the house.

Thanks!

I'm not getting a Spanish Colonial feeling from your materials -- is this what you're going for? I'd choose your woods, stone/tile, and colors to fit the house style if you can.

You're right, I'm picking and choosing with respect to matching the house style. I'd welcome your ideas about how to improve the fidelity.

I feel like the white inset cabs, subway tiles, and oak floor are defensible period-appropriate choices to me. (We'd be matching the original red oak floors.)

Clearly the granite and stainless appliances are totally modern elements. I think the most traditional counter choices would be tile (not a choice I'd consider) or wood (which I like) or maybe linoleum. I've seriously considered soapstone but I couldn't live with the chipping.

Here are some house pictures if it helps. The style of the house is a less rustic than some Spanish colonials I've seen. Maybe this is more "Mediterranean style".

Would looooove ideas!

Here is a link that might be useful: Spanish/Mediterranean/whatever home

maybe this link is better...it should not require you to log in.

Here is a link that might be useful: house pictures

What a delightful house!

Looks like the kitchen does not have a lot of natural light. I obsessed about whites too when I had my cabinets made in the last house-- picked Thalia white from the Laura Ashely line at Lowe's, which the cabinetmaker matched in his car paint or whatever it is he used (very tough). Also freaked out about paint color, ended up with Navy 2 which is a nice mediumish blue. I would go with lighter colors in your space as the light will not bleach them. Ideally you would find a delightful fabric and use that to guide you. IMO your cabinet and floor choices are timeless and will always fit. I would vote for cabinets that read white rather than cream or ivory, and put the cream or ivory or the walls, or possibly a nice soft green or soft yellow. You can go to your local Joann's and pore over the choices or you can look online at Waverly or the Laura Ashley lines or whatever style floats your boat and order some 1/2 yard lengths to help you narrow it down. That might help you figure your wall color. I truly would not obsess about Which White for the cabinets. You can buy a couple of sample pots in semigloss and paint a board or the existing cabinets and make sure you like it. I really like your plans and think they will fit the house admirably.

Thalia White:

Thank you demeron! I love that combination of white and blue. They really set off the warmth of the floor. Also love the crystal knobs and the curtain fabric.

So it sounds like I should really find my fabric first, and then go from there. Thanks for the suggestion to shop online - I had not thought of that.

You're right that the kitchen today doesn't have much natural light. We're going to be unifying the kitchen and breakfast nook so that the kitchen will be quite a bit brighter. Still, I like your colors. Would I have to go with a greater saturation to prevent the colors from being washed out in the sun?

One other consideration is that I won't actually have a lot of wall to paint, because the cabinets & subway tile fill up 2 of the walls almost completely. I don't know whether that means I should go for more saturation or less.

thanks!!