I think this granite would look nice with knotty pine cabinets. I think that getting the right countertop will be more difficult than the flooring, and if you pick a countertop finish, you can select flooring that will go with that.

I used to have white cabinets, and I'm very over them. They were pretty good for my previous kitchen because it was very small, and they made it seem larger and brighter, but I have a more spacious kitchen now and so they are not necessary. I agree that you should not paint wooden cabinets - paint is not the best finish for a kitchen. If they were lacquered in a factory, that would be different, but to add a layer of paint is not the best idea IMO, unless it is a temporary fix. What is worse is to add even more layers of paint so that the doors no longer close properly.

No one on GW is going to throw you out for loving knotty pine cabinets! Yes, the white kitchens are still going strong here, but they sure are beautiful. But that doesn't mean that everyone wants one in their home. I don't think one would look right in my house, so I plan on stained wood cabinetry. And there have been so many wood cabinet kitchens shared on this forum. You just have to start looking. Probably not as many rustic/lodge type kitchens, but that's mostly because few of us are lucky enough to live somewhere or in a house where that fits. Google is your friend for sure. Check out Houzz.com, etc. too. You might try using a tool like my favorite Olioboard.com where you can put together inspiration boards to get an idea of what material combinations you like. Take pictures of your beautiful cabinets and see what they look like with a variety of countertop materials.

Non conformist here, no shortage of knotty pine in our house! While not a log cabin, the little '53 beach town ranchette had plenty of it when we bought it in '84, although some had been some painted over. Since then, I've added more rather than get rid of an original architecturally correct theme. Knotty pine has a certain character all it's own, in the right house nothing else will do.
I say keep it!

Lodge style kitchen with knotty pine cabinets

[Rustic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2111) by Bozeman Architects & Building Designers Locati Architects

Knotty pine cabinets

[Rustic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2111) by Boise Interior Designers & Decorators Judith Balis Interiors

A tad more traditional

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Shreveport General Contractors Terry M. Elston, Builder

knotty alder with blue island

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Charleston Kitchen & Bath Designers Carolina Kitchens

"Rustic kitchen cabinets with green Viking appliances. Warm, sunset colors make this kitchen very inviting. " Granite may be Red Dragon

[Rustic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2111) by Steamboat Springs Kitchen & Bath Designers Fedewa Custom Works

[Rustic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2111) by Elmhurst Interior Designers & Decorators Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.

Here is my kitchen with old knotty pine cabinets. I used a tile backsplash and Formica countertops that look just like soapstone in person.

Sorry for the horrid quality of the photo. Never can get good lighting for photography. Awaiting new window coverings.

Apropos to wrong kitchen!

This post was edited by tomatofreak on Fri, Oct 24, 14 at 0:39

I do it my way and my way is basic and low maintenance. I don't do fads. I like Formica counter tops and vanities. I have seen Formica that look like granite and marble. I love the last two homes I have had, so bright and cheery and easy to maintain, especially the kitchen.

This post was edited by EmmaR on Thu, Oct 23, 14 at 21:20

oh my gosh

The kitchen linked in post Thu, Oct 23, 14 at 19:53

5'th picture down
or
2'nd from the bottom

might be the ugliest kitchen picture I've ever seen.

I feel like I'm looking at a jello blob of orange.

I say that yet I:
- like dragon red granite that I've seen in other pictures
- like how all the other knotty pine cabinets look in the other pics
- love fire & ice backsplash that I've seen in other pictures
- like that flooring in other pictures

however that combination or that picture is just ick.

Hey tomato, that is the AFTER. Kept 25 year old cabinets. Need switch covers and shades and I'm done. Oak floor.

This post was edited by rgps on Thu, Oct 23, 14 at 22:04

Here's a cottage look with lots of pine.

Dang! Those are some nice pine kitchens! My kitchen is similar to rgps' kitchen, and kind of a poor man's version of the second pic posted by bbstx.

I do spend a lot of time on Houzz and drool on my keyboard, but let's face it...some of those kitchens probably cost as much as my house. Someone needs to start a website, "Kitchens for the Unwashed Masses."

So, now that I've ferreted out some of you non-conformists, give me MORE. I need motivation. Does anyone live in the North Seattle/Snohomish County area? Maybe you can recommend a good kitchen designer, fabricator, fairy godmother, etc.

I'd post a picture, but it would probably hurt your eyes - especially after seeing all the beautiful remodels and new builds on this forum.

P.S. Publickman, you are right about that Verde Borgagna granite looking good with my decor. That "pick a slab and pray" thing with granite kind of intimidates me, though.

Love all these rustic kitchens! I've got a white one and it's perfect for my home but if I had a different style home (and probably not in FL!) I'd sure enjoy one of those.

I'm in Snohomish County...For granite countertops - Priceless Granite in Granite Falls. They have a wonderful stoneyard; they also do fabrication. Excellent place, excellent people...for cabinets, go to Spencer Cabinets in Monroe. They do quality work and have great ideas (and good prices)...anything else? :-)

Do you have an island? If so, would you consider painting it? I especially liked the knotty pine kitchens I posted with the painted islands.

Now I like knotty pine . . .

Didn't know raw wood was "nonconformist." Huh.

I've always been drawn to painted cabinetry. Didn't even get a sigh out of wood cabs. I was over espresso maple 5 years ago.

That said, I stripped some oak cabinets and graywashed, then stained them and OMG. I can't quit oooo-ing and ahhing over them.

So much so I even stripped the clear coat and reddish cherry stain out of some old cherry cabinets and got to a gorgeous, chocolate/gray brown. [Insert alms to Citristrip here.]

So much so, that I ordered 2 cabinets from TheCabinetJoint.com in raw, unfinished cherry.

I haven't even mentioned the maple cabs I also have. Some painted, some not.

My floors, in this wild combination of woods, will be antique pine flooring I've acquired, 4" to 16" wide and long, long long.

When I earn the $$, my countertops will be soapstone. (Period) In addition to my self-built 16' maple butcherblock counters on the other side of the kitchen.
When I actually have drywall, I'll have painted walls, but I have no idea what color.
My sink is a Kohler, red, apron sink. Antique brass fixtures. (But black hinges on the cabinets I've redone.)

So, all that said, I have no idea what to suggest, but some of those pics are soooo cozy.

I'm not sure why it's such a big deal to keep your cabinets. It's the right thing for you to do, in your kitchen. That's all that counts. It might be easier to say, "If you're going to recommend I paint them, save your time and breath because it's not gonna happen and I just plain don't wanna hear it." Succinctly put, right? :)

So. [Hand on hip] Where are your pics? Hmmm? We're waiting.

Thanks, gladys1924, for the recommendations. Kind of funny that the granite place is in Granite Falls. I am leaning towards some kind of composite stone, like Zodiaq (?), or something similar, unless persuaded otherwise. I know if I go to a stoneyard, I WILL be persuaded otherwise...

If you don't mind me asking, what kind of flooring did you end up with, and where did you get it? Any tile recommendations for a backsplash? You seem to be in my neck of the woods (Stanwood-Camano Island), so your two cents is appreciated.

I have a 14x14 peninsula kitchen that opens up to a family room area with a vaulted t&g ceiling. There is a work table that serves as an island, but it is showing wear and will have to be replaced or resurfaced. Yes, bbstx, that is a place I am looking to add color. Years ago, there was a store in Lynnwood that sold the coolest butcher block-topped islands - they came in red, sage green, ocher, etc. Almost positive they went belly-up, but that is what I need for an additional work space.

See how you guys are helping me? My brain cells are starting to percolate!

Thanks!

With knotty pine, I strongly suggest you look at soapstone!
They go together like bread and butter :)

Ctycdm, I was all set to go with soapstone until a friend told me her sister had it and permanent rings appeared when wet things were left on it too long. Anyone ever hear of that? I've heard similar stories about concrete countertops.

I've had mine about 18 months, and if any rings appear, they are never permanent.
They either disappear on their own, or can be scrubbed out with dish soap and water.

Soapstone is not for everyone, you do have to be one that embraces patina, but if you like knotty pine, you just might be a "soapie"

With all the white kitchens I see, the only person I know who has one just painted some very old cabinets to brighten up the kitchen. I've never actually seen anybody in real life with new white cabinets.

I so envy your knotty pine cabinets. We're now living in my parent's home. Mom tried to make a MCM house look traditional and, in 1971, put ugly Mediterranean-style cabinets in the kitchen. Dad moved the knotty pine ones down to his shop. Years of hard use in the shop have made them totally unusable to move back into the kitchen...think deep gouges from saws and such. It's a shame. Now in the process of trying to renovate the house back to it's MCM glory on a budget. I sure wish I could afford to replace the knotty pine.

I'm totally non-conformist. Will NOT be putting granite, quartz, or any of the other countertops currently popular in my kitchen when I do it.

I agree soapstone would look wonderful. Or stainless or zinc.

I can't wait to see pictures!

I live on the coast of Maine and work in high end homes, where they do indeed have white kitchens. Especially the new constructions- it's a very common look here.

Ditto to what gladys1924 said about Spencer cabinets. I went there on her recommendation. I am so pleased with the quality and the looks of my natural cherry cabinets. Have not used them, yet. Green Iron Soapstone countertop was supposed to be installed today, but it has been put off until Monday.

I am in south Snohomish County. I got my soapstone at Pental after visiting a number of yards. I just kept looking until one spoke to me. After installation, I will let you know the fabricator I used and what I think, if it will help you.

At times, I worried about my choices because they are different, but I have never been one to follow the crowd. I do what makes me happy, you should too.

Amen to that.

Let me know how your soapstone turns out. Where else did you look besides Pental?

Ohhh, funkycamper...that Mediterranean 70s look. Every piece of furniture my mom owned was that fruitwood with those ugly cutouts. Get the blowtorch.

I'm in Granite Falls...we used plain, ordinary tile on our kitchen floor. Supposed to be hard on the knees, but I don't care. It's easy to clean...we just did the "old fashioned" little backsplash that came with our counters - no tile. I thought tile would be too much bling - our cabinets are amazing and we didn't want anything to detract from them. Priceless Granite does other stones as well, but their big thing is, of course, granite.

We did a lot of online shopping (remember - this was for an entire house). Even though this is "lodge" country, lol, it's still hard to find stuff with the "outdoor" look we wanted to use. We're still tweaking it...

Molly, I'm glad Spencer has worked out so well for you. They do such good work, and I love the nice place Dottie gave me for our MW!

Oh - we also have T&G ceilings - knotty pine. I love the look. Our next plan - we have this 16 foot high vaulted ceiling in our great room (kitchen/dining/living). The top 8 or so feet is drywalled - painted a basic off white. We're hoping to find a local artist who can paint a simple outline of Mt. Pilchuck in that area, along with the first two verses of Psalm 121 ("I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from..."). Anyone know of an artist in this area that would do the project for us, and how much it might cost?...with the lodge look, we keep trying to bring the outside in...

Hummy, we went to Georgetown in Seattle several times and just looked at all the places that have slabs. They are all close to each other. We shopped in Redmond, Kenmore and Woodinville. I started by making up my own list by searching on the Internet. I had no idea what I was doing. I did not know the difference between a full service place and a fabricator. Finally, one fabricator gave me a list of places to go. I had already been to most of them. I think someone should write a guide to kitchen remodel shopping! Eventually, I learned what I needed to know.

I did not have a preconceived notion of what I wanted. I saw a lot of pretty rocks, but nothing that would fit into my idea of a sophisticated country, except soapstone. My DH was not impressed with soapstone, until we found the Green Iron. And, we needed a lot of it. We have a very strange U shaped kitchen with seven angles.

Our kitchen in at the north end of a room and the dining area is the south end of the same room. I think it was a family/rec room, at one time. The walls are barn wood. Part of that wood did extend into what is now the kitchen area and we used what came off that wall to create a false beam to separate the areas. We got recommendations to do that and not to do that. I am glad we proceeded because we love it. There is a used brick surround where we have a little tiny black iron gas heater.

I get that you want to keep your cabinets and the vibe you have going with the Lodge Look. It is possible. Just filter out what is "In", at the moment.

Gladys, you can check with your local paint store for recommendations on a decorative painter that could do something like that. Here on the east coast, I would estimate about $300-600 for that kind of job, assuming you wanted just a simple silhouette and no detail in the mountain. It's about a day's work, plus time for layout, etc.

I forgot to mention something very important about Spencer Cabinets. The two cabinets on either side of my kitchen sink cabinet were made too deep. Carl had to measure when my old cabinets were still in place and it was very difficult. As a matter of fact, almost everyone who looked at or worked on something in my kitchen has commented that it is a difficult kitchen. The layout is determined by a bay window and placement of the stove downdraft and gas piping. When my GC discovered the cabinet problem, he called Carl Spencer. Carl picked up the cabinets and returned them in two days! This involved reworking not only the cabinet case, but also the pull out shelves on one of the cabinets. Needless to say, I am very pleased with the service as well as the quality of the cabinets.

I saw samples of the cabinets that Gladys picked and they are beautiful. Would love to see pictures of your kitchen, Gladys.

This is our Spencer kitchen! I went to some other cabinet places, and they (Spencer) were the only place that could give us something completely "right" for our home...and since it's a log house, you can probably understand the challenge of getting something that would go with our "mountain lodge" idea! The wood is rustic hickory, btw - an incredibly hard and durable wood. They are frameless, with soft close drawers, and super susans in the lower corners.

(The microwave, in its Dottie Spencer designed "home", is just visible next to the fridge. It has counter landing space in front of it)

Love your cabinets, Gladys! They look exactly as I imagined from the sample Dottie showed me. They are perfect for a log house. Yes, she knew who I was talking about.

We have several glass door cabinets and the Spencer Cabinets are the only ones we looked at that install the glass with a rounded piece of wood and not plastic clips. Gives the doors a more custom, finished look.

BTW, I am just a satisfied customer and have no financial interest in this company. I think Gladys would say the same thing.

I love those hickory cabinets, gladys1924! We installed hickory cabinets in our former home and loved them. But ours were just from HD and not nearly as beautiful as yours.

LOL, humnbrd, we are planning the new kitchen right now. Can't wait to tear those ugly things out! But no blowtorch. They are still in excellent condition. Will be repurposed for an outdoor kitchen on our patio. Plan to fill in all the grooves on the panels with wood filler, then I'm hoping some paint and new hardware will camouflage the ugly.

Gladys, you are singing my kinda song! We have hickory floors throughout the house (not in the kitchen, though) and Avalanche Ranch fixtures in other parts of the house. Great kitchen (I'm referring to yours, of course).

Bbstx, I keep studying one of the pictures you posted, and that has given me an idea. One of the things I hate about this kitchen, hated it the moment I saw it (so why did I buy this house? Long story...) was this stupid built-in desk butted up against a half-wall to the family room. The builder hung some ho-hum wooden shelves above it that just seemed to, well, hang there. Next to it, he built a pantry with bifold doors that juts out into the kitchen - very awkward. A row of floor-to-ceiling cabinets, shallower in depth, would look so much nicer and give the space a more finished look (your picture #2).

Might seem like a small step, but I have been stewing about it for years, so thank you for that.

You all have provided some really good advice and recommendations - I now know places to go for soapstone/granite/cabinetry, which is more than I knew last week.

Keep those cards and letters coming...

P.S. I have a garden window behind my sink. Not my favorite, but if I take it out, it cuts down on the amount of light and air circulation in the kitchen (which faces north and some very tall cedar trees - good thing I have a skylight). If kept the garden window, how would I run a heavy, solid surface counter behind the sink? Would I just have to add extra support, i.e. knee braces, to the garden window? And why do I think everyone is going to tell me to rip the thing out?

That's it, isn't it? You're all going to tell me that nobody has had a garden window since 1983....I knew it!

LOL! Hmnbrd, glad the photos gave you inspiration for a problem area.

Nope. I have no financial interest in Spencer. But when we built this house dh and I decided to be very proactive about recommending suppliers and subs that we thought were excellent. Spencer is one of those excellent suppliers!

Yes - we used Avalanche Ranch lights in the kitchen/dining areas, although we also used some lodge style lights that we found at Lowes! Hah! I never would've expected to find lodge style lights at a big box store...You might also check Etsy for ideas/vendors. You can really have fun with the lodge look if you like to brainstorm.

We had a garden window in our kitchen at our last house - it was nice, but on the north side of the house - didn't get enough light to make it worthwhile, and it was kind of a pain to wash the window (had to climb onto the counter, sit with my feet in the sink and wash the darned window). I have no clue if you would need supports for the heavy countertop.

I love a garden window that has the counter extending into it. LOVE. I didn't know they were out of style. And if it brings you good light, who cares? The more natural light, the better, imho.

Sorry I have no idea what you need to do structural to extend the counter into it. Since you probably won't be putting anything heavy on it or leaning on it, I doubt you would need to do too much and the installers should be able to advise you on that. Oh! You might need to lean on it while cleaning the windows, right? I still think the installers can give you the proper advise.

Not knotty pine but knotty alder. No backsplash or range hood yet but pretty close to done.

Very cool space. I like the double windows over the sink, too. Maybe I will take my garden window out and try something like that.

Knotty alder has so much character. Our front door is knotty alder with a metal laser art image of mountains and trees inside the glass. It adds a touch of warmth to our entryway.

What kind of countertop is hiding under that protective paper? Please post pictures when you're finished so we can all ooh and ahh.

Nice job, JDez, and thanks for the post.

The island and perimeter countertop are the same. Cambria Whitney.

It should be finished in a couple of weeks. I will post pics.

Since you mentioned River Rock and non-conformist, I thought you should see this granite. But I think it might be too many round shapes combined with knotty pine.

Here is a link that might be useful: River Rock kitchen

That's pretty incredible...never seen such a thang. I think it would go with knotty pine, but clash with the river rock on my fireplace. That is a very unique look - you get an "A" for being a non-conformist with an artistic eye.

Hummy, I am reporting back with my assessment of the countertop installer I used. Fantastic! I will try to post pictures. The fabricator was Natural Stone Interiors. They are in Snohomish. They arrived on time, brought pads to protect my floors, and were very careful with my cabinet drawers and doors that they had to remove to set the countertops. I am going to upload pictures of the seams. The one picture where the seam is very visible is in a location that only the cook (me) will notice. I knew this one was not going to match as well as the others from the templating session. It was just not possible to do. The others, if you look hard enough you will find them, but not by just standing in the kitchen.

Next picture Can someone tell me how you upload more than one at a time?

Third picture

Niiiiice countertops, mollysam.

To upload more than one picture, you need to save it to one of the photo hosting sites. I used Photobucket, so I'll explain how to use it. Others can jump in with recommendations for other sites and instructions for use.

On Photobucket, you set up a free account. Then you have a choice to upload from your computer or the photo URL. There is also a choice to upload from Facebook, but I know nothing about that...and I think I'll keep it that way. "HELP" and "HOW TO UPLOAD" are at the bottom of the first page. They probably explain it better than I can.

Once you get your photo uploaded, click on it. When it opens, there will be several boxes on the right side under the caption "Share Links." Click on the box next to HTML. It ought to say "copied." If it doesn't, copy the link in the box. Then when composing your message on GW, paste the link into the message box.

A couple of tips: Password protect your library. Otherwise, anyone can go from a picture of your granite to personal photos that you may have uploaded to Photobucket. Use an alias on Photobucket. When people click on your photos, it will take them to you Photobucket account. Be careful labeling albums. There is one member here who labeled her album with her address. Anyone who clicks on her photo, can see her address.

I hope this helps.

Oh my gosh, mollysam, it's beautiful! And that is Green Iron soapstone? That doesn't look like any pictures of soapstone I've seen online - no wonder it received your husband's stamp of approval. Will it stay that color, or will it have to be oiled and then get darker? I think I would sleep in my kitchen, if I had countertops that nice.

If any of those pictures have a seam in them, I certainly can't see them. Thanks for providing the name of Natural Stone in Snohomish. Recommendations are always important, as I have heard of so many installation nightmares.

From the time you began looking at countertop options to the time of installation, how long did the entire process take? When you speak of templating and such, I am envisioning months and months of looking at stone, laying it all out, then putting it all together. Not sure my nervous system will oblige.

Then again, Michaelangelo chiseled blocks of marble, so I guess if you want to create a masterpiece, you gotta be patient.

Wow. Absolutely incredible!

My monitor resolves the colors as cream to tans and browns. Is that correct?

Very, very nice.

Thank you, bbstx for the picture help. I think I have an photo account somewhere, but haven't used it for quite some time. Will have to investigate that.

Green Iron soapstone is actually, at least ours, greener than what it shows on my monitor. The lighter parts have a slight aqua cast. The streaks are copper colored. (I bought a copper sink.) I think they are iron oxide, in other words, rust. I asked the man who actually did the cutting what he thought they were and he does not know. He said they were all different colors while he was working. I have not been able to find much information about Green Iron, but I think I read somewhere that it is harder than most soapstone, but I can't find that information. I do now have a remnant to play with and it does not scratch easily.

The time it took from the time we found the soapstone to installation was determined more by the demolition and the cabinets than the fabricator. Once we found the soapstone at Pental, Kris, the owner of Natural Stone Interiors, put it on hold. They will hold a slab for seven days without a fabricator selected, but will hold it longer if you are working with a fabricator. Once our GC had a good idea of when the cabinet installation would be complete, we let Natural Stone Interiors know and they put us in the schedule. Templating took place on a Thursday and the countertop was installed 11 days later.

I am not going to oil this. I like the lighter look. When I wet it down with water it is still pretty, but darker than I want.

I can't speak to the cost, because I really don't know how it would compare to someone else. We did get some comparisons on a piece of granite from a couple different fabricators before we found the soapstone and those estimates were about the same as this soapstone. We ended up buying a fourth slab just so we could have two sets of bookended slabs. That is why the seams match up so perfectly.

I forgot to mention that Natural Stone Interiors also has a slab yard. It is small, but they do have some very pretty stone.

Again, I have no financial interest in this company either. My financial interest in any company that I mention extends only to the amount I pay out.