Kitchen layout (minus the island)

Wasn't sure if that first photo worked...

What are your counters going to look like?

I'm open for suggestions. We'd like to do a quartz. We've thought about Hanstone Aspen, Cambria New Quay, Cambria Praa Sands to name a few. Maybe doing a "busier" one on just the island (10 feet) and something else on the perimeter. Any and all ideas on that behalf would be great too! :)

To be honest, I don't care for the glass tile for a number of reasons. The first is that the bright whites in the glass might make the off white cabinets and marble look dingy. The second is that you have a classic kitchen and those types of mosaics are at the end of their design cycle. They have been used for a while and will date the kitchen, especially if you run it on the vertical. I feel that type of tile is better with a plainer or a slab type door with a more modern feel. It's trendy and trendy means dated after that style fades away.

I would rather see a more classic, pale greenish crackle subway tile and the marble used as an accent, or that marble used in different sizes. There are gorgeous serpentine deep green marbles that are more etch resistant than standard marble and can be used as counters. A grayed, dark green soapstone would be stunning there. For quartz I would use a charcoal with a greenish cast. There's a granite with a lot of movement that has those greens, beige greens and grays in it. Sorry, I can't recall the exact name but if you look in that color family you will find the one. That would be nice on the island. I really don't care for that glass with your kitchen. I don't feel it goes with it.

What is on the floor?

Is it just me, or is the photo of your materials and backsplash not showing up? I only see a blue square with a question mark. If I right click to open it, it says "Not Found."

A couple things I noted looking at your design not at all related to backsplash, so feel free to ignore me if you don't want opinions on these things:

1) I notice a lot of base cabinets with doors. Most of us much prefer our cabinets in nice, deep drawers. I left my island in doors and ended up having them changed to drawers, because they're so much more useful and convenient.

2) Also, do you really like diagonal corner cabinets, or did a designer just plop those in for you? I find 90-degree fronted cabinets easier to access... Wider openings for seeing and reaching things, and less of a deep cave inside. A 90-degree cabinet in the base opens your floor space a bit more (especially nice since you'll have an island), and lengthens the frontage on each run of counter. JMO.

Thank you so much for the feedback blondelle! The white tones and intensity of the mosaic glass tile are what we are most hesitant about. I appreciate the suggestions. Our floors are a wood very similar to the photo, wide planked, and rustc. I would love the name of that granite if anyone can think of it!? What is it about the glass that doesn't appeal to you out of curiosity? The areas I planned to use it were for flour, sugar, etc. and in the form of glasses and bowls in the display glass upper cabinets (which will also have an "x" pattern that's not pictured). I really appreciate your thoughts!

Sorry for the inappropriately late comments in my previous post regarding the missing picture, which you've now reposted...I forgot to hit submit for awhile, and didn't check back before I did.

The green/blue glass is what our accent is going to be- lots of that color glass in the kitchen.

Can you clarify that? Will you have glassware pieces in blue-green around the room?

I might be able to like either tile option, but I'm having a hard time seeing them together. It's hard to tell what color white your cabinet is. You referred to it as white, but it looks less white than the tile in the mosaic, looking 'off' in comparison, so I agree with Blondelle on that score....Also that the white makes the glass connect less with the marble. If you are using glassware accents in the kitchen, the glass tile would compete, while the marble would let it stand out and shine.

I would try to pick counter and backsplash together, rather than get firmly set on one, and then try to find the right combo.

rhome410- thanks for the response! To be honest, I had never thought about the corner cabinets- but that's great point. I really like the idea of adding more drawers too. Right now the drawers are in our island- would you suggest switching that and doing more on the perimeter? The blue-green glass will be in the glass displays as functional things (bowls, glasses, bowls, etc) and as fruit holders, flour, sugar, etc. canisters. I really really want that to be the feel of the kitchen (watery of sorts), so am willing to move other colors around to fit that look. I'm even willing to go more white on the cabinets if needed (have yet to order). I'm pretty stuck though on finding any counters that really stand out to me that aren't too dark with the marble backsplash alone. That's what I liked about the mosaic- it brought in some smokey blue tones that I could darken the counter with then a bit. Does anyone have a tile in mind in the 10-$25 dollar range that could fit with this tile (it's from the Biltmore collection from The Tile Shop). Or would a combination of two of the Biltmore collection tile shapes or sizes work?
Here is the link: http://www.tileshop.com/search/index.aspx?q=biltmore
Would you do a strip of a smokey blue/green in between the marble? What about above the range? So many questions. :) Thanks again!

I love the square (or hexagon) marble, but I'm not as crazy about the other. Can you tell me the name of it?

OK, the granite is called Costa Esmeralda. It has a marble look. This would pick up the white cabinets and the marble as well as look great with the floor. I've also seen it used as a backsplash and counter and it's stunning if you get a piece with nice veining.

Each design element is evocative of a certain style. That glass says, modern, sleek, minimal and you want your kitchen to have a rustic feel. That tile would be jarring and at odds with the look you want.

What color is the island? Maybe an off white quartz to blend with the cabinets on the perimeter, and that square marble you have as a subway tile, with that marble used as a design element above the range. You could use different sizes of it there, and that granite on the island. If you want a bit of glass, maybe a soft grayed green glass liner used with the subway to pick up the green granite.

This is a much more timeless look that won't date your kitchen like that mosaic will.

As I said, I did mostly drawers on the perimeter and left my island in cabinets with a top drawer and doors, but now have changed to island to drawers, too (the only door is under the sink). The drawers are so much better storage. So I'd say as many cabinets into drawers as possible, including the island.

Things I now store in drawers, in addition to utensils and flatware that I did before: DIshes (plates, bowls, platters, some mugs, smaller serveware), Tupperware, pots and pans, pots and pans lids, cake and pie pans, food processors, hand mixer, large bread mixer, bread pans, bread, paper goods, and other various and sundry things. Others keep things like baking ingredients, spices, and oils in drawers, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: My island makeover from doors to drawers

Quickly wanted to get any opinions about this combo of choices. I went to the tile store and picked up a few more backsplash options. Any thoughts on if or where to put these as a combo for perimeter and an accent above the range? Also, what are your thoughts on these countertop options? One is the Praa Sands from Cambria. It's definitely bolder than I initially thought we'd go, but now am kind of loving the perfect match it has with the backsplash accent color. Then, would you do this gray-tone on the perimeter, the Praa Sands on both, or another combination? Thanks for the thoughts on the drawers rhome410- I'm going to have our cabinet guy look into it! And blondelle- I really agree with your suggest for cohesiveness. I think that's what I need to narrow in on. Any thoughts on these selections? Thanks again!

Close-up of Praa Sands.

One more...

That mosaic is better for your look but not as pretty as the square mosaic. That countertop fights with the backsplash for attention and it has a pinkish cast. A darker mostly solid counter would work best with it. Only one can be the star. I'm afraid you will tire of that counter in a few years. It's much too busy and the pink cast doesn't work with your cabinets. The Costa Esmeralda works perfectly with that square marble mosaic and with the moss glass sample. There are different slabs of it with more or less white veining. It's a stunning granite but I guess we have different tastes. All the best!

Given the strong lines in the ceiling as well as the lines in the cabinets I'd be inclined to select a solid toned down backsplash .

Kippe, you have a good eye. Too many linear elements going on there to add another linear element in the tile, and more pattern in a busy counter. Besides color, pattern and texture also need to be balanced and there's already a lot of texture and pattern on the cabinet doors, trim and beams. If you want even more pattern you have to select something to soften what you have which is something organic like veining. You don't want even more long rectangular type shapes which you have in both your BS choices. Simpler is always best. This is like putting too many accessories on a patterned dress.

Even though the colors look great together, I'm afraid it wouldn't looks as good once it was up. I think one or the other needs to be the star and in this case they would both be competing to be the star. I like the backsplashes more than the countertop, so I would go with one of those. Is that ming green in the backsplash? Now I can't decide if I like the squares better or the new one you found.

I haven't got much to contribute, but that Praa Sands is gorgeous. Really speaks to me.

I am here to chime in about the base cabs. In over 200 lf of cabinetry, I have one cabinet that's a reach in. I'm chopping it up and retrofitting drawers. It's annoying, I can't see anything, and I hate crawling around in a cabinet. There.

I also, absolutely love the two windows flanking your stove. What a gorgeous, bright kitchen you're going to enjoy. To the very left, I think I see a door handle. Is that a slider?

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I definitely can see and agree with the analogy of wearing all of your jewelery at once. But now, to decide which one to wear... :) I do like he granite suggested, but have always wanted a quartz for durability reasons (4 small kids, cook a lot, etc.) What type of backsplash shape would you suggest then? If I do rectangular or subway anything, wouldn't it still have linear lines? What about a hexagon marble? The backsplash squares I had do have some ming green in it I believe- it is from the Biltmore line at The Tile Shop.

CEFreeman- I am beginning to see how cupboard-heavy our plan is. I think we'll definitely try and tone that down and add some drawers. Any idea off-hand if drawers are more or less expensive? Thanks for the compliments on the kitchen windows. The door to the left is a french door taking you to the sunroom. I would love to see the Praa Sands on a larger scale. The sample in the showroom we saw was a 12x12 or 10x10 and even that was so much easier to see the movement and the ways the colors vary. I just have to think about either going the backsplash way or the counter way in terms of focal points it sounds like. Any more thoughts are greatly appreciated. :)

Here is a photo I googled and found of Praa Sands in action...

Another.

What about Praa Sands with more of a neutral, less focus-grabbing backsplash, and then the Biltmore green/marble tile as an accent all above the range? Any thoughts on going that route? Then, what backsplash would you suggest? How do I find one neutral enough to go with creamier cabinets? Thanks so much!

The Praa Sands would definitely work with a more neutral backsplash. Do you like subway tile...maybe something with a crackle finish? The benefit of going with Praa Sands is you would never see a speckle of dirt or a crumb on it!

Praa Sands reminds me a little of Alaska White and Delicatus granite, so it might help to google pictures of those to see what backsplash others used.

In all the photos your Praa Sands is reading pinkish and is not flattering to your cabinets. I don't mind quartz when you want to use a busier backsplash and there's no granite that would work. I don't care for it though as the star when it's trying so hard to be granite when it's not. Granite is very durable, even with kids. You've gone through so much effort and expense in your kitchen, so why use something so blatantly fake like that quartz? It will never have the beauty of real granite and it even costs more.

What I would do if I were you is to go to www.houzz.com and do a search for white kitchens. Save the ones you like to an idea book so you can review them after. Then take your favorite one and try to duplicate it. The owners of the kitchens there are usually nice about sharing where they got the items and the names and vendors of everything in there. You can contact them through there and I'm sure they will be flattered.

As a non designer it's hard to be sure of your design choices and that way you can work backwards from the finished kitchen photos and see how everything looks and fits together beforehand so you're sure of ending up with a kitchen you will love.

Thanks for all of the feedback once again. To my eye in person, I don't see any pink tones in the Praa Sands. I know computer screens can throw off color big time. Like I said though, I am open to changing up the cabinets to be more white too. We still have time. I find myself completely wondering the same thing about the quartz vs. granite scenario. I was told it would be hard to get a 10 ft. slab of it as we need for our island. I also am not a huge fan of all of the maroon/purple/red tones in many of them. In general I've never thought of going with one with such dark coloring, but the thing I liked about this one is the direct color link with the blue/greens. I would love a beautiful marble, but again, thinking of durability...I have spent hours and hours on Houzz and agree it's a great source. I'm definitely open to a subway tile as msrose suggested. Maybe even a more color-neutral marble subway? Keep the thoughts coming! Thanks again everyone!

Throwing another option out there- what about a white/cream classic marble subway tile for the perimeter, then some type of an accent area above the range as pictured here (but more of the smaller mosaic as it won't just be a 12in. square like pictured here) Would that work with bringing the busy-ness down at all? Would the Praa Sands work in the island and perimeter or not? Thanks!

The Praa Sands is too much pattern for those backsplash tiles. They need a quiet, more solid counter. I would use one of the light, gray beige tones in the square marble for a more solid quartz counter or even use that granite on the perimeter counters as it's perfect with the BS marble square tile. I would then use a slab of Costa Esmeralda with some dramatic white veining in it on the island.

The Praa Sands beiges are rosy and it doesn't relate enough to the square mosaic and the pattern fights it. A real granite is a much more timeless, expensive and elegant look than that wanna be granite quartz. Use a real granite on the island.

You can use a soft fern green glass liner with the BS tile and then use that liner to make a design over your cooktop with some smaller marble mosaic tiles there and some matching glass squares worked in. I saw a patterned mosaic on the Biltmore site where you could pull out some of the small marble squares in it and replace with some glass to match the liner. You can use those for an inset over your stovetop.

Wow, that is a gorgeous granite! You've definitely given me some good options to look into! I really like all of your suggestions. Would you suggest doing the 2x2 square tiles as the backsplash then, or should I look into a neutral white(ish) marble subway tile? Thank you so much for your advice!

The Praa Sands is too much pattern for those backsplash tiles. They need a quiet, more solid counter. I would use one of the light, gray beige tones in the square marble for a more solid quartz counter or even use that granite on the perimeter counters as it's perfect with the BS marble square tile. I would then use a slab of Costa Esmeralda with some dramatic white veining in it on the island.

The Praa Sands beiges are rosy and it doesn't relate enough to the square mosaic and the pattern fights it. A real granite is a much more timeless, expensive and elegant look than that wanna be granite quartz. Use a real granite on the island.

You can use a soft fern green glass liner with the BS tile and then use that liner to make a design over your cooktop with some smaller marble mosaic tiles there and some matching glass squares worked in. I saw a patterned mosaic on the Biltmore site where you could pull out some of the small marble squares in it and replace with some glass to match the liner. You can use those for an inset over your stovetop.

{{!gwi}}

This is the tile I meant for the inset or it would make a stunning backsplash on it's own with that granite

Ohhh I do like that. I don't know if I ever came across that one. Is that still in the Biltmore line? Thanks again!

Drawers rock! - but remember the weight of the drawer counts toward total weight.

I like the Cambria PS - I don't remember it looking rosy when I was hunting - I thought it had more blue tones but I am not the expert. How about New Quay?.
I think if you go with the PS, then your backsplash should be quieter - if you go more neutral on the counter - then go wild!

Whoops, don't know how that got posted twice. Yes, that pattern is from the Biltmore line, but they seem to have several Biltmore variations so I don't know it that matches the squares. You can also uses two of three rows of the square tile, then the glass liner and the rest above it in that pattern. If you do use the squares and glass liner you can use that pattern on angle and do a glass liner framed diamond with the small square tiles replaced by matching green glass ones within that diamond.

Those marble tile squares you have match perfectly to the granite and will pick up the green of the island and tie it all together. That granite also has some beiges that will also pick up those in that marble and the green is also stunning with your floor color.

Are you beams wood or painted?

Thank you so much again for your time everyone! I stopped by the Tile Shop tonight real quick and couldn't find the one you posted blondelle, but did pick up some of the biltmore tiles in a subway-size. Then the designer there suggested this combination. The layout I took a picture of is of an 18 in. configuration. then, some trim and then the possibility of doing the 2x2 square biltmore as the accent above the range. or I could keep looking for that other biltmore you posted too. What do you think of this combo? Oh, and the beams will be a rustic wood beam, unpainted, but the same dark brown as the wood floors. Thanks again!

That's much too much going on. The tile with the lights and darks and mixture of colors is busy enough. I would call the store with that style # from their website and see if they could locate it for you and also see if it's the same colors as the squares. I like that pattern best so far. The subway alone is nice or with a soft green glass liner. Don't run the tiles vertically. It's too trendy and doesn't work at all with your look. I'm not quite sure of the look you're going for. Is it a more elegant version of rustic?

I would say elegant, unique, and rustic, but pretty timeless. I want it to have a watery, bright and inviting feel. If that makes any sense. :) I will definitely check into that tile and see if they have it in stock somewhere. I agree no vertical. That's the one thing my husband does have an opinion about. :) Do you like the strip-look at all? Should I just omit any type of accent area over the range, or what could you see looking good there?

No long vertical strip accent tile. If you use that pattern you could do a design over the range with gray green glass liner making a frame and the small square marble tile in that area replaced with matching glass tile, and maybe another size of that tile there. You could also use some pewter tile there mixed with the green glass. I love that pewter pull they show with it. Would look beautiful.

I'm not sure if this is the same tile you posted, but it gives you an idea of how busy it looks when covering a large area. I still love this tile!

[Traditional Bathroom design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by Dc Metro Interior Designer Nicole Lanteri

Even though this isn't the right color, it gives you an idea of a busy backsplash with a busy countertop, so you can decide if you like that look.

[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Toronto General Contractor HARDROCK CONSTRUCTION

Backsplash as the star with a solid color countertop.

[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Vancouver Interior Designer Enviable Designs Inc.

msrose- love love love the visuals! Thank you so much! Definitely a good reference for me.