Help with Kitchen finishes - paint, backsplash, floor

10 years ago

Hi everybody,
Our kitchen is 80%done, but we're stuck on some of the all-important appearance-related details.

We have cherry cabinets (natural with Satin clearcoat), honed Virginia Mist granite, stainless steel appliances, chrome faucet. (pic # 1 ). We're going to have open shelves on the colorful wall, also in cherry. I tried a swatch of a light gray from BM intended to match the lightest color in the granite and a large whitish glass tile (pic # 2) - my husband is very discontent with these choices. I agree with him that this particular gray paint is to dark, but I still think a paler shade of gray could be good. He wants to go for more of a cream color..... Anybody have suggestions here? We are going to paint the trim white, and there is alot of it, so I would really like to have the wall color be something contrasty enough to make the trim pop. I don't think cream is it.

If we don't use the large glass tile, we might go with a honed Carrara 3x6 marble tile, as in pic #3. Do you think that's too busy?

Finally, we have newly installed unfinished red oak flooring. I want to finish it with Rubio monocoat, which is a very matte hard-wax finish. I don't have any good photos, but I'm thinking of using White 5%, which is basically just a faint tinge of white and amber. Any thoughts?

Featured Answer

baileysr

10 years ago

Personally, I think cherry is such a warm colored wood that I think warmer colors look the best --- not gray. I think your husband was on the right track with cream, which has warm tones to it. Gray would leave me, well, cold and does nothing to enhance the beauty of the cherry wood.

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Comments (25)

YMM
Original Author
10 years ago
darn autocorrect- 'colorful' = cooktop
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YMM
Original Author
10 years ago
I do see that about cherry being warm... let's just say it wasn't my first choice, and I was thinking the dark gray counter would help push the kitchen out of the yellow/orange zone!
PRO
GlideRite Hardware
10 years ago
Hello,

Beautiful kitchen! Take a look at some of our cabinet hardware when you are ready:

http://www.houzz.com/pro/glideritehardware/__public

Best regards,

GlideRite Hardware
kat1304
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
If you want to tone down the yellow tones/warmth of the cherry, then adding a contrasting color is the worst thing. It'll only make the yellow pop. A cream tile would look beautiful if you don't want anything too busy. It'll lighten everything up, without adding contrast like that gray or marble tile does. A light/white grout is probably best, to match the trim?

If you're going to use contrasting gray or blue(ish) tones, then maybe you should choose a texture that grabs some of the attention from the cabinets, like something sparkly or reflective, or with an eye-catching pattern, or something really brightly colored?

Both of these will work if you're not afraid of color:
Lake Oswego Custom Home · More Info

eco+historical Victorian Update · More Info

I love this one:
Cherry Hills · More Info

My kitchen was so plain, I convinced my husband to go a little crazy and use one of our fave photos as a backsplash. We have a plain color on the other wall, but both walls are covered with tempered glass. I LOVE how easy it is to clean. (We used to have tile, and I was forever scrubbing them.) Also, it never feels dark despite the dark colors because the glass reflects so much light. (It's not for everyone, but I'm surprised at how much I love it. And it's very personal!)

My House · More Info

My House · More Info

Your kitchen will no doubt be beautiful not matter what you choose. :)
RubyRoses
10 years ago
I like the marble
baileysr
10 years ago
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who loves the warm tone of cherry :-). Everyone else here thinks it's a design dilemma! Just a suggestion If you really like gray. I have cherry and yellow painted cabinets in my kitchen, and I chose mustard yellow and gray as my kitchen colors. The walls are a very soft (almost cream) yellow, my backsplash is cream, my curtain is gray, my stool seats are gray and yellow, some chairs are gray and yellow. That might be a way for you to complement the cherry wood on your walls but still "cool it down" in the room altogether. I've attached some pics in case they help you. I hate to just say "do what I did," but in this case my approach does seem to suit your dilemma. Anyway, your cabinets and kitchen are lovely, and I wish you the best in finishing it.
YMM
Original Author
10 years ago
kat1304 - i love your photo backsplash. How is the tempered glass attached to the wall?

Bailey's - thanks for the color ideas. I'm glad to hear there's still some love for natural cherry out there! I don't hate it - I just would have preferred walnut (getting trendy, right?)
I can't really see the cherry cabs in your kitchen - do you have any pics showing them?
thinkdesignlive
10 years ago
solid cherry cabinets, marble subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances · More Info

I'm posting this picture to show you that the marble tile backsplash works here because the granite doesn't have any pattern to it. In your situation I think it would compete too much with the counter. The glass backsplash tiles are really nice....also, I really don't like the idea of cream walls with your natural oak floors (can you please post a better pic of it as I only see a small area of it in the one photo).
thinkdesignlive
10 years ago
You might want to check out Sherwin Williams Canvas Tan (there are some photos on Houzz if you search for it). It's a really nice light taupe grey tone that looks great w white trim and any wood color. Good luck - your kitchen looks really nice so far! And, if you like the Canvas Tan when you see it but find the glass tiles you chose are too cool then maybe find a new glass tile that is more white or more tan to match the canvas tan.
Michele Jarosz
10 years ago
What about glass tile that brings in some of the cabinet color
baileysr
10 years ago
I think you can see some of my cherry on a far wall which is a bank of fridge, freezer, and pantries. I'm not home now, but when I get home will send you pics of the cherry in more detail.
baileysr
10 years ago
YMM, here are better pictures of my cherry cabinets. They are stained, so technically not natural cherry, but the stain is very similar to natural. I'm one of those wood lovers, so I am not shy about wood in my house. In my kitchen alone, I have stained cherry cabinets, island chairs, and fireplace mantle, natural cherry and walnut tack box that serves as a table between my chairs, teak table and chairs, and walnut island countertop. But I also have a lot of painted cabinets too, so at least for me it's not to "woody."
baileysr
10 years ago
Oops, duh, I forgot the attachments...
RubyRoses
10 years ago
I had cherry in my last home after doing a complete overall of the kitchen. I used butter yellow on walls. backsplash had many colors including black and copper. my fabrics on windows were white black and golden brown. It had a very french feel.
kat1304
10 years ago
@YMM
Thanks! The company that installed it originally said they'd have to glue it to the wall, but it turned out they didn't have to. There are pre-cut holes in the glass for the outlets, but the outlet covers are on the outside of the glass so they keep it in place. The glass is lined with silicone to keep spills and condensation from getting behind it.
Should be easy to remove if we ever get sick of it. :)
lisa0527
10 years ago
I know it's boring, but a white subway tile with grey grout could be beautiful with your cabinets and counters. Maybe a larger format than the ones in this picture. Tiling the full stove wall to the ceiling could be a great look.
YMM
Original Author
10 years ago
baileysr - thanks for sharing the photos. you have great confidence to mix all those finishes and colors. To me it looks elegant and comfortable. I might go with cream for a wall color -still not feeling the yellow. I also am planning on putting in a 48" hutch/breakfast bar on the other side of the room. I was thinking maybe maybe cream cabinetry?
YMM
Original Author
10 years ago
edwards4four - I noticed that kitchen on Houzz too and that is where I got the idea for marble tile! but it's true that my counters have a lot more movement than the ones in the photo. I think they would be fighting elements, instead of complementary.
PRO
Gray & Walter, Ltd.
10 years ago
Remember white marble stains even when sealed. I assume you really use the kitchen. Consider BM White Dove for trim and Revere Pewter for walls.
YMM
Original Author
10 years ago
thanks- I agree that's another good reason not to go with the marble
robin bass
10 years ago
I love cherry too! I have no Picts to share but I gutted a kitchen in a townhome in 2000 , had custom cherry cabinets with black knobs , grey concrete counters , warm tile floors . I brought the tile which had a mauve hint to it up to the backsplash ... And did a semi gloss white paint . With the stainless steel appliances , It was my dream .
I agree ... No cream !! It will muddy the colors . Add color with accents and art work if you want color , although monotone kitchens seem to be in in . Good luck ! I need help with my current kitchen ... Yuk granite and oak cabinets . Trying to eradicate the traditional as we speak . I'll trade you
baileysr
10 years ago
YMM, thanks! I'm comfortable in my kitchen, and after all that's what counts! If you pick a nice warm cream color, I think that'll look very nice with your cabinets. The other cabinet being cream would be nice, too. If I were you, I'd try to get the cabinet and the walls to be along the same color, with the cabinet being a bit darker than the walls. You have a beautiful kitchen so far.
kjoy1
10 years ago
Beautiful kitchen so far! I like your cherry cabinets and granite. Your granite looks like soapstone. This is my favorite kitchen on Houzz. It looks a lot like yours:)

Palo Alto Traditional · More Info

Instead of Carrera Marble...which I think is just a little cold looking when paired with a warm wood...they used a Calacutta Marble backsplash with both grey and copper veining.

I vote for a cream wall paint color.
RubyRoses
10 years ago
kjoy, really pretty, I agree.