Top cabinet white maybe.... and I'm doing some reclaimed wood open shelving by hood that will help... and knife magnet...

True.... I just don't think the wood works with the house. I really need to change them out but that will cost alllllotttt more. So I'm going to paint them for now...

Also The furniture is not permanent.... adding stools like either of these to add some warmth should help...

Also going with brass / gold hardware...

While more gray in the kitchen would certainly look appropriate in a black & white kitchen, you may want to consider a color for the cabinets. The stain adds a nice warmth to the kitchen, even if it's not the ideal door style. Here are some quick photo sketches with light gray and dark gray. We've added blue just to mix things up. Good luck with your project!

Thinking white or medium grey maybe ? Beverly any way to photoshop those :)?

Or walls back white and that gray from beverlys first pic just with the new stools and gold/ brass hardware etc.....

How about dark grey (or blue grey)on lower cabinets and a very light grey on upper and walls

Anyone able to photo shop the last color combo :) ?

Gray/Blue combination:

Thinking less blue. Don't want it to look like a "bruise" blk and blue...


Also in real life it would obviously look a lot different...

If you know what color gray is on the wall, you could go one step darker or one step lighter on the cabinets. Having a color sample card from the paint store would help.

Good idea.... it's anonymous behr. The second one down on the card....

gauntlet gray is a beautiful gray from SW or chelsea gray, kendall charcoal from BM

Not a big fan of most behr grays the walls were that color when we bought the place... wouldn't mind repainting that wall to a new gray shade...

I've also used sw porpoise and like that....

Is that bottom pic Kendall gray?

bottom is gauntlet gray

I've got to say, I think the wood looks great! Add in your metal stools and it will look cool. Notice how one of the photos with gray cabs--almost same color as your wall--has a wood door--almost same color as your cabinets.

That is true.... just trying to modernize a bit....

These stools don't really go with the wood cabinets....

Few shades lighter then Beverley's may look a lot better with some contrast.. thoughts ?

So if I paint cabinets I'm going with the gold/ matte brass hardware on cabs and brown leather/ blk legs stools.

If I don't paint- matte blk hardware simalar to pics and going with blk leather / gold legs.

Thoughts?

Have you thought about getting your warm light fixtures and hardware and seeing how they look before you take the step to paint? The wood itself adds a great deal of warmth, texture, and a natural element to your contemporary room with its smooth surfaces. The gray or black, in addition to all the finishes, big dark couch, may be gloomy as you can see in the Photoshopped examples. Visually, you already have big blocks of darkness with no relief for the eye except the wood.

You could carry on the warmth of the wood, but in a contemporary way, with wood accents in your living room--coffee table, side tables, etc.

Perhaps I should keep the wood cabs for now and add the matte blk handles... and the blk leather/gold bar stools. I need to pick a direction and go with it.... and want new barstools.

We already have a bunch of distressed/ wood furniture to add warmth and this rh fulham brown leather sofa we will move in... (see below)


Most of the pictured furniture is not staying.... we are renting it out as a vacation rental on Airbnb for a few months until we move in....and have some extra furniture that will be donated.

Side note - If anyone is looking for a vacation rental in Fort Lauderdale for the rest of January let me know:).

That sofa is going to look great since it echoes the wood in the kitchen! Very modern spaces need a few natural elements for texture and warmth. You could go nickel with the cabinet pulls, which would echo the stainless. Harmony, with some contrast, really pulls open and adjoining spaces together. You get harmony when you lightly repeat colors and materials from the basics--say the cabinets, the floor color and surface, the wall color. These echo notes carry you through the space so it feels connected.

Glad you've found that in your sofa and already have pieces like that. See how that sofa, plus some small changes look.

Very often Dilemma posters come in wondering why their huge brown or black leather couch (leather manatees) against gray walls feels wrong. Congratulations, you avoided that by choosing something with great low lines and lighter saddle color--so right for your room. Yours gives a contrast yet echoes wood elements. The second photo down is a perfect example of harmony--gray walls, tobacco colored chair and coffee table echo the dining room seen from the living room, the yellow drapes do the same. The one patterned chair echoes the fantastic black/white/gray art works.

Good luck with your new place.

Love leaving the cabinets brown and adding other brown elements. My new obsession is gray and tan/brown

Beautiful space

Ok so if I leave cabinets stained as is - that kick panel behind the bar...... dilemma- what color to paint crown mounding that's is white... any ideas ? Maybe I should tile that to match backsplash ?

Or should I paint that section of the trim black to match the blk tile??

Just wanted to say I love the way it looks now. Love the lighting

paint dark to match floor, unless you can stain to match cabinet

What about leaving the stained cabinets adding new hardware and adding shiplap under the kickpanel area to add some contrast.... ? Maybe painting it white or light grey...

I think on one of your other posts I suggested this for the back of your island (I think :))

Thanks Jennifer ! Won't this clash with the wood cabinets? That's why I was thinking painted ship lap type horizontal boards...

Something along these lines

Yes, I like the wood cabinets, think painting them is a mistake. I think there are other things you can do to update the space, like new hardware, new stools, etc. Even changing the color of the grout and putting in a nicer stove. Why is there a gap to the left of the stove and wall?

Your cabinets are fine. Painting them won't fix your layout and storage issues. I still think the cabinet above the fridge looks strange without a side panel framing it.

I like the white, but stikwood has several different colors, I was just thinking if you brought some of the gray and wood tones in there, The white looks good too. http://www.houzz.com/photos/query/stikwood

Lose the cabinet above the refrigerator and tile the full wall to the ceiling

Yup, the above frig cabinet has to go. If this kitchen is so dysfunctional as it is, why not go to IKEA and find out how much it would cost to get a cabinet layout you want with the existing island and then decide on paint color. It cannot be a budget breaker to rework the back wall to something functional with proper storage.

Removing upper / reworking and going with a 30' range instead of a 36' may help... new cabinets all along the wall.... that I could fit the microwave and perhaps in a white or grey to accent the wood island... not exactly in the budget.


Perhaps I'll just do the Stikwood and remove upper for now....

If I remove upper what do I replace with?

Cabinets are from cabinets to go.... previous owner put them in less then 2 yrs ago.....

Was hoping I could reface but apparently cabinets to go doesn't sell just doors.... would like to change color or to a shaker front... the raised panel with rope detail doesn't match the mid century roots of the house....

Ordered these brushed brass off amazon... yay or nay?

May send them back for the something in flat black....

while I love the brass, that's a lot of stainless around the cabinets. do you have anything else that's brass in the kitchen? lighting or shelf brackets?? otherwise, they seem to just stick out.

Here's another picture .... I agree need to tone down the stainless to make it work....

going to add these bar stools as well....

those are nice. here is a pic where they used the brass bars next to stainless. but they also have the faucet and lighting. Plus, the rug helps to warm up the space

Yeah- I may change out the lighting and re- use these pendant lights elsewhere.

Brushed nickel is the easy choice here.... what about matte black?

@joni Koenig - if I remove the upper above fridge won't it look out of place? Maybe I should Frame the fridge and paint the upper cabinet white to blend? And lower cabinets a medium grey?

I think repainting a lighter color (Swiss coffee) and getting rid of the dark gray and changing out the stools to sleeker ones would solve all of your problems. Your kitchen is nice!

The trim is actually Swiss coffee so that would work....

Any commendations on type of bar stools and what hardware ?