Do you have pets? They normally shed a whitish undercoat in which case the lighter floor colorings would definitely be better and you would be committing to unending sweeping with the darker ones.

My friends initially loved loved loved the look of darker floors but came to hate that every speck of dust seems to show....

Some of the newer sheet vinyls are so close to wood that you actually have to reach down and touch them before you realize they're not wood. I would check with whatever wood you decide to go with and find out how much darker it is likely to become over time. I would probably pick the lightest one just because they do tend to darken up.

For the countertops, I really like Corian (preferably plain white) but many people find it to "plasticky".

I would definitely decide on whether or not you were going to have a to the ceiling (or not) backsplash as they will pull the electric sockets forward if they are thinking that there going to be flush with a backsplash rather than just the wall.

a) stainless steel go with virtually everything..that's actually the very reason it's popular. it's easier to embed so to say..i can't see no other reason))

b) beautiful choice of wood. I'm a big fan of walnut..at the same time I know nothing about sapele so my opinion will be skewed. With your flooring, tamarack finish seems the best in both species though. Walnut is better since I see yellow in flooring, sapele is too red a stain ..walnut's neutral-ness will be better. I think. DON't do espresso. no reason to go so dark on such beautiful-by itself-wood. I'd say clear coat were the floors lighter/darker..if you go with these floors you need some contrast.

c) don't distract from your wood. Go with light quartz if you don't want the maintenance of the marble. Wouldn't go stark white..something softer, warmer, creamier

I'm going to follow this thread with interest! I'm considering Barker for my own kitchen remodel so I have spent a lot of time looking at their website and have some of their samples at home. I have not had any luck finding photo examples of finished kitchens with either the Tamarack or Espresso stain. I will say that in the few Barker walnut photos that I've found that their shaker-style in particular looks really busy with a lot of variation between light and dark graining, and variation in grain pattern. I think the look is busier than I want in my own kitchen, however your flat panel cabinets might be totally okay because the grain will all be going in one direction vs different with my shaker style. I think their tamarack stain would help even out the variation between the light and dark grain of their wood, if that makes sense. Also, I like Espresso, but question the point of buying an expensive wood like walnut or Sapele if you're going to cover it up with the dark stain? But I'm no kitchen designer or cabinet expert, just a homeowner!

Agree with April - LOVE walnut but I am unfamiliar with sapele. I like the Tamarak stain the best, as well. I would go with cream colored counters and backsplash as well. This is my inspiration pic for my kitchen in my new build with stained cabinets. I love the stain and cream combo (I'm not in love with the backsplash in this pic, though).

Maple Cabinetry - Contemporary/Farmhouse Style · More Info

@practigal: No pets. Just a very active 6 year old, who thankfully does not shed. LOL!

We have some form of Vinyl/Lineoleum flooring in the kitchen currently and we hate it. It is slippery when wet, looks yucky and we need to constantly clean it.

Sorry, I did not understand your comment about the backsplash. Are you asking if the backsplash will extend to the ceiling?

@aprilneverends: I think your comment about espresso being too dark is spot on. Moreover, I agree that it does not bring out the beauty of the wood.

@Kathryn P: Thanks for the vote!

sorry got distracted lol..so backsplash.

again, your wood is a star. don't take away from it. a simple subway or maybe square..similar color to your future countertop. Were you going w/real marble-I'd say do same material on both surfaces, if the budget allows(budget usually doesn't anyway lol)

@wysel: We have Barker cabinets in one of our bathrooms. It is tamarack stained walnut. I can take pictures and post if you want. The construction is top-notch. An experienced wood worker friend of mine who initially offered to make our kitchen cabinets, looked at the quality of bathroom cabinets and suggested that we go with Barker!

@lakeerieamber:The pic is very nice. Any idea on what the material of the countertop is?

oh I would love to see photos vishetan! And I'm reassured to hear that you had a good experience with Barker.

@vishketan, I'm pretty sure the island is walnut butcher block but I am just guessing the perimeter is a cream colored quartz.

I'd also love to see your bathroom cabinets. I've considered the Tamarack stain on walnut for our vanity.

Reviving an old thread. We made a decision about our cabinets (and they arrived 4 weeks ahead of schedule, but that is a long story best left for later). They are clear-coated walnut and look gorgeous :) Of course, they are not installed yet.

After lots of research and spending nearly two days at various stone yards I think we have finally settled on the countertop: Caesarstone Blizzard. After considerable back and forth I think we are slowly warming up to the idea of using tile instead of hardwood for our kitchen.

I found a Daltile sample that is somewhat along the lines of what we are looking for, very plain, muted, with a non-skid surface. But it is a tad more brown than I would like. Also I am somewhat unsure about the quality of Daltile (I have read mixed reviews).

You can see the tile in the background and the cabinet sample and countertop sample in the foreground in the attached picture.

Please help us select a floor tile!

..try to put it in a way it will be installed-floor, horizontally, then cabinet sample, vertically, then countertop sample, horizontally again

you'll see how it plays together much better since that would be a more truthful representation..surfaces change color a bit and influence each other differently depending on how light hits them. if you take a picture of it and post it-we might see it better too

(unrelated concern-keeping the tile clean..I'm not the cleanest person in the world but yeah I'd be inclined to constantly wipe that floor..you know yourself though

having said that-we're 5 months in our new home and no tile is white(we do have light Quartz countertop though)..and i'm still constantly wiping something, probably new home syndrome. doesn't seem to go away just yet. )

So happy to hear you love your cabinets..walnut IS a great, great wood.

Please see attached picture. Thanks for your help.

We have light shade tiles in the bathroom and laundry. While it is not always clean, ever so often we give it a quick wipe down and that seems to suffice. Of course, the kitchen might receive a lot more traffic so that is something to keep in mind.

Well, I don't know whether I see it close to what it is, monitor and all, but it seems just fine to me. True, the white is not exactly the same, but it doesn't have to be exactly the same. You don't want one white to be blue-ish, other, yellow-ish for example..but I don't see it happening here. One is a bit darker than the other; it's all right. They're also distanced one from another, with cabinets..seems natural. Doesn't look wrong.

Generally, I love walnut and white combo, so I hope somebody else weighs in..I'm not the most objective person on Earth when it comes to it:)

Can't attest for Daltile quality though since I don't have any experience with it.