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irricca

Are these good choices for my kitchen?

We are building a house with a small (10'5"x 8' 9" ) windowless kitchen. It is adjacent to a 10'5" x 8' breakfast nook (all windows). I want the kitchen to be as bright as possible but white cabinets weren't an option so we opted for natural maple cabinets. The picture is the cabinet with a swatch of the laminate countertop and flooring. What do you think? If I'm going to change it I need to do it now. I've also added a pic of what the breakfast nook could look like. It will have the same flooring as the kitchen.

Comments (42)

  • 9 years ago
    You can't really see it in the picture but the countertop has blues, purples, a little pink and yellows in it
  • 9 years ago

    The colors look fine together. Just make sure you get enough lighting there.

  • 9 years ago

    I agree, lighting will be your best friend in a windowless kitchen! I think your finishes are fine : )

  • 9 years ago

    One thing to consider,,,if you have a large area of counter top, you really need lots of light,,the dark counter will absorb a lot of the light from the room

  • 9 years ago

    You are going to live with your choices a long time, and it seems like a really long time when it's the kitchen. I would seriously consider a different laminate for your countertops. What color will your appliances be?

  • 9 years ago
    stainless steel appliances
  • 9 years ago

    Yeah, I like the finishes together fine, but the weak link here is the counter -- I think you should find something much lighter, or it will really make the room feel dark. If you want grays, maybe look for something with a light background and then a mix of gray and tan speckles, rather than the black, especially since your flooring already leans dark.

    (These are all chips grabbed from the Formica website, just as examples.)

  • 9 years ago

    I like Wilsonart's Madre Perola with stainless

  • 9 years ago
    I love the choices you've made. Especially the use of Formica.
  • 9 years ago

    100% agree with @acm. I think the cabinets and floors area great, but a lighter countertop will serve you better.

  • 9 years ago

    This is a better picture of the laminate. Do you have any other suggestions for Wilsonart patterns?

  • 9 years ago

    Yes, too dark, too blue. Look for patterns at Wilsonart similar to the lighter Formica chips I chose above! There must be a wall of chips at your dealer. Their website is a pain to peruse.

    I like several of the last ones, but I'm getting a little bleary doing this, and I ran out of umph halfway down the page. Anyway, you need to check any grays against your floors in person.

  • 9 years ago
    thank you so much!
  • 9 years ago

    When you go looking at countertop material, take your cabinet door and a piece of the floor and keep in mind your stainless appliances (probably trimmed in black?) So don't go tooooo dark gray.

  • 9 years ago
    what if I left the countertop alone and changed the flooring to a lighter color?
  • 9 years ago

    Sorry, the countertop pick just doesn't work with the cabinets either.

  • 9 years ago
    These types of decisions are overwhelming for me. I wish I could afford to pay you to come make all the decisions for me
  • 9 years ago
    What about my bathroom picks?
  • PRO
    9 years ago

    Don’t do laminate on the kitchen floor! Laminate flooring is just a photo of wood adhered (somehow) to a backing. It will be peeling and warping in no time.

    If you are on a budget, stay with the laminate counters and do a light porcelain tile for the floor.

    We have a local tile store that has lots of “in stock” porcelain 12 x 12’s less than $3.00 a sq foot. Go light with your beautiful maple cabinets. If you strike it rich in the next few years, you can change the counters and the porcelain floor you will be able to keep.

  • 9 years ago
    The flooring is actually vinyl. We are planning to do our upgrades separately instead of financing them.
  • 9 years ago

    the bathroom picks look fine. The counter seems to go well with the color of your cabinet

  • 9 years ago
    Vista's Interior Design, I've been spending a ridiculous amount of time on the Wilsonart website. I'm leaning towards to Madre Perola that you recommended. Do you have any pics of the laminate in a kitchen with natural maple cabinets? I can't find anything
  • 9 years ago

    Sorry, Irricca...I don't have any photos. See if you can obtain a large sample of the laminate to try out in your lighting against the cabinetry and flooring.

  • 9 years ago

    Here's a way to get large samples: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wilsonart-8-in-x-10-in-Laminate-Sample-in-Madre-Perola-with-Antique-MC-8X104959K22/204485043  I recommend ordering 4-6 pieces so you can see how it looks.

  • 9 years ago
    As everyone else has said, much lighter on counters. That's such a pretty nook with all the windows, please put a beautiful chandelier.
  • 9 years ago

    We went with Formica Argento Romano. It has beige, grey, white and black all in the same undertones. I really like it...

    http://www.formica.com/en/us/products/formica-laminate-home/06697

  • 9 years ago

    Here's something else to consider. I have a set up similar to yours with a windowless kitchen next to a dining area with a wall of windows. I put in creamy cabinets with darker charcoal countertops, one side of which stretches across most of the width of the kitchen like a peninsula. Somehow the dark counters darken (reflect a shadow onto?) the white ceiling during the day. It's a minor detail and not really a problem with lights are on, but had I known that was a possibility, I might have chosen lighter counters.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Natural Maple and the design you picked for the cabinet doors is very nice. My only advice to you is, don't do anything with black! Light colors. Your counter is the most important and most "visible" piece, it is wise not to save money on that, "Cesarstone" or similar is much wiser if you can stretch the budget.

  • 9 years ago

    You've chosen a lighter floor for the bathroom. Is there a reason you don't want that in the kitchen? I would try to be consistent, assuming the floors flow well into whatever floor connects them. I would stay away from all the dark grays, and keep the surfaces light.

  • 9 years ago

    I think this works. It has some of the browns from your floor as well

  • 9 years ago
    I think it works too. Just be sure to get some large samples to look at (in the real house light if possible, although if you're building it may not be). There's a possibility that that countertop has pink undertones, which are never a good thing.
  • 9 years ago
    What is the flooring in the rest of the house? I think you are smart not to break the bank, but wouldn't changing flooring after the fact be a lot more expensive? I have to admit, personally I really dislike anything that is meant to approximate wood without actually being wood. I am out of step on this, I know. But I do suggest you consider this choice in conjunction with the decision on flooring for all other areas.

    I love your choice of a small kitchen. Not everyone needs or wants a giant kitchen. I suspect that in thirty years you or someone else will be very happy to put in a beautiful new petite kitchen at a reasonable cost.
  • 9 years ago

    I like the new countertop choice.

  • 8 years ago
    After all that, this is what I ended up with. I'm very happy! Now I need to figure out a back splash and what to do with the empty space above the sink!
  • 8 years ago

    Since you have that space there, I would say add some open shelving


  • 8 years ago

    It's beautiful! No need for a backsplash, it looks great just the way it is.

  • 8 years ago

    The 4" up IS the backsplash. No need to add anything else.

    I would think about adding a mirror above the sink, so you can see what's going on behind you!!

    Here is a good Houzz article....https://www.houzz.com/magazine/mirrors-make-an-unexpected-appearance-in-the-kitchen-stsetivw-vs~56995347


  • 8 years ago

    printesa - that is a beautiful kitchen you have posted, is there anyway I could find out what the stone is that has been used on the island even the darker one on the bench would be helpful too - thanks

    Congratulations Irricca - kitchen looks great


  • 8 years ago

    I don't know what materials they used, but here is the link to the project. I am sure you can contact the owner of the photo and get some info from them

    https://www.houzz.com/photos/ukrainian-village-home-contemporary-kitchen-chicago-phvw-vp~88472995

  • 8 years ago

    Thank you - will check it out

  • 8 years ago
    Very nice kitchen, congrats! Now it needs a drop of color, maybe some art or something to infuse more personality.