white walls, white backsplash

Match the cabinets

Yes, match the cabinets so it feels like one cohesive unit.

If you need/prefer extra tall counters, do it the right way and have custom cabinets built. Otherwise, lower the cabinets to the floor where they were designed to be in the first place.

Paint to match cabinets.

I would paint it dark Brown to cover potential for scuffs.

Toe kicks should be the same color as the cabinetry.

Remove that cheap plywood that will have the grain SHOUT very dirty words at you from across the room. Have a cabinet maker retrofit toe kick drawers. USE that space for something.

@sammy I would love to lower them... I'm 5'1'! But, worried about the cost and hassle, esp. removing and remounting the counter. We spent a bit removing an ugly tile floor and laying wood to match the rest of our house, not to mention replacing all appliances.

@Sophie Wheeler we have Aspen cut and ready to mount. The plywood was there to fill the gap. Thought about drawers. My husband isn't a fan.

Maureen S--

Re: your husband-

Is he the one doing the cooking/baking? Is the kitchen his domain?

If not, tell him, she who plays the game gets to make the rules.

Do you tell him how to set up his tools in the garage or his workshop or where ever?

Bake him some cookies.

Then while he's eating them and saying how great they are, tell him you'll bake more often if you don't have to risk life and limb climbing a ladder every time you need to get a cookie sheet or a muffin tin.

Of course this won't work if you have a bad back and can't bend down, either.

A toe kick drawer is a good place to store a step-stool.

Toe kick drawers are a great use of space.

You can do them with or without handles, locked or unlocked.

They are the perfect place for flat things like baking sheets and trays and serving platters and linens, bottles of wine, and the gifts from relatives you hate but have to keep and whip out when they come for the holidays....

In addition, consider getting this Sweepovac toe kick vacuum

You can read the discussion about it on this thread

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/is-this-product-worth-200-to-add-to-our-kitchen-remodel-dsvw-vd~5287385?n=36

I would paint them a darker color so they don't show scuff marks.

If any event, do them in a paint finish that can easily be cleaned.

@loobad Thanks!

He does do most of the cooking. Really, it is more of a money/time issue. Plus, he is convinced it would present unexpected complications. The previous owners made some questionable decisions. We often start a project that goes off the rails because of weird decisions made by them...or they cut corners. The cabinets are KraftMaid, probably from Home Depot or Lowe's. We are not handy enough to do them ourselves. Would a cabinet maker be the way to go? Any idea of rough costs per drawer?

I wonder about mice and even dust getting into the toe kick drawers. We live in the country and occasionally have mice. If the drawers are fitted below cabinet boxes, is there a gap that opens to the back of the drawer?

Thanks so much!!

@tandem42 Yes! First time ever using the Advice boards. Great community!!

If the counters are the right height for your husband and HE does most of the cooking, leave them for now and just address the finish of the toe kick...it will look best if they match the cabinets. If you help in the kitchen, you might like to have a rolling work table, a small rolling island or some other rolling cabinet built for your height.

Not seeing the rest of your home, but would large baseboards work? We have 7 inch baseboards in our home and had our kitchen cabinets built to match that height.

Do you have scrap pieces of the Aspen? If so, stain 1 piece to match the floor, paint 1 piece to match the cabinets, and one piece painted a dark color, then compare them. You could post the pics here to see which one others prefer, if you are still uncertain of your choice.

@kootenaycapable good idea. I will check.

Well, dust can get into any drawer anywhere.
That’s why we sweep the kitchen floor daily or twice daily.

Maybe a whole house vac would work for you if you have wood floors.

Some us more neurotic folk keep the things we use less frequently stored in plastic zip- loc bags or wrapped in cling film so we don’t have to wash them again before we use them.

That’s what I do with my food processor. I found that by the time I assembled the thing and figured out which blade to use and afterwards disassembled it, I could have used my knife in less time.
The food processor is wrapped up in cling film in the box it came in, used only when I am cooking for a huge crowd. And yes, I have an old fashioned potato masher and rotary beater.

You can get locks on the drawers, even the simple magnetic ones of the type people use for baby locks. There’s a magnet on the door and you hold another magnet to the door to be able to open it.

There are all kinds of baby locks and earthquake locks that might suit you, but if your kitchen has plenty of storage and you really don’t need the toe-kick drawers, then good for you.

You can get an island with a pneumatically adjustable height so it works for both you and your husband.

Hey, does he have a nice brother? :)