Your idea books show contrast - white cabinets with dark counters, white bench with black cushion, black cabinets with white counters. Seems you like a mix. Have you looked into darker colored granites or quartz? Maybe Caesarstone Pebble, or Symphony Grey if that's too dark.

Kathryn, Maybe like in the photo below? Thanks for that insightful comment about the idea book. It's all very random of course, so that was really interesting feedback!

Rita - Oh no, my heart sank a bit. I just don't have it in me to do a new kitchen. I'm hoping just some paint and new counters will do the trick. Maybe a nice quick update like the below????

Oops, photo didn't work, but like in this link:

https://www.hometalk.com/post/3675761/media?id=598814

The photo you posted is lovely. All the major quartz lines have grey options that would help you achieve that look. I'm more familiar with Caesarstone since I bought my tops through Ikea, but all have good ones. Pebble, I think, looks a bit like granite since the markings on it are small. Symphony Grey is a stunner if you're going for subtle movement with the tiniest hint of shine. I ended up using Clamshell, which looks a lot like concrete.

Kathryn, Do you have photos of your final kitchen posted? It's funny because I have been to ikea and I've taken photos of the quartz that I've liked. I'll have to check which grey I've picked in the past!

I'd go gray quartz -- the look and upkeep both better match your household.

You could do a glossy white (or even white glass) for the backsplash or add a little color, like a bottle green glass. Fun!

White counters on white cabinets is too much white. There is a nice light tan Quartz which would look good in your kitchen.
Please go look at Quartz again. It isn't too bold and comes in many nice colors, which will make selecting a glass subway tile in a similar color very easy.

I don't have any pics, because despite having started 2 years ago, it's still in progress. In my defense, I did have a baby in that time. ;)

All is forgiven then. :) Congrats on the little one!!!

If you are messy types quartz will likely be the best choice from a maintenance standpoint. You can get all the colors mentioned in it too. If you like white you can make it work easily. There are plenty of beautiful all white kitchens but you can also break it up with your backsplash. You mentioned glass tile subways. Those come in a plethora of color choices. Will you be changing your green walls? I would think about what accents you want color wise. For example if green like your walls is your accent color then a gray counter will probably not look all that great. But the green would be fine with the black or white counters. However if you are planning on changing that paint then that opens up a larger field.

You have a wonderful warm wood floor in there. White invokes pristine surroundings and begs to be hospital pure and sparse which in a kitchen translates into 1 or 2 accent pieces or things look sloppy.

The images above look a bit cluttered.

Softening the color of the cabinets and counters lends itself to a bit more of a chaotic feel which is more realistic to how most of us live.

These images, while littered with stuff, do not feel as cluttered as the colors dominate and ground the surroundings.

Don't be afraid to color your world...after all, it's just paint. Go white or black on the counters (black shows scratches easily though). A touch of color in the backsplash tile and color those cabinets.

Thanks, PinkPeony. The green walls are definitely going. They'd be gone already, but we need to pick the counter first and well . . . here I am! :-) Love southport classic and Kings that you've posted. Will need to take a closer look at quartz again.

The last pic PinkPeony posted, Kings, that's Caesarstone Clamshell. The same as I have. Let's pretend my kitchen looks that fabulous!

Love your kitchen!

we want cake (love the moniker,) I really, really like your kitchen. I am not saying your kitchen looks bad at all. I just think that the cabinets and top work together very well and if you put today's latest and greatest countertop in that kitchen it might make the older elements stand out as older, as opposed to it all being of a piece- a very nice piece in my view.

There are many people who come here with older and unattractive kitchens where I really understand their desire to do anything to improve the situation. Yours is not one of those kitchens. I like white kitchens- yours is great. I like it better than some brand spanking new kitchens that are cookie cutter copies of everyone else's kitchen. And your checkerboard backsplash is so cool too. I'd splurge on a vacation if I were you.

I apologize for making your heart sink at all.

And if you still want a new counter - because I totally understand stone lust- then I am sure it will look fab too.

I think a simple white quartz will be the best. they have some that resemble marble to give you a little variance.

white cabs, white counter, white subway white appliances,,,that's a very sterile looking kitchen. you need some contrast.

Please consider doing some cabinet handles like are shown in these pictures. plus, it will help add some contrast to the white.

do some glass in two of the upper doors. you can do obscure glass if you're not neat;),,,it just gives some visual interest.

farm house sink? this is a dark gray quartz,,or you could do soapstone or a honed black granite like Jet mist or virginia mist.

cup pull handles ,, pendant light,,,

and lastly, since you're picking, sigh, white subway tile, consider picking the longer style and doing it in a herringbone w/a darker grout. against the counter, will keep it from looking like a snowstorm.

this is a gray quartz,

have you thought about a two tone? navy lowers would look lovely next to your flooring and really pop against the whites

bring in a nice rug, some gold hardware, quartz marble,,,,done!

this is one of my fave before and after kitchens. since you have that work space to the left of fridge, kind of on it's own, you could do the darker color for that entire section, and do the light color for the rest of the kitchen.

Hi, it looks like you are already getting great advice from the experts here. And I agree that your kitchen is very nice! If you do decide to get new counters, I wanted to suggest that you consider replacing what I assume is an electric cooktop on the peninsula with induction. The cooktop isn’t protected from someone accidentally touching it...with induction, the top itself won’t get hot (just the pan heats up) so it would be a lot safer.

Use black , it will look beautiful and elegant .

Putting new countertop on older cabinets. Only suggested when

Cabinets are :

-not foil

-Hinges,drawer slides are in great working condition

- excellent or really good shape

- fuctional, user friendly layout

Here is a picture to compare the perimeter cabinets white on white. Works well due to the backsplash contrast.

The island medium grey on white

Here is what a black or darker countertop on white. I do not think having black backsplash was a good idea here

Another with black top keeping the backsplash on bottom off, highly recommended to keep the black line on an even horizontal plane.

Note, black hardware on white cabinets becomes obvious focal point. Only do this if you want the hardware to stand out. I prefer the countertop be the focal point by keeping hardware silver, gold, or glass on light color cabinets.

I really like the following. Subtle greys on white.

My fav below.

I'll be back with more comments in a little while. Thank you everyone for your feedback. There is one more counter space area. And, there's a bay window. For sure, we are now leaning toward quartz (grey), but but the superwhite quartzite seemed like a very good price, less than the quartz, but not sure if that included installation costs . . . need to check on that. For sure we also want to change the knobs/pulls. The cabinets are solid wood.

Also noticed the yellow coming off light blubs. Change those 1st before deciding on colors in space.

Ok, folks. I'm back and still a little lost. Honestly, last night, I was convinced we should get grey quartz. But, this morning, started thinking about the pretty super white quartzite again.

And, what do you all think about having different surfaces on any of the other countertops? I guess I think I'd like a wood, but no idea how to pull that off.

ArtistSharonVa - I really like the kitchen below. Do you know what the counters are?

Oh, and thanks for the tip on the lighting. We have since had all of the canisters replaced and the ceiling totally replaced. I think the yellow is now gone, but will check.

silviakunst - Thank you. We went though a black phase, and specifically a honed black, but because there are really 4 counter surfaces, I feel like it would be too much?

BethH!!! - I love a farmhouse sink. Can I do that? I would love to do that? Why do the stone places all have undermount sinks only? The navy kitchens you posted are really pretty and very stylish, but I think we are not . . . that . . . stylish, if that makes sense. This one is more my speed:

I like the idea of glass uppers, but we are very utilitarian . . . but it's possible with an obscure glass like you say. And, I totally understand what you have explained re: the needed variation.

If not subway tile, then what? I can't imagine ever actually picking out a backsplash tile. I guess that's what draws me to the subway tile -- very safe choice.

And, yes, need new pulls/hardware, uggh re: another decision to make.

cyc2001 - I didn't know that about induction! Thanks for pointing that out, we will look into it.

Rita - Thank you. I follow you now. For sure hoping for just a quick update. It's definitely a livable kitchen, but I've spent way too much time watching HGTV I guess, lol!

I would second the suggestions for a marble look quartz- viaterra soprano or minuet are both nice and a little more budget friendly (at least in my market)

I think the toaster area and the TV area could easily have wood counters- they look fairly small so you may be able to get a stock wood counter cut to size (both IKEA and Floor and Decor sell these, cutting and finishing them takes some labor)

Finally I would suggest painting the area of soffit above the cabinets the cabinet color so it reads like part of your cabinets, right now it is a stripe that visually shortens the ceilings.

What color white will you be using. Perhaps a quartz might be nice. I would select countertops first, then you can get right white for cabinets. Getting whites to work together is one of the hardest things to do. So make your job easier by getting set on countertops. For a classic look, go see London Sky. It is closest quartz to Carrera Marble on the market IMO. Then you could find cabinets color that works well and backsplash. There are thousands of shades, tones and variations of white so that is why when i can i get counters selected first.

@lucidos - i just read your profile page and it wins the Award for Best, Most Hilarious Yet Informative “Profile” on Houzz ever! I think you should write a book on your adventures with funny descriptive photos of animals to make your point like your profile photo! Terrific! Ya-all need to go read it!

Super White is not a quartzite, it's a dolomite,,marbles first cousin. (I don't care what anyone on here says, or what a sales rep at the stone yard tells you. It's Dolomite) It is a little hardier than marble, but not as good as granite. I have super white on my bathroom vanity. I haven't had one issue w/staining or etching,,,but I don't bring lemons or spaghetti sauce in there either! if you can use cutting boards and wipe up your messes, it will work. if not, get a quartz that looks like marble.

Farm house sink,,doable..Kohler has a drop in model (westhaven, I believe) that fits on your current base cabinet. otherwise, you may have to modify yours in order to get the others to fit.

Your cabinets still look very good and i would always suggest a good quality countertop - Super white quartzite would look great but there are other options that are more durable - like Dekton that comes in a variety of colors - come visit our showroom mosconemarble.com 8830 Jane St Vaughan Ontario

Let me know your thoughts
Thanks Nina
MOSCONE MARBLE LTD

See what I mean? they're in the business and they call is quartzite. smh.

Super White QUARTZITE is more hardier then marble but not as durable as granite in my opinion and my experience since 1991 - and yes i am definitely IN the business - you can message me any time thanks and all the best sincerely Nina Moscone

following

Nina...super white is a dolomite. absolutely. If you say it's not as hardy as granite, but quartzite is hardier than granite, than how can you call it 'quartzite'? it's contradiction. quartzite is harder than granite.

SW is often referred to as quartzite because some slabs actually carry a higher content of quartz. So while some super white can be quartzite, it's almost always made of dolomite. So when customers ask, "will it etch or stain". what do you say? you have to tell them that a lot of these slabs are made of dolomite and can etch and stain. you can't refer to this stone as 100% quartzite 100% of the time. That's not fair to the consumer.

So what is SUPER WHITE then???? Super White is a Dolomite, Which is a marble. it's a somewhat harder stone than typical marble, yet it is a marble non the less. That means, while it may be more resistant to acid and harder to scratch, it will in fact, etch from acids (citrus, lemon juice) and it can also be scratched.

https://www.arcstonegranite.com/single-post/2017/07/13/On-the-rocks-issue-8-Whats-the-story-with-Super-White-Quartzite-Granite-Marble

hardness can be determined by seeing if the rock scratches glass. Granite will scratch glass easily but no matter how hard you press, marble simply cannot put a dent into glass. When put to the test, Super White does not scratch glass. Strike one against the hyperbole of “wearing like granite.”

Resistance to acids is problematic for countertop rocks, particularly marble. The telltale “etch” on a kitchen counter is a result of the surface of the rock dissolving from contact with acid. Kitchens abound with acidic liquids such as citrus, wine, pickle juice and tomato sauce. While marble is a beautiful choice for kitchen aesthetics, it is damaged by acids, thus offering a love-hate dilemma for kitchen designers. Hence the allure of a rock like Super White that indeed looks like marble but is said to behave like granite.

Well, the Super White sample failed to stand up to the acid test. Geologists use diluted hydrochloric acid to identify the mineral calcite, which is the primary ingredient in marble. A single drop of acid on calcite will yield faint bubbles as the mineral dissolves and gives off carbon dioxide gas. Alas, when acid is put on Super White it does not bubble at first. But, if the surface of the rock is scratched up, then the bubbles appear. This is the classic test for dolomite, which is a close cousin to calcite. Dolomite is slightly more resistant to acid than calcite, but it will still dissolve over time.

Taking all of the rock’s characteristics into consideration, Super White would properly be called dolomitic marble. Even to a geologist, dolomitic marble does not exactly roll off your tongue. Super White certainly is a more palatable and marketable name. Is Super White a suitable rock for your countertop? It depends on your tolerance for etching and scratching. But the important thing is to know what you are buying, which is why some geologic skills are handy here.

But after all the geologic diagnoses, a caveat remains. Not all Super Whites are dolomitic marble. Some are likely to be calcitic marble, and others may be quartzite, which would indeed wear like granite. All are confusingly lumped under the same name. So if you go to buy stone countertops, bring along a glass tile and see if the rock can scratch it.

https://www.visionlearning.com/blog/2013/12/12/geology-kitchen-mystery-super-white/

Nina, does ALL of your Super White actually scratch Glass? all quartzite will scratch glass. marble or dolomite will not.

if you are so sure it's quartzite, please follow the instructions for the acid test and let me know how your super white fairs. I'm betting it will bubble.

I have a large Super White countertop in my bathroom. it's been great. no stains, no etching. but again, I have spilled any kitchen sauces on it.

Perhaps a geology refresh course is needed.

I live with a real Geologist. We chose quartz. Hahahahaha! Because I wanted marble and he didn't want to have to baby our counters. He knows I get upset when things get "ruined". We did do marble in our bathrooms but I had to sign a agreement I would not get upset when something invariably compromised the surface of the Carrara Marble Counters ;-)My husband is a Hydro Geological Engineer. A Geologist. He knows his Stuff.

Very informative discussion.

pink,,,ask him about the acid test w/dolomite. a drop of hydrochloric acid will give off CO2 on marble. how they test for dolomite is the same. it won't bubble on the polished surface. but if it's scratched up a bit, then the bubbles will appear. they say that's the telltale sign for dolomite. You can also see quartz crystals in some stone. I have some in mine

I just hate to see stone companies pass this stone off as absolute quartzite. some slabs can be but others will be closer to marble. Quartzite is sandstone that's heated and compressed. Dolomite is calcite. they are two different compositions.

It's a sales technique. if they say Dolomitic Marble, which is mouthful, people automatically think of regular marble. so they say quartzite because it's sounds better to customers. It's false to sell something like that.

"If the seal is broken by a scratch revealing the raw rock beneath the chemical reaction will occur." Example if acid hits Dolomite in its polished form the reaction time is longer and it will etch before it can bubble. However if say there was a knife used on the counter and a surface scratch was produced and then acid was placed on that the bubble reaction from the acid would occur quicker.

in the simplest of terms.....

Quartzite is compacted quartz grains Or pure quartz crystals that have been fused and compacted together.

Dolomite is a carbonate rock and Marble is an altered Dolomite. So basically Marble is a result of Dolomite being heated and forming another rock.

.Quartzite and Marble are created by the same process but the origin rock is different.

MOHS Scale (geologic hardness scale) rates

Quartzite 7

Quartz 7

Marble 3-5

Dolomite 4

Diamond 10

glass 6-7

Granite 7

Calcite 3

Talc 1

Beth I now need my Whisky!

I am speaking from my experience - where even granite has been weathered and etched

but we aren't talking about granite. (and true granite will not etch from kitchen foods,,but that's another geology lesson) we are talking about calling Super White, a Quartzite. It's Dolomite. often has quartz crystals, can sometimes act like a quartzite, but geologically it's dolomite, and should be sold as such.

The fact that it bubbles w/a drop of acid is the test for calcite/dolomite composition.

PRO

MOSCONE MARBLE & GRANITE

Super White QUARTZITE is more hardier then marble but not as durable as granite in my opinion and my experience since 1991 - and yes i am definitely IN the business

So stop referring to Super White as a quartzite. that's all I said wayyyyy back up in comments.

pink,,yes,,I'm aware of the MOHS scale. tell your hubby thanks! (and true granite isn't even some of the stuff they sell as granite!) Granite is actually at a 6-6.5,,but yes, quartzite is harder, which is why I said if Super White isn't as hardy as granite, then how can it be called quartzite?? that was my point. Super White is not a Quartzite. Sometimes it can be like quartzite,,based on the amount of crystals, but for the most part it's composed of dolomite,,,

(did you know a knife blade or glass will not scratch quartzite? (or granite)

Nina, you're prob not a geologist, but since you're in the business, you really should read up on geology and what constitutes what,,,the diff between calcite, dolomite, quartzite, what quartzite is composed of, what Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic types mean and which stones fall under which type, etc. It's just good to know if you're selling the stuff. I know you wouldn't purposely try to sell something under another name, not if you were completely informed.

I am giving my experience with all types of stones, what I have seen, in over 3 decades. I can say, that all stone surfaces react differently to different chemicals, foods, cleaners, etc. even when classified within the same category like "granite" or "marble" or "quartzite" or "limestone". Also, I have seen some slabs from the SAME block react differently when exposed to the same chemical or food, because on one portion of the slab can be more porous and less resistant to stains and etching and then on the opposite side of the slab the pores can be more dense and more resistant. These are products of nature and no two slabs are identically composed and therefore there can be slightly varying reactions.

I really like the idea in the photo wewantcake linked. Just enough contrast wo it being stark. I think a really dark counter might have a closing in effect with the natural lighting you have in that space. A gray would provide the contrast while not having that effect perhaps.

Hallett & Co - Thank you, that's actually a brilliant suggestion to paint that upper area white!! Of course, that never would have occurred to me, but I see it now.

Flo - Haha, of course, I have no idea which white! Fortunately, the contractor who will paint the cabinets advised that we pick counters first before deciding on colors. I've thought several times -- how many different shades of white can there be, but I took their advice, hence the standstill where we find ourselves now. :-)

Nina,,yes. we know that. but that wasn't the subject. the subject was SuperWhite and you misnaming it. don't go off on another tangent. we know slabs react differently. the point was, you referring to SW as a quartzite and selling it to a customer, as a quartzite. it's not. That was the point. so please, just stop calling it quartzite. if you want to say it's dolomite, but sometimes can wear like a quartzite, fine.

Hello Beth I am commenting on the original poster and advising her on some info on durability. I haven't sold her a countertop at all, I am sorry if you thought I did.

Hello again, original poster, I like all three types of colors with white cabinets. It's all preference at that point, white cabinets with white countertops, or grey countertops or dark countertops, > I have seen many scenarios and I can appreciate and like each concept, but probably my preference would be the white or the light grey, because I like the space to be softened, but again in my preference. best of luck and take care Nina

I think a grey quartz would look really nice in your kitchen!

Also, you could easily add a flush breakfast bar overhang on the peninsula of your countertop, approx. 10" - 12", would add more space to the top, design presence and functionality.

I agree with you that sometimes it is very difficult to choose the style and color of furniture. Specialists from https://www.cabinets-countertops.com/products/cabinets helped me, who told me about all the possible colors and materials of the products. And he helped me choose a stylish option. Think and you will contact, think and you will be helped.