I appreciate the workmanship, but not the style. If I had to say it in one word: suffocating.

Dungeon-like. No window (that we can see), upper line of cabinets goes up and down and reverberates the busy floor pattern, gold accents are dated and looks like owner is trying too hard to look rich.

It has too many "different" elements which makes it look busy and overwhelming; diff. finishes (dark wood, burnished dark metal hood with gold, floor material, counter material), too many different colors and busy pattern in floor, too many different shapes (heavy, turned legs, geometric and overbearing hood, rectangle shapes in floor, beams in ceiling).

It reminds me of a living room that has no focal point. Or a woman wearing every piece of jewelry she owns. (Coco Chanel said, "Accessorize and then take one piece off.)

Dark, heavy, traditional is not my style, but one can design a kitchen in this style and make it look less dark, dungeon-y, overburdened and overwrought.

I feel like it's in a basement--no window, the ceiling beams bring the ceiling down, the busy floor brings the floor up. If I were to come into this kitchen for breakfast, I'd go back to bed.

Ten years ago I would have made the same comments. Now it looks more like a 10 year old Middle Ages movie set. All you need is a suit of armor and a torture rack.

But other than that, it's fine. ;-)

too much! that is my thought. you don't have to match your granite and walls. that is the first thing i would change, walls then ceiling.

love the floor.. love the vaulted ceiling with the beams. I really love that hood vent above the stove. Yet I think the cabinetry is way too ornate for my tastes. This is a case of just having way too much going on .. A simpler cabinet would have made this a home run in my opinion.

Gorgeous! I love it and I am not a grandma! Ha! Ha! to the person who said grandma would love it. However, I do like some light in a kitchen The addition of a window would help.

Sorry, i think it's awful.

I'll take it! Hubby, I won't complain! Promise!

@diyher, I'm not under 35 and I can't stand this kitchen. You'd have to pay ME to live in a house with that kitchen.

It's certainly impressive, and I'm sure it's well built and that everything is top quality, but it's totally not my style, nor one I could ever imagining working with.

@diyher: I too am not under 35. I'm not even under 50, and I am a huge fan of wood, wood trim, antique wood, and historical preservation (i.e. not painting everything white). And I still dislike this kitchen for all the reasons already expressed by others.

I truly love, love, love this kitchen.

I'm sure someone put a great deal of work into this design but for me, it only makes me claustrophobic.

Vince, I am just a humble homeowner, here is what I think. If the cabinets were aligned at the top, the vent hood was different, the faucet was not chrome, giant fridge was built in, and other finishes were harmonized, this would be a much nicer kitchen. Even replace the orange flowers with yellow or white. Still over the top tuscan, but more palatable. Amazing carpenter and painter you got there!

If this kitchen is in a castle, that will work. But I won't do this in my own house.

dark and dated

Traditional and Classic!

for those of you that think this kitchen is "dated" do you have an endless flow of money to every 8-10 years totally redo everything in your house according to what designers say we should be doing? I think people need to get a grip

Diyher, totally agree with you. Most of us have to live with what we chose at some point in our lives, good or bad. And I'd love to see what some of these people who are so critical have! (BTW, this style is not my style in the least but who am I to criticize what someone probably loves?).

First beautiful space! My pet peeve is uneven tops of cabinets. I am 6'4 so I prefer tall cabinets to the ceiling! Great work! Love the small details.

"Dated" is only a negative until it comes back into vogue... then it's "cutting edge & fresh" all over again. lol
I guess that means I've been in the business too long.

Thank you Richman!! I like your username!

Vince Fratantoni

it is a little over the top for what I have the money to do lol, but the color scheme I like as far as cabinets, wall etc and some of the corner areas of the base cabinets, but the top of the cabinets is a bit too ornate for me, but still classic. I've been in my current house 19 years, a new build. Took me 3 years to finally go from builders white to start painting rooms how I would like. This is the 2nd time I painted my kitchen in 19 years, but it's because I wanted a change, not because I thought I had to because of "what is up to date" Also 2nd time I painted the family room, living and dining room, but other than that, no major changes besides us doing our own wainscoting in a lot of our 1st floor and upstairs hallway.

@diyher

I love your story. I think you have a great sense of what you want. I like how you kept to what works for you and did not necessarily change your home to fit into trends. If you saw at least one thing you thought was interesting or different in this kitchen that you liked than I am grateful. That is what makes it all worth it for me!

Vince Fratantoni

Italian restaurant- Macaroni Grill or perhaps Cheese Cake Factory...

Overdone. Perhaps what bothers me the most are the stools which have me looking for flocked wallpaper and the flooring which seems too patchwork and choppy. It is all a matter of personal style though which is why I love this site.

Too fussy. Detailing is great, but there's too much of it and it's not the right kind here.

If you're thinking about changing things up, we love kitchen makeovers! It's important to install high quality cabinets that are going to last but NOBODY wants to spend an arm and a leg on something like kitchen cabinets do they? For anyone considering new cabinets, Cabinets To Go is definitely worth checking out--we do bathroom vanities too :) http://www.cabinetstogo.com/

Why don't you read the posts before you post your ads? :(

It seems the general consensus in this thread is "a good idea, but a bit too much". It speaks "luxury" and "opulence", but it's somewhat heavy on the dark colors and ornamentation.

Simplifying a couple of design aspects (flooring, cabinetry, mouldings) would go a long way toward making this design more appealing to more people.

“True ornament is not a matter of prettifying externals. It is organic with the structure it adorns, whether a person, a building, or a park.” - Frank Lloyd Wright

That having been said, the attention to detail is stunning - not many people will go as far as putting Venetian Stucco on the ceiling, and carved wood island supports.

ahhh just give me the kitchen and I'll look after it hehe, I love it. My new one is milky white but I like the classic looks. I see this kitchen above as something that will last for a very long time.

Overdone. Unpractical

soulless - for looking at (by someone with only mediocre taste IMO) not for living in - cold, stark and nothing to do with the concept of "home"

The dark, rich finishes and heavy ornate qualities would lend themselves better to a high end bar room for entertaining. But as a custom cabinet designer, I respect the qualities and details of this kitchen. Takes a lot of talent, details and money to pull this off. And they did with success. Well done if this is what the client requests.

I like clean simple lines and practicality, this is too rich. In food terms this would be the pavlova or a tiramisu. I like a clean light refreshing sorbet instead.

Although the cabinetry is well done, I think it would be more interesting to have a few distresed, painted pieces in the kitchen to make the kitchen lighter. A different island color, for example, could make it look like an antique piece was repurposed.

I don't think ok fits but it is dark. I think a bit less of the same idea would have been better. Don't hit me over the head with a style. Also, the ceiling detail is amazing then completely lost by the dark color. Love the hood.

Vince, when it's time to turn this house over, and the prospective owners can't tolerate the style, maybe they will give you the contract for the reno. If they do, I recommend this approach, which will add to the value of the house going forward:

Yeah I agree it is on the heavy side and a bit confused by the flooring

This is an amazing kitchen!!!

Wow! some harsh words for a stunning kitchen! It may not be my perfect kitchen, either, but I can appreciate its beauty. I love to cook and bake and I wouldn't worry about all the nooks and crannies to collect flour and what-not. I have a vacuum and wash rags for that. My one criticism would be the size of the island. It looks like it would be difficult to reach the whole surface to clean. I think the finishes are lovely.

I can appreciate the workmanship and design of the kitchen. Not my dream room but it would be fun to spend a couple days making meals here. It would definitely be more fun than work. :)

one word? ostentatious!

dark

dark and dated

I admire the beautiful wood and the excellent craftsmanship. It's way too big and opulent for my taste, but I'd take it over the ubiquitous cold white/gray/ stainless kitchens any day.

Is this Queen Elizabeth's kitchen?

Dark

Too busy and too dark for my taste.

Busy, dark, heavy

Woody! :)

One word comes to mind, thereisbeautyinallthingsbutnotexactlymycupoftea!