White quartz top and white wax on the cabinets

I might even consider the white wax on the stained cabinets.

When you overglaze in black I usually prefer to go in this direction, but alas you home is not transitional or modern.

Brilliant idea Beverly. The white wax on all would unite everything and make backsplash choices much easy! That would be beautiful IMO.

General finishes has Pitch Black and VanDyke Brown glazes. depending on how much you put on, how long you leave it, and how much you wipe away, determines the darkness and depth of color. you can choose just to glaze the inner borders or edges and quickly wipe a coat over the base. you control how much you want and where you want it.

Or you could go the white route and do a white glaze or a pearl white glaze.

I don't like using wax in the kitchen because it will get grimy and dirty over time. wax attracts grease and dust and hangs onto it in those crevices.

Beth makes a good point on waxes. But to me the whiter look would work better than dark. Although, with all those flat surfaces on the island it is going to be hard to get a good look IMO. Might just try edges first.

Oooo I do like that white wax idea! Especially given the granite and backsplash. Love how the granite color ties in the wood cabinets so well.

I agree with Flo that glazes (and waxes, though glazes are hardier in the kitchen) are more useful when there is more detail in the piece. Perhaps you can talk to your pro who is going to do the glazing and see if he/she could add some custom-matched bits of detail. I'm not sure what would work well with what you've got, but there might be a way to add something that would hold the glaze and get you closer to your inspiration dresser.

Another possibility I see - you might consider glazing BOTH the island and the cabinets, especially if you go with the chocolate glaze. This would add depth to both, and help tie them together in tone, as well. This is alder, in a caramel finish with a chocolate glaze:

But you can see the the glaze sticks a bit more in the corners and crevices.

Also, I love the tile Mrs. Pete linked. And also that cream one you showed. That would keep things lighter, but give a little texture.

What IS the style of the house, especially other areas you'll see from the kitchen? Just so you pick stuff that flows nicely.

Since you want the island to "steal the show", do not create a red backsplash -- only use a relative small number of red accents within your backsplash. Perhaps an accent stripe?

Do finish your island first so you know exactly how it will turn out so you know what shade of red you need to find for your accent tiles.

Like the darker brick red glaze -- first of three pics posted by

Beth H. :

Kelly, what a beautiful kitchen it’s going to be! And it is so refreshing to see color for a change. I am so sick of gray and white...

I think it’s beautiful, dramatic and gutsy....very individual and......NOT GRAY!! I too love red....
Please update photos as you move along..we would all love to see the finished product!

I appreciate all of you and your talented advise! Here’s what you’ll see from the kitchen (first photo). The kitchen/living room is wide open 450 sq ft. Photo taken from kitchen pantry this angle. I’m planning to have the glaze done before buying accessories. I chose neutral backslash in beige-ish because I wanted the center piece/focal to be the island. All of my friends homes look the same: grey, white and accessories with the brassy gold look that trends today. It’s my desire to have my house to my personality not the status quo. It’s hard to find a designer that digs into the clients personality and not trends. We’ve added a wine cave which is in a hallway leading to the kitchen from garage. I’m using a glass tile called red chili pepper and the cave will look like a wine barrel from top to bottom. Wood plank walls and ceiling with bricked flooring to match hearth of fireplace in this photo. Walls will have sconces red lamps with pewter base. So far that’s the tie in. The media room is completely red as well. I need colour and something dramatic.

Thanks for more details about your kitchen plan, Kelly. It will be great to see the reveal : ) .

Though I have to say I'll be sorry not to see any of Mrs. Pete's recommended Tabarka tile making an appearance -- they make such beautiful tiles. Speaking of which, Mrs. Pete, would you be able to message me so I can ask you a question without going OT here? Thank you!

Mrs Pete I love the tabarka tile. It’s really a great idea for the cook top backsplash. Thank you!

following

Haven't read everything here but that walnut and red do not work well together, maybe it looks better in person, the colour of red has no depth, it's too weak like it been toned down too much (with white or grey or something), not enough pigment, I do love reds though, it's a good colour for foods as it has warm and appetizing associations.

She's trying to add depth with a glaze. Those cabinets are not walnut they're oak.

Ok, heard walnut mentioned somewhere, maybe that's why the red is looking off, oak can have a greyish undertone.

I like the brown or black glaze and think you should do cream tiles, with maybe a feature insert of the type of patterned tile that Mrs. Pete suggested above the range.

Poster says at the beginning that cabinets are walnut.

The wood is oak. The stain is walnut.

Following. Can't wait for the finished look.
Just for another perspective if you wanted to go the white wax route, I used Anne Sloane chalk paint and wax on my cabinets and haven't found a problem with the wax. The key is to use several Coats and really make sure you buff it in good so it's completely smooth and not tacky. I was told that a good wax properly applied is as protective as polyurethane. Granted this was information provided by the distributor who is also an Interior decorator but I do think she knew what she was talking about.
I think your kitchen will be stunning no matter what direction you go.

ljptwt7,,,,'as good as poly' ? no. did you use the wax on kitchen cabinets? how do you plan on cleaning them? wax and water don't like each other. do your doors have small corners (any type of molding trim or shaker trim) on the front where grime collects? the wax cannot be buffed completely in those small joints. dirt will collect there. if you grab your drawers or doors w/your hands and have residue on them from cooking, you may transfer that to the waxed surface. it just doesn't clean off as easily as a poly coated or varnish finished cabinet. Report back in a few years and let us know how that wax finish is holding up.

Wax is fine as a protectant on a dresser or console. water will leave marks on a wax finish. put a drink on a waxed surface w/o a coaster and see what happens.

Beth, you are probably correct in what you're saying, but I don't find that there is that much more dust and grime then what they would accumulate before they were painted -- it's mainly around the stove area were you have the grease and dust -- but it does come off. I've wiped with plain water and mild soap and water.
What I like about the wax option is I can patch up any areas with paint and wax and it blends right in. I didn't think a varnish would allow that option and I don't like the look of polyurethane. I only have one cabinet that got dinged up around the door handle that needs to be touched up so the paint job has held up very well. I also did one bathroom before I did the kitchen.
It's been 2 years since I painted my kitchen cabinets. What I plan to do is periodically clean them real good apply another coat or two of wax. Yes, a little more work than before there were painted. But I couldn't afford (or didn't want to spend the money on) new cabinets and they look a whole lot better than they did before.
We will see if I still think the same way after 10 years!

that's a good idea. reapplying the wax is necessary. I'm glad it works for you. (you know they make poly in all diff sheens, yes? General Finishes has a Dead Flat matte finish if you dislike any type of shine). I just hate waxing and buffing so it's something I wouldn't want to do.

Thanks for info. Beth. I suppose I can always topcoat with something else if rewaxing becomes a pain. But my kitchen is on the small size so not too many cabinets to do. We will see!
I just wanted to give my experience with wax in case the OP is really interested in it for the island.

Just thought of something....I waxed over chalk paint. Make sure if you wax that the paint is the type of paint you can wax.

Well, you CAN wax over most paints as long as they're fully cured. Also over most topcoats.

What you cannot do is topcoat over wax. You'd have to remove ALL the wax, first. Which can be done, but is very tedious and involves buckets of mineral spirits or sanding down to bare wood. The more detail in your piece, the more challenge to get every last bit of wax off.

If you don't the wax will prevent any film-based top coat from fully curing, causing it to remain sticky and to blister up or scrape off easily.

Glaze, on the other hand, can easily accept a topcoat. And should!

If is for this reason that hardwearing items are generally glazed. The finish just holds up better over time. Not only does it not require maintenance, but it's more water resistant.

The order in which finishes are applied and their various compatibilities are important. Which is why it will be vital for the OP to communicate thoroughly with her painter what her desires are and listen to his or her advice on what is possible and what is not. It's also important to ask for samples of various proposed treatments before committing. That way you know what you're in for before something irreversible is done. For instance, you can't "unstain" something. You can sand down to bare wood or you can bleach. But neither will return the wood fully to it's original appearance. You can't "unglaze" a piece after you've glazed it and allowed the glaze to cure. You can only sand back down, repaint, and start again.

Sample doors, OP, sample doors!! :-)

Kelly Dennis, Thank you for the peek into this beautiful space. It is going to be spectacular! All of us should keep in mind that the lighting, the textures and even the final finish of the island are going to look very different when you put it all together. I love that you are sticking to your dream and with so much advice, ideas and creative suggestions it is going to be great. If you are looking for votes... I happen to like the brown glaze idea for your island. At first I thought a tile backsplash with a bit of bling might be good but on 2nd thought I say wait. And lastly I love the dark oak cabinets. I can't wait to see your wine cave (I keep thinking Man Cave) and all its gorgeousness. Enjoy all the beauty unfolding.

following

Kelly Dennis, what a beautiful kitchen it's gonna be! Thank you for sharing this. I'm fond of red and I can't wait to see the final result.

Here’s the finished product of the Red Island Dilemma

It turned out lovely, Kelly! Do you smile every time you walk in the room?

Absolutely beautiful! Enjoy your new kitchen!

kelly, that red looks great against the dark wood. love it when people aren't afraid to use a little color!

Looks fantastic!

Very Nice!

Interesting kitchen! And I mean that in the most complimentary way.

Kelly, it looks great. What finish did you end up using on the island?

Slightly biased as we're putting a bright red Bertazzoni range in our new kitchen, but absolutely love your red island and contrasting perimeter cabinets! Bravo for daring to be different :)

I love this and I have to say, Mrs. Pete gives great advice. I'm always happy when she chimes in to discussions.

Yay! Really love the wood grain on the dark cabs.

Looks great! Where are your chairs from? :)

I have to be honest...red is not a color I am drawn to BUT that island is AWESOME in that kitchen! I admire your taste and vision.

Kelly, Love the oak cabinets-- can you tell me the stain color?

If I were that red island and had to live among those oak cabinets all day, I'd run away and try to find another ocean.

The island has a brown glaze. The oak cabinets are stained walnut. The chairs are from Costco.com.
Thank you so much for all of the encouragement. There’s much to do including this...I. Heading to the Dallas market tomorrow...I love mixing metals and I’ve grown to accept wood and metal combos. I’ve not really ever liked wood.

Kelly - can you tell me what brand refrigerator you have? I have been through so many and I don’t like any of them. Yours has an interesting door figuration. Thanks. Enjoy your beautiful kitchen!

Sheres the refrigerator is KitchenAid. I absolutely love the brand.