Right, we were planning to replace the backsplash and insert. We liked the look of the marble-look quartz but it did not really feel comfortable with the floor and more traditional cabinets, and I think we will move away to a creamy quartz counter. We dislike our old granite counter and it is stained. So we do plan new countertops Do you have any suggestions for colors of quartz?

So, just another thought. Because of the style of your kitchen and the colors in the floors, could you have the cabinets painted, do the new lighting and then reassess whether you want to do new counters? I just don’t think that there is going to be a quartz option that will compliment your floors, I really think natural stone is a much better partner. I’m thinking once the cabinets are painted and new lighting is installed you will know, and maybe a new, lighter, more modern backsplash will be enough to tie it all together. Something along the lines of the picture below...

Hmm, I think there are plenty of better countertops you can get that will still fit in your scheme. I'm not a fan of tan/beige granite either.

Cambria Dovetale, Delgatie, Brittanica Warm, or Skara Brae could all potentially work fine.

LG Viatera Melody, White Solace, Soprano, and Clarino would all work fine as well.

Are you stuck on a whitish quartz that looks like marble? If you are, maybe Calcutta or calacata gold marble will tie in better with you floors. If you are not stuck on marble, I would personally look into soapstone; it’ll balance all the light colors well.

Other options:

• change the tile in that room only; caustic tile, cement looking tiles in porcelain. If the rest of your house has the same tile, mixing a decorative tile like these for only the kitchen will look intentional
• Paint the tile, very easy to do.

If you love your tile then again, I would look into the first options mentioned. You can also tie in a butcher block run if using soapstone to balance and tie in your floors. And not all butcher block looks the same either, so look at all options ;)

I agree with paint the cabinets in a white that goes with the floors....then choose another stone color that,is not a stark white either...another alternative if you have your heart set on white ...do white counters...white cabs and paint walls to match the floors as closely as possible .

The backsplash choice should really wait til you get the paint and counters done..at that point it will be more obvious if it should contrast or blend...

I might add that the pic of your kitchen does not show enough open counter space to really accommodate the pattern in your chosen stone...whatever you choose will leave lots of nice size squares of discarded stone...I had my installers save them into small cutting board type pieces...I use them in my pantry by the microwave to sit hot plates on...for serving cheese etc...at parties and out doors...for a little tabletop...for a base beneath potted plants ...etc.

Part of the reason your home looks so Tuscan and dated is the tan and red wall colors. Painting will help. The main problem now is that the floors, walls, cabinets, countertop, and back splash are all exactly the same tan color. I think you can get an updated look by simply changing the back splash and hood vent detail to a simple warm white/cream tile. Your maple cabinets are fine as they are. If you want a bigger impact, you can change the countertop to a solid warm white/cream quartz, but I don't think it's necessary. Get pendent lights with a clear glass.

If I were you, I would

change the pendants

change the hardware to something shiny (or at least, shinier)

use a warm white/or light cream solid quartz counter (for the shine)

do NOT paint those cabinets (they are neutral, they are nice, they are FINE!)

change the backsplash. Keep it simple. Match the counter.

Do something to change the tile on the hood

Add a runner, maybe colorful, to break up the tile

.

Personally, I'd want a new sink. Unless you love that divided sink, I think a big bowl would be really nice, and you can get newer (shiny) faucets. I don't think that will break the bank, especially with what you'd save on cabinet repainting.

Don't despair. btw, on my screen, nothing you have looks pinkish, so you're good. It will look neutral, and timeless (not trendy), if you keep it simple.

Here's some inspiration:

I would use a solid material which matches the light color in your flooring. Any other color or marble effect (like the sample you show) will simply or horribly clash with the floors. Your floors look perfectly fine, which is why you are keeping them. Gray and tan don’t often work together.

Thanks to all, lots of great ideas! I will check out the quartz colors that were recommended, and the suggestions on the lights, sink and pulls are very helpful too. Both the cabinets and the granite are not in good shape, so need to be replaced along with the backspash tile.

Any further ideas on countertop material or ways to update the space are very welcome!!

If the cabinets are not in good shape, paint is not going to help that much. Can you get new cabinets?

White cabinets with that floor will not look good unless you pick a white that leans more cream. I would refresh the cabinets as is and then I would look at taj mahal quartzite over a quartz color. If the cabinets are that poor,paint will only highlight the problems and in 2 years when the paint starts chipping, then what?

I didn't state that correctly--They are actually in very good shape physically, but an unusual multi-step stain was used, and it has come off in a few places and it is difficult to match, so that is why I planned to paint them. I'm thinking I might get new doors and see if I can change some of the molding to help them look less traditional

We have a travertine floor, also. Like you, I wanted a white kitchen and was told my floors were pink. I think it came out really nice. We had our cabinets professionally painted with BM White Dove and had the counters replaced with Caesarstone Frosty Carrina quartz which is off-white and has very subtle powdery gray veins. We considered Taj Mahal quartzite, which I think I might have preferred, in retrospect, just because I really like natural stone. I think Taj Mahal would look beautiful in your kitchen.

Have you considered just painting the upper cabinets? I like the color of your cabinets and they would provide a nice transition between the creamy white upper cabinets and the floor. I would then try to find a matching warm white quartz or simple granite and warm white backsplash.

Thank you!

Oooohh I love your current kitchen. Of course, I’m a sucker for ornamentation and in my new build I chose glazed cabinets with rope molding in the crown and light rail, rope legs, and added corbels soo... you know... haha, I’m not the right audience.

I think you can pull off your vision. White is as neutral as it gets. You can’t escape the ornamentation so it will always have a certain ‘quaint’ vibe once you paint it white (versus Tuscan) but that’s not a bad thing to me. Paint the cabinets a nice white that plays well with the floor.

I’d consider Solid Surface in a solid harmonious white instead of Quartz. I think the lack of movement may help balance out the floor and ornate cabinetry. Solid surface is awesome and quartz is just fake stone too anyway. Plus it comes in LOTS of creamy whites.

Get some nice glass pendants. Swap out all hardware for a shiny metal of your preference. Choose a simple backsplash. Subway tile is a classic. Paint the walls.

I think you can pull of transitional just fine.

Thank you!

Travertine all over. ? I'd paint the cabinets a soft white, get beautiful soapstone counter, lighten the back splash up, get new lighting. ( those made no sense with the existing kitchen anyway)

Quartz and marble don't even feel quite right with travertine floors. Or the details on the cabinetry. Beware of setting off a style change that needs to be carried through a home. I'm gazing into the dining room,, my dear. Show the entire kitchen and adjoining spaces from a few angles, while you're at it.

I agree with Jan. Your first job is to paint the cabinets. Once that dominate feature is changed, it will be easier to select countertop, backsplash, etc.
Your floor looks beige on my monitor. Anything in the marble white family will not work. The white paint you use for the cabinets has to be on the creamy side. Just choosing that will take time, but change your lighting first so you know what the white will look like. Bulb choices make a huge difference.

I am doing the exact thing. I can not believe how everything is the same. I have struggled withe the same color choices. The only difference is the tile stops at kitchen. I ha decided to leave tile and put on top of it. I found light gray and white flooring on build.com. I have also toyed with putting a gray waterproof flooring over the tile. It is around 2.50 sq ft. I also found Ceasorstone (quartz) Blaca Drift. I looked at it at Stone shop, very pretty will go with floor and white cabinets.

I will take a look--thanks!!

Travertine floors with creamy white cabinets and counters to match. Your white and gray veined selection will never work.

DEKTON COUNTERTOPS

Thanks; the marble look is definitely out! I appreciate all the ideas and suggestions for something that is a better fit!

Do what is least expensive first. You may find the answer in paint. We bought a great house but every wall is a different color like one big paint test. We also thought there would be other big ticket things to be done. As we paint, we are finding comfort in a better blend of what was here in cabinets and flooring that I really didn't like. Wall paint is helping to change the reflection on the cabinets and calm down the floors for a much nicer look. Good luck.

Thanks all for the great ideas!~ Based on the feedback, we are looking at the following Quartz options for our countertop: Top: Viatera Melody, bottom pic, top to bottom Cambria Fairbourne, Viatera Sol, Silestone Eternal Silken Pearl. Looking for something creamy, not grey.

Thoughts? Thanks so much!! We plan to paint the cabinets a creamy color

On my screen the only one that looks creamy...not gray ...is the top sample in the second pic

Are you still painting the cabinets white?

The posts are going backward! Putting a cool counter top with the warm floor won't work. If you have to keep the floor, you will need a warmer or neutral top. But I would re-think the whole thing. You're going to spend a lot of money to gain zero function and the result will be iffy. It may not be trendy but right now it works together.

Suzy...it seems Houzz is purging a lot of the posts...eliminating months of comments in some cases...especially on the old posts with thousands of comments...it feels like we have been invaded by the martians and they are trying to wipe our memories...(I am a big sci- fi fan so excuse the weirdness?)... any way ...pass it on ?

Yes, we plan to paint the cabinets a creamy/white color

Will you be happy with everything pretty much looking the same color?...almost no contrast?

The counters would be a bit darker than the cabinets, and the floor tile is darker; we thought we would use a backsplash that picked up both the cream color of the counter and the tan of the floor tile, so would have color variation there.

But having everything the same "creamish" color is definitely a concern.

the current granite is stained and I don't like grey, so I can't keep it.

Really struggling with this and I appreciate all the ideas. :)

I plan to replace the wooden hood with a metal one also.

The colors will definitely be boring ..a sparkly/exciting backsplash would help...can you take more pictures showing the whole kitchen area and do you have a favorite color that always makes you happy to see it?..I think you need some color...just can’t offer suggestions without seeing more of the space......

If you are painting the cabinets off white, then it opens up a wide range of countertop color possibilities imo. You can get back to the marble look you want with something like Cambria Brittanica Warm or Gold

Someone asked for pictures to see more of the kitchen--it is pretty small but you can get an idea with these. I will be moving to a bit more transitional decor and making changes in the nook, lights, and dining room too. I'm working if I change the hood to a metal one if it will be a bit more transitional also

HI! I'm pretty sure I've read all the other comments in this thread. To recap, you must keep the floor, are considering painting the cabinets and replacing the counter top and backsplash, and want to stay with warm colors.

I like your idea of getting a stainless hood. Would you consider a stainless fridge? Or one of the newer finishes? Keeping it looking like the cabinetry makes for a lot of heavy cabinetry for the eye.

I love your maple door fronts. They are matchy-matchy with the floor, but maybe there is a way to keep them? Perhaps if you chose a bold counter top or backsplash? (but not both!) And switch out all the brass hardware with something more modern and brushed stainless.

My thing about kitchen design is all the hard surfaces, right angles, and straight lines. My eyes like to see some curve and flow, some life. Rounded tile shapes for the backsplash, sweeping curving lines in the countertops, but not speckled, spotted granite.

There are some fabulous (and fabulously expensive) tile choices available these days. I'd lose the medallion look behind the cooktop and go for a more universal pattern. The backsplash is closer to eye height, so it's a nice spot to add some color if you keep the cabinets neutral. You can add color and still keep everything light feeling. It does not have to be as bold as your dining room.

If you have an exciting backsplash, a solid color counter top would be safe. Or you can have your marble-y look as long as it is fairly sedate, not too busy and within your warm color scheme but much lighter than the cabinets.

If you paint your cabinets, I'd say do whatever the heck you want with the counter tops. The cabinet color will be enough of a separator.

Your current kitchen is very neutral, even safe. Why not do what you love with this one? Even if it breaks a few design rules, make yourself happy. (You're not moving out anytime soon, right? If so, then you have to go with boring choices.) Would you like an energizing kitchen? A calming one? Are you a clean freak that needs everything bright gleaming white? I'm glad you are leaving the Tuscan look behind. Want to evoke the feeling of the beach instead? Or the southwest? Or that modern industrial? You can put a little flavor of anything, just a suggestion of it, without signing up for the chotchke of the month club.

I'm gonna take a quick pic of my kitchen so I can put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>What do you really want to see when you walk into your kitchen every day? I like color and texture. I wanted a serene kitchen. The cabinets are a muted green. The backsplash tiles are a large arabesque shape, keeps the grout lines minimal. Perimeter countertops are quartzite, looks marble-ish without being crazy, warm white with tan and goldish lines. To keep things from feeling too clinical and cold, there are exposed wood beams, leather stools, and a darker island. But all of that is catered to me. I have friends whose kitchens I think are beautiful, but I wouldn't want to look at them every day. I spend a lot if time in my kitchen. Again, what do you really want to see when you walk into your kitchen, every day? (Besides the professional chef and wherever else your mind was going with that.

Did that photo not upload beforè?

Thanks for all the great input from all! Basically, I'm orginally from the mid-west but have lived in San Diego for 20 years. When we first designed the kitchen 20 years ago, we went with the traditional/Tuscan style of the mid-West. As I've seen more of the traditional style in California, I like it much more--less fussy, doesn't feel like my mother's house, etc. I can't keep either the granite or the cabinet color due to stains (but the cabinets can be repainted or course.) I like a relaxed, calming kitchen, rather than bright colors. I'll also plan a more soothing backsplash to coordinate with the final counter color.

We recently remodeled our MBR and bath and are very pleased with that look, which I think is transitional--I'm posting a picture of it here so you can see the look I like. We used Daino Reale Marble in the bathroom, which I like, but I don't want marble in the kitchen due to staining. I also realize that the new cabinets in the bathroom are more transitional than the traditional ones in my kitchen, so that's one of the things I"m trying to fine tune in the kitchen

by putting in a stainless steel hood, perhaps trying to remove the post/column legs around the range etc. Also, new lighting in the kitchen will help.

Here is my current bathroom style I like, and my current kitchen style I'd like to move away from.

Thanks for all ideas!

Try poulticing the granite before you say you “can’t” keep it. Take out the stains. It’s perfect with your floors, and with more of a contrast in the newly white cabinets creating separation between them, it will look a lot better to the eye than it currently does now as well. That’s 6-10K you won’t have to spend on counters, on top of the 10-15K that the painting and remaking will cost.

Your bathroom is to die for! Love it! And look at you, with that little punch of color with the leather look chair.

If you love the look of marble, but can't use it in the kitchen for obvious reasons, take a look at quartzite. It's not quartz. It's a natural stone. Kind of looks like marble. It is stronger, better than granite by just a smidge. Not that the average kitchen needs anything stronger than granite, but I like the look if it a lot more.

Thanks V3Ra--I have looked at quartzite, but I'd like a creamy color and most (Taj Mahal) etc seem grey. Any thoughts on types?

My Taj veining is brown and gold and white. I've even seen a slab with green veins.

That looks pretty! I meant grey--I haven't seen a green one either!

Your very lovely bathroom is quite calm and neutral. Maybe the different countertops you chose will work and you can add some (gentle) color in the backsplash or recover your chairs. The Cambria line seems to have a couple of good choices for you.
My monitor also showed grey hints in all but the top sample in the second photo.

one example of titanium graniteAgree with the stainless hood, with removing the columns and a few other things. I am wondering if you have considered a darker granite/quartzite? I have titanium on the brain lately and I think that could work very nicely with your floor and cabinets (painted cream or not painted at all). What do you think?

Any update on your kitchen?