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summerhappytime

Gray & White Kitchen Design Help

7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

I need help selecting flooring, quartz countertop, backsplash and cabinet paint color.

For countertops I like MSI Lido Blanco, HanStone Mercer or HanStone Montauk. It’s just so hard to only be able to see a 5x7 sample size.

Backsplash is a light dove gray (looks darker in pics). Thinking 4x12 subway offset with similar color or slightly lighter gray grout.

Flooring I’m leaning towards is Marazzi Persuade Grey 12x24 porcelain tile.

Cannot decide on cabinet paint color As these will be professionally painted some sort of creamy white to go w living room built ins. This is soooo hard as I have a creamy trim on windows and baseboards and can’t get a good color match on it.

I also included pics of current kitchen and adjoining living room. Our kitchen and living room get a TON of light with skylight and lots of windows in dining and living room. Photos of living room appear darker due to gray skies.

Please help with ideas/validation. Thanks so much!












Comments (19)

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    First you choose the counter and before doing that make sure all your lighting is LEDs in 4000K if you want colors to look the same all the time. Go to stone place that has slabs to choose from not a tiny little sample. The last 2 things you choose are backsplash and wall color . After the counter you decide on paint for the cabinets , when deciding the counter your floors also need to be considered to make life easier use the same flooring in the kitchen as in the rest of the house so hardwood to match the rest.I would remove the cabinet from above the stove and get a proper stainless hood .The fewer materials used the easier it is to make choices . Since you have white cabinets in the LR why not try to get a counter that goes with that color and then use that color for the cabinets.

    summerhappytime thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 7 years ago

    I would stay away from the gray tone flooring. You need something to warm up all the gray and white.

    summerhappytime thanked yumelizabeth
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I think I might choose a charcoal or slate gray tile for the floor vs. the light gray you're showing. You'll need some contrast, otherwise the room will feel too monotone.

    summerhappytime thanked Sabrina Alfin Interiors
  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Another person here that really dislikes fake looking grey wood floors. I can see why you want to change things up with that vintage looking brown floor you currently have. I’d rather see a light natural wood, grey or light tile or light coloured linoleum. And funny enough, while I don’t normally like that curved detail in kitchen cabinets, it actually echos nicely with your kitchen design.

    summerhappytime thanked J Williams
  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Wow. Thanks for all the great advice. The flooring is my biggest stressor right now as I can’t afford to replace all the orangey red and dated pergo looking adjacent flooring and there’s no way I’d cary it into the kitchen as it’s awful...So I have to find something to compliment it. Any recommendations on counter top so I can get that choice out of the way :-). Another pic of possible floor tile?



  • 7 years ago

    Is the orangey-red pergo the flooring in the DR and fireplace room (which on the pictures doesn't look too bad)? I would SKIP painting the cabinets and use the $ for a pretty hardwood to compliment your current cabinets and replace all the flooring to match. Then replace counters and backsplash. You could tie in the wood from the kitchen to the fireplace by replacing the white floating shelves with wood ones.

    summerhappytime thanked mnmamax3
  • 7 years ago

    I can tell you from experience, painting cabinets professionally will be far more expensive, smelly and generally inconvenient than you could imagine! Ours were half wood and half painted but the finish was done so poorly that we really had to enamel to get them to look decent.

    summerhappytime thanked mnmamax3
  • 7 years ago

    That’s a lot of money your planning to Spend. Since you hate the pergo, consider getting all your flooring done the way you’d like then go from there.

    summerhappytime thanked User
  • 7 years ago

    @mnmamax3 - I hear ya but I can’t deal with the orange red cabinets. I am having a pro painter spray them. $4.5k

  • 7 years ago

    Do you suspect you will replace all your flooring at some point when you have enough saved up? If that is the case, I would almost use peel and stick laminate or vinyl on the kitchen floor as a stop-gap until you can afford to do it all in a nice warm hardwood. You can't ever make two different woods match up well - one always end up looking fake or off-color. And in your case, finding one to coordinate with it, will result in a color you don't really want. A ceramic tile would work, but it would be hard and cold and not bring the warmth of wood.

    summerhappytime thanked mnmamax3
  • 6 years ago

    So far it’s looking good!

  • 6 years ago

    It looks great! Honestly, I feel like the wood-tone cabinets really adds some depth and dimension to the space. I'd be a little worried that painting the cabinets white will take it from "Wow!" to "Eh, just another white kitchen." Of course, it is totally your prerogative but that's just my two cents :)

  • 6 years ago

    Hi, I love your counter tops and I think painting the cabinets white would be great. I would skip the light pendants

    summerhappytime thanked emehouse1
  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    The original kitchen is pretty great. It has personality and fits the house. The new counters really made a nice change. BUT. There are no circumstances that end with those cabinets being painted and making it look better. The warm wood cabinets are what tie the kitchen to the home’s style. Without that warm wood, it’s just going to be another disconnected overdone ho hum. It’s not too late to change the unnaturally blue gray floor choice either. That has fallen from popularity and can be a quick regret.

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Skip the paint. All of that together is going to be very cold. It needs the wood.

  • 6 years ago

    You could easily do a grey tile look LVP over your linoleum (assuming it is linoleum). Then leave your lowers in the wood but then go ahead and do your gray/white scheme from the counters up - you will cut your painting budget in half or more and will still get an impactful remodel. The wood lowers will help warm up the space especially with grey floors. Kind of like this but obviously with your finishes:
    https://www.houzz.com/photos/los-altos-hills-fun-basement-transitional-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~6802116

  • 6 years ago

    Any updates? I too like the wood cabinets. A nice change would be light quartz counter and new backsplash. Changing floors without pulling out cabinets is above my amateur pay grade :) !