Idea for a white kitchen with silver backsplash:

funny you mentioned the black and white checkerboard floor...I've been considering the same in a little larger 16" lvt tile. It's been a challenge to find larger than the old 12" but I'm afraid 12" might look really busy. I was contemplating black granite countertops which might pop the hardware on cabinets and then I can pretty much go with whatever other color in wall/backsplash an or accessories???

Just not sure if the black counters would be too heavy looking. I wasn't necessarily trying to create a totally retro look but have to admit the colored countertop idea could be fun! Not sure formica is a good investment though, hmmmm

Some visuals with both dark and light counters. I feel they all work with the wood cabinets, just a matter of preference. IMO the matte finish dark counter has a softer look so it’s not as visually heavy as the polished black granite.
The pics with lighter countertops give a visual look with a similar shade of backsplash and another with a green shade backsplash because you said you like that colour.
Regarding your idea of adding black frame glass cabinet doors as in hour inspiration photo in your idea book. It’s a lovely look, I’m just wondering if it will give the same kind of look with wood cabinet as with white as in inspiration pic.

appreciate the visuals! I want to get this right !

@Marlene M, those are so helpful! I still like the soapstone “look”. (Didn’t know about the asbestos issue TBH). There could be some kind of leathered granite that gives the same softness, though I will go with polished at any time. I prefer the shiny look and ease of cleaning over leathered or honed but I appreciate why people like them. Some black would work beautifully. But definitely keep the backsplash lighter.

I got some granite samples yesterday, the honed apparently is more difficult to keep up than the shiney, I am leaning towards doing a really rich black and then maybe the black and white checkerboard turned on a diamond in 16" lvt, or a slate look floor. Since cabinets aren't being replaced I am somewhat limited in thickness of flooring I can use.

Not sure about backsplash yet.

Go with the slate floor. The challenge with b&w checkerboard is the white ones always look dirtier. It’s also a style you can get tired of. I almost did sage green and cream checkerboard tiles in my mud room/laundry room but changed my mind and did patterned porcelain. Glad I did.

a couple of inspo pictures along the lines of what you may be looking for.

Being a Gemini doesn't help :)

LOL!

I like soapstone look too, and didn’t know about asbestos issue either, and ease of cleaning is a factor also. There is silestone look quartz if you’re interested in looking into that to compare.
What are the floors in rest of house?

looks Like only one of my pics posted here's the other. hope it helps!

the rest of the floors are the original red oak hardwoods, just picked up sample of a soapstone look quartz. Real soapstone isn't quite black enough with the hardware I don't think.

definately leaning towards darker countertop as opposed to cream or white.

I'm going to send for a floor sample that appears t be somewhat of a shaded concrete lvt plank product in 12"x24" as well to see how that might look if we nix the checkerboard idea. The tones in that appear to be lighter to medium grays with some warmth.

@HU-676449314 In r.e. black & white checkerboard tile, the person who said the white will look dirty is right. The black will show dirt too. A classic mottled/marbled pattern that's not stark B&W ( even other colors!) would really hide the dirt much better, and also tone down the business of a 12x12 check. Armstrong & Marmoleum both have really fabulous color options.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Armstrong-Excelon-Multi-12-in-x-12-in-Faire-White-Vinyl-Tile-Flooring-45-sq-ft-case-52520031/202640070 

https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-us/products/marmoleum/marmoleum-marbled/marmoleum-marbled-all-colors/b3jx8a

It's all personal taste, but I still think stone countertops could end up looking too heavy/fancy with your lovely midcentury modest cabinets. To my eye, that's why your current countertops don't look quite right--they're just too heavy and elaborate for the simple cabinets.

If you're worried about durability, I had laminate in my previous house, and the counters still looked great when i sold the house 15 years later. And because they were in keeping with the era of the house rather than in with current trends, they never looked dated in a way that tempted me to want to replace them. That made it cheaper in the short run and a better investment in the long run. Laminate in a black or dark grey with the metal edging would look fantastic, too, if you like the color of the soapstone.

Weighing in, not a pro...

I like your cabinets too! They are in great condition! Black, white, and warm wood...

One thing I discovered the hard way with a ranch kitchen is you can't go wrong with simple. I would watch out with too much black because of the light level.

I'm all about the low maintenance these days, so I like the idea of a quartz counter or laminate. I would lean toward a black or charcoal counter too bc maintenance. I would do white on the backsplash and walls.

I am not sure about a checkerboard floor either--maybe a solid charcoal black or a black and white pattern like I found here on Houzz.

I can't wait to see this unfold!

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You guys are giving me some great input, thanks so much! I think I'll head to a local laminate fabricator and check out what they have this week. Then hopefully I can at least decide on what materials to go with for countertops. I've only seen the marmoluem on line, not in person, so I need to find a local resource to see it in person. Thanks again!

Check silastone while you’re looking.

Will do!

Hello, any updates on your kitchen?

Thanks for checking in. I've been checking out flooring options as keeping the existing cabinetry is really restricting the thickness of material I can use without making it impossible to slide a dishwasher in / out if need be. I did look at the marloleum and rep said it is not so durable with dogs and heavy traffic. It's looking like a vinyl product will likely be my only option which doesn't offer extensive choices non wood look patterns unless I go with sheet vinyl or peel and stick. Even some of the thinner interlocking options seem to come in rather large formats only. So it's been a bit disheartening.

@HU-676449314, I'm sorry. That sounds frustrating. If sheet vinyl will work, there are lots of fun colors and patterns there, and it would be totally appropriate for your kitchen's style. I would be very tempted to just pick something fun and fabulous and be done with it.

But if you want a pattern, sheet vinyl can be cut to measure, so maybe you can find an installer who could do a custom pattern for you, like one of the examples below. (Some are Marmoleum and some are vinyl, but both can be treated much the same way.)

Houzz also has a lot of different "Linoleum Floor Kitchen Ideas":

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/flooring/21015429/working-with-linoleum-flooring

https://retrorenovation.com/2010/03/17/linoleum-floors-and-countertops-brighten-up-dave-frances-1938-kitchen/

https://www.hgtv.com/design/remodel/interior-remodel/linoleum-makes-a-comeback

Lots of wild historical examples here: https://clickamericana.com/topics/home-garden/fabulous-flooring-of-the-1950s

Hi HU! Thanks for the update. I hear you re what you want versus what you are limited to. This will definitely require imagination. There are a lot of good products especially luxury vinyl plank. Let's see what we Houzzers can find. Do you have any finds that are fallback options?

What is the thickness restriction you have and what would be your preferred floor look if you could pick any?

looks like I have about 1/2" total thickness to work with, but since we haven't ripped out the current flooring I don't know if any subfloor leveling will eat up any of that where the dishwasher is located. I need a durable somewhat waterproof flooring. Since it butts up to original red oak floors and cabinetry is wood, I don't think wood look is best option. I like the idea of a slate (some of the lighter to midrange warm toned greys} or tile look., preferably something that's timeless and not trendy. Also, no high gloss finish as the dogs have a hard time with that. I haven't seen anything that seems to be durable enough ( thinking at least a 12mm wear layer), yet thin enough and available in a size format that isn't huge. I prefer realistic texture /colorations.

What about something like this?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/MSI-Hampshire-18-in-x-36-in-Gauged-Slate-Floor-and-Wall-Tile-20-pieces-90-sq-ft-pallet-SHAM1836/207056289

The thickness of any natural stone/slate or even most tiles, are too much when you factor in having a mortar base unfortunately The shaded grey of slate is appealing but needs to have a warmer undertone . I feel that large of a format is a bit much for the space and perhaps a bit trendy, but I do appreciate your input :)

I saw several in here under 1/2" thuck and several color variations. Hope this helps.

https://stoneandtileshoppe.com/collections/slate-tile

If not, let me kniw what the miss is on them and we can figure out next set of options!

I am convinced we can find the right fit for you!

Thanks for all the links :)

I got on Houzz. Searched "white vinyl tile" and found these. Are you feeling pattern or more solid? Are you leaning more mid mod or more country?

Gothic Peel and Stick Floor Tiles, Box · More Info

Medina Peel and Stick Floor Tiles, Box · More Info

Altair Peel and Stick Floor Tiles, Box · More Info

Kikko Peel & Stick Floor Tiles · More Info

Searched "grey vinyl tile" and found these. Do you want the slate texture or more the color? Some of the more high end vinyl can really look good!

20"x20" Border Opal Luxury Vinyl Tile, Set of 6 · More Info

20"x20" Driftwood Luxury Vinyl Tile, Set of 6 · More Info

20"x20" Amtico Luxury Vinyl Tile, Set of 6 · More Info

What about restoring the redwood and putting a mor durable finish on them? Houzzers? And then a rug or vinyl floor covering.

The peel and stick don't have much of a wear layer I don't think, The 20x20 tiles made by perfection I have seen in person and are very plastic looking and have circle indents in their centers from the manufacturing process I am guessing ...I don't have red wood floors in kitchen to refinish or I would happily have done that! The kitchen currently is a laminate that really is too thick , just subfloor beneath that. I found some Adore products I am sending for samples of that are thinner lvt with great wear layers...fingers crossed!

Thanks for the feedback! Then tile, or another laminate. On tile: when I redid the bathroom in my mom's 60's ranch, the contractor taught me all about the floors. There was a subfloor on top of the actual subfloor, then tile. The floors were also uneven. He was able to remove the extra subfloor and use their talents with mortar to install the tile level. He told me exactly what size and thickness I would need, and I went to a home improvement store where they helped me pick one out.

It did overwhelm me because there were so many choices. The floor ended up great. My point: maybe there is an extra subfloor that can be removed for tile. A contractor can also tell you if the structure will hold time--looks like it will.

Hope this is some help. We would love to see the luxury vinyl tile samples when you get them. There are some that look incredible.

(Thanks for letting me tag along this journey. It is getting my mind off some things I am going through.)

I'll take pics of the samples and post when they come. I like the possibility of having a second subfloor that can be removed and dealt with to accommodate tile, that'd be awesome! Contractors are very busy right now but maybe I can find some one to evaluate the situation without having to rip up my whole kitchen :)

On a separate note, life throws us some curve balls...I don't know what has been put in your path but know you will be stronger in some way once you get through it. Keep an open mind and heart, and breathe.

Without out absorbing all the suggestions i would just like to say that your cabinets should be considered the quirky part of the kitchen because they are so unique...NOT ..the element that dictates all the other choices...they are more fun to pair with very modern white countertops(for contrast) and a very kitschy floor like the patterned ones...leaving you with a kitchen that lives up to the uniqueness of those cool cabinets..while feeling modern and fun at the same time

Hmmm, interesting perspective.... I was concerned a patterned floor would be too busy with the abundance of hardware on the cabinetry .If I end up with sheet vinyl flooring it will likely be patterned though. Fun looking and warm appeals to me, just not ridiculous looking ! LOL

I agree... I think you can count on your eye or vision on selecting the floor pattern... my only advice would be to choose a pattern that is crisp and more into primary colors...rather than leans toward earthy colors like the cabinets... in my mind that would diminish the look of the cabs...which overall are very simple as there is no detail in the wood part...all of this of course relies on whether you want an eclectic or traditional feel in your kitchen...

There are “concrete looking” countertops in Silestone and they’re easy to find on Houzz. For the floor, I love the idea of a pattern. It goes with the look of your kitchen. Do you like the ones @drblount10 posted? Any of them would go with a black, or dark grey, countertop. Definitely look into the idea that a subfloor under your tiles might be removed. I would still consider doing an oak floor in there if that’s what is in your house already.
Have you explored the luxury vinyls? Most of these ideas are doggie proof.

One of my original thoughts had been to do the black and white checkerboard turned on diamond in something like the 16" - 20" size. I wasn't too successful finding such a product in vinyl which then led me to considering more of a slate look floor...but then I probably wouldn't want grey countertops too. I have looked at many lvts, maybe I'm too picky but I look at reviews regarding installation/product and certainly wear layer...many of what I see are made in extra large format which I feel will be a dated overwhelming look for my space. I don't want rectangles that are 18 x 36 or 24 x 48, I think 12 x 24 is biggest that might look good . I want a kitchen that still looks great 15 years from now style wise...likely eclectic when all is said and done...but tasteful :) I'm going to try to convince my husband to see if we can remove part of what's there to get a true read of what lies beneath and still be able to function while waiting to find a product and get the job done!

@HU-676449314 We had the same problem when we were trying to figure out what to do with our kitchen floor. We have two layers of vinyl/linoleum already and so couldn't add much height and we're basically stuck with vinyl (we also have a dog and heard Marmoleum wasn't very durable). We just did a vinyl checkerboard pattern with 18" tiles in white and slate color. We would have preferred a slightly different look (cream, more vintage) but like you were saying it's difficult to find vinyl; there's not much variety outside of all the horrible wood or stone looks. What we used we found at Lowe's. It's only been a month so I can't vouch for how durable it is. However we don't plan stay in this house forever and it was a low cost fix that worked for us and I think it looks good. We did lay it on a diamond pattern also, which makes a difference. We had also looked at Karndean LVT checkerboard patterns and if you have a bigger budget than we did then I'm sure that would be a better option. I've heard many good things about their durability.

This is the one we were looking at, but they have a lot of different designs. Some might be a little busy for a kitchen. https://www.karndean.com/en-gb/floors/inspiration/heritage-collection

Mannington also has some that look good.

https://www.elleganthomedesign.com/vinyl-flooring/tiles/adura-flex-villa-collection-by-mannington-vinyl-tile-18x18-coal?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImZ6Y1Le98AIV2P_jBx1kEAAeEAQYAiABEgJTMfD_BwE

https://www.mannington.com/Residential/VinylSheet/LuxuryVinylSheet/Search

Thanks, I checked out the links, wish they would offer true black and true white in the 18" vinyl tiles. I do like the Miramar pattern in Mannington sheet but again it's more washed out , their bolder patterns are not quite what I had in mind. What color cabinetry did you use the charcoal/white with?

We looked at samples in a local store and I feel like they had a more black and white, but I might be wrong. Maybe something like this? https://www.carpetspectruminc.com/mannington-sobella-classic-checkpoint---black--white-whites--creams-vinyl-flooring-170485
True black and white might be even worse as far as showing a lot of dirt though. The one complaint my wife has about the floor is that all the dirt shows and they require a lot of cleaning.

We have white uppers (not done yet) and green lowers. The kitchen is not finished, but here's a pic of how it looks so far. It's just an old house and we don't have a large budget. The floor we used has a pattern on the white ones which I wouldn't recommend. Makes it harder to lay to figure out the direction of the pattern with each cut. But this is just what we could find; there aren't a lot of options in vinyl.

It's looking very nice so far! Those are the charcoal and white tiles from Lowes...what brand are they? In the pic they read pretty dark charcoal. Are they textured? Assuming glue down?

Thanks! They are slightly textured. They wouldn't be our first pick if we had a higher budget but we did manage to do the kitchen, hallway, pantry, and soon bathroom for under $300. Here are links:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Armstrong-Flooring-Terraza-Grand-1-Piece-18-in-x-18-in-Artic-White-Peel-and-Stick-Stone-Vinyl-Tile/999948146

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Armstrong-Flooring-Terraza-Grand-1-piece-18-in-x-18-in-Aspen-Gray-Stained-Concrete-Peel-and-Stick-Vinyl-Tile/999978550

Can't beat that price! LOL, Your project is coming along nicely :)

Thanks! Hope you find something that works for your kitchen. Deciding on flooring is hard.

Hello! Any updates?