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poojakiyer

Kitchen countertop decision

5 years ago

Hi all,

Looking for advice on countertops. We recently moved into this home and I’d like to renovate the kitchen into a white kitchen. My current island is huge and I’m making a new, smaller one to match my specifications and needs. Looking to go ahead with a grayish stain for the island cabinets, bronzish gold hardware and MSI calacutta Arno which has beautiful goldish veins.

For the perimeter cabinets, painting them sherwin Williams Greek villa white with a marble tile Backspash (herringbone design), and the same bronzish/gold hardware. However, I don’t know what countertops to put in the perimeter. I feel they need to be different from the island. Initially, was thinking technistone super white - Which is a simple white with very light grayish veins.

However, I’m now thinking maybe it needs to a warmer white? I don’t want it to be too elaborate with veins and movement as I want the island to be the grand centerpiece. Any suggestions?

Photos attached of the current kitchen, calacutta Arno with hardware and then technistone super white With Greek villa Sherwin Williams cabinet color.


will this all go together or am I just overthinking it? Thanks for your input:)




Comments (6)

  • PRO
    5 years ago

    IMO the island can be the same as all the restof the cabinets and then have a different counter or the counters all stay the same everywhere and the island cabinets are a different color but not both So in your case the counters should all be the same everywhere.

    poojakiyer thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    mixing those two diff quartz options isn't the best idea. I think they're too similar, but also different, if that makes sense.

    The arno is rather plain. you have to imagine your 24" cut piece.


    you're going to lose a lot of the veining and end up w/mostly white.

    shown here:


    and also here:


    I think if you want the island to be the star, you could stand to go w/a quartz w/a bit more life to it.

    I love the walnut though. what if you did your island in the walnut, or, instead of a 2nd quartz, topped the island in a walnut butcher block? (and did the Arno on the perimeter?)

    not the best example, but this is Greek villa w/a warm wood island countertop.


    there is another commenter on this site who did a beautiful kitchen with marble and a walnut island top.

    1 - New Build in Process... · More Info


    6 - Misc · More Info


    Click on the link, her user name, and look at other pics under Kitchen. I love her kitchen



    I did two diff countertops and two diff colors, but one is solid. the island is real Calacatta marble, as is the backsplash tile.


    Perimeter is Silestone Eternal serena in a matte finish. since you like the gray, why not look at it, or some of the other Eternal choices? They have about 10 or so in that line.




    lets see this gray stain your talking about. And what kind of wood will be stained? Oak? white oak?

    poojakiyer thanked Beth H. :
  • 5 years ago

    Thanks Beth, oh gosh, I thought I had made my decision on the island countertop 😭 my island ons the main prep area for me. So, I’m hesitant to do a butcher block. The reason I picked the calacutta Arno is because it looks clean. I don’t like too much veining abs the island is huge (100 inches by 77inches)- so I will use the full slab.

    I am completely confused now. I do love the pictures you showed with the walnut though. The photo I attached with the Arno slab and hardware has the gray stain I’m leaning towards. How about Arno countertop and walnut stain for the cabinets? and, then do I keep the same countertops with the Greek villa cabinets for the perimeter countertops?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    what does the new island look like? what is it made from?

    I think if you got the island made from actual walnut, or a rift sawn oak w/a natural stain, it would look beautiful w/your other choices.

    gray stains can be tricky, so I can't say unless I see an entire piece (like a sample door or something) What wood species were you going to do the gray stain?

    here's a walnut island w/your similar white quartz option

    (diff styles in building it)

    here you have some open shelving at the end


    this one is a bit more transitional. this walnut coloring is gorgeous. and would work w/Greek villa




    a bit more traditional


    this is more modern. you could even waterfall the sides


    A white oak w/more of a natural stain color is a bit warmer and would bring out the gold tones in the quartz and your accents.




    I love both of these too.


    This is stunning. these cabs are a soft white. the island is a cerused white oak. equally stunning.


    And this Calacatta tile in a chevron pattern on the backsplash is amazing.


    If you can't swing any of these wood islands, consider painting the island this warmer gray color (shown in these cabs). I don't think you're going to be able to stain anything in this shade of gray. most gray stains tend to lean on the bluer end of the spectrum.

    If you can find someone that can do a taupe/gray cerused white oak, like this, go for it!


    This is also a custom cerused white oak island, but has more of the gray coloring




    The natural wood is making a strong comeback. I'd consider these choices (if you're making the island from scratch) instead of a gray stain. But again, it depends on the wood species and the type of gray stain.


    Have you seen this? They did the cabs in Greek Villa and the island in Iron Ore


    https://papermoonpainting.com/austin-cabinet-painting-projects/

    This is beautiful. so, like mine, they did diff countertops and cabinet colors on both!

    Love the honed marble island top.

    poojakiyer thanked Beth H. :
  • 5 years ago

    I agree that if you’re going to do the island cabinets in a different color than the perimeter, the countertops should be the same, otherwise it begins to look disjointed.


    What is the goal of this project? Mainly to update/lighten and brighten the aesthetic? If so, I think there are ways to go about that with way less expense and way less headache than what you have planned.


    it will be a beautiful kitchen and is already halfway there.

    poojakiyer thanked Pam K