Are you currently just in the idea-gathering stage? If you are really ready to make a decision, you will get much better advice with more info.

Pictures would show your flooring, how much backsplash we are talking about (is it all the way up behind a hood or just between counters and cabinets), etc. You will also want to get actual samples of the surfaces (the bigger the better) and place them in your space with your lighting.

Still in idea gathering stage. We hope to move forward sometime in 2022. I do plan to get samples, for sure. We have hardwood floors (standard oak?). Here are some photos from when we moved in.

Additionally we do plan to replace the appliances, and put in a larger or double window which means a single cabinet on each side of the window instead of the double uppers. The kitchen is directly open to the living room. Paint color also tbd.

One more thing to note is I've asked the kitchen designer to either make the island larger to fit 3 people, or to make a peninsula.

You mentioned a Kitchen Designer, are you replacing cabinets as well or just hoping to expand the island top to add more seating? That floor tone looks pretty intense in the pictures. It appears that all your trim is white - would you consider staining hardwood?

The picture of the quartz above looks to have a cool grey veining and the soapstone is more of a warm tone. The backsplash up against the white egg appears a bit creamy/warm which might clash with your white cabinets. Cream can sometimes make whites look dingy and the clash is very apparent if the whites are a mix of warm and cool.

@mnmamax3 We are considering replacing the cabinets, yes. If we do, it will be white but I don't have an exact brand or name yet as we're actually working between two companies to try and choose who we want to go forward with.

The floors are not as orange as they appear in the photo but they are I think golden oak so they have that orangey tone. Changing all the trim from white to stained wood isn't an option at this point. So would you say to steer away from the off-white tile and the quartz?

Also, thanks for your time. I'm so bad at choosing things that go together, especially clashing whites always cause an issue for me!

https://www.houzz.com/photos/white-kitchen-traditional-kitchen-chicago-phvw-vp~44237

These kitchens are classic and beautiful

@Marie . My apologies for the confusion - I meant staining hardwood floors and keeping trim as is. We had brazilian cherry and stained ours darker which took that element out of the mix. Maybe just a little browner for yours.

@mnmamax3 oh! yes, refinishing and possibly staining the flooring is on the table in the next few years.

Here are just a few images from our design portfolio. Please notice the cabinets, lighting, hardware, countertops, backsplashes, and flooring. We think the third image might give you that bit of black that you're attracted to.

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What is that wall on the left in your second picture? Can you show us the a pic from farther back in the living area? If you are talking about new cabinets and replacing windows, maybe open up the convo to all the possibilities with a sketch of the space and measurements.

If you like black counters, I'd recommend Silestone's Charcoal Soapstone. More of a charcoal gray with light veining. And I'd get it in the sueded finish so you don't see fingerprints. I just put this into a kitchen in San Francisco (pix coming soon!) that has white and light sage cabinets. Looks fabulous!

Regarding the backsplash, I'd go with something simple in white, either a large herringbone pattern or even elongated subway tile.

@mnmamax3 so on the left is the dining room, which now has hardwoods also. The kitchen is open to the living room. Couch and fireplace are gray, wall paint will change tbd. You can see in the second pic the perspective of standing in the foyer looking through the dining room into the kitchen. first pic shows standing at island looking out.

Am I trying to force the wrong color palette into the house by using soapstone? I had my heart set on soapstone & since we already have black I thought it might be a good swap. I like gray and white in teasonable doses but dont want a stark white modern look.

The material combination you posted looks great. Though I love marble, you are smart to skip it given your family's use of this space.

This stunning green kitchen is featured in this month's Veranda magazine. I thought the counters were soapstone, but the caption says they are Ceaserstone. Not sure what color but you might want to check them out. I think honed quartz has more of a traditional, less sleek look that might be to your liking. I find quartz marble patterns too faux for my liking but the honed versions look slightly more realistic to me.

@Marie Your house can be whatever you want it to be! Will you keep the same appliances? I just searched "natural wood floors white cabinets soapstone counters" and these are some of the images it found. I note a lot of the options have stainless appliances, so keep that in mind when you visualize your space.

I am not familiar with soapstone as a material but if I understand correctly it's sort of dark charcoal and would be just fine. Maybe a dramatic charcoal on your dining room walls? Is the dining room in your kitchen pictures your current set or is this more traditional set yours?

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