Could not add pics to original post. I also would like for the kitchen to look timeless

My cabinet choice

Possible backsplash

Possible countertop

Hardwood flooring in the rest of the home

One way to do it is to install the same unfinished oak strip floor in the kitchen, then sand and refinish the whole floor, stain to medium walnut brown or Nordic white. The other way is to install a 3/4" thick wood floor in a totally different style to make kitchen floor independent from the rest. Like this one.

Unique Wood Floors are saying to sand my current hardwood floors, place similar size unfinished floors to the remaining rooms and stain all the same color?

Not sure if my budget will allow

"a user stated that I should save the backsplash for last but here I am"

That user was correct. You asked for advice and then say you are disregarding it? Wait on the backsplash. You should never pick a backsplash until after the rest of the kitchen is done. It is extremely difficult to pick a backsplash the way you are doing. In any case, the tile in your photo looks too strong of a pattern with the strongly-patterned counter.

I also would like for the kitchen to look timeless

The Quartz counter pattern in your photo and the backsplash tile are straight-on early 2020s. There is nothing wrong with that, they are attractive. But they are not timeless. I would stop chasing timeless. What did your phone look like 10 years ago, and how would it look to you now? Timeless kitchen is difficult, but if you really want timeless then I'd pick a soapstone counter and cream subway tile, which is a combination in existence for decades and isn't going anywhere. But it doesn't seem that is your taste, so again, forget about being timeless.

For your floors, the hardwood flooring you show that you have in the rest of the home is truly timeless. You nailed timeless with those floors, and they go with everything. I would get a good wood floor installer who can match the wood floors you have now, and stain new wood floors to match, and have same flooring throughout.

Edited to add: just saw the comment about sanding your current wood floors. Not sure you'd need to spend the money on that if the floors are in nice condition.

Timeless... forgotten. I guess, I wanted a look that would be interesting for more than a few years.

I also, had to Google soapstone countertops. Looking at all the images of dark countertops just doesn't fit what I'm looking for. I picture my kitchen to be light and bright.

It's like, I really don't know what I want. I just want to choose what would be appealing to the masses for resale. If or when that'll happen.

So for now, I'll stick with the cabinets and take my time with choosing the flooring, countertop and backsplash.

It looks like your existing floors are a great complement to the maple cabinet door you have chosen, so I second the recommendation of @M Miller. I would keep looking for a different counter. IMO quartz with very pronounced veins is trendy. I think a different color of cabinetry on the uppers from the lowers is also trendy, but some people may disagree. I say that because that is something that started to be done fairly recently, while a shaker style cabinet door has been used for decades, so to me seems more timeless.

Most people don't want to spend the kind of money it takes to remodel a kitchen and have it look dated in five years, but the reality is that it is impossible to predict what people are going to be doing in 5-10 years. Maybe it will cause less anxiety to focus on what you like - because it's your money. :-)

Even if your other floors do need to be refinished, you don't necessarily need to do that at the same time as the kitchen remodel. Both projects are very disruptive, so it might be better to do them separately. If the expense all at the same time is too much, no need to worry about it. But unless you prefer porcelain tile, it is a good idea to install wood floors in your kitchen to match the existing. Wood floors are definitely timeless.

Good points kandrewspa! This process is making me very anxious. So, I'll stick w the cabinets for now and take my time with the rest.

I can imagine how you’re feeling. Our house is a fixer upper, and our first major project was remodeling a bathroom about 5 years ago. The amount of money we were spending made me quite anxious about getting it right, and also not wanting it to be trendy/soon-to-be-dated. Now we’re doing our kitchen, and I feel much more confident about my choices, and much less concerned with any future buyers.

What is your timeline? If possible I would just take the planning phase nice and slow. Go through Houzz photos and start saving everything you like for whatever reason, even if they all seem very different from each other. In the meantime, focus on layout and function. Have you seen the “New to Kitchens? Read me First” thread? I found that invaluable. If you’re willing to put in the time to learn, and willing to seriously consider feedback (knowing ultimately it’s your choice of course), then you will get so much great assistance here.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5972404/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first-2020-interim

Hi Nik Nak! You say you don’t know what you want. I didn’t either, until I started saving pics of rooms I liked to an Ideabook. Eventually, you scan the pics you’ve liked and themes emerge that you can base choices on. Worth a try?

@Nik Nak,

Yes that' what I meant.

I also like this collection if you are considering LVP in stone and concrete look.

Washed Concrete Gage | NovaFloor Luxury Vinyl Tile

A kitchen can also be "timeless" if it perfectly matches the style of the home. For example, a modern kitchen design in a Tudor or Spanish style house will never be timeless, even if that modern kitchen is perfectly executed.

I have remodeled several kitchens and it isn't for the faint of heart....so I strongly suggest that you hire a designer to help you select finishes! The $$ spent will go a long way to avoiding mistakes that cost even bigger $$ to fix.

That option would be nice Sammie . However, I'll just take my time research pics, like mama cita and jaja06 recommended, on pinterest and houzz or cont to watch HGTV for now. Hiring designer doesn't fit in the equation. Maybe if I won the lottery. Lol

If you want something with staying power, your coice of maple shaker cabinets is good. But please, no two tone uppers and lowers. That is not a timeless look . It is very trendy, but may have more lasting power than some other trends-like gray everything and fake marble looking veined quartz. Those are the current version of Tuscan kitchens, the rage of not so long ago.

Hahaha at "please no two tone" @olychick

I saw that on an episode of Property brothers that used my color cabinets for lowers. With more research it is quite

Hahaha at "please no two tone" @olychick

I saw that on an episode of Property brothers that used my color cabinets for lowers. With more research it is quite

"Timeless kitchen is difficult, but if you really want timeless then I'd pick a soapstone counter and cream subway tile, which is a combination in existence for decades and isn't going anywhere"

@M Miller I saw the above and had to laugh. Soapstone and subway is either timeless or a cliche, depending on your snark-o-meter, but I absolutely have loved it. @Nik Nak soapstone can absolutely be compatible with "light and bright" - this is our remodel from 2011. And I put new hardwood in to match the wood throughout the (100-year-old) house, it was not a problem at all.

No yellowish kitchen. It looks already dated. :-(((

@Celery. Visualization, Rendering images I'm sorry who are you responding to?

To you on "My cabinet choice is a light colored maple"

Maple shaker cabinets are a pretty timeless choice for wood cabinets.

Hi, I found some flooring options. What do you guys think?

Thank you

I have that tile (or similar) in my entryway and powder room (is it Urban Zebras Leghe in the colour Stagno?) If it is, I think it has too much variation (light reflective sheen in some areas and matte in others) though to work with the countertop/backsplash you posted originally.

No that's not the name for this tile but it does have sheen and matte areas.

I scratched the countertop and backsplash I posted early. I'm listening to the pros and selecting the flooring first @ L C

Start with getting floors that match the rest of the house, and stain as close as you can get to the same finish. You don’t have to do all the floors, just the new floor. That will give you a foundation to move forward.

These are my floors in the rest of the home. Will that compliment the maple cabinets that I chose? @Kate

Hiring a designer would be the best choice but not sure how much that cost. However, it's not in the budget

Personally love your choices, even tho Im not a huge quartz fan. i would try glacier White corian, however, I would not add a dark counter because your aesthetic is similar to mine, and a dark counter does not fit that. Ask for design help if necessary, but keep in mind what YOUR goal is, and be sure you agree with the logic and advice presented to you.

The flooring options appear gray, and I think you would want a tile that blends with the existing wood tones, , or a little darker, but not gray.

I don't think the tile floors look good with that cabinet. You'd be better off to get wood to match the rest of the house. There will be some colors in the wood floor that will complement the maple cabinets.

I've been to The Tile Shop and Floor Decor. Most of their options are very gray

That's because it's very trendy...everyone wants gray. Until they aren't going to want it because it's no longer on trend.

I thought we answered this on your other post?

See? not the only one who thinks those gray tiles are the wrong shade!

Stick w/floor tiles that have yellow/warm undertones, not cool blue/red undertones.

You may want to go w/something darker.

This is beautiful and will look nice w/your oak floors

or you could do a cement or cement look tile

I lvoe the black and white encaustic (or porcelain) tiles like these w/your wood.

but you could also opt for lighter

Calif boho/spanish look

That stinks @olychick. This is getting quite overwhelming and frustrating

NikNak I think most people feel that way! You are definitely getting good advice here. Question for you: Will you do the remodeling yourself? Or will you be using a contractor? The reason I ask is that many contractors employ designers, some of whom are excellent. I just finished a bath remodel and my contractor’s designer came up with several ways to save money on my finishes and layout that I would’ve never known about.

@beth h I like the look of the tile in the last picture and the tile option you sent on my original post. Two great options. Thank you! Now I'll have to do some research on the tile in the last pic

@Mama Cita Yes. He works with a designer at a company called Prosource. She's very nice, helpful but i didn't like the options that she presented. I'm sure she's frustrated too, I don't know why I'm so indecisive. And yes this discussion is very helpful.

NikNak I have to share with you what my designer told me after she showed me her first set of suggestions! When I started apologizing because I didn’t like all of her ideas she she jumped to say, I love hearing what you think because it’s how we’re going to get you what you want. We wound up doing multiple rounds of ideas and feedback, getting closer every time until we had it perfect. I think it’s how the process is actually supposed to work. So if you don’t like the designer’s initial options let her know why! I think you might be as surprised as I was.

@Mama Cita this makes me feel better.

ProSource is a cabinet seller, not a kitchen designer. They are not going to help one bit with a lighting plan, or any suggestions beyond what they sell. They won’t help with lighting, paint colors, or countertops that they don’t sell.

Hmm, they had plenty of countertop choices along w backsplash options. Idk.

Yeah, but only if you pick stuff that they sell will they help you. I wanted butcherblock for the island. The seller there gave me a million reasons that I ”didn’t” want it, instead of helping me find a source. They didnt sell it, so they wouldn’t make any money from ne picking it. They didn’t deal with soapstone either, so all I got were horror stories. More propaganda to get me to pick domething they sold.

I ultimately didn’t get soapstone, but I did get my butcherblock. And they didn’t get my cabinet purchase either, because of all of that. They made me mad, and I couldn’t trust that they were telling me the truth.

The wonderful kitchen designer that I found helped me find a source for it. She helped me find 3 other cabinets lines that were better than they were trying to sell me too. Without making a dime off of the cabinets. She only ”sold” me her advice, based on 25 years as a designer. The design package only cost me $2500, but she saved me way more than that. I saved that just by doing my own legwork shopping for quotes with the cabinet design she did, and looking at the cabinet lines she recommended that I take a look at.

Hmmm, no wonder the process has been frustrating then!