White oak, BM honed soapstone, handle/knob

Flooring and second choice color BandF Shaded White

The oak is beautiful. I am not sure about the color of the soapstone counter top that you are showing. It seems dead to me. I would focus on the cabinetry. When you get it in the space in NATURAL light, you might choose a different counter that has some life to it. Your concern about darkness in the room needs to take into account your lighting scheme, too. Yes you will have great natural light, but then…in the evening…you will need an appropriate electrical plan for your space. Beautiful cabinets!

The SW Honed Soapstone is not that dark. I would call it more of a mid-tone. To my eye, the value of the lighter oak and the HS are very similar (almost too close). I don’t want to confuse the issue more, but have you looked at a darker sage?

@ptreckel the soapstone is a Sherwin Williams paint color that would be used on the cabinets. The name threw me at first as well, as it simply looks nothing like soapstone countertops.

The cabinet colors sound very nice to me, and I really like the hardware selection. The room will be dark at night even if your cabinets are a light color, so I would just be sure to have good layers of lighting in there. Our kitchen before the remodel had dark gray cabinets with neutral corian countertops, and it never felt too dark to me. Now our cabinets are a light taupe, and I've noticed how much I see dust and drips! Have you held up the Honed Soapstone next to Classic Gray?

I can't put my finger on it, but I don't love the hood design: maybe rethink the shape. You have two big, beefy pieces in oak, and then the hood is little spot across the room. I think it needs to be more substantial. It would also look good as plaster or painted wood like your cabinets and just have the hutch and island in oak.

You asked for feedback from people with dark cabinets...zero regrets! My kitchen also faces north with large windows. Yes, I have plenty of can lights as well as task lighting. North facing is the only "forgiving" direction with very dark cabinets and what they show ;) I would not want all day direct sunshine...I'm a very clean person but a kitchen is a kitchen... Your planned cabinet color is much lighter than mine, I would absolutely go for it! Yes to your first choice with light flooring!

All kitchens…all rooms, are dark at night. That’s what a good lighting plan solves.

We have an all medium wood stained kitchen, with three layers of lighting…recessed, two semi flush, and under cabinet. The dining area has it’s own lighting. All are on separate switches, and all are dimmable. For quick trips to the fridge, pantry, or to get a fruit from the fruit bowl on the counter, the undercab lights are all that’s needed.

Btw, those open ended bar pulls are real pocket rippers. The ends get caught on any kind of pocket…be they on jeans/pants, sweatshirts, etc etc. Also, that style has become ubiquitous, and had it’s hayday, some years ago. Best to choose a pull with closed ends.

I think honed soapstone is abad choice since it will show every grease mark, they do'nt last but are not pretty. The knobs I gues if you have never opend a cabinet with dirty hands they will work. If the room is dark at night get better lighting. As we age we need more and better lighting. I suggest yo talk to a lighting designer to get the best. I love all LED 4000K bulbs in kitchens and bathrooms for sure. I have open ene bar pulls in my kitchen and with the right counter overhang I have never snagged a pocket. All your base cabinets should be drawers you can even do them under your sink. I like at least 30" wide drawers for pot and pan storage 36" is better. I like 2 deep drawers then a split shallow set on the top drawer.IMO all the gold toned hardware and faucets will be dated quickly. It is always bad design to have to cross in front of the cooktop to go from fridge to sink. I hope you have an independant kitchen design not some cabinet sales person for the design of this space .I thought you were doing soapstone so why are you mentioning Dekton or quartzite . IMO all one counter material is best . Wall color, backsplash and pulls are IMO the last things you choose and after the rest of the kitchen is installed.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting, read the OP’s post again. ”Soapstone” is the Sherwin Williams paint color she’s considering for the cabinets. It’s not countertop material.

If you’ve never snagged a pocket on those ubiquitous bar pulls, consider yourself lucky. There have been countless postings here over the years, of that being a persistant issue. Of course, your open ended pulls are so ridiculously oversized…spanning the entire width of the drawers, so in all likelyhood, you don’t actually stand and work in front of, or near the open ends of the pulls.

@darbuka thank you for the feedback on the pulls. Never even gave that a thought as we have always had closed ended pulls. The kitchen will have multi-layers of lighting…canned, pendants, hutch, under counter and under island and I need to keep reminding myself of that. Currently, it only has canned and pendants and it’s difficult to see well in the evening, which is likely why I’m hesitating on darker cabinets. Your kitchen is beautiful! We wanted more natural wood but the cost quickly rose above our budget so we compromised with the perimeter being painted.

You’re welcome. 😊

Oh, and Patricia’s mantra is always to get 4000K LED lighting. However, to most of us who frequent this site, 3000K is what is preferred. 35000K tops. 4000K is more like hospital lighting. Too harsh.

Btw, I actually have soapstone counters. Contrary to what Patricia stated, ”honed soapstone is abad choice since it will show every grease mark, they do'nt last but are not pretty.” Properly fabricated, real soapstone is always honed. It’s honed to a smooth, matte finish, that is silky and sensuous to touch. The counters are easy to clean, with just small dab of dish soap and water. Soapstone is so dense, it cannot etch, or stain. Any oils, or other cooking splatters, sit on the surface, forming patina. These are all easily removed.

Good luck with your project!

SW Honed Soapstone is not far off the color of the cabinets we are currently having installed, a grayed green called "olive" by the maker, so of course I think it looks fine and think it will be nice with the oak. We also have north-facing windows in the kitchen, that north wall having lots of windows (maybe 2/3 glass). Our counters actually WILL be soapstone -- no fear of the dark here! I don't consider Honed Soapstone to be dark at all but, then, I tend to prefer subdued, natural color schemes without sharp contrasts that are easy on the eyes .

We have a dark grey and white kitchen with light counters and white oak floors. I love our dark cabinets. We face south east.

I installed very dark stained cabinets in my previous house and did white cabinets in my current house. No right or wrong, just a different choice for a different house. What makes the biggest difference when using very dark cabinets, is using light counters and backsplash to keep things light/bright.

OOOPS! I thought your cabinet color was your counter top (Soapstone!). My apologies. Would you consider a color for your cabinets like Farrow and Ball’s Shaded White. It is a creamy taupe/beige. A solid paint color with depth. It would look beautiful, I think, with your oak cabinetry. An English country look…

@Ptreckel…as I mention in my post, Shaded White is our second choice. I posted a pic of cabinet doors that our cabinetmaker just finished in that color.

I have to agree about the hood, it seems the wrong style for your kitchen - from a different era and design feel.

On my computer, which I know is often not reliable, the soapstone paint looks dead and flat, and not a good backdrop to the hardware. If you haven't done so, be sure to get a large sample painted (on some poster board or other large item) and try it out in the kitchen, changing locations and viewing it at different times of day, under the lighting that you will be using - with the hardware against it.

The oak (so beautiful!) and SW Honed Soapstone are very close in color. I think going darker or lighter would make the oak stand out a bit more. I would go darker but that’s just personal preference. Unfortunately I don’t have an actual color to recommend. Sorry!

With the lighting you have planned, I don‘t think you will need to worry about it being too dark.

I also agree that the vent hood could be a bit more chunky/boxy.

Check LouisLinus posts here on Houzz for a stunning Shaded White kitchen. Gorgeous and subtle.

Watch out for the side wall right of the fridge. Check the fridge installation manual for the fridge door swing clearance. Share that info with cabinet designer & installer. In the current scenario, the fridge hinges will need to be past the side wall or the fridge door may not open, or get wider fillers, or a different fridge that would work. It's important to be able to open the fridge door fully so the drawers can be pulled out as well.

@ptreckel I would love to see the pictures. For some reason I am unable to find them either by the name or the paint color.

I don’t think the paint color works with the oak. It seems more on the “dull” side than “muted”. A different shade should be explored. Are there other colors you’ve considered?

And definitely reconsider the handles that have “sticking out” ends.

Your lighting plan sounds right. Three layers of lighting help all of us since kitchens are always dark at night.

Here is a photo of the Louislinus kitchen in F + B Shaded White.

^ that looks very similar to my cabinets done in Martha Stewart "Gull" (her color, not her brand of paint - the cabinet maker matched it in the catalyzed finish. My kitchen is north facing. I also used a pale blue-green on the walls, dark granite counter, wood floor, and Valspar "Transparent" on the ceiling. After 10 years I still love it.

I love your choices and think it's a beautiful selection of materials. I grew up in a home with dark cabinets and it wasn't dreary since we had lots of natural light coming in similar to your home. Honed Soapstone is not real dark and is beautiful with the wood.

One thing I will suggest is using a countertop that reads as a solid color without a pattern. Let the beauty of the wood be the focus and not have a pattern in the countertop detract from that. Maybe that's just what they selected in the rendering. Just thought I'd mention.

I like your color choices, it seems cozy and not too dark at all. Here is a kitchen I saved when I was considering colors, it is BM cotswold on the cabinets and what looks like an oak island.

Cabinets are Honed Soapstone, but shown with a much lighter flooring. I think it'll look great with the light oak and gold hardware

I like your initial choices mainuhgrl68. I just think you can tweak them a bit, re the cabinet color. Play around with the color of the cabinets. And never forget the power of lighting of all kinds to “lighten up” your space. You are headed in the right direction…..