my cabinet maker works with general contractors, he said they should be able to provide all services. This is his website https://halecabinets.com/ I found 2 more green stains

This is what I call my family picture

@tena miller I love! those cabinets! What do you think?

Oh and your family has such pretty faces. Yep, that's what I can't resist! OMG there's a puppy!

@tena miller I just noticed the fluting? on the base cabinets. So for your island, what do you think of that texture but unstained? To look sorta like your grasses outside?

@KL the picture was taken 2 years ago, they have not posed for a picture sense!

i am not sure what you mean by fluting. I like the tone of the green in the first picture , but with the wood texture showing thru like the second picture

@tena miller fluting isn't the right word, sorry. One picture shows vertical grooves on the doors like bead board but not really. I don't know the right word. Fluting would be even better, but this could do.

I'm just glad your vision is starting to take shape. Glad you like the green. Sounds like your cabinet maker is a good collaborator. Did they find you an electrician and plumber?

Do you think your kitchen designer can work with the green cabinet concept and make some new renderings?

@tena miller so that photo of them is precious. Are they all still alive?

Yes , know he will, the alder with gray was a project he did per her special requests,

I was impressed with him. as for the electrician and plumber, I left a message with who he recommended. I also put out feelers in the local Placitas social media.

Charlie and Sasha the big Shepherds are littermates and they are 7, Ava the little one is now 2. They are my life!

If you haven’t quite warmed up to the green, I do like the darker grey-blue, which would be closer to the gray you like. But it is asking for some bright colors for decor, like flowers or fiesta ware.

Maybe you could paint some of your current cabinets while you’re waiting to see what you like. You don’t have to paint the insides or do a good job or buy expensive paint if you are planning to replace them anyway.

Green may look great, but that doesn’t mean you’ll like it. Do some real-life paint experiments in your real-life kitchen.

I like the idea of a light wood tone, but it may not work with the other finishes in the room.

F&B Pigeon

@eld6161 I like Pidgeon, but i like the idea of stain over paint.

do you know of a stain close to that color?

@keli-ga that is a great idea!

If you prefer to play with stain, you might be able to get some thin plywood boards at Home Depot and some little cans of different colored stain, then stain the boards and prop them up over some of your cabinet doors.

I think colored transparent stains like blue, green and gray are risky, but your cabinet maker will know how to make them look good. I think brown transparent stains are better, or solid paint. At least you could get an idea if you want to go with transparent stain. (Solid stain goes on like matte paint.) I don’t know if they sell the green and blue colors in small cans of stain though.

For paint, you can get sample containers at big box stores or paint stores. Lowes has the SW satin paint for $6, I think. (They have peel and stick swatches too, but those didn’t help me much.)

Maybe I missed it, but are you the only person in the home?

With no Dining Room, are you planning to eat all meals at an island? Or, are you going to re-purpose one of the rooms (Living Room or Office) to be a Dining Room? I suspect it used to be an "eat-in Kitchen" with a Kitchen table in the middle of the room.

i live alone, i have very little storage, why I like the idea of an island. i am thinking of putting a small table in the front corner of the living room

Following

@tena miller if the only reason you want an island is for more storage, what kinds of storage have you planned for your other rooms? There are many possibilities. If you and those beautiful faces are there alone, you may not need so much in kitchen storage. If you also want an island for counter space and to have instead of a kitchen table, that's fine too. It's all good. I'm just wondering if you might like to have help thinking about built-in storage ideas and storage-furniture ideas too. That's one thing that crowd-sourcing can be great at.

@tena miller

https://www.bhg.com/decorating/small-spaces/strategies/creative-storage-ideas-for-small-spaces/

I really like this one, because it embraces shallow shelves, something important to my hubby. https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/15-ways-to-squeeze-more-storage-out-of-small-spaces/

I remember another article that suggested a plate wall pretty much anywhere to store pictures that we have a lot of. The thing I liked about it was that you could put it all through the house and it would look like purposefully trim when you sell.

I was curious about the toy storage idea in this one because it could double as seating near a doorway to take off boots. Ignore that they call it toy storage; it could be useful for more than toys. https://www.thespruce.com/diy-storage-ideas-to-organize-a-small-space-7546238

It seems like you have a good relationship with your cabinet maker. I bet they could help you create these too as you find you need more storage. You could even carry the same green through these projects that you have in your kitchen cabinets for cohesiveness, which would make your space feel larger.

I suggest you think of rounding off edges and corners that stick out and even ask for bullnosing the edges of shelves and countertops to enhance the kiva feel.

I don't think I ever mentioned how much I admired the choice of lighting. I like it because it is definitely contemporary but embraces the curves of the kiva. With something so ancient as a kiva and so contemporary, I instantly got the feel that your space spans time, and that appealed to me.

I wish you would add three pictures in the section of your original post.

1. Your floor plan (very smart and even smarter with more storage tricks)
2. The picture of your view (gorgeous)
3. This picture:

Sorry... This picture

@tena miller make a list of things you need storage for and where you would like that storage: bedroom, bathroom, living/office room. If you want to, you can share ideas or ask for ideas for specific items in specific rooms.

Are those open studs in your ceilings? So much opportunity for a pulley storage system. You could have wood shelves that disappear up into the rafters and just look like ceiling when they are up there. How far apart are they? 16"? You could use that anywhere in the house where you have the open rafters.

@tena miller what are your other thoughts regarding the use of your space? Your second bedroom... Will that be guest room space? Storage space? Work space? Your living/office space... will that be for entertaining? Or will it be for living? Do you need "office" space? Or are you like me and work anywhere there's a chair or a table for my laptop? Maybe a shelf somewhere for a wireless printer on occasion.

I like tables that I keep clear and ready for projects. But I like to put things away each night...except jigsaw puzzles.

What kinds of spaces do your shepherds need? What kind of storage?

Bedroom storage ideas:

https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/decorating-ideas/g27197552/small-bedroom-storage-ideas/

Storage "things" can be found everywhere on line. Some may be useful to you. https://homebnc.com/best-storage-ideas-for-small-spaces/

It appears that there was a fire issue with your original kiva fireplace. And it looks like the “solution” was to install a poorly fitted insert. That should be torn out (obviously!) but it appears that the original brick arched fireplace is intact behind that. A chimney sweep and a mason will be able to help you sort out the restoration of that beautiful kiva! Now…back to the kitchen! Consider a large bespoke or antique table as your island. You have LOTS of storage in your planned kitchen for items that you use for cooking. Seriously…go through all of your cooking utensils, pots, pans, etc. How many do you USE? NEED? Don’t create storage for things you have accumulated and have no need for. Habitat, Goodwill, Salvation Army….people can use what you don’t need or want. Good luck!

there are major storage issues in the main bedroom too, the secondary bedroom has a better closet attaching pictures

@tena miller thank you so much for adding the pictures to the start of the post for reference!

And thanks for posting bedroom pictures. I see shelving flanking the closet in the second bedroom. I see an electrical outlet high up and wonder what that is for. Pretty wood paneling. Love the brick floors throughout. Those high windows must keep the house from getting too hot.

How are you coming on your list of things you need to find storage for?

How do you feel about the particular color of white and off-white through the house? Will it go well with the green stain on the alder?

Since some of the ceilings are painted..how about adding a pretty pale color there?…instead of white wash?..pale aqua or sky blue ….or pale sunny/golden yellow?…adding some color from Mother Nature ..even to the wall areas …in those rooms…… to contrast with all the brick and wood ?

it's gray ceilings in the two bedrooms

Guess I am just tired of gray anything

In your situation with the windows up high..the natural light will add a pleasant glow to the rooms…

the gray doesn't look right, wonder how much to change it back to the original color

By original color do you mean the wood ?

That would require sanding…and be pretty tough without leaving little bits of the white…never mind having to all that from a ladder🤷🏻‍♀️

Even paint remover could be a disaster as it is so toxic and can cause great damage if any little bit drips on your skin……

that's what i thought, it would be hard to match it back to the rest of the beams

Do yourself a favor and paint one white wall a color you love..the contrast with all the wood can be a good thing…

By the way…love your doggies…so wish we could have pets..

good idea!

Next… those brick floors🤞

@tena miller you could paint your currently painted walls and ceilings a cheery blue like the blue of a perfectly clear day where you think you can see forever. Sponge painting has been used very nicely on rough walls for centuries. How do you feel about that? That would definitely celebrate the blue skies of your view outside.

You can also repeat the green wash of your kitchen cabinets on any new storage you have constructed. And you will have bright white fixtures in your bathrooms. The cool blue, green, and white will beautifully balance your enviable orange-red brick and your warm wood ceilings and wall paneling.

I wonder if you could add your two bedroom pictures to the original post as well.

I noticed you don't have any inspiration pictures posted in your idea books. Have you searched in HOUZZ or Google to find some? Do you know how to create an idea book and add photos?

@tena miller you can also purchase storage furniture for your bedroom. With builtin closets, many of us have forgot the trusty wardrobe in addition to our dressers. You may already have a dresser. But you could have it refinished too...or not.

@tena miller, it looks like there is already a free-standing wardrobe in your primary bedroom. Since it is wood, it might look better against a painted wall.

I should add @tena miller that very commonly people paint the walls a creamy white with just a touch of yellow. Outside, it is traditional to paint window and doors bright turquoise. But I don't think you should have to feel bound by that if you don't want to. I love your green wash kitchen cabinet idea.

I also like carrying the blue, greens, and cloud-white, and straw colors into your interior. But, honestly, I need you to say if you are behind all that or not. I don't want to clutter your post with stuff you don't like.

This is very traditional. Look familiar? I actually like your space better. This room looks bland with the ceilings and kiva painted cream. Almost like someone put on primer and then skipped town. I refer the blue paint idea @btydrvn had and you liked too.

This blue green seems popular right now but you can have blue and green instead or in addition. Your green wash is very much like the green of your shrubs outdoors. Choosing a true plue or even an almost periwinkle blue to paint over your grey would be fine too. What shades of blue speak to you?

@tena miller area rugs can add color too. They don't have to match your blue paint. They can even be green. And! You can hang them on your wall behind you bed or sofa for wall color too. Just look at the options. Which of these appeals to you? Area rugs can be great inspiration for a color scheme.

I agree on rugs.. they warm up the room… add color..and much nicer to walk on… keeping in mind that a the wool tufted types will have the advantage of being thicker and less expensive… and easier to keep clean…but there can be a little tripping hazard …if they do not cover enough of the floor area.. I would avoid synthetic rugs as they are usually too thin for your textured brick floors

We have wool tufted rugs runners in our home that still look good after 20 years use… in walk in closet.. kitchen …even in the bathroom…they wear like iron

Kitchen…bathroom..back door..the little one is perfect for back door entry…..I love having these sturdy..easily cleanable rugs …no shopping every few years for new ones…

The little one was ordered as a sample size..too much trouble to return..perfect doormat…

Keep your eyes open for other homeowners selling hand-knotted rugs. Good rugs with proper pads underneath last for decades. I recently retired two hand-knotted ones that were in three different houses over the last 30 years.