WOW WOW WOW..

Gorgeous I need to process and get back to you with ideas and opinions but could not stop myself from saying wow.

Your cabinets and counters are beautiful! Generally I'd say not to paint cherry cabinets at all, and also to keep island cabinets the same as perimeter if the counters will be different. However, I'm not sure how butcher block would look with cherry so I'm more people will chime in. Everything you've done so far looks wonderful!

Are you married to the butcher block? I agree with chicagoans, I’m not sure if I would pair butcher block with cherry cabinets, but I actually really like the look of the darker stained/painted island. It adds some contrast and breaks up the wood, at least in my opinion. Very beautiful kitchen, wish you all the best!

Thanks, everyone. Much of the cabinetry is now 35 years old and still gorgeous - a testament to the quality of the workmanship. I can't take any credit for the design, we were lucky to inherit them.

The reason we went with butcher block is that the Cambria stone (Blackpool Matte), which supposedly is like "a starless sky" has enough sparkles in it that it looks like there is white paint overspray on the counter in places. I'm not a fan of sparkles - I just wanted a plain black counter. Under-cabinet lighting only makes the sparkles more pronounced, so we feel that any task lighting would highlight what we consider a negative even more. (I even visited the Cambria showroom in Chicago and saw a slab - but it was displayed vertically, not horizontally, and didn't appear to have any sparkles - lesson learned.)

I used the photos below to get an idea of what cherry would look like paired with butcher block, but the pix don't help with the backsplash color decision, and when I found the photo of the cherry kitchen with the black island, I fell in love with that idea. It seemed like the perfect solution but it really complicated the situation. The cabinetmaker needs a decision wrt how to finish the island. Do you think the cherry works with the bb in these photos?

At first I thought it made sense to complete the island before moving on to the backsplash, but I worry that I should be taking the backsplash color into consideration wrt what color the island should be - and vice versa - so I'm stuck. Thanks for your help.

Natural cherry finish for the island. It's beautiful cabinet work.

Very pretty! I have a matching four inch backsplash with painted walls. Never gives me trouble. We did put a piece of stainless steel behind the cooktop.

1. “Would you keep the island finish the natural cherry or go with a black island?” It’s too pretty to paint, but what if you stain it a dark walnut? I found the stain below on an Amish woodworking site. They call it Smoke. What species of wood are you using for the butcher block?

2. “My cabinetmaker suggests going with a 3-4" backsplash of the Cambria Blackpool Matte with the rest of the space (up to the bottom of the upper cabinets) either painted cream like the walls or using the Dekton. What do you think?‘ No. You have so many other options, and you don’t exactly love the Cambria. Don’t get more of it. Dekton is pretty rigid, it chips and cracks. I wouldn’t place it where pans might run into it.

3. “I am wondering about what fixture to use over the sink” You could use something reminiscent of what your house might have had for kitchen lighting.

One detail that caught my eye was the ruffled glass in that image. I know you like to keep things simple, but a little adornment can add so much warmth to a space.

Ceramic tile is a great backsplash option. I thought the ruffle in the lighting was so pretty, I wondered if there were a tile that might give a similar feeling - while keeping things fairly simple (no frou-frou). What I found was this Kanbina Blanco wall mosaic at Tile Bar (click here). The effect is both restrained (it is just white tile) and glorious because of how is reflects light and shadow. It uses multiple tones of white, and when the light hits it it looks really special.

There are many, many other options. Check out this beautiful Victorian kitchen renovation by Fireclay Tile that uses hand painted tile with elongated subway tiles. I like the lighting fixtures they chose as well.

I think the black island or the natural cherry will both look great.

DO NOT do a strip of counter material and then the balance of the wall something else. Just don't. It will always look like a mistake. Frankly just put in a gorgeous simple tile- a cream 'subway' with a crackle glaze would be great. Modern grout is not scary- promise. It cleans right off.

Agree with Hallett, a simple tile backsplash would look beautiful and period appropriate. BTW, here goes (gulp): I have had Cambria quartz backsplashes behind three ranges and have never had any problem with heat exposure. I.know there’s an army of never-quartzers out there, but this is from my twenty plus years of experience. Phew.

Your kitchen brought to mind the kitchen @salex posted a few years back, and I finally found the thread. There may be info you find useful (click here).

UPDATE: The island is in! First, thanks to the members of the Houzz community that responded to my call for help. Your immediate, thoughtful, candid suggestions helped to transform my thinking around my kitchen conundrum. By the time I finished reading your comments I felt as if I’d been through a session with several skilled therapists or a heart-to-heart with close friends. Probably both.

@Boxerpal, your comment was first and primed the pump for me. I was excited to see what you would say and realized that I might get feedback quickly, which I did. Reminding me that if we painted or stained the cherry, we couldn’t undo it gave me pause, which I needed. I felt like I was stuck in a vortex of decision making that was spinning me faster and faster, making it hard to land on a choice. Your further comments and many photo examples were incredibly helpful to me. @chicagoans, your simple, straightforward “don’t paint the cherry” advice and insight (“keep island cabinets the same as perimeter if the counters will be different”) provided clarity and a simple rubric. @applepieorder – your two cents added to the “keep it cherry” side of the equation. @eam – all the photos of cherry kitchens you found, including the featured post from several years ago, gave me strong evidence that the island didn’t have to be black. I had fixated on that one photo as the answer to my indecision, but I obviously wasn’t totally sold on it – I just didn’t have a lot of other ideas. The plethora you provided helped to peel me away from that one photo to appreciate and fall in love with the idea of a cherry island.

I had posed 3 questions, and the backsplash question had engendered a lot if angst for me. I needed someone who could cut through the zillion ideas swirling around in my brain and the Houzz community did not disappoint. I’m talking to you, @eam44 – “you don’t exactly love the Cambria, don’t get more of it.” A true smh moment for me. After reading your comment I was surprised that I had even considered doing that. Thanks for not beating around the bush. And @Hallett & Co – your unequivocal admonishment: “DO NOT do a strip of counter material and then the balance of the wall something else. Just don't. It will always look like a mistake. Frankly just put in a gorgeous simple tile- a cream 'subway' with a crackle glaze would be great. Modern grout is not scary- promise. It cleans right off.” The one idea I brought to this kitchen design from the beginning was that I did not want ANY grout lines, so making the leap to tile is a 180-degree turnabout for me. You helped me make that change. And I do love anything with a crackly glaze so I’m excited to delve into what’s available. @flopsycat – you voted for a simple tile backsplash too, even though your experience with quartz has been positive. Your honest comment also helped me change my mind. @eam44 – the Kanbino Blanco tile from Tile Bar with the link you included caught my eye – I’ve ordered a sample.

Lastly, I was looking for suggestions wrt a light fixture for over the sink. @eam44, your photo of the Victorian kitchen was inspirational. I loved your suggestions and discovered that one of the fixtures you picked was already on my Pinterest lighting board. I want to get the backsplash installed before I make a move on that fixture, but now that the island is in, I’ve got some headspace to explore the possibilities.

In closing, an enormous THANKS to all of you that took the time to respond to a total stranger. I, and my husband, were impressed with the details and expertise you offered. And to any Houzz folks that come across this post – this discussion board was invaluable to me. Thanks for making it a part of your site. Below are photos of the island – installed less than a week before a family reunion that we hosted.

Well done! Hats off to your cabinet maker. They are a dying breed. That island is gorgeous and jut right for your space.

I love that you preserved the beauty of your home.

Enjoy!

Looks beautiful. Cabinetmaker did an excellent job.

Beautiful!!!!!! Love your island. As you pick out light fixtures for your gorgeous kitchen…my suggestion is lighting that is NOT enclosed at the bottom. While I like the look of the schoolhouse pendants and others with large glass spheres, all I can think of is CLEANING them when there are bugs or spatters, etc. And having to take off the entire shade to do so…. I love your kitchen!

I’m really happy for you. The island, and the whole kitchen look so beautiful. Keep us posted on the progress. And thank you for your thanks yous!

Beautiful!!