Love the idea of making the bar counter height. That will make a huge difference. White uppers will brighten the room and I am a huge wood cabinet fan, so I vote yes on the walnut. You will love your new kitchen.

I do think you should do all wood, and also add improved lighting to your reno plan. Love your pink and green walls!

It it is truly two-tone, I think you could do painted uppers and wood lowers.

What would make it a true two tone would be upper cabinets and a backsplash that are all the same color as the walls. (What many people call two-tone end up being about 4 or 5: two cabinet finishes, a backsplash, a different wall color and possibly multiple countertop colors.

Keep one color/finish and add pop with minimal accessories and an art print.

I have two -toned cabinets in my small kitchen. The white uppers with the white tile and walls help to lift and lighten the area, while the dark lowers help to ground it.

I think two toned would be fine. I like the white uppers, oak lowers idea. I also think you could pick up a color from your wallpaper for the lower cabinet paint color, particularly that green. This kitchen is also a galley kitchen and a bit larger than yours, but the two tone idea works great. The colors here are Benjamin Moore Simply White for the uppers and Heather Gray for the lowers.

Bernal Heights Sustainable Kitchen · More Info

Bernal Heights Sustainable Kitchen · More Info

For your space and considering the wallpaper, I suggest walnut cabinets and white or creamy uppers with first tile. What will floor be?

This was a kitchen of mine in an apartment in a building c. 1838, open to LR.

Yes, it was very small and emphasized appearance over strict function. It had a concealed, externally vented range hood.

What I am trying to show is that this is tiny, and two tone, mostly to blend in. The cabinets and backsplash are wall color.

I'd stick with one color in that small space. Pick one you like -- any color will do. You bright in light by electricity.

Thanks! The floor will be some kind of tile. We will definitely replace the lighting - both overhead and adding undercabinet lighting... maybe pendants over the counter. I do like the green-gray painted lowers. Is it fair to say that lower painted cabinets will hold up okay? Friends with white lowers have reported wear and tear--but they mostly have more of a veneered/plasticky finish that chips, while ours would definitely be painted... Feeling happy to see that folks don't think walnut is a crazy choice for the bottom!

I think all the wood tone,

I get why you want to lower the bar height around the sink. If youre not one who keeps a spotless kitchen all the time, just cinsider that extra height helps hide any mess left in the kitchen. Those little items you have tucked next to the elevated height will no longer be hidden from the living area.

True that the wall hides things...but we've also found that we put crap ON the bar counter that turns into clutter. So I think that's kind of same-same. The one thing I'll miss about the raised surround is it IS perfect for standing working laptop height, with a cup of coffee on the counter... But we think we will let the end (not the back, just the end) of the counter jut out enough to put a stool or two below, whether for kids eating cereal, grown-ups perching with a computer, etc...