Do you have an updated floor plan? i fewe there’s too much going on in the space (definitely the island). For the counter - soapstone is a natural material that is grey and cannot stain, burn or suffer heat cracks and needs no sealing.

It's not a true floor plan with measurements, but here's the layout. The bathroom was moved to accommodate the fridge/pantry.

I definitely want to keep the island. I have an island there now and fo all my prep work there. This new island will house the garbage with a pullout.

I am curious why so many say cherry all the way through. With the small size of the room I feel like the dover white uppers will keep it light and airy.

I'll look at other porcelain tile options. I still would prefer darker countertops as I like the look of cherry with the darker countertop.

Because a change in materials cuts the space in half and tends to make it feel smaller. It’s also a misnomer that white makes a room look bigger. Often, the more light bouncing back at you, the smaller it feels.

How do I avoid making my kitchen look like every other kitchen? This thread all started because I wanted a whimsical kitchen and was struggling with how to define that. And while I agree that the drawings as they are now have a little too much going on, if we keep trimming away all the quirky fun finishes and just going with what is popular (one cabinetry finish, a single color dark floor, light countertops), I know I'll be disappointed in the end after spending a boatload of money to make a kitchen that everyone else likes and I feel ambivalent on.

I agree the blue doesn't work here. I agree that the pendant lights should go because the break the flow. I agree the rounded countertops on the peninsula look weird and that the opening needs to be bigger. I agree with taking the tile up to the ceiling. This is all great, functional feedback. I also am at least looking into the pros and cons of dark quartz from a usability and longevity perspective.

But I am hoping not to throw out the whole kitchen concept because, in general, my husband and I rather like it all. We just need help refining it a bit. I'd still like some blue in this space - backsplash? I'd like a ceramic tile on the floor that is interesting to look at.

I wouldn’t worry about making it “not like every other kitchen.” Being different for the sake of being different is often unsuccessful. Make it what you like. I would point out that white uppers and wood base cabs have been extremely popular for some time and doing that is also “like every other kitchen.” Have fun with the floor! Have fun with the backsplash! Get a dramatic stone, maybe in a honed or leathered finish. Me, I tend to prefer light floors and darker countertops. I think there are much better ways to bring interest to a kitchen than contrasting uppers, especially in a small space without much cabinetry to begin with.

What is the architectural style of the house (if there is one?)

I live in an old, charming house that had lots of “fun, quirky features” from the last renovation in the 80’s that I’m sure made the prior owner quite happy. And I found them charming at first. But they also made this small, old house feel very choppy and smaller and many impeded function. So, I just finished removing them all. Now I have the same flooring throughout the house, the same trims, the same door hardware, consistent floor tiles and countertops, one wall color.

But in each room there’s one “wow” element. The wainscoting in the dining room. The vaulted, wood ceiling in the main bath. The mitered-front vanity top in the powder room with a 7” apron. The wood windows, patio door and casings that all match the kitchen cabinetry. The “whimsey” works best when it’s one or two very intentional elements that aren’t competing for attention.

The house is a Cape Cod style, and I'd call my sense of style transitional. Black and brushed nickel hardware, and most of the colors throughout the house are beige, blue, gray, and sea salt.

I am not trying to make the house look different just for the sake of looking different. I actually really like the design the designer came up with, which is why In struggling so much with all of the feedback to make it all one color, to change the countertops, to simplify the floor. The designer took a lot of care to go through my Houzz gallery and pull tons of elements from kitchens that I love and bring them together into one space. I remember looking at the drawings I really and being like "wow, it's like you pulled this straight from my head."

And then I posted them here and everyone is essentially telling me to "tone it down."

Again, I agree there are one too many colors in the kitchen. I think removing the blue cabs is the right decision because they are the wrong color blue. I am open to swapping out the floors and countertops if I can find alternatives that still give me what I want.

But I don't want all cherry cabinets. I have had cream cabinets in my kitchen forever and I love them. I had a note to the designer that was like "Can I mix wood and cream cabinets? I love the look, I just don't know if I can do it." And I feel like she showed me I can.

That floor is a floor I had picked out. And yes, I am not totally sold on the countertops - I will go look at a slab yard to see what else is in my budget besides Cambria quartz. I don't like lighter colored quartz. I will order samples of the floor to make sure it's like how I envision it in my mind. I am not going into this blindly.

I just don't want to be pressured by a people who don't know me into throwing out plans for a really cool space that I was super excited about and ending up with a $100k investment that I am like... Huh. How did I get here? This isn't what I wanted.

Unless life really smacks us in the face, we have no intention of moving. So, I am not really worried about what the next owners think. This kitchen is for us and our family.

I want to be steered away from making downright BAD decisions, but I don't want to be steered into making a space that, in everyone else's opinion, looks more like what they would want in their kitchen. Does that make sense?

It would be helpful for me to understand what makes these kitchens work, which the designer was pulling from, and why what we have isn't currently working, because if there are elements or rules here that I can replicate, that will help steer me in the right direction.

More of the kitchens I am trying to understand how they "work"

Like my last question - if we were to keep the checkerboard floor (or if we would need to try to find something else) it would help to understand why these floors/kitchens work. Like, what allows them to flow together?

what I take from those inspiration pics is 1. bigger spaces than yours so translating doesnt always work perfectly. .2 use of diagonal laid larger tiles creates an expansionary effect in pic 1 and 2 3. the smaller black / white tiles impart detail but sticking w bl and white is very classic which makes it work --- note [ minus two painted cabinet finishes. ] you should get a detail or 2 that you fancy and there are ways to work w smaller kitchens...once your layout is final the design team should assist w the finishes stage. People here will offer tons of personal opinions so accept your gut desires but Id say you need editing from your proposal of" the numerous contrasting items you presented . Keep at it.

Okay, this is helpful.

I would ask the designer to lay the tile diagonally. I agree I don't care for the horizontal orientation.

If the floor stays, what kind of countertop works with it? If I go lighter, do you have affordable granites that would be a better fit than the quartz I have here?

If the floor goes, do you have suggestions for countertop and ceramic tile floor combinations that work with cherry lowers and creamy uppers?

Having a well designed and cohesive kitchen with a clear theme and details that tie into that theme will make it look much different than "every other kitchen." Your quirk can then be accomplished with a pop of something unexpected. The issue is you are trying to accomplish something that feels different by increasing the number of finishes you're using, though those finishes themselves are pretty safe choices, save perhaps the checkerboard floor -- instead of finding what really speaks to you. If I were you and dead-set on a checkerboard floor, that would be the star and the rest of the room would be designed to highlight that. Even in these kitchens that are 2-4x the size of yours, I don't see three cabinet finishes in combination.

I would suggest you find inspiration photos of kitchens that are close in size to yours and stop trying to adapt $250k+ kitchens to your situation. You seem to gravitate toward kitchens that feel historically authentic, so it's no surprise that aside from a couple of outliers, most use (1) inset cabinets, (2) natural countertop materials, (3) wood that looks natural (a good amount of which is not cherry), and (4) furniture-like pieces or actual furniture instead of factory-made cabinets. I do not think it's reasonably to try to accomplish the same feeling with very different materials and finishes.

Just be aware that black and white checkered floors can be difficult to keep clean. My friend has a stunning 1925 Dutch Colonial and her first kitchen redo included that floor. Her second re-do kept the checkered floors ONLY in the walk in pantry and changed the main kitchen to match the wood floors. Are wood floors in consideration? I ask because they are a great “chorus” for the other colors you love. But checkerboard floors are definitely a “star” feature, so keep,that in mind as you design your kitchen.

I love the wood and soft blue idea. How to use them is up for discussion (all wood cabinets and a blue island?) so keep looking at that combination with a checkerboard floor. The right blue island essential.

Re Granite countertops: it is very hard to stain properly sealed countertops. I’ve had granite in two kitchens and never stained them. If granite works for your kitchen, go for it. It’s tougher than quartz.

the best way is bringing in samples.... get a sample of the stain and upper cab paint shade [is that your choice now] then take those to the flooring center and counter display and go back a few times...think it over ....then you really have to bring home samples . it takes a bit of time and work...but youll see how things will fit together and "ruling out" those that wont work does help the process. sometimes I'm surprised ..a color or tone that I think is correct gets discarded and something else works. we dont know your lighting natural and artificial ......we dont know the stain or paint shades. walking thru your local stone yard to look at the granites might give you a clue..they are really experienced people usually and they may have some set ups or suggestions if you have something in hand......even an inspiration picture on your phone...the color representations of phone images enlarged can be quite good.

Yes to ^^^

Take samples to the stone yard too. Best way to pick your countertop.

Obviously this is just me playing with AI, but if we but our the blue cabinets and lighten up the floor, does something like this work?

that looks good. the green areas [wall and tile] work because its almost a neutral these days ..might be nicer than a blue as your way of getting some color......i dont know about the lighter floor...they make me a little nervous but we have semi wooded lots and lots of outdoor activities on 2 properties, so there is tracking......I might try a medium slate w the dark counters but that looks fine if you want a lighter floor. I like the cab stain color.. a nice shade to work with. can you insert a stainless range ?

Yes that looks good except for the 4” dark counter material backsplash. It’s not needed or advised with the lovely green tile

I don't think that looks good. There is still too much going on in a tiny space between a lip backsplash plus tile backsplash plus two cabinet finishes plus a contrasting wall color plus a white appliance. And it's neither whimsical nor classic, your two design criteria. In fact, the combination of sage green and taupe-y cabinets and a pinky-beige floor is very clinical, and overall you have a lot of different undertones that are clashing.

Why are you so committed to having multiple cabinet finishes? It's not adding whimsy and it's not classic.

It does not work. The cabinets are too different and do not coordinate at all.

I’m sorry, but I think having two cabinet finishes make a small kitchen look smaller. I considered it when I recently renovated the small kitchen in my 110 year old house, and I’m glad I didn’t do it. I think it looks a bit dated now, too. Less is more.

To me, the contrasting cabinets create a strong horizontal line that is visually distracting, cuts the room in half, and looks like the cabinets came from a showroom display sale. I don't reflexively hate contrasting uppers - I think they can work in either very large kitchens or kitchens where there aren't many uppers (such as with many windows or open shelving) and the few uppers act as accents. I don't think anyone is telling you to go with all cherry per se, just all the same. If you love your cream, do all cream. Or, do all blue. Painted is much more "classic" than wood. Built-in cabinetry didn't really appear until the 20's, and was painted wood or metal. Natural wood didn't really start being used until the 60's, and even then it was usually birch or knotty pine (aside from some expensive MCM designs in teak or walnut veneers). You'd be hard-pressed to find cherry cabinetry before the mid-80s. I don't generally consider cherry "whimsical" unless it's unstained character-grade, or perhaps in a more craftsman style.

What is this in your floor plan?

I couldn’t find a light blue kitchen with checkerboard floors. Here are some pretty alternatives. (I can do good searches but I think we need someone with AI skills to help envision this combination.

These kitchens feel a lot more classic with a whimsical bent to me than the taupey beigey mossy cherry idea. That is, classic painted cabinets with pops of color. The one with the checkerboard floor could easily translate to your home with a work-table style island that would not feel as overwhelmingly blocky as what you currently are proposing.

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Love honed soapstone! these are two kitchens that came to mind when reading your post.

I would ask your kitchen designer to do the renderings again in all wood cabinets, in all white cabinets, and in two-tone so you get the visual of the difference it makes having more than one finish in a small space. Then you can decide what you prefer.

I think it's a common problem that inspiration images don't always apply very well to real life kitchens.

I put together a mood board that coveys warm, whimsical and homey to me. I love the handmade looking tiles you posted, and would encourage you to keep the room very light. I don’t know if you will be replacing the appliances, but if you do, I’d consider white. If you keep one cupboard open, you could paint or paper the interior with foliage images and display pretty things. I’d keep your wood floor if possible.

more kitchens [ small L shape w work islands ] good to stick w small spaces for comparables to your setting.

these are small kitchens..use of two toned and details including patterned tile and other all white. space. You should use care but do not feel restricted. Today you choose what you like. .

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Okay, based on all this feedback - while I actually really like my AI renderings with the white uppers and cherry lowers... To play devil's advocate, what about doing the perimeters in cream, doing the island and coffee bar (which is across the powder room) in cherry, and then doing the muted green backsplash tile and potentially checkerboard floor? With gray countertops?

Currently eyeing this Marin Aloe Green tile by Bedrosians.

Here’s an attempt o get some of your latest ideas together.

Ffpalms - that does actually look really pretty. Thank you for doing that!

I think you're suffering from some version of the sunk costs fallacy. You've clearly invested a lot of time and energy into having a multicolored kitchen including cherry cabinets, even though the consistent feedback on the former is that it will not work in your kitchen and the latter doesn't relate at all to the look you're trying to achieve or the age/style of your house (a 1940s cape would have had painted wood or metal cabinets and a craftsman would have oak, not cherry). I suggest you take a breather and gather your thoughts. Maybe buy a book or two on kitchen design to learn some fundamentals. The fact that it's really hard to make your choices work is evidence that you should be reconsidering those choices, not that you need to invest even more time and energy into finding the perfect combination that somehow ties these disparate elements together.

I would want wood floors..very cozy and classic…white uppers green painted lowers…

The safe and white are pretty. I won't do wood floors though.

As for sunk cost fallacy - I just fell in love with the cherry cabinets. I think they are beautiful. Most of our furniture throughout our house is cherry, including our dining table in the other room. I personally think cherry works. I don't need to be a purist here - I am trying to give a nod to classic styling but my style really is more transitional.

Why no wood floors?

Believe it or not, I am not a huge fan of wood floors. We have them upstairs and down. Upstairs they are a mess and need to be refinished, but finding the energy to remove all of our stuff and dealing with the dust and the smell while they cure - it's just not great. Yes, they look beautiful when they are done, but then you worry about scratches and damage from then on our and have to baby them... Or cover them in carpet. Add in that one dishwasher blowing a hose (just like mine did just earlier this year) could result in needing to replace them all, I would rather go with something a little more indestructible. Ceramic has been in kitchens for a long time. The flooring we choose will extend into the powder room - in this application I'd rather do tile.

Wood ceramic tiles look amazing too

I actually do really like the wood look ceramic

Are the floors in the adjoiing rooms wood? Wood look ceramic next to axtual wood rarely looks good.

I just took this screenshot from a Nancy Meyers aesthetic video. I wanted to point out the cream and green combo, but also the smaller scale checkered floor laid on the diagonal just barely showing.

I think the only thing worse than taking inspiration from huge, million-dollar kitchens would be taking inspiration from AI generated kitchens, like the above photo. At least the former actually exist IRL.

adkhiker - I think that the mood board that ffpalms posted for you is very pretty. I think the color of the backsplash tile is nice. I like the checkerboard tile - depending on the dimensions of the tile and how the tile would look installed in the size of space for your kitchen flooring (not sure how many sf of flooring will be installed). If the tile size is too large - you may not have many whole tiles. However, if the tile size is too small, it may make the floor look too busy. Larger tiles have the ability to make a smaller room look larger (as long as the tiles aren't too large).

I can't remember what countertops you are thinking about using - I think soapstone or a honed black granite would look nice (something similar to what is shown on the mood board posted by ffpalms). I LOVE soapstone.

FYI - I have had wood floors throughout my first floor - including kitchen and powder room for 25 years - I've only had one issue (right after we moved in) when the water line for the refrigerator was first installed (and once dried, the boards went back to being flat - there is a little bit larger gap between a couple boards - but I'm the only one that notices it - and it wasn't worth making a homeowner's claim to have them fixed). I am going to have my floors refinished soon - my flooring guy said that the boards don't need to be replaced in that area - once he sands everything down and uses the wood from sanding mixed with glue - the little gaps will be filled in and not noticeable.

However, if you set against wood - I'm not going to try to talk you into installing wood. What is the flooring on the rest of the main level?

The only thing that you might want to think about it whether to install the checkerboard flooring in a color that matches your backsplash tile - or if you should instead do a more flexible color combination. If you use a more neutral color, you'll be able to switch out your backsplash at some point in the future if you want.

I'd rather have matte tiles than polished one like below - I just grabbed this photo re: the gray color.

I believe the tiles below are limestone and marble:

The tiles in the following photo are faux marble porcelain tiles:

While I was looking at checkerboard floors - I came across some linoleum sheet flooring on Etsy shown below:

These are photos posted by real customers:

Also, as long as the size needed is under a certain # of square feet, this particular linoleum can be rolled out over your existing flooring - and doesn't have to be glued down. That would make it simple to replace in the future! There were many positive comments about the quality of this linoleum vs. the type sold at big box stores.

There are also individual vinyl (I think they were vinyl) tiles sold on Etsy that could be used:

Again, photos were posted by actual customers:

Here is a close up of the above backsplash posted by the same customer (some people use a specific type of "grout" made to be used with these types of tiles in order to make the installation look more like actual ceramic or porcelain tiles:

Below are real tiles that have been installed in a similar color (can't remember the exact type):

I truly do think the backsplash color is very pretty - it's a similar color to an accent stripe that I had added to my white backsplash + the countertops that I selected for my kitchen back in 1996. At the time, my mom told me it would be better to install a neutral countertop and to leave the accent stripe out of the backsplash - because at some point in the future, I'd tire of the color - and it would be a lot less expensive to change the color scheme for the kitchen if I didn't need to purchase new countertops + install a new backsplash (especially since I already would have to deal with the floral print wallpaper that had that color + others - including teal!)

I told her that whenever I tired of the color, I'd just replace the backsplash and countertops - as if replacing both of those elements was simple and inexpensive 😂.

When the time came, I really wished I had listened about the countertop!

However, I really loved the kitchen when my house was first built (and I received many compliments on it). A neutral countertop would not have looked nearly as good (teal + that lighter green tone were big back in 1996! The fireplace surround in my kitchen had tiles that color also).

So, maybe you don't want to do something more neutral for the flooring - especially since the square footage of flooring isn't a huge amount. I just thought I'd make the suggestion.

Here is an article I saved awhile ago on how to select the right checkerboard floor (color/material/etc.) + size.

https://www.edwardmartin.com/blogs/information/how-to-pick-the-right-checkered-floor

Thank you to everyone who has continued to post. I am awaiting updated drawings this week. In the meantime, I have been playing around with a mood board. I received tile samples and I am in love with the beige Edward Martin tile and the Marin BS tile in aloe green. I am now awaiting a gray Edward Martin sample because I did not care for the white tile.

The light in this mood board would be ordered in brushed nickel finish.

Exploring the idea of a work table instead of an island.

Sorry for posting such a long comment 😂

I typed parts of it - and then came back a couple times and typed more + started adding photos. I didn't realize how long it was until this morning!

Is that soapstone on your mood board - or is it a honed granite? It looks nice!

I've seen more people adding work tables recently. They can be a better fit for many kitchens. They aren't as imposing as a solid island in a smaller kitchen + wood ones add warmth + coziness to a kitchen. What type (style/material/etc.) of work table are you thinking about using?

I think you're going to have a very nice kitchen!

Dani - I loved all your photos! Made me feel more confident in moving ahead with checkerboard.

A work table gives you more visual space than most islands. It can be a versatile piece if you add wheels (that can lock).

I like the soft-green-and-white checkerboard floor. Unique, for sure.

Oh my, adkhiker, definitely a lot of cooks in this kitchen 😂 I stopped reading comments after seeing your designer drawings and the 3 cab colours, dark grey counters and checker floor. My 2 cents on those are leave everything except the blue for island, Do that in the white. You’ll get your hits of blue in later with decor. All the best with your project. I know how challenging it can all get!!

We have new drawings! I think we're really close!