I love a kitchen redo! I am underway with my own at the moment. Personally, I prefer some contrast. One should also consider adjacent areas that would interplay i.e. with an open plan. My new cabinets are also leaning Linen White; I chose Cambria Remington Brass, a dark chocolate/grey with brass veining and a similar colorway tile backsplash. (Hardware, faucet are satin bronze keeping that mixed metal look.) My floors are light red oak. Regardless, I have used Cambria several times and just love their product. Best of luck!

If it were me, I wouldn’t add veining bc of the flooring - i would look at solid options as @Kendrah suggests, wood can also be a beautiful option

I personally would not try to match countertop to cabinets.

In your case, I would choose something more creamy to compliment the floor rather than so white. What are the gray tiles for? a hard NO on gray with your floor. Look for something more beige/tan/sand.

The Cambria Kenwood is very creamy and has only the slightest movement in it. Very very little. The subway tiles are a light blue. I will attach a pic of the kitchen if I can. Trying to do this on my phone is difficult. The walls are BM Classic Gray. I have a fireplace that is very creamy as well. Also looking at Cambria Inverness Frost since it isn’t as creamy.

Could you post a photo of your whole kitchen? Assume the first pic was taken in your kitchen? But it would be helpful to see the walls, etc.

Ha! I would love to. I’m not home and I cannot figure how to post from existing photos on my phone. Something just isn’t working right. As soon as I get to a computer I will post more pics. Thank you everyone!!

Kendrah has very good design sense - if she looked at MANY countertops to go with BM White Linen, I would trust her judgment.

I also wouldn't want to install a faux stone countertop with real stone floors - even though the quartz you've selected has a bit more minimal veining vs. many of the faux stone quartz countertops out there - I still would do a solid.

If your issue is because she used Corian - you should know that there are many people on here who LOVE their solid white (different shades) Corian countertops. One person on here even removed her white solid ones and reinstalled them on her new cabinets + ordered more of the same white Corian for the the extra cabinet area that was added to the kitchen.

Corian makes some people feel like it's a "lesser" countertop material - however, it's used in many high end kitchens - it is also very popular in Europe. The speckled Corian is what makes it a "dated look" (plus install issues caused issues - which have been corrected). It lasts forever (chips can be repaired/scratches removed). I think I am using it for my countertop for my vanity in my new primary bathroom (with a thicker mitered edge).

You should be able to post photos that are on your phone - if you hit the "photo" button underneath the comment box, it should allow you to select "photos" in order to select one to add to the comment. You can't select multiple ones - you have to add each one separately (at least that's how mine works - iPhone/iPad/MacBook Air).

Add several photos of your kitchen - that will help people understand the size and configuration.

On my screen, your backsplash tiles look like they are a shade of blue (definitely better than gray ones!)

Turned phone off and on. That’s pretty much all it took!! I’ve attached a pic of linen white cabinet in front of the Cambria Kenwood. As you can see not much in the way of veining. The 17 year old countertops I am ripping out are white. They are Caesar stone blizzard. I would prefer something a little different this time. My kitchen is a decent size. That peninsula is big but the island is small. Going down to one level for the peninsula. Since the fireplace is so close, it plays a big part in the colors I choose. I will take a look at the Corian vanilla. At the same time I don’t want cream overload. So I am confused on what to do.

I agree with @Lyn Nielson. The cream countertop provides a luxe-looking contrast to the white cabinets. As others have said, I think a solid countertop without veining would look best with the travertine floor.

lowering/leveling the countertop is going to be fabulous!

What about the island base? Are you brightening up the light fixture and hardware too?

Brushed nickel rather than black. It's not going to be too much cream...

Not sure about island base. Should I do it in something other than Linen White. Yes, Lighting will be changed. Existing hardware is brushed nickel. Changing it. Was thinking of something in the brushed gold family but polished chrome for faucet. No black. Going up to ceiling with cabinets. Don’t want those high cabinets to be curved so I will probably have to replace the doors to my upper cabinets to match lower cabinets. Want something a little different for hood as well. At least take doors off and make solid. It’s a domino effect!!!!

If I may, when you get home take a picture of the kitchen , all angles. Take pictures of all the surrounding rooms as well. the more the merrier.

I am NOT understanding the light blue tile with "classic gray" walls, warms trim color. Tile is something BEST chosen after new tops are on.

"The new uppers will go to the ceiling"

"I wanted different tops"

Do I see wall to wall carpet in the adjacent room?

Do I see a rather Tuscan feeling fireplace?

I think you should slow down just a it.

By the time you lower a peninsula, get cabinetry to the ceiling.....?

Slow down and show MORE context ....please? Before dominoes become a path to "what was I thinking?" : )

I won’t be home for several days so I’ll send what I already have. Ha! You have no idea how many times my decisions fall under “what was I thinking”. The Classic Gray paint may be one of them. But it is what it is. Can’t change. The light blue subway isn’t set in stone either and I probably should wait until countertops are in. Anyway, here are more pics. No carpet to carpet anywhere. Whole room is travertine flooring. The living room is on the other side of the peninsula. Unfortunately I don’t have a pic from the angle of the sofa towards the peninsula. I do have kitchen table and chairs but what I attached is a picture of my dining room.

Found one more.

I would take one painted door (and one floor tile if you have it) and shop every countertop/stone place in your area. There may be something in a stone yard that isn’t standard but pulls these two elements together. My friend redid her kitchen (similar cabinet color) and found slabs of an unusual granite (named Oxford) that pulled together every element, including the wood floor. Never saw it before, or since. But she lucked out. You may have the same experience. Don’t rush these decisions. Kitchens are forever.

Your dining room is very lovely but it doesn't seem to go with the other rooms, which look more glam/mod. Do I see wood floors in the DR? I'd go with wood floors in the kitchen if you're going to all the trouble of changing cabinets, countertops, etc. Beige tile floor, white cabinets and a white counter top is going to be too one-dimensional.

The PINK travertine floors do not go with baby blue tiles and yellow based white cabinets. You know what foes work with pink floors? The existing glazed cabinets.

A few different designers recommended SW Aesthetic White as a cabinet color for travertine floors. Below, Carla Aston used SW Alabaster (she likes Aesthetic White better - but her client like Alabaster) for this bathroom update (only changes were the paint color + light fixture.

Here is a comparison between BM Linen White and SW Aesthetic White:

Here is another bathroom by Carla Aston - she used SW Panda White with the travertine tile:

Below is another part of the above bathroom (lighting has changed in photo):

Blue does work with travertine tiles - there are several colors of blue that Carla listed (it appears that she thinks many blues work well with travertine floors).

Here is a mood board with SW Meditative and travertine floor tile.

Here is a before for a kitchen with glazed off wite cabinets and travertine floors:

Here is the after (the client could have also updated the kitchen using the right shade of warm white - but decided to select the mood board with the bolder cabinet color in order to have a bigger change once the kitchen update was completed):

The upper kitchen cabinets were extended to the ceiling by using wood + different mouldings in order to close the gap.

This is the correct way to test your countertop selection with your floors - lay it on a white piece of paper directly on the floor tile. Out of the countertops that the homeowner liked, the countertop the designer selected was the upper left corner (a countertop that seems very similar to the one you like):

FYI - Kylie M Interiors has a six part series re: updating a 2000s kitchen (many of the kitchens had travertine tiles installed).

Thank you dani-m08. I have come across these posts Unfortunately, the problem I have is the trim in my house. Every door, crown molding, base trim, utility room cabinet, Gameroom cabinets (except in master bath and bedroom) are painted in the Linen White color. I don’t know how I can paint the kitchen cabinets in another “white” when it will be up against the trim color. If I can, I would love to. Actually the cabinets don’t even have to be white. But I didn’t want to bring in yet another color that is a little “off” so I was just going to embrace it and work with it the best I can. My post started with asking for advice on countertops. I am definitely stepping away from anything with any movement in it and going solid. I think the Maria Killam kitchen used crema marfil quartz. I would like to think my travertine isn’t that peachy pink. I might just go ahead and get a sample and take a look.
I am also playing around with Kelvins. Most are 3000 but I am trying some 3500 to see if that helps with the yellow.

I am adding my voice to those saying your travertine looks fine now with the pinkish cream glazed cabinetry, but will look Quite Pink after painting those same cabinets Linen White. A little strip of trim is not as noticeable to compare with the floors as a large 3x5or more size piece of cabinetry. Do the game room and utility room cabinets have the same floor next to them? If it doesn't bother you in there, you can probably live with it in the kitchen, despite what other eyes may think.

I think a medium or darker tone counter would be better for a bit of contrast if you keep the cabinets white/pale and don't pivot to a color. Right now it's giving 80s vibes with all the range of pink, yellow, blue pastel colors around this room and not much contrast.

Thank you, Julie S. I think some of the pictures I posted have distorted the color of my travertine a little bit. In person they don’t look THAT pink. There is a pic of the living area. The lights aren’t on and I think my floors look more like that. The utility room and all upstairs baths have the same travertine and the Linen White cabs and they look fine to me. Is there anything I can do to help with the 80’s look.? Will be updating hardware and lighting above the small island.

I think this is a more accurate pic of my travertine.

The physical style isn't 80s so much as the three colors of pastels remind me of that era (yellow-cream trim/cabs, pink-cream floors, pale blueish wall paint). I do see hits of navy, charcoal, wrought iron, dark wood scattered in pleasing amounts through your other rooms- the kitchen needs some more of that and I think pale cabinets with a pale counter is maybe going to be too bland compared to the home's overall look although I usually love it (with darker floors I love it....) You could definitely paint the kitchen cabinets blue like the pic Dani_MO8 shared and have a really great space IMO. If that feels too scary and you do stick with something in the realm of white, then do ALL the countertops something similar to the current island countertop, not black but a dusky charcoal gray to repeat existing deep cool tones in the space and add some weight to the creamy cabs and floors.

Something in your description of the colors you have doesn't match the pictures you are showing.

If you want good help we have to see what you are seeing.

Can you buy or make a sample of Classic Gray and a sample of Linen White (I order samples from Samplize.com.

Set the samples next to the colors painted in your home and confirm that these are the colors inside your home and that we aren't missing the mark completely.

The next thing to do is gather your sample of Classic Gray and the door that was painted to match your trim and , if you have a spare travertine tile, and take all 3 outside on a clear day and take a picture in the early afternoon sunlight.

It is best if the travertine tile is laying on the ground and the paint sample and cabinet sample are standing up.

Take pictures and post.

Natural daylight is the best way to see where colors are clashing or off.

This is a long story. Bought house 8 years ago. We wanted to touch up some baseboards etc and took the unlabeled can left by the previous owner to BM store and asked them to do a color match. At the time I had no idea the color was so creamy. Just thought it was a white. So now I have what I call a special mix trim color. When I was looking for an all over house color, I chose Classic Gray at 125 percent. I realize not the best choice but for the most part I fine with it. My kitchen and living room areas have a light and airy look. Lots of windows. Recently I took the special trim mix with the formula on the can to BM and asked them what color was closest. I wanted a name for the trim color. When he told me Linen White I was shocked. Whoa, I had no idea it was sooooo creamy/yellow. That’s the story behind my colors. Oh and the dining room walls are Egret White, not classic gray. I am telling all this because maybe that is why the colors aren’t looking the way they should. Thank you for the advice of taking everything outside. I will definitely do that.

I am going to ask you how long you plan on living in this home and how you want to spend your renovation budget.

Having cabinets painted is expensive. Trim - you can paint yourself or even if you do hire it out it will not cost nearly as much as cabinets.

Classic gray isn't a bad paint color - happens to be one of the top selling paint colors for BM. It is more of a beige gray mix that leans slightly pink - AKA Taupe or warm gray. This should work really well with your Travertine. Egret White is a slightly darker Taupe or warm gray - again, slight pink undertones. Since you had your Classic Gray tinted at 125% it is probably pretty close in color to the Egret Gray. One may be a bit more gray than the other, but close.

What isn't going to work with the Travertine or the Classic Gray/Egret White taupe colors is Linen White - way too yellow.

If your staying in this house less than 5 years I probably wouldn't paint the cabinets or trim - just live with what you have. If it is more that 5 years I would bite the bullet and pick a white that works with the flooring and the wall colors. Paint the cabinets and the trim and doors.

Couple of videos on classic gray that might give you some inspiration on whites and colors with classic gray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-nNJKoXwJ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYEXSq9I9aY

and one on egret white - watch this to see egret white with white trim choices including one that is creamy. . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTrtRSpaHJk

I know you are looking at cost of painting trim, but spread it out over the years you have to live with what doesn't work I think you might decide to paint the trim.

I would like to stay in this house for another 2-3 years at least but I honestly cannot take this kitchen much longer as it is. The trash drawer is all beat up. I can have that fixed and ask my painter if he can figure out the glaze on these cabinets and just touch up the trash drawer. I have no idea what the cost is to glaze cabinets as opposed to painting. I feel like I would be going backwards if I reglazed all the cabinets.

THere is ZERO reason to spend 15-18K to have those professionally finished with a cabinet coating. ZERO. What you have works with your house, and does not need any changes. The counters work with it too. This isn't like you painting things navy and doing a wood counter. There change is virtually nonexistent, and costs a heck of a lot for almost nothing different at all.

I don’t get the change either. Because things really aren’t changing. It’ll be the same kitchen Before and After.

Convinced!!! Not going with “Linen White” cabs. Will start looking for something with more depth. Hired a color consultant. Hopefully she can find a happy medium between trim and walls. Has her worked cut out for her!!!

Trash drawers and glazing seem to be a disastrous combination - have known several people who have said they won't do glazing ever again and the trash drawer is the one thing that they all mention as being terrible.

Where is the trash drawer? If it is next to the dishwasher you may be able to do a stainless front and have it "work" with the other cabinets if it is the main issue or if it is in the island you could have just the island painted with a color, or leave the island and top cabinets the original color and have the lowers a deeper color.

There is usually a way to make things work. For 2-3 years I would figure out something and not spend a fortune. Any money invested in this kitchen is money you are essentially gifting to the next owner and won't have to spend on the next house.

I really appreciate everyone’s help. Let me say this, I’m 69. My husband is 73. The next house won’t be assisted living (at least I hope not) but it won’t need to be much. I’m hanging onto this house for as long as we can. Not moving really until we have to. So it may be awhile. Who knows. We love the house even though it is way too big for us and we love the area. I want to enjoy a nice kitchen. So I am being stubborn on this. Ha!!! I have talked to a realtor. We are adding cabinets to go to the ceiling which a realtor said we really should do. We are lowering the two tiered peninsula as well. Even more money!!! Because we are lowering the peninsula and because the existing countertops are turning yellow around the sink (cannot fix that - I’ve tried) we definitely need new countertops. Not going to do real expensive ones. Will probably have to look at quartz other than Cambria. I believe they are on the high end. Anyway that’s my story and why I am being so stubborn on this. But yes trash drawers and glazing just don’t work. I’m afraid even with painting there will be chipping. Going to at least put a guard on top of the drawer and maybe one of those things on the bottom where you can open the drawer with your foot.

Do not glaze. It is a dated feature and often it diesn't turn out well. I am not understanding why you think you need to repaint the kitchen to your houses trim color.

I would look at a popular creamy white in SW or BM. Google popular whites for kitchens.

You need to know your homes expisure. So, popular white paint color for my south facing kitchen.

You might google, whites to pair eith my travertine floor.

Collect data and come back.

Definitely no to a backsplash.

I agree with Red. You need to find a counter that will pair with the floor and the white of the cabinet.

I am also in my 60s and my older siblings and I are all in different stages of downsizing, simplifying our lives.

Each one of us is in a different stage and have different levels of financial resources.

For me it is a balancing act - focusing on what improvements I want to make and balancing those changes with my future financial security. Based on financial advice I should be fine in retirement, but I have a lot of fear because I am uncertain just how much future costs of healthcare, food, taxes . . . will impact my retirement budget.

In your situation I may look at various options for the cabinets.

I am replacing my kitchen cabinets and will be taking my cabinets to the ceiling. Not because a realtor has suggested it, but because I have a 10' kitchen with 3 doorways and need more storage than I currently have and my cabinets are more than 50 years old and are truly in need of replacement. If they were in better condition I would paint or just replace doors and drawer fronts, but at some time you have to bite the bullet and replace.

Your cabinets sound like they just need some TLC - either new doors or painting. Do you really need the additional storage? If not, I wouldn't spend the additional money on extending the cabinets. When you sell you won't get all your renovation money back, the price will go up but usually only about 1/2 as much as what you spent.

I noted that you said you were going to change from the two tiered peninsula to one level.

I can't see if you have seating on the other side of the peninsula, but I do think I see that the area between the kitchen and family room has a sink and doesn't look wide enough for seating. I am not sure I would drop it to one level because the tiering is hiding the sink and the soap and the sponge . . . and not adding any benefit if there is not seating.

Sometimes advice is based on what is popular vs what is practical. Has it bothered you that it is two tiered? Would you rather see the pony wall or the sink from the family room?

I know you are hiring a color consultant to assist you with the color choices. Like with any field some color consultants are really good and some just parrot what is popular.

Decades ago I started a color journey with Gretchen Schauffler (https://www.gretchenschauffler.com/). I had a background in art and painting, but didn't have much experience with interior design. My tile had red/pink undertones and I had maple cabinets. I couldn't afford to change either. All my walls and trim were white and I was tired of white. Every neutral I picked either screamed pink, screamed yellow, screamed purple or looked like mud was smeared on my walls.

I hired a local color consultant who picked "The perfect" wall color. I was so excited! I ran to the SW store and bought the "Perfect Color", brought it home, painted a wall and it was the same Mud as many of the samples I had already tried. I called her back and she explained that the color was perfect, it was my flooring that didn't work and if I retiled the whole house and painted it would be perfect. I demanded my money back.

I then worked with Maria Killam, who advised me that white was the only option I had and told me to keep the walls white.

I e-mailed Gretchen and she mailed me her Devine Color sample cards and had me take pictures of my tile and cabinets with her color cards so that she could assess the colors.

After I sent the pictures she called me and we talked about my options. She asked me what color flowers I would add to a spring bouquet that had yellow daisies and pink carnations. I said I would add purple Iris. She found a deep taupe (violet undertones) that worked perfectly. She also had several other colors that she had me test that worked, but were not quite as good as the first one she suggested.

I was fascinated by her process, read everything she blogged about, read a book she published and stayed in touch with her. Eventually she sent me her whole color collection - samples of every paint color in her Devine Color palette and talked me through her process while I learned how to help others pick whole home color palettes.

I still help people all the time, but I am much better at finding solutions when I can visit the home - the internet and photos so often alter the colors too much and I don't charge, so I can only devote a small amount of time to color consulting.

Gretchen sold her paint line to Valspar/Sherwin Williams and had a no compete agreement, so she fell off the color scene for some time. She is back and doing color consulting. If you don't have good luck with the person you hired you may want to contact Gretchen.

A high skills cabinet finisher (NOT a "painter") can refinish the trash drawer to match the rest of the home, saving you at least 10K-15K from refinishing the whole thing. Try a Furniture Medic franchise. They get called on a lot of new installs.

Light counters are light counters. No reason to change them. Now, the island changing from black to maybe a warm wood, that would be a good direction and not crazy cost. And lighting. You need lighting.

eld6161. Wouldn’t another creamy white which would need to be less creamy than my trim, make my trim’s yellow stand out even more? I also have those creamy doors that are in each side of my fireplace. Shouldn’t white cabinets match the “white” trim? I come up with White dove, Simply White, Cloud white for east facing rooms. My kitchen/living face east. Jennifer H. Pics from other side of peninsula and trash bin with yellowing quartz (17 years old). Okay, here is another option after meeting with color consultant. I could use my trim color on the top cabinets and a different color on the bottom. Maybe Boothbay Gray. I could even (as someone suggested) keep the top as they are and just paint bottom cabinets with the Boothbay Gray). Personally, I like the look of two toned kitchens.
If I do that I wouldn’t be able to change to larger pulls though. So save more money!

To clarify what I said earlier - if I kept the top cabinets as they are and just paint lower cabinets, I would not be able to change the holes for the pulls on the top cabinets.

The painted bottom doors could get new holes for different hardware if you’re doing a “two-tone” kitchen…. I have knobs on top and pulls on my bottom drawers (I removed the cabinets and made lower drawers when I refaced the kitchen). Maybe the knobs don’t HAVE to be the same in top and bottom. (i.e. The same color but not the same style)

Love the thought you’re putting into this! Matching cabinets and counters can work, but it’s risky if everything looks too “matchy-matchy.” From what you posted (linen white cabinets, travertine floor), here’s my take: go for a complementary but not identical counter, something in a creamy or soft neutral that harmonizes with the travertine rather than competing. Strong veining on the countertop next to real stone floors can feel visually busy, so a quieter pattern or solid surface might balance things better.

When you test samples, always hold them vertically next to the cabinets in their installed orientation, not flat on a table; light changes how they register. Also consider accents or breaks (backsplash tile, hardware, edge profiles) to introduce subtle contrast so that your eye has texture and rhythm rather than flat uniformity. If you can, post a wider photo showing the floor, walls, and surrounding rooms too, seeing the full context often changes which combinations feel “just right.”

I am torn. I would love to see a drawing of the kitchen space and know more about how it functions.

It looks to me like the island may be blocking workflow and traffic flow. With lowering the breakfast bar area you will have the large open counterspace, so the island becomes even less necessary.

Could you remove lower the breakfast bar, remove the island and use some of those fronts to replace damaged fronts? Do you have any extra travertine to fix the floor (assuming the travertine doesn't go under the island.)

I know the idea of getting rid of an island is unconventional and the thought may make a lot of people cringe, but there were lots of highly functional kitchens that didn't have islands long before they became the rage. They got shoved into kitchens regardless of functionality because everyone needed an island.

Removing the island could eliminate the need to redo all the cabinets and leave you with a more functional kitchen overall.

Another option is to use the island cabinet fronts to replace those that need refinishing and just paint the island another color and replace all the counters with a single color (island and perimeter).

Decide on your max budget, then explore all of the options that fit within that budget.

Some creativity can save you thousands upon thousands of dollars.

Thank you all for your input!!!! Tejjy, I have posted several pics of nearby areas. Hopefully you can see them. Jennifer, you are right. It is a little tight. I have no extra travertine to speak of. If there was, I would take out the island and replace it with a furniture looking island but a little smaller. Just so you know, The island cabs are gray with a brown glaze. One scenario is to keep the perimeter and island countertops and since I am lowering the peninsula, just replace that countertop with what I already have which is the same as the perimeter. Also, in my state you cannot put electric outlets at the ends of one level peninsulas. Not sure about being grandfathered in. I’ll have to ask electrician. So the island will end up being my work station for the most part. Okay so I would save on
countertop material and I could keep my backsplash but I would still want to paint cabinets, at least the bottoms. The Boothbay gray paint goes with my existing backsplash. Also attached another possible paint color, BM Temporal Spirit. It would be top and bottom cabs.
I have also included the slab of another quartz I am interested in Just wondering if that too would be too busy. Decided against additional cabs on top. So as far as cabs go, anyone have an opinion on these options:

1. Top and bottom Temporal Spirit,
2. trim colored cabs at top and Boothbay Gray on the bottom
3. Existing glazed cabs on top with Boothbay gray on the bottom

I have gray in my floors as well.

I know this is the stuff many of us dream of but isn't in our reality . . . I am using the picture as an inspiration - something to make you think.

Can you lower the counters but have a raised area that allows for electricity without it being awkward. I would hate to lose electricity on the entire peninsula. Maybe a wood riser on one side of the sink or small wood risers on either side of the sink. (could also hide the sponge, soap . . . )

I know. Isn't it crazy, no electric outlets! I gotta say the only time I use an outlet on that pensinsula is to plug in an essential oil diffuser. For mixing or using a food processor, I usually work on the island. I'll have to do some searching to see if there is a solution, but haven't seen one yet.