Granite color with espresso cabinets?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I was thinking all along of getting Ice White granite countertops (as in photo below) with my espresso cabinets (sample shown below). On Houzz, that seems to be the thing: dark cabinets with light granite. But in the granite yard today, I saw this gorgeous slab of Amadeus (sample shown below), which was so striking, it reminded me of Van Gogh's "Starry Night.." Should I play it safe and do the obvious and stick with Ice White? Or should I be daring and go with the Amadeus?

It's a small galley kitchen. My floor is a reddish oak hardwood (about the same shade as in the pic below). My kitchen walls and ceiling are BM Simply White. If I went with Ice White granite, I'd do a white subway tile backsplash. If I went with the Amadeus, I'd do an ivory one. Opinions? Thanks!

P.S. Do you think the darker granite would be easier to maintain as far as etching and staining, or do you think both colors would be the same? The countertops will be professionally installed and sealed.

Featured Answer

suzykparis

9 years ago

I like the look of granite, but I ended up going with quartz and would never ever have granite. Quartz is as pretty as granite but it is virtually indestructible. You will have to be careful with granite and it will need to be resealed. Quartz is impermeable and does not absorb stains, is hard to scratch, and needs no maintenance. And it does not have any off-gasses as does granite.

Subway tiles are timeless; what about steel subway tiles?. If you want color, it is a good idea to go to your hardware or paint store, and get a color wheel, and look at the colors opposite each other which compliment one another. That helps a lot.

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Comments (12)

indianpatti
9 years ago
IMO, go with the white ... as white as you can get it!
dclostboy
9 years ago
I was fine with the Amadeus until "small gallery kitchen". Think it might be too dark. Save that slab for your dream house.
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rosecottagehome
9 years ago
There seems to be a lot of black in the Amadeus to go on top of the espresso color cabinets. Best thing is to bring in a sample of the cupboard, flooring and put it up against this granite. This will greatly help. Good luck with your decision.
Laura Lena
Original Author
9 years ago
I was afraid you'd say that. :) If I went with the Ice White, should I stick with white subway tiles for the backsplash? Matte or polished? OR go with ivory crackle subway tiles? Thanks, everyone!
feeny
9 years ago
Remember, it is about the beautiful effect of the whole design, not the individual beauty of each of the parts (though of course you want them to be beautiful too). So definitely go with the white granite. Maybe do a stacked subway tile design to modernize the look?
PRO
JudyG Designs
9 years ago
Long term…go white.
Rob Meason
9 years ago
In a galley kitchen light can be challenging. I'd go with white and make sure ceiling is light color as well. Use back splash for color/texture contrast if style choice. I have dark granite but put lots of LED under cabinet lighting over primary work spaces.
0825sam
9 years ago
I agree with the light counter but if you want to be more daring maybe consider something other than subway for your backsplash. You could consider a white three dimensional tile instead.
0825sam
9 years ago
http://houzz.com/photos/1833963
Laura Lena
Original Author
9 years ago
Nice! Question: Is something like this difficult to clean?
saratogaswizzlestick
9 years ago
I would go with white polished subway. It is classic for a reason. I think the Ice White will be a better choice in a small galley kitchen. It is so easy to be distracted at the granite store, so many beautiful choices but feeny has it right keep the entire design in mind.