too many things going on with the color... floor super dark...white cabinets..and island... I would definitely paint the island. stay white.. depending on the color of back splash I would repaint kitchen a light gray or neutral tan... I hope I helped.

Hi Laurel- from the photos, the island seems not substantial enough. It lacks visual heft. It needs to be 'wider' in my opinion. If you look around on houzz, you will get plenty of examples. I also have to second Darzy's comment about the island color. You have dark stained floors, white cabinets, black appliances and a mid tone brown island. Just too much diverse color! The wall color is charming- that seems fine. But the black appliances really visually stand out. Not sure that is what you are going for, but the appliances can be paneled in white, to make them fall back visually.

Also- if you do a backsplash, you will need to remove the 4" or 6" high small granite backsplash, so your tiles extend from the counter top to the cabinets. You may realize this already. :-)

Dark red, black knobs. Black wrought iron bar stools with a vintage red craftsman fabric.

Are the appliances black? It's hard to tell on my screen

I think I would paint the island white, to match the cabinets. I don't have to have everything 'matchy matchy' but in this case, I would go with white.
Also--have other ideas, but they are all expensive options!! :-p

I have attached a picture of my island. I painted it black, which I LOVE. I have also done white beveled subway tiles, which I also love. I preferred the beveled tiles over flat as it gave the backsplash a bit of dimension.

I agree the color of the back of the island isn't working. Sometimes just the wall color works for that spot, but I don't know about the yellow. Once a color is chosen and painted, I'd add some bar stools.

To clarify: your island is 'wide' enough.
I think it could be deeper. It would match the width of the pressed tin inset on the ceiling, basically. Ok...I realize that is an expensive 'fix,' I am going to shut up now!

I'm not sure black will be a great choice in Laurel's kitchen due to the very dark floor color.

The island stools I have would look great in your place too.

The 1980's cabinets are holding back the intended look

Love the pendant lights!

Here's are some suggestions based on my best guess of granite colors in photo.
• Paint the island cabinet walls white. I agree that the knotty wood grain paneling has no place in this kitchen.
• Increase depth of island by up to 12" and replace island counter with black granite to work with appliances if you have the budget. At least paint the island white.
• Use some black in the barstools and perhaps even the dining table or chairs to relate to appliances unless you are able to replace them with white or SS or able to panel them white .
• White subway splash directly above counter could work but it may work better to pick up a medium tan-brown or gray tone in the granite for the backsplash tile to help tie the counter to the splash better and provide contrast to the cabinets.
• Then repaint walls a tone darker or lighter than the splash color you choose for some contrast there.
• If you use white subway, change wall color to a color better matched to a color in your counter, a tone of gray or tan? . Current color looks too bright and lemony for counter from what I can tell.
• Please see attached photo of one of my projects as a reference for Craftsman cabinets, white island, black countertop and black furniture. Hope this helps.

I think your kitchen is very light and beautiful! I think if you tied in a touch of blue that it would be beautiful! Here are a few suggestions:

http://deciture.com/shop/decor/7/old-world-tiles-wall-art-ii-set-2/

http://deciture.com/shop/decor/7/old-world-tiles-wall-art-i-set-2/

Your photo is deceiving because there are no stools at the island which makes the space in front of the island look empty. If you have some post a photo with them in place. If you don't have any, get some. Where else will your friends sit while "helping" you cook. I love the photo above from SoYoung Mack Design. I like everything except possibly the microwave cabinet that you have to bend over to use. The client must have insisted on putting one somewhere in which case your hands were tied.

I think that trying to build a "Craftsman" kitchen is doomed from the start. Kitchens in Craftsman houses we utilitarian and don't fit the way most of us live. Our house is a 101 year old Craftsman Tudor. DO research! It is the best thing you can do...A list of YES: stainless steel (imagine yourself in a Craftsman architects mind; stainless is a 'honest material), white or painted cabinets (wood in the kitchen would be a no-go due to "sanitary" issues), linoleum or tile floors...A list of NO: Granite (unbearably 'trendy' and an ecological nightmare), Vinyl (see granite), can lights (or as I refer to them, "Ceiling acne"). Go for the spirit, not the letter...

WOW! Thank you everyone! The color of the island has been bugging me and I think I just needed to hear that it needs to be painted from someone else. At this point, painting is pretty much the only option (financially). Looking at the photos, I think they are misleading because the tile on the ceiling is centered above the island but because the pendants are not centered on the tile, I think it looks "off". The appliances look really dark in the photos but they are actually gun metal gray, which is a little lighter.

With stools. While I love Craftsman architecture, I detest the furniture, so I chose the tractor stool from DWR.

My humble opinion:
If you paint/stain the island a very light color it will blend with the cabinets better and that will look nice. Or, you could paint/stain it a dark contrasting color (black, red, whatever floats your boat) and that will make it more interesting and feel more substantial.
Painting the walls I think is the most important thing here. If it was my kitchen, I would pull a color from the countertop and use that for the walls.
You have a very nice kitchen and I think if you choose a color scheme that you like and decorate with it, it will be lovely.

Love groveaxles white Island with dark greige walls! If you are trying for craftsman look I think you're going to have to depend on paint like that and accessories, since your cabinets and granite are not craftsman style. I think that dark mission style bar stools will help give you the craftsman look you want for the space. Love the pendants too. Great choice. That era was all about cleanliness, as already mentioned, so light materials were chosen so that dirt could be seen and removed. Marble or enamel counters were used for this reason. There are books specifically on Craftsman Kitchens that might be worth checking out for some more ideas on accessories and details you could introduce to get more of the craftsman vibe. I have a few that i could recommend if you're interested. Fun stuff!

The island color needs to be painted a deep grey. Try a deep orange for the walls, I think it could work with the counter if there's orange in it. Try a rich blue for the bar stools. All these colors will take away from the dark appliances and plain cabinets.

Try the walls a cherry green & I hate the island white! Change out the white pendents.

I totally agree with Groveraxel, it would be beautiful . I'm glad I was right on the appliance color lol it was throwing me. Much cheaper fix to just paint the island and the walls! Great posts from everyone

I like the color of the floors. I think it's the island that's not working with the rest of the scheme. How about painting it. You could go white but I think it would be nice to add a color , maybe a grey ?

You should paint island black, the opposite of cabinets & look good with appliances. And is contrast to the countertop.

I think I would paint the island to match the dark color of the appliances. Also, add a colorful tile with that same dark color and white, the wall color (bamboo), and a complementary color like the blue that was suggested earlier. I would get a more substantial upholstered bar stool. I wish the bar was wider.

Yes that it the island is too narrow!

I like the tin silver ceiling abvoe island.

Paint the island black. Add some new hardware and a few accessories and art. I'd use small tiles as a backsplash. Maybe a mix of metal and glass. I like your wall color.

I think there are a few things you can do to bring your room together. What it is lacking is some cohesiveness. The island size is just fine if you add some barstools with backs. The disconnect seems to be in the different base colors you have going. White cabinets with black appliances, dark wood floors with more rustic wood island and then a more modern wall color. White pendant lights against white cabinets.

What I would do is find a dark antique cherry black wood paint for the island. It isn't a dark black, but an antique looking black. I would put a very calm taupe color on the walls and then take off the 6" half splash and put up a warm backsplash.

Honestly, the bones of your kitchen are very pretty. You just need to find your black and white and warm tones and follow through on each component in your kitchen.

Congrats on your lovely new home!

I think the island should be painted white and the walls a light grey. The wood finish on the island doesn't seem to blend with the floors and cabinet. I also think adding some stools around the island would look great.

Laurel, if it were me I would take the neutral from your countertop for your walls and use a charcoal grey for the island. Also might want to choose a stool that maybe would compliment the decor in your gorgeous kitchen! Sometimes the simplest touches and neutral colors are the best. Btw, Bed Bath and Beyond have really neat stools, take a few coupons to save some money!

As commented the colors are not flowing. The color of your countertops don't feel right with the wall color. I would opt for a greige wall or light taupe for e walls and then paint the island a shade darker of the same wall color brining in the heavy colors of appliances and floor.

If you are trying to get a craftsman feel from the space, like your original post, I would suggest mission style style counter stools. They need to have some presence, which I think would counteract the feel that some posters had about the island being too thin. With a white island and greige walls, something like these would tie in the appliance color.
You might get some more craftsman style accessory ideas from the book "Bungalow Kitchens" by Jane Powell, or "Bungalow Style" by April Halberstadt from your library. I love this style as you have probably guessed!

^^ those stools are from hay needle.
http://www.hayneedle.com/furniture/bar-stools_espresso_list_187192_4295156967#N=2293+4295156797+4295156797+4295156783+4295059551+4295156799+4295059559+9908&Ns=Preferred&view=36&display=list_view

Grover hits it out of the park again!
I'd also re-think the lighting fixture- it's beautiful, but doesn't seem to stand out against the white cabinetry. Maybe a dark ceiling?

3 things. Remove tin ceiling from above island; beef up depth of island, looks too skinny. And change colour of island. Good luck!

Your kitchen has a lot of potential but I don't see anything about it that's Craftsman. Instead of trying to force it to be something it's not, I would work with what you have.

I would paint the island the darkest color in the granite and the walls the lightest color in the granite.

The tin ceiling ties in with the appliances. I you make island dark then you can keep the white lights. The tin also bounces light. I like it,

I've read this thread a few times and the more I see the pictures of you kitchen, the more I'm gonna love it! It has class, a touch of elegance and reflects your taste. I can see you've been thinking it all thouhgtfully. However my taste is modern, I think this is a very stylish kitchen.
Your kitchen needs the wood of the island, it adds some warmth. I would leave it as is and not paint it, especially not black or gray. That would just add another colour to your kitchen.
The colour of the walls ( green, yellow or lemon, it's hard to tell on my screen) makes your kitchen sparkle, shine and look fresh( as far as I can tell from the pictures) ; IRL it might be too much. But painting them darker would be too much of the same and makes your kitchen look dull and boring.
IMO the missing link is the right wallpiece. It's just too big to leave empty ( what is on the right of the kitchen?)
What about a open, wooden storage rack for cookbooks and accessories or a low, removable wooden butcherblock with ss top? Or a long and narrow baroque, silverframed mirror?
For a backsplash a thick piece of glass will do ( but that's because I'm not a fan of tiles in a kitchen).
Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck with your kitchen project and enjoy your lovely home. You've done a great jo so far.

I pretty much agree, I though hate the island white.

I'm not a fan of the island white either.

I agree with Glenn- the cabinets are not right. They are traditional not craftsman. I like the island though. You could deface the cabinets with shaker doors.

The island doesn't work - looks too old fashioned, sorry. I'm sure painting will help. Your cabinets would look better if they went all the way to edge of room and I think this would "pull" your island in to look like a better fit

That was to be wall cheery green, grey is too dark & boring.

I like the taupe and charcoal schemes but you could do a color on the island like a craftsman green or a warm brick rust. Really not wild about the lemony yellow walls, how about a golden beige. Make sure the colors chosen flow throughout the adjacent room.

I have thought and thought about this and I would go with either the black/white island and greige walls. If you love the wood of the island I would invest in an antique display cabinet in a similar wood and display your pretty glassware, even dishes. It might balance out the wall with the refrigerator. Your home looks lovely and you should enjoy it. I really don't see anything wrong. I love the tin on the ceiling and that is why my equal choice is to do the island in a dark grey with greige walls. I am so eclectic that I may be schizophrenic but If you don't want to paint the island and if you love craftsmen furniture there are some really lovely tall display pieces in the craftsman or mission style and you might even find chairs in a similar style. If you paint the island black, I would like the tall display piece to be black and the seating as well. You might want to look for a killer rug which will tie the whole thing together. I cannot tell whether the beam as you walk in is solid and wide enough but you may want to display some unique white bisque pottery if the beam is deep enough and cary the white matte pottery into a collection in the craftsman or mission display piece. Better yet you might find some craftsman or mission style leaded glass with interesting colors you pull from the rug. Have fun with your beautiful home and live a long and healthy life there.

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