I think it would look great in your house. Your house looks warmer than that kitchen though, which I prefer, but you could do that kitchen and still have your warmth. I love your table and hutch, and really love your floors. What are they?

Thanks, marti8a. Do you think using some stained wood in the kitchen, like a dark walnut island, in addition to the white cabinets and soapstone counters, would make the kitchen warmer so it wouldn't look out of place in my home?

My floors are wide-planked Eastern pine floors from Carlisle wide-planked flooring. The planks range from 9" to 20" wide. My DH installed them and then we finished them onsite, using a custom stain blend and tung oil.

First off, it was nice seeing photos of you home again JuddGirl. I've been away so long I can't remember if I've ever seen photos of your kitchen so I'm not sure how to answer other than I think what I see here of your home is much more welcoming than the kitchens you shared.

I really can't see a dark walnut island with those white cabinets and your distressed table. I like the white cabinets, and the counter they have; it's the industrial light fixtures and the auto shop metal stools that make that kitchen look cold, IMO.

I just noticed that they have full overlay doors on top and inset on bottom, or at least in the island.

Thanks, jusgotabeme - my kitchen is nice enough but I don't care for the cabinets because they're not my style so I'm not sure I've ever taken or posted kitchen pics. We've been slowly remodeling the rooms one by one since we moved in 13 years ago and the kitchen was the only room that was just done when we bought the house.

marti8a - now that you've pointed it out I see the difference between inset and full overlay. I agree the industrial light fixtures and stools make a difference. I recently installed 3 Hubbardton Forge ORB pendants with opal glass shades over my island and would like to keep them even if I change the cabinets.

You're welcome juddgirl2
Are your current cabinets painted or stained? Are the floors in the kitchen the same beautiful wood as in the rooms you've shared here?

justgoabme - my current cabinets are unstained oak with I believe raised panels. They're very good quality, but they're glossy and I don't like the color, which has become more orange over the years.

The layout is not what I would choose if we were to do a major remodel, and there's wasted space in the kitchen (there's a lot of empty space just behind the island, that we could expand into with a larger, stand-alone island and more cabinets), but it's okay for now if we decide to just paint the cabinets and switch the appliances.

I do like the floor, shown below, which is slate tile. It complements the stone we used for our fireplace and exterior hardscape.

These pictures are several years old, and I've since replaced the metal barstools with backless wood stools from Pottery Barn.

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This post was edited by juddgirl2 on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 11:15

To me, that kitchen looks like the typical white utilitarian style kitchen, but with warm dark wood added. I can see why you like it and I think it would go very well in your home. I am not sure about the slate floor, though. It may veer too rustic to work with the kitchen pictured.

mtnrdredux - I agree about the slate floor not working with that kitchen. If we do a major remodel and change the floorplan then we would need to decide on a new floor. I don't think I'd bring in the pine wood floors from the other rooms, because the wood is very soft (lots of "character" has been added since we installed them) but I would consider using another type of tile floor.

I love your granite! Why not paint your current cabinets white?

doodledog - thank you, I really like the granite. I also liked the kitchen well enough for several years, even though it wouldn't have been my first choice, but am really growing tired of the "sea of oak." I have weathered oak and quarter-sawn oak furniture in other parts of my house, so it's not that I dislike the wood generally, but the cabinets are just looking a little tired and bland after 13 years.

I've been thinking about painting my cabinets white for quite a few years now and I'm still considering it. Holding me back are a few things.

DH thinks if we paint them white then we should also use a glaze so they don't look out of place with the warmer tones in our house. I love lightly glazed cabinets but think that would call attention to the cathedral arch on the uppers. I'd rather just paint them SW Antique White to match our trim, and use ORB hardware, but wonder if he's right and if this would make the kitchen "stand out" from the rest of the house in not a good way.

I could replace the uppers and then paint/glaze, but I wonder if the cost of replacing 16 solid oak doors and paying to have the cabinets painted (we could do them DIY but I really don't want to after living in a DIY construction zone for 13 years) would start approaching the cost of replacing the cabinets.

Also, up until just a few months ago, the plan was to move within 5 years and a friend told me it would be a mistake to paint the cabinets for resale purposes. I'm not so sure about that but it's in the back of my mind.

But, I like the granite and the slate floors, and if painting the cabinets as a temporary fix makes me happy with my kitchen for 5 more years or so, until we decide to either move or start planning a larger-scale remodel, it might be worth it.

This post was edited by juddgirl2 on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 19:30

Juddgirl,

I am not sure if I would do a kitchen if I had a 5year horizon; that's a tough one!

BTW, we also have Carlisle Eastern White Pine Random Width Wide Plank floors, finished in tung oil, but not as dark as yours. So I know all about "character"! Even so, for our 1904 Connecticut home, I think it was the only choice that really made sense. Yours are lovely! I remember you posting them here years ago!

Thanks for sharing photos of your kitchen JuddGirl2.
Now this is just a thought, but what about sanding your cabinets down and then aging them to look similar to the finish on your dining table? As they are, they just don't fit what I've seen of your home and I'm with your hubby on painting them a shade of white wouldn't fit either.
If you really want to paint I can see them in a beige with just a hint of a coffee glaze somewhat like the cabinet in your entry.

mtnrdredux - I'd love to see your floors! Love the dark, but they do show every speck of dust, so I might lean towards a medium stain if I ever do these floors again. It's funny, whenever I drop something on my floors and see the new dent I've created, I just shrug my shoulders and tell myself it adds character. A few times we've had to sand and apply more stain and tung oil when I dropped something sharp enough to chip the wood. I couldn't imagine being worried about keeping my floors in pristine condition with how clumsy I am.

justgotabme - I'm not sure about trying to age the cabinets. They have a really heavy grain, very different from my pine table, and the natural color tends towards yellow, not brown. What if I end up with a hot mess! I guess then it would at least be easier to convince DH to replace them :) If the uppers weren't arched, I would paint and lightly glaze without a second thought.

You're right about the grain. I'm in a funk right now and not thinking straight. Trying to get mind thinking of other things, but it's not working.

Sorry you're in a funk :(

Thank you juddgirl.

So does the stone actually have pink tones or is it just the photo/monitors?

I really like your granite. I've never seen any done quite like it before. Is that an apron piece below the countertop?

I see pink in the granite too and would probably paint the cabinets white also. That is a lot of oak in one room.

justgotabme - I sent you an email.

snookums - to my naked eye, I don't see pink in the granite counter when looking at it in person. It looks like a grayish tan with black, darker tan and brown movement throughout. Maybe the gray has a pink undertone and the yellow cabinets make it look more pink in the pictures. The cabinets look more yellow/orange IRL than they do in the pictures.

marti8a - thanks! It does have an apron. Unfortunately, whoever installed it really didn't think it through. The apron was installed in front of the dishwasher, so we're actually going to have to cut the granite in order to get the old dishwasher out and a new one in. This is just one of the issues we've discovered after opening up all the walls and the ceiling. They seemed to cut a lot of corners with the previous remodel.

This looks great. I think that will definitely work in your home. Also need enough money. But I will suggest you to go for that. Please share the latest updates.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corporate Architects

This post was edited by Adam13 on Sat, Oct 5, 13 at 1:14