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Calling all Scandinavian design fans! Over-thinking alert.

Kiwigem
9 years ago

Ok GWers, I'm about to ask you the impossible: Know me better than I know myself even though you've never met me :-)

This is about our kitchen, but it's really a design question, so I'm posting here.

We are building a Scandinavian style house, with an overall palette of white, black, wood, stone, and metal. I know, not super original, but I've always loved what I'd call "elemental" homes. Anyway I've wanted soapstone counters my entire adult life. I've also become smitten with marble/quartzite in recent years, so I'm hoping to include both.
Here's the dilemma: I want the soapstone on the edge counters and the quartzite on the island because I think the way I use those areas will lend themselves to those surfaces. I had been planning to use white cabinets on the walls (only having lower cabinets) and walnut or other natural wood for the island. All seemed well and good until it occurred to me that all the white Scandinavian style kitchens I have seen and liked have either white or wood counters. Whenever I see the soapstone with the white cabinets it seems more formal/traditional than I think I want. So now I'm toying with what I thought was a winning combination.

Some ideas:

Have edge cabinets painted grey/black to match the soapstone.

Have a black toe kick with white cabinets and soapstone countertop to make it seem more furniture-ish. (see attached photo)

Stick with white cabinets and omit soapstone (ouch- my heart!) and just do quartzite everywhere.

Go back to the original plan. It's fine. Quit over thinking.

Help!

Comments (16)

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here's a kitchen I really like with the black cabinets/soapstone counters approach:

  • teacats
    9 years ago

    Not sure if you have checked out kitchen (residential and commercial) design in Melbourne Australia -- but they have some of the best modern design teams .....

    I've included a link to the Pin board -- but these are some wonderful examples of modern -- but very organic -- kitchen designs ....

    I would choose black cabinets with your soapstone -- and a washed gray wood island .... perhaps with horizontal boards .....

    Hope this helps .....

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pin board of kitchens in Melbourne

  • teacats
    9 years ago

    Maybe this idea?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pin from Pinterest -- contemporary kitchen

  • palimpsest
    9 years ago

    I would go ahead and use the soapstone, I don't see it conflicting with your overall scheme. It's the door style that will have the most influence.

  • teacats
    9 years ago

    ...... and yet another pin ......

    Here is a link that might be useful: another pin from Pinterest

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Teacats, those Melbourne design pins are awesome!
    Pal, do you mean use the soapstone with the white cabinets?

    I just found out how much our rainscreen materials are going to cost, so my counters may have just turned into formica anyway :-(

  • eandhl
    9 years ago

    Use the soapstone that you love. It will work with you elements. Yes it is used with period & traditional homes but there is nothing formal about soapstone.

  • yayagal
    9 years ago

    soapstone with white cabs

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you all! Well I guess the good news is that the cabinets in question are going to be painted, so if I choose the wrong color to go with the soapstone, I can always paint it again, right?

    Now to see if someone want to buy my kidney to pay for the rain screen...

  • bbstx
    9 years ago

    What is a rain screen in this context?

  • patricianat
    9 years ago

    Not that it matters now, but Scandanavian kitchen

    http://www.pinterest.com/explore/scandinavian-kitchen/

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    bbstx: It's what you think it is: an exterior treatment under the siding and completely unrelated to the kitchen except that it's a budgetary black hole.

    patricia43: Oh it most certainly matters! :-) One must plan ahead. Even if I don't get my counters during the build, a major wedding anniversary and a birthday ending in zero are coming up in the same year. *raises fist to the heavens* I WILL have my counters!!!
    Thank you for the link!

  • lyfia
    9 years ago

    Just stick with your original plan. As with everywhere in real Scandinavian homes there is a variety of materials even though there are the more common types as well. I'm from that area. Actually soap stone used to be a common material for window sills in older buildings. The one that when not oiled looks a bit lighter than charcoal with some veins. Never saw it oiled though.

    Edit: do a Google image search for "svart köksbänk" and you will see lots of white cabinets with black counters.

    This post was edited by lyfia on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 23:06

  • Boopadaboo
    9 years ago

    OMG I LOVE that first picture.I can't wait to see how your kitchen turns out. :)

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Lyfia- thank you! I'm guessing that means "black counters" or something to that effect? Google translate won't tell me. :-)

    boop- Thank you! Yes I think I can talk myself into it :-) It's a privilege to have such dilemmas. My whole house house will pretty much look like that, except upstairs where the kids have been granted permission to have high gloss candy-colored doors.