Color mixing opinions

12 years ago

We are still tweaking our design, but one issue we're struggling with is how we can weave a stone countertop (we're considering soapstone) with our very old house colors. The house has dark stained fir everywhere (wainscoting, trim around doors) and a warm oak floor. We'd like a brighter kitchen, but don't want to have a kitchen that doesn't feel like it belongs. So we're considering:

Similar wood floor (or marmoleum with a similar color tone to the oak)

Black counters (soapstone)

Similar dark stained fir trim around windows, doors, coving up by ceiling, dark stained fir around a built in upper (that butts out into the shed rather than into the kitchen like a normal upper cabinet - so it looks like a window but when you open it there's a cupboard)

Cream cabinets

Yellow walls

We have very few uppers, in fact just the built in and then open shelving on the other side (those shelves would be cream colored)

There is no white or cream anywhere in the house. Paint colors are all earth tones, so the kitchen would be quite different.

Does the combo of black,cream,dark wood, yellow, oak color (floor) sound crazy?

The counters worry me, we've had butcher block but are tired of trying to take care of it, soapstone is more in tune with the house age than granite, so I think we're stuck with the dark grey/black on counters if we go that way...and against all cream(ie no dark wood) I think might look too modern.

Oh, and then of course there is greenish soapstone but I think that would complicate the color combo further...

Thoughts?

Comments (8)

melissastar
12 years ago
Doesn't sound crazy to me. My kitchen is not too different: A lot of oak...window and door trim, interior door, beadboard in one section of the kitchen and upper cabinets in quarter-sawn oak in another. Dark soapstone counters, medium green base cabinets in one section, pale yellow upper and base cabinets in another. The floor is a golden tan colored limestone. Walls are painted BM rich cream (a very soft, very pale yellow).

Maybe some of these pictures can help you decide.

Please ignore the unfinished items....long renovation, long story.

A few thoughts: Pale yellow cabinets might give you the lightness you want (and look fab with dark wood and soapstone, by the way) but veer less dramatically away from the color palette in the rest of your house than cream/off white.

Also check out circuspeanut's kitchen for ideas too. And perhaps Boxerpups will way in with her usual slew of great pictures. There are lots of lovely yellow kitchens with ideas that may work for you too.
cawaps
12 years ago
I think the combination sounds fine, but wanted to put in a plug for stained cabinets.

I have some friends with a 1927 Tudor. The original kitchen cabs were fir, and they restored some and got someone to create matching cabs where they had to replace. I think they have dark counters, but I'm not sure. It isn't a terrible big kitchen, with one not-too-big window, but it didn't seem overly dark. Really pretty, really connected to the rest of the house.

With appropriate lighting, even dark materials can make for a bright kitchen.
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boxerpups
12 years ago
Does the combo of black,cream,dark wood, yellow, oak color (floor) sound crazy?

Sounds Crazy Beautiful!!!!

~boxer

Here are some samples of your colors. Different variations.
Some with cream cabs some with wood cabs and others with or
without soapstone.
nineteenoeight
Original Author
12 years ago
Oh, melissastar, I love your kitchen . I want to have that mix and match effect that you've done so well. I'm not just reassured, I'm inspired! Thanks. And cawaps, good point about stained wood, mixing may let me keep the feel in kitchen too. And thank you so much for the set if pics, boxer pups, fantastic. I have some great stuff to get me going now. Appreciate the help.
angie_diy
12 years ago
It is so fabulous to have Boxer back in fighting form and in fine fettle! Hope you are doing well, boxer!

Melissastar: I hadn't seen your kitchen before; it is exquisite. I love it! What year is the house?

1908: Does the combo of black,cream,dark wood, yellow, oak color (floor) sound crazy?
You must understand that I am "color-challenged" but I see nothing wrong with that! The tones in the oak may be your biggest concern. I see nothing inherently modern with gray, particularly grayish soapstone....
melissastar
12 years ago
Angie....it was built in 1907.
Ninteenoeight...I assume that your name indicates when your house was built?

Thanks to both of you for the kind words...
nineteenoeight
Original Author
12 years ago
yes, built in 1908, and no wonder I love your kitchen!
It is a challenge to try to make it convenient(modern) and yet stay in the "feel" of the era.
sis2two
12 years ago
Melissastar--I absolutely love your kitchen! Didn't mean to barge in but when I saw your pictures I had to tell you how much I love your kitchen. You know, I'm partial to stained uppers and green lowers. I wish my lower cabinets were the color green as yours. So nice!