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elsewhere_gw

Gray kitchen in progress! Feedback please?

elsewhere
12 years ago

I'd thought I'd post a few pictures from our current renovation and see if anyone has any feedback that might help tune the final decisions: floor stain color (possibly), backsplash, and paint colors for room.

A bit of context: this is kitchen in a 1891 shingle style house (the traditionalists might be a bit horrified - my renovation style tends to be a bit more 'honor the past without being forced to repeat it'...I was going for something a bit more contemporary that still makes sense in the space )

So, I'd really like your comments and suggestions (well, except for the 'how the #$& are you going to keep dark floors and white marble CLEAN...we know, we know...a potential disaster in the making, but hopefully a very beautiful disaster)

I understand my taste is not everyone's taste, it's just a chance to get fresh perspectives and I will probably not interact much other than to THANK YOU for your unvarnished opinion. Thoughts, links to photos, ideas on remaining color choices...anything and everything welcome.

Background

Cabinets - Farrow and Ball Cornforth White

Floor - Ebonized white oak (the photos read dark, but there is definitely grain showing through...will probably do a matte finish on final coat). One option that we are considering is to restain the floor (perhaps a mid-tone brown with some red) to pull in from the rest of the house.

Countertop - White Rhino marble.

Comments (64)

  • chris11895
    12 years ago

    Beautiful! Can't wait to see the finished kitchen!

  • babs711
    12 years ago

    I saw that white rhino at my slab yard but haven't seen anyone IRL or on GW use it. It looks great as does your kitchen. Thanks for posting these photos!

  • cardamon
    12 years ago

    Elsewhere, your kitchen is turning out beautiful. I'm sure you will finish it out and it will be stunning. I like everything especially the windows. I love light in a house. The rhino marble is really pretty.
    Lisa a thanks for embedding- it is so much easier!

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    So gorgeous! If you're interested in a grayish greige, you might look at BM Nimbus. I painted my family room, open to the kitchen, Nimbus, and it's very calm and lovely next to my BM Simply White cabs and Carrara marble.

    I tried and rejected BM Gray Owl. In my kitchen awash in lots of natural light, as is yours, it looked pastel green. My light value may be different than where you live, but it has a definite green undertone.

    Looking forward to seeing your finished kitchen!

  • carybk
    12 years ago

    Looks great-- You could certainly go any of a zillion directions with these elements.

  • marcolo
    12 years ago

    The clerestory windows over the range are very nice--remind me of the windows installed, at great expense and with clever engineering, over fireplaces.

    I would at minimum bring down the trim from the clerestory level down to the windows bordering the backsplash. Is that what the design calls for? The hood is looking a little floaty.

  • kateskouros
    12 years ago

    i'm intrigued. that looks seriously stunning so far. i can't wait to see the finish!

  • dianalo
    12 years ago

    I am confused.... your floors look great with the cabs and counters, so you need no real advice with those! I'd do a matte finish on the top because dark floors can show up every dust particle when the sun hits them if they are very glossy. I do love the dark look with your choices and would stick with it. We have a dark floor, darker than first intended, and we really like it.
    For your other colors, I'd go for a soft palette. I could see a soft toned, very glossy bs in either ceramic or glass tiles. Jeffrey Court has some pretty "washed out" colors for ceramics... but you really can find many different colors, styles and shapes since your current materials are calm with no strong patterns.

  • boschboy
    12 years ago

    Looks great. Can't wait to see more. Love the style and color.

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago

    I love your kitchen! Disclaimer: I have gray cabinets very similar to yours, so I'm a bit biased. :-) That is going to be a lovely and serene space, full of light.

    I must say the drywall in the first picture looks purple on my monitor, and I was kinda digging that with the gray cabs.

  • carp123
    12 years ago

    looks awesome so far!! If you like blue...i could see a very soft gray/blue on the walls. Can you please tell me how high your ceilings are?

  • shelayne
    12 years ago

    I am DYING over all those windows! Stunning! This is going to be a showstopper--can't wait to see more!

  • jacabean
    12 years ago

    That is going to be a nice kitchen . Inset cabinets would have been a better choice.

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Just a few notes on questions and feedback so far...

    Trim will extend down to backsplash level, Marcolo. The bead matches original molding in the butlers pantry.

    Ceiling height is 106 inches.

    I don't regret going full overlay...although I recognize many prefer inset, it was a conscious choice. I might be in the minority, but i prefer the look of full overlay for drawers, and given the premium for inset from my cabinetmaker, it was a no brainer.

    The windows are my favorite thing so far as well!

    I am indeed leaning towards a subtle palette for the walls but might be a bit bold in the backsplash.

  • cakelly1226
    12 years ago

    There is a backsplash picture in Houzz that has me thinking of your kitchen but don't know how to post it! It was of a very serene white kitchen and marble counters with the most gorgeous, subtle blue gray subway tile that would be perfect in your space. Anyone know which pic I am taking about and knows how to repost?

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Can you tell me the name of the designer and house location on the Houzz photo? I would love to see it.

  • silvergirl426_gw
    12 years ago

    I love gray in a kitchen too. You might think about BM Rockport Gray. It's one of their historical colors and one of my favorite bloggers (Steve from An Urban Cottage) painted his cabinets this color. (I know I know, you're not painting cabinets.) If you google it, a bunch of images come up for it in different rooms. I don't know how it looks at night. But it's a thought.

  • michelle16
    12 years ago

    looks great so far, I'm confused though, the cabs u say are painted white, they look grey, i may do a few in grey and would love to know the color of these cabs since it is such a soft grey, thanks, Michelle

  • CEFreeman
    12 years ago

    slateberry51, after I quit pounding my noggin on the monitor, while my eye was still pressed against the screen, I saw the link. I'm heading over there to look. :)

    This is just another absolutely beautiful space.
    I want the serenity of these calm colors. I just love looking. Ok, legal voyeurism. But post more?

  • wolfgang80
    12 years ago

    Michelle--Cornforth White is a light gray from Farrow & Ball.

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Here's a sneak peak of the tile going in!
    We decided to go with 2 Ann Sacks tiles...

    More pictures coming up as the kitchen gets completed.

  • cardamon
    11 years ago

    That's it! All this time and that beautiful kitchen and we get one small picture. Hope more will follow. Soon! Please. It looks really nice.

  • jjaazzy
    11 years ago

    Lucky girl, beautiful space......

  • hags00
    11 years ago

    BM Thunder is my favorite gray paint colors.

  • chris11895
    11 years ago

    Yes, post more pictures please!!

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Well, honestly, I wish it were further along! I promise to put up more pictures ASAP.

    But things are getting done now more quickly - we have an awesome contractor and architect, thankfully, but it's trying on everyone's patience. My decision paralysis is not helping either :)

    As another teaser, check out the ribbon stair into the kitchen -

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ribbon stair

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    The photo was taken before the plaster and glass bannister went in...

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    11 years ago

    Oh, that's perfect for the 'Does your kitchen match your dog?' thread. He matches your stairs perfectly--what a beauty!

    Here is a link that might be useful: kitchen/dog pics

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    It's our contractor's dog, actually :) He instinctively knew where to sit when the camera came out.

  • ppbenn
    11 years ago

    Elsewhere
    I LOVE your kitchen and stair really I do.
    But your SWEET Border Collie oh I'm tearing up - miss our Jazzy BC -gone 2 years this summer. As soon as this house is finished we're off to the BC rescue! Does she like her new house?
    Now back to your kitchen. Could you post exterior pics of the vent exiting your house with those windows please?
    My inspector is giving me grief about my vent and my windows.
    Is that tile metallic?
    LOve it!

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    @ppbenn -

    The contractor's dogs are very welcome guests when they visit. They have personality, intelligence, and a sense of humor in spades! Having the house torn up I don't dare try to keep a dog yet.

    Exterior vent - it's nothing special, straight out. If you give me a few days I can take a picture of the exterior.

    The tile is not metallic, it's just a trick of the dark gray in the light, I think.

    I hope your project resolves smoothly so that you can bring a new BC home!

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    @ppbenn

    Here is an outside photo of the range wall.

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Just a follow-up to post a few pictures of our completed kitchen. The work was done by Trimitsis Woodworking here in Boston; Milton and his team are fantastic. Design was by Carol Marsh (also fantastic!), of Helios Design Group in JP.

    Couple of high level points:

    • Cabinets - Crown Point, in Farrow and Ball Cornforth White.

    • Countertops - White Rhino Marble

    • Ebonized oak floor in custom stain.

    • Tile - Ann Sacks

    • Table - custom, from Western black walnut that a relative had sitting around in a garage for 40 years.

    Shout out and many thanks to
    Milton (more pictures here) and Carol!

  • kksmama
    10 years ago

    Oh the windows...the walnut...the ebony floors.....oh the windows!

  • Laura
    10 years ago

    That is a stunning kitchen! Love everything about it...beautiful job!!

  • SparklingWater
    10 years ago

    What a lovely retreat to cook and be in. It's very calming.

    Did you do your own backsplash tiling? Wow. I'm thinking of practicing on boards to see if that's something I could handle. I like hands on work.

    As my kitchen also has much gray, do you mind sharing your Ann Sacks tile color name? Is it Davenport by any chance?

    Thank you. And enjoy your finished space.

  • msrose
    10 years ago

    Wow! Right out of a magazine!

  • oldbat2be
    10 years ago

    Elsewhere, just love it! Especially like the story behind the table. I'm off to explore your other links now:)

  • justmakeit
    10 years ago

    This is a kitchen I wold love to spend time in. Those gorgeous windows, that dreamy light! I love the way the wood of the table plays against the white cabinets and the black floor. Such an inviting space.

  • Gooster
    10 years ago

    Congratulations and thanks for coming back to post your finals. The windows and walnut are lovely. Love your dog as well! He/she sneaks into so many of the photos, it's great.

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks to all for the kind words! I am very happy with how it came out, and despite the restrained palette it is really nice how bright and open the space feels. SparklingWater, the Ann Sacks pattern above the stove is a "Sakura" pattern - I'm afraid I don't know what color gray this is, there are so many available, and I had a couple of samples made to get one that I was happy with.

  • sanjuangirl
    10 years ago

    Wow! You nailed it! It's beautiful and breathtaking! Such fabulous windows and the kitchen reads warm even with the white and gray! That's hard to pull off. Having those windows around your hood is such a cool idea. The table really marries all of the elements together, it makes me wish I could sit there and have coffee in the morning light.. Wishing you many happy years in that gorgeous kitchen.

  • gothaml
    10 years ago

    Love your kitchen! May I ask what Crown Point door style that is?

  • ratrem
    10 years ago

    I love your kitchen, absolutely stunning. I love the style of old house but blending current style with old. I saw the street name on your link and think you live on one of my most favorite streets, a hidden gem for sure. We also were in Dot for 10 years just sold our 1880 Victorian last year. Such a great often misunderstood part of the city, with some of the best architecture in the area. Would love to see more photos of the house.

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    @sanjuangirl thanks so much - the architect's idea for the windows really pulled things together!

    @gothaml Thanks, this is the Newport door. We're pretty happy with the Euro-style cabinets, though I think most CP customers prefer the full inset. They've held up extremely well, with no shifting.

    @ratrem - Yes, you are right! We've loved living in Dot, it's really hard to explain to most, and I usually end up being too defensive or indulging in "boosteritis" especially if people haven't spent time around here. It has suffered from a simplistic picture. I think Boston has just so many great places to live - but given the great architecture , real community feeling, and proximity to downtown this neighborhood in most any other city would be completely unaffordable. But then again, look how quickly the image of Southie shifted - I guess anything is possible.

    We're working to get other parts of the house finished - I'll be sure to share once things start pulling together. Thank you for the compliment - that "blend" was exactly what I was going for.

  • gothaml
    10 years ago

    *jumpy claps*

    I am SO excited to see that you have the Newport door with the euro style cabinets from Crown Point. I was thinking of asking them to do that, but wasn't sure if it was an offering of theirs, and we are a few weeks away from being able to get quotes from cabinet makers. I think we would like to do inset on the uppers with the Newport door and euro style on the base cabinets. We are also thinking of going a combo of gray and white, but given our funky 123 year old brownstone we may do three colors of gray to help differentiate some of the cabinetry and to give it an "evolved" feeling.

    Thanks for the info, and I am so envious of all the light, just lovely.

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sounds awesome, @gothaml. Crown Point is great to work with. If you read the thread, one commenter recommended the inset - I hear structurally, it makes a lot of sense, but OTOH it's nice squeezing out all the extra space from the euro style cabinets, and we haven't noticed any shifting at all. I think your approach with inset uppers sounds very elegant.

    I really like the Farrow & Ball colors - incidentally, our darker gray on the wall is F&B too. Just about anything you might choose from that line would work well together. You might even consider planning a long weekend around it, if you have the time and are in the Northeast, to go up to visit the NH factory! The showroom is really incredible.

  • gothaml
    10 years ago

    @elsewhere My parents live a couple of hours from the factory, so we are hoping to drop the kids off there and make it a nice little overnight getaway. :)

    Looking at your layout, is the pull-out base cabinet to the right of your cooktop for oils? If not, what do you use that for?

  • elsewhere
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    @gothaml The trip will be well worth it. They pretty much have everything on display. We actually drove to a few quarries in the area on the same trip though we went with another thing entirely in the end - Danby marble is not so far away, and Sheldon Slate in NY is a short drive.

    We are using the pull-out for oils, spices, that sort of thing. It's quite handy to have.

    Have fun with the design, it sounds like it will be spectacular!

  • ramlahn
    9 years ago

    Beautiful kitchen - I was wondering if you could share the manufacturer of your sink and any updates on how your rhino white counters have been holding up? I am also thinking about rhino white, but I am concerned about etching and staining around the sink. Now that you've had them in for a while I was hoping you could provide an update!