I was very worried that black counters would make my kitchen look smaller and too dark - I was switching to black soapstone from white corian. Just the opposite happened. It made my kitchen look bigger and really grounded the space. Here is the link to the before and afters. It may help you decide to go to black. I just love it!!
Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: White kitchen black soapstone counters

IÂm sorry I donÂt have any pictures to show you, but one of the main reasons I'm leaning toward white cabinets in our kitchen is because of the wood counters I have seen paired with them in pictures. I *love* that look! And, one can get IKEA butcher block counters for amazing prices. I know lots of folks here have used them so hopefully they will share some pictures with us. :-)

Jeri

I think a light countertop looks great with white cabinets. Black looks great too-- I think black is more traditional looking. The caesarstone site has some cool examples of white cabinets with lighter counters, like this: http://www.caesarstoneus.com/gallery/_uploads/photos/m_baja20.jpg

I'm going to do the same color on both white and brown cabinets-- a light gray color. I think (hope!) it's going to look great on both color cabinets...

We have been enjoying ours for three years now. This house is now up for sale and we will be doing white cabinets and the same countertop in the new kitchen. However the kitchen will be smaller and the layout tweaked a bit.

marylynnnc - what is your countertop?It looks great. It looks like honed marble on my monitor, but I can't tell for sure. Thanks!

This is one of my favorite kitchens on the FKB.

Here is a link that might be useful: White kitchen light counters

Also check out jenos beautiful kitchen, posted about a week ago

Here is a link that might be useful: jenos kitchen

You could consider wood counters. I love my birch counter from IKEA.

Here is a link that might be useful: Birch counter

In case Marylynnnc doesn't check back, I remember her kitchen and being amazed that her counter top is Formica. Maybe if you do a search you can find the info. I forget the name of it.

Thanks! Positano is right. It is Bianco Marble laminate by Pionite. I had never even heard of Pionite til DH came home with a sample from the local builders supply. It is holding up very well to lots of use.

Mary Lynn

marylynne-i would have never know just by looking at your photos that you did not have marble countertops. they are the best i've ever seen for sure. And, that is one long island! Wow, do you find it to be too large? i was originally wanting a very long island at first, but was talked out of it early on.

your kitchen looks like such a calming and inviting space. i'll bet that everyone looking to buy your home loves the kitchen.

Here are a few pics that might help you imagine. I love
light counters with white kitchens. I ended up going with
a dark charcoal with my white kitchen. I am too afraid of
marble care. But, I still love to imagine light.
Enjoy,
~boxerpups

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BrianPatterson designer
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Mary Lynn, Your counter looks awesome and its helping me to stick to my decision to do laminate. Do you mind a couple of questions?

(1) What edge did you do?
(2) How long is your island - did you have to have a seam in the formica - if you have seams do they bother you?

I am glad to hear it is holding up well.

Tina

Boxerpups, those are some awesome white kitchens. I like seeing them all together to make comparisons!
My answer to Will work for roses (makes me smile to read the name) is that many different countertops work beautifully with white. I had one designer who worked for a stone yard suggest Yellow River granite for white cabinets. It might work for you with your gold walls. She said there was grey in the stone too which would tie in the stainless appliances and browns/golds to tie in the wood floors. ( I have white cabinets and wood floors) I want the cream, grey, quieter look so marble and grey ceasarstone are front runners for me. Many people do soapstone with white and I think that is beautiful too.

WOW boxerpups, those are some incredible kitchens. Mine is a tad less grand. It is U-shaped with a row of pantry doors on the other side.
http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=1307527014/PictureID=44222347014/a=123148665_123148665/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=optimumonline/

I can't get my snapfish account to provide a link that will work - sorry!!!! My husband is very tired of the all white look. And he specifically does not want a white backsplash. My idea all along had been for a classic dark counter, white subway tiles, wood floor, etc. But I don't have inset cabs and I have a small kitchen with not much space to convey that classic look.

I love the classic pictures shown, but any ideas on what I can do with this? The rest of the house is traditional with blues and golds mainly. I'm not afraid of color but I have tended to use it in permanent things which may be bad. My mbr floor is cobalt blue tile with a yellowish-gold wall treatment and white cabs. Great room off of kitchen has wood floors with a royal blue aubusson rug, gold couch and royal blue chairs. Any ideas?

We built our house about a year and a half ago. We have blue pearl granite with our white cabinets. We were thinking about marble, but we cook a lot and were worried about staining issues.

Hi Willworkforroses,

I think your kitchen is beautiful. And very similar to my
own kitchen. Is it about 10 years old? Not that it looks
old I just was curious because it is so similar to my
kitchen. I am in the middle of a renovation.

Here is your kitchen and wow it is similar to mine
The U shape, the white, the gold hardware...

{{!gwi}}
Maybe others can chime in on how to update your lovely
white kitchen?

Are you keeping your cabinets?
Are you keeping the layout or changing it.
Then go for the classic white kitchen in a petite style.
Change your counters and backsplah saving money by keeping
your cabs.
Update little things like the faucet, hardware, and
use that wonderful space above your cabinets. I love the
artwork you have.

Here is my before pic. Isn't it similar to yours?
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Here we are mid renovation to see some of the changes...
We kept the white backsplash, changed to Jet mist granite,
changed the angle of the counter pennisula, moved double
ovens to one range, Change floors to dark ebony/english
chestnut stain finish. Added dental molding...
We are still waiting for some other counter molding, floor
trim and minor details.

{{!gwi}}

I had thought about a light counter too because I love
light counters but with the tan colors I use in
decorating every white counter made the kitchen look
dingy. Blk was the best option for my price range and
coordination. And DH really loved Jet Mist.

Thanks for letting me Hijack this to help Willworkforroses.
~boxerpups

teppy & tina -

Thank you for the lovely compliments on my kitchen. The island is 14'x 4'. I like the length for spreading out room for pizza and bread making or anything requiring lots of ingredients. I wouldn't like having to walk around it often though so I keep less often used appliances on the back side. We did the beveled edge which I do like. I don't think I would have been pleased with the plain laminate edge that shows the brown line. There is one seam about 10" to the right of the sink. I would prefer there not being one at all but it doesn't really bother me.

Boxerpups - your kitchen looks like the "big sister" to my my "little sister"! That is an older picture. I have actually updated the hardware to stainless, put in a blanco anthracite sink and kohler single lever faucet. We will change backsplash and counter now - appliances later because ours are still working and have never had a service call in 13 years. House is 13 years old. Haven't figured out the microwave change yet - would like a hood and put the mw somewhere else. An island is also a possibility in the future.

peninsula continues on the left of the picture but not showing in the photo. We had black iron dining set in there and chandy but changed to wood set and bronze chandy so we're not tied to the black anymore.

I like the granites with lots of movement but then realized that on either side of the stove they would be vertical movement rather than horizontal, because of the peninsula which is 96" and mandate the slab layout to be horizontal in that space. I can't get my head around the vertical movement - I'm afraid of it looking like stripes.

Willworkforroses,

I want a hood too. Have you seen Erikanh's hood? I went to
the MA site to see how much they are. Woo Hood pricey but
lovely. When I do get one I plan to move my MW to a snack
closet and change that to have a counter and cabinetry. I
won't use grantie in the snack area. I plan to use a wood
counter.

Yes the vertical stripe effect of some granites is an
issue. You will find a granite you love. You will see, it
does not have to have movement. There are so many to choose
from. Good idea to keep your appliances until the die.

I love GW, there are so many helpful souls on this site.
~boxerpups

We are also doing blue pearl granite with white cabinets. We have blue ceramic floor ties, and it will look really good together with a blue mosaic glass tile backsplash.

I know not everyone likes blue, though.

I would love to see a picture gsciencechick when you have it all done. That sounds like my kind of kitchen.

Boxerpups, the changes you have made look great!

boxerpups - your kitchen looks really great. I am getting confused with all this gardenwebbing late into the night - I thought you were the one that had put in jet mist granite - now I think I see soapstone. Do you remember a pic of a kitchen similar to yours with the granite I mentioned?

Thank you!

Tina

Buffalotina, that is Jet Mist you see in Boxerpups pic- it definitely does look a lot like soapstone though!

I will have white cabinets and Bianco Antico installed in a few weeks- definitely a lighter colored granite, plenty of patterns to keep things interesting, but no vertical/horizontal movement to cause any stripes :)

Buffallotina,
My counters are granite Jet Mist. I am flattered you would
think they look like soapstone.

GSsciencechic,
We saw this amazing "blue" pearl. It was really more of a
gray blue color but we loved it. But when we called back
to tag it, it was gone. It was that beautiful! I can not
wait to see yours.

Morton5,
Thanks for your kind words.

Thrilledtoremodel.
I love your choice. Lovely!

We did Bianco Antico granite in our white kitchen. Absolutely love it...it has light and dark colours in it.

Here is a link that might be useful: My kitchen