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mercymygft_gw

Show me your dark/espresso type cabinets

Mercymygft
12 years ago

Hubby wants to go dark with our cabinets. He likes the shaker look with a very dark finish. I'm not 100% sold.... so show me what you got!

Comments (39)

  • Lezli
    12 years ago

    Hi, there:
    Our cabinets are just now being installed, so all the crown and light rail, pulls, countertop etc. are not yet done. They really don't look as red in real life as the second pictures make them appear, either.
    Lezli

  • uroboros5
    12 years ago

    Mine will be installed in about 10 days, I'll have a picture then!

  • kadydid
    12 years ago

    I gel stained mine. (I followed the painting cabinets thread that you started, so this might be an option for you too.


  • kadydid
    12 years ago

    This was my before.

  • mydreamhome
    12 years ago

    mercymygft-How much natural light will your kitchen get? DH and I were advised that the more natural light you have, the darker you can go with the cabs. But if your kitchen will get little natural light (in our case the kitchen window faces north under a covered porch) then go with lighter cabs. As far as the shaker style goes IMO it's simple and elegant--plus if something spills over the countertop edge, there are fewer nooks, crannies & grooves to clean!

    kadydid-Your cabs turned out beautiful! Great job!! Do you mind if I ask what sink you went with?

  • kadydid
    12 years ago

    Thanks so much!! I do not recall what kind of sink I have. I did buy it at home depot though.

  • TC44
    12 years ago

  • xc60
    12 years ago

    Here's a photo of ours, the floors are not orangey in real life. The cabinets are a dark espresso almost black stain.

  • Mercymygft
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks everyone for the pics, they look great! They are helping me decide!

    mydreamhome...I'm not sure really how much natural light, because this kitchen will be part of a remodel/addition. But it will essentially be one big room...kitchen/eating area/family room with 4-5 windows and a slider.

  • boxerpups
    12 years ago

    I love dark, I have white right now, but I have a gaggle
    of pics for you.
    Hope they help.
    ~boxerpups

    Interior design it yourself

    Diane Forman Kitchen

    HGTV NKBA winner

    Gillingham kitchen

    NKBA Gilmor

    Thomasville Cabinets

    Sandi Holland Designer

    Westbury Kitchens

    Sophisticated Sgtone HGTV link




    --------------------

    House Beautiful

    Luxury Modern

    Decorpad

    Bardon Cabinets

    HGTV

    Jack Rosen DC kitchens

  • Mercymygft
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    WOW!! boxerpups... thank you!! Yes, that helps a lot!

  • Kay M
    12 years ago

    Ours aren't exactly shaker, which also considered (they are a raised panel), and aren't quite espresso (they are maple in chocolate finish), but here is a variation for you to consider:

    Good luck to you!

  • boxerpups
    12 years ago

    KayceeFl,
    I love your tile floors.
    ~boxerpups

  • Kay M
    12 years ago

    Thanks, boxer. I'd love it if my kitchen was finally done. Maybe next week.

  • kitchenaddict
    12 years ago

    Hi mercy..

    Beautiful kitchens everyone...Boxer I love those pictures..

    mercy...Boxer's picture of the Sandi Holland kitchen is a beautiful example of white uppers with dark lowers...maybe an option to please both you and your dh?

    mydreamhome is right..with that many windows I think you can go dark. I have 3 windows and a nearby slider with a southern exposure. My kitchen doesn't seem dark to me.

    KA:)
    Daytime...

    Nightime...


    Here's the other windows ....

  • kadydid
    12 years ago

    Nice kitchens! kitchenaddict, I just love your space.

  • reston1
    12 years ago

    KayceeFL--

    I also LOVE your floors. That isn't Daltile concrete connection by any chance, is it? I'm going to look at that tomorrow. If not, can you tell me what it is? Thanks!

  • Mercymygft
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    kitchenaddict... beautiful kitchen! What is your granite?

  • boxerpups
    12 years ago

    Kitchenaddict,
    I could look at your kitchen all day long.
    It must be the best place in the world to sit with a cup
    of coffee at the counter under those gorgeous lights
    while flipping through kitchen design magazines
    and listening to the lovely sounds a happy kitchen makes.
    The elements you put together with the soft colors
    and the deep dark elegant wood cabinets are wonderful.
    ~boxer

  • Kay M
    12 years ago

    Reston1, the tile is Saime Kaleido 12x24 rectified porcelain tiles in Nero with Charcoal grout. We purchased from a local tile shop, but the two links below have more info on it (and a better close up shot).

    http://www.buytile.com/home.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24521

    Here is a link that might be useful: Tile

  • Mercymygft
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    kitchenaddict... I concur with boxerpups!! But I need details!!! LOL!!

    Cabinets?
    Color?
    Granite?

  • kiffgirl
    12 years ago

    Our cabinets are cherry with an almost black espresso finish. They are rather translucent in person but that doesn't translate in the photos. Our kitchen isn't very big, but it does have high ceilings. I thought the color would make me feel closed in, but it doesn't.

  • kitchenaddict
    12 years ago

    Hi again mercy...

    Thank you to you and boxer for the nice compliments.

    Cabinets are Kraftmaid cherry with Peppercorn stain.
    Delicatus White Granite

    kiffgirl..Your kitchen is soooo well done. I really like the stain on your cabinets..being almost black. I was afraid to go that dark, but I see that I am really drawn to that now.

    KA:)

    Here is a link that might be useful: My kitchen

  • diychicken
    12 years ago

    Katydid- your cabinets look amazing! Can I ask what color and brand of gel stain you used?

  • Mercymygft
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks kitchenaddict!

    Everyone's kitchen looks amazing!

  • kadydid
    12 years ago

    kiffgirl Beautiful kitchen!

  • Adrienne Gray
    12 years ago

    Wow, what a fantastic showing. Some of those above take my breath away - particuarly the ones paired with white counters. And boxerpups is such a rockstar.

    Here's our unfinished bar setup - the finish is much darker in person.

    I WISH I had photos ready of our master bath because we have espresso cabs in there and learned a HUGE lesson. I know this is true with many cabinet choices, but the dark cabinets can ride the line of rich vs. modern and fall one way or the other very easily depending on which materials you surround them with. What was supposed to be a curvy and graceful overmount sink ended up undermount by mistake showing harsh rectangular lines. That paired with our chrome hardware choices really threw it over modern and into almost tacky/cheap/transitional land. We had to go back and warm everything up with antique brass cabinet hardware, a brass/crystal chandelier over the tub, and antique brass lighting over the mirrors. I'm ultimately happy as I believe we hit the middle, but just know that the style steering pulls strongly :)

  • sparx44
    12 years ago

    I, too, am in the planning stages of a kitchen remodel and I would LOVE some advice on dark cabinets. I'm definitely going with the ESPRESSO finish. Originally, I was planning to go with MAPLE cabinets (and I still might), but I've heard that maple can be tough to stain in really dark colors. In other words, I've heard that it can turn out a little blotchy and inconsistent in color. Has anyone had that experience? The alternative, I suppose, is CHERRY...but that's more money and I'm not sure if it's really worth the extra cost.

    If any of you have maple cabinets with espresso (or some other really dark) finish, please let me know what experience you have had. Thanks!

  • blfenton
    12 years ago

    Kiffgirl: love your pendant lights

  • Mercymygft
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    sparx44 - My kitchen now is maple with a chestnut stain, so relatively dark. I too had heard that maple can come out blotchy, but I think mine came out really nice. We are moving and doing a new kitchen that is why I want to do something a little different now.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mercy's Kitchen

  • reston1
    12 years ago

    kiffgirl--

    Fab kitchen. Can you tell us about your pendants?

  • kadydid
    12 years ago

    diychicken, Thanks! I used General Finishes Gel stain in Brown Mahogany. :D

  • sparx44
    12 years ago

    Thanks mercymygft! Much appreciated. Anyone else have an opinion about dark finish on Maple cabinets??? Any problems with that combination? Thanks in advance!

  • kiffgirl
    12 years ago

    KA, kadydid and blfenton - thank you!

    reston1 - the pendants are woven stainless steel in a basket weave design. I've included a closer photo, but it would be easier to see if the light was off. They came in two different sizes and also in a round version. They are made by Artemide.

  • dejongdreamhouse
    12 years ago

    Kiffgirl, your kitchen is so close to my ideal kitchen. I didn't see you the finished kitchen blog. I see someone else already asked about the pendants. Can you tell me about your backsplash?

  • sonny_h
    9 years ago

    Looks incredible! First time I have heard of this option. Very cool.

  • homebodyoasis
    9 years ago

    Hi Kadydid,

    I thought I'd take a chance that you might see this.

    I'd love to learn the process you used when you stained your cabinets...

    Thanks,
    Kim

  • heidihausfrau
    9 years ago

    Love all the dark cabinets! Here are mine;