In the last house when I was deciding to redo the cabinets either white or espresso, I stared at the kitchen. Imagined it both ways. Decided that white was right for the space. In the new house, I was just hooked on white (or light gray) cabinets. I'm in central PA, and I know the look people are giving you. I also got that same look when I said I wanted them to the ceiling. Those looks only fuel my fire anyway.

I feel that white done right can be a timeless look. Yes, I said it. But really, white kitchens have been around for a long time. It's just "how" they are done that changes.

Do what makes you happy. Flip a coin. Heads is white, Tails is stained. Go ahead, do it. See if you are sad with the result from the flip. That's your gut you hear, and it usually tells you the truth.

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

bee

I couldn't decide, so I just did both.

I know the look too - I'm in KY. I guess the white craze is slowing making it's way here, because one KD told me that her 'higher end' clients are asking for it.

Mine perimeters are actually a very pale, creamy yellow and my island and other built ins are natural cherry. I love the look of them together. I got the lighter, brighter kitchen I wanted and saved a few bucks by only doing part of them painted.

I love both but for almost 10 years I had a white kitchen and wanted something different. I love dark stain and got cherry cabinets, and love the richness of the wood. Bee has a great suggestion listen to your gut because it will be you who has to live with the kitchen you chose.

I am just as stuck as you are. I love WHITE/ Gray kitchens. But am still deciding if I want to do all white or a combo. It will all come down to the countertop I choose. If I do honed black granite then I will do all white cabs. However If I go with marble I will probably do a combo like this.

My favorite white painted kitchen of all time is this.

"I know the look too - I'm in KY". Ayerg - me too!

Another one is "you mean you don't want oak??"

We went back and forth. I love cherry and beautiful wood in general, but the closer we got to making decisions, the more I started feeling it might be too dark. Then I looked at the adjoining breakfast room with the wood table and chairs and the brown leather sectional in the family room beyond that. I had visions of great brown hall and that wasn't waht I wanted. At the same time, I was looking at lots of magazine and online photos. I saw wood kitchens I liked, but my favorites included far more white kitchens. I had a white kitchen and liked it. I'd had white kitchens before and liked them. I like clean and bright. So I went white -- but I put in a cherry island in the kitchen and a hutch in the breakfast room. In the end, I wound up with both.

I agree with bee - get what you want.

I lived with cream painted cabs for over 20 years. They weren't factory painted, they required touch ups, and I needed to wash them a lot. I knew I didn't want that again, even though white cupboards that come from the cab maker or factory do not require constant touch ups and are easier to clean than mine were. I have a lot of cherry and other warm wood in the house, and I wanted the kitchen to go with the rest of the house, so I got stained cherry.

I've said this recently in other posts, but it applies to what you're asking. My cab maker said that he personally prefers stained over painted surfaces because "With paint, you are looking at the finish, so you see anything on the finish. With wood, you look through the finish to the wood." Something to think about.

Last week's Houzz had an article about making your kitchen appealing to buyers, and it pointed out that usually buyers are younger than the seller. It said that the younger generation, rejecting the wood kitchens of their mothers, prefer white kitchens. (That would be the Freudian school of kitchen design.) It also said young people require SS appliances. I don't know if either of those is true, I'm just quoting.

I just have always likes white kitchens...they just look like a kitchen to me. I had one in my previous house when they were out and everyone was doing Tuscan/Old World Euro kitchens ith stained and glazed wood. My white kitchen matched my classically tradional house. So when we had the opportunity to custom build our forever home, I once again went the white cab route. Once again, it was appropriate for our classically traditional house. I honestly don't think I'll ever have stained cabs...I just don't like them (for me, in my house...I certainly appreciate others stained kitchens!)

We're going with white (more the cream or ivory end of the spectrum) because the dark stained oak cabs we have now are the same color as the dark stained oak flooring. Too much dark wood, and a LOT of the "wood element" from a feng shui aspect.

My last three kitchen were white. Two were custom, one was builder grade that cme with the house, but it was white!
For this last kitchen, I did consider wood. But, I have a very small kichen which has the stand L shaped run of cabinets. Iknew I wanted to match the wood floors. Not sure what wood would match my red oak 1950's floors.
Your kitchen will be great either way. But, why not planning both? If you go white, what will the floor be, what will the counter be and backsplash? Imagine these same questions with wood. Then with wood, how dark or light?
Start looking at the Finished kitchen blog with a new eye. Brouse through Houz. You will probably keep getting drawn to one particular kitchen.
Then if that doesn't work, there is also Bee's idea of the coin toss.

For my husband and I, there's never been a question that we were NOT going with white cabinets. We love the look of wood - love the grain, the warmth, and the "earthiness" of it. We very nearly kicked out a flooring guy who suggested that we paint our (unpainted) baseboards and risers in our house.

All that being said, I can see white kitchens that other people have and I think they look pretty or beautiful. For them. Not for me.

How long are you planning on being in the house before you put it on the market? To tell you the truth, I've really never been in a house (new, old, or remodeled) where I didn't wish to change the kitchen from what the previous owners had. What you are looking for is something that somebody can LIVE with until they can put in the kitchen they want.

I think the problem is the OP doesn't KNOW what she wants!

I'm one that also says do both. I have no idea what your kitchen plan is, but you can obviously do an island. You can do an area where it looks like a desk or credenza/hutch. You can do lowers dark and uppers white.

I looked for years at cabinetry. I realized a while ago that although I think wood cabs are fine, every time I'd turn a page in a magazine to a painted cabinet (usually white) I'd do the ahhhh thing. So. I wouldn't be happy with wood. Although I did my MBR in espresso maple.

Then, my AhHA moment where bells rang, balloons were released, trumpets trumpeted, doves flew, confetti fell, and spotlights twirled across the sky came when I realized I loved beaded inset!!!. But that's another thread.

I am in a metropolitan area. However, the only people that don't give me The Look are my family. They're adventurous decorators and love the idea of my sage/gray/green cabinets with my credenza being (wait for it) CREAM!
with wine crate panel doors and drawers.

So it's ok to stop vacillating and now just try to decide what you want where, rather than what you'll settle for.

I hope that helps, too.

And frankly, who cares about the market? Unless you're going to sell in 5 years or so, I say remodel for yourself, not some person somewhere in the future, who will probably rip out everything you did, anyway! Now, I'll say get what you want!

I have walnut and white - I agree with the recommendations to do both cherry and white. Having some white cabinets lightens up the room, the wood adds the depth and warmth. Best of both worlds.

My dream kitchen has always been white. Always. So when we built, I put in a white kitchen. I love it so much. I did what I loved. I did get some puzzled looks from stained lovers. I didn't care. It's my kitchen. I'm the one that has to be in it every day, multiple times a day.

I think you should spend some time looking at books, magazines and online to find out the kitchens you're the most drawn to. That will help.

For me, creamy warm white cabinets seem to go best with my other choices. I want honey-colored wood floors, plants, blue accents, some antique brass, and lots of windows, with creamy white trim. And, we like country style...and while the wood is pretty, it just seems a little too heavy for our small space.

That being said, in a different room, I could completely picture cherry cabinets. In fact, if I were choosing dark greens, gold and cheerful cranberry accents...cherry would be amazing. I like a traditional style, too, but it wouldn't fit our farmhouse.

Phoggie...what do you like? What's the rest of your home going to look like? Do you plan to have formal or casual furniture? What type of countertops and floors? I know your view is going to be beautiful, but willows on the water can be lovely, serene and rather English IMHO, which means that a more traditional/formal style or an informal country/cottage style...would each look wonderful. So, what style do you prefer? Or maybe another style/look altogether?

I think the people who think white looks cheap are probably thinking of thermofoil cabinets. Yes, those look cheap because they are. If you put a cheap wood veneer on a cabinet, it'll look just as cheap as the white thermofoil. Nice quality cabinets with a nice quality finish will look good (almost) no matter what that finish is.

As far as which one you pick, it really depends on your space. I don't think I'd ever pick stained cabinets for myself, but I think they can be beautiful for someone else.

Hi phoggie, glad you are at this point, hope things are going better much for you.

We did both (white perimeter and cherry island) but quite frankly, I am not happy with how red the cherry island is. I've wasted a fair amount of this forum's time discussing painting this. Take away for you should be: if you combine, make sure you are happy with the color of the wood with which you end up.

The other thing about the 'white' is - be careful about having too much. I'm finding, with white ceilings, off white cabinets, white countertops.... it's too much white and I'm really looking for a contrast with the backsplash.

Good luck and please post your progress!

Best,

oldbat2be

Our home is about a traditional as it gets and we went with white. Lack of natural light helped make the decision for us. It had to be a lighter colour or the room would look far too closed in. I also looked at hundreds of decorating and design magazines from many countries and at the Houzz site for a few thousand hours and was drawn to "white" kitchens more often than not.

We moved the original kitchen into the (now) former family room and the original kitchen is now a butlers pantry. We couldn't move any walls, windows or doors as we bought a heritage property with restrictions on what could be done to the structure. There is also a floor to ceiling brick fireplace and cast iron bread oven in the now kitchen so a darker stain would be a bit too much for the room. I ended up with a light gray tone on the perimeter and a stone gray island for some contrast being drawn to more cooler whites than the warm ones.

Regardless, only you know what you love so, as many smart people on this forum have advised many, many times, make your choices for you. It's your home so do what suits you.

Wood with white island...
{{!gwi}}From Kitchen plans

White with wood island... {{!gwi}}From Farmhouse plans
{{!gwi}}From French Country Kitchen

Do you prefer white, wood or a combination? Also, I know you have a peninsula, not an island...but you could change it...or not. Lots of options :)

We went with stained cabs on the lowers and creamy white on the uppers with a couple glass cabs up there too. This is a 12X16 kitchen with a peninsula. No island. Corner sink and corner pantry. SS appliances. Granite countertops that accent uppers and lowers. Travertine-like porcelain 18X18 floor tile laid running bond. And no backsplash... just pumpkin colored walls.
I dont have decent pics to post but my point is...
This kitchen is great! I get unbelievable compliments from EVERYONE. Why? Because it works SO WELL with the house as a whole. Last Wed I had the insurance inspector come through and although he thought the exterior was cute (grey shingle cottage farmhouse gut-remodel five years ago)
he said he was blown away by the inside. Loved everything. took lots of pics for his wife to see. He was 33. Couldn't believe how nice yada yada. We get this alot.
Because all works well together.
This house was done for resale and my husband wanted stained I wanted white so we compromised.

I wanted a change from early 90s golden oak with a loud grain, but was on a budget. Painting them was my choice for an updated look. I never considered a color other than creamy white. As much as I like the look of darker wood on the horizontal plane, or as furniture, I get overwhelmed by a lot of dark on the walls. I'm very happy with my white kitchen. Although I live in the SF Bay Area, white kitchens aren't really very common in my neighborhood, so they have a ways to go before hitting "overdone."

All that being said, if I were to do it over, and cost were no object, I would seriously consider quarter-sawn oak cabinets.

We just put solid wood doors on our white painted cabinets (from 1998) because they were so yellowed & stained. Granted, we have little kids and they were old...and it's clear that they weren't factory finished, they were painted on-site. But the finish was in terrible shape.

I like the wood because it's more practical, frankly. I wouldn't do a white kitchen unless my kids were older. Although come to think of it, my husband may be worse than my kids at leaving mess everywhere!