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missyv_gw

Will this still look 'warm?'

MIssyV
12 years ago

Marble is my first love, and since I don't have the personality for marble, this is next best. A quartzite. I am looking to use this as our island, and soapstone on the perimeters. I know they will match and look nice together, but I am afraid it won't look "warm" enough. I want a warm toned kitchen, not a cool toned kitchen. What do you think?

Comments (24)

  • brickton
    12 years ago

    How big is the island? What color are the walls, floors, cabinets, hardware, lights, faucets?

    One cool colored counter (and I would classify this as cool) won't necessarily overpower the rest.

    For instance:

    Cool:

    Warm:


  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hmmm....very interesting pics brickton. Thank you for posting those for me. Our floors are a cherry wood color and cabs are BM linen white. The walls...well, those are painted yet since I haven't finalized the counter tops! I am planning to go with ss sink and faucet, but currently the hardware is ORB, which I realize won't work. Here are pics of where we are currently at in our make over. Soffit is coming down, window trim can be changed once counter top is finalized, and appliances will all be ss.

  • mratner
    12 years ago

    The layout is a bit confusing, where would you fit an island unless you took out the peninsula?
    It would be difficult, I think, to have a warm look with white cabinets and so much grey stone. I guess you could try and do with wall-paint and a backsplash, but it might be hard to find a "warm" color palette that doesn't clash with all that grey. Perhaps you could use some real brick...

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    I struggle with the same question. My perimeter counters will be Carrara, very gray like your yummy quartzite. Cabs are white. And I live in a very gray, rainy climate to boot. I'm hoping that my brown wood floors will help, as will textured items I'll bring in.

    I found an older thread about white kitchens being warm. There was another one too, but I can't find it. It isn't specific to gray counters, but there are some pics of some

    Here is a link that might be useful: Warming thread

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    mratner - sorry for the confusion, the peninsula would be removed then we would put in an island to make up for the lost space of the peninsula being taken out. That peninsula is 80% of my counter top space! Funny you mentioned brick, in the opposite corner of the room is our very large red brick fireplace! Its the old 1970's fireplace, where they put it across the corner of the room, so its at an angle. Any how, that brick is the reason I am leaning towards ss, I think it will compliment the brick.

    I have always thought of marble as "cool toned" but there are pics on here of some that are mixed in nicely and still read warm. Surprise!

    Maybe there is too much gray in this quartzite to work? What other top should I consider?

  • jgopp
    12 years ago

    I have that exact stone in my white kitchen. I find that it's more about accessorizing and adding warm elements (such as my chairs) to the room. I have a couple pictures you can look at. Many people come into my kitchen and tell me they love the stone but still find the kitchen inviting and warm.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My finished kitchen

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Ahhh...yes, I remember your beautiful kitchen and that amazing ceiling! Thanks for the pictures.

    I am wondering the same thing, can we warm it up with accessories and paint? BS will probably be white but the walls could have color to help. Why is this so dog gone hard?!

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago

    Missy- Maybe if you change your hardware, you'll like it better, with the stainless steel sink and faucet. This has a little lighter feel and would still look good with your floor and brick fireplace. I think the less gray you have in the stone, the less it cools off the room.

    Breezy- Did you notice the green and pink accents? :) {{!gwi}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

  • mratner
    12 years ago

    If you already have brick across the room, why not try to bring it into the kitchen, this way you will get a nice "theme" going. Here is one kitchen where they used brick to bring some warmth to soapstone and SS:

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    thanks guys, all great pics! man, hubby is going to smother me in my sleep when i tell him we have to switch out all the hardware we just installed in july. maybe i can do it while he is at work, do you think he will notice?! :)

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago

    Missy- Do you have any other place you can use the pulls? Maybe for a bathroom or laundry area? Also, if you do decide to take out the peninsula...can you use that in a utility area or garage?

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hi lavender lass. No, unfortunately there's no where else to put the pulls and hinges :( I would probably just try to list them on ebay and try to get as much as I can back out of them. Honestly, I got a steal on them, but would be nice to have that money back if we needed to go to silver. As for the cabs, we are hoping we can safely remove them and actually build our island from those cabs. Islands are just base cabs put together, so why not use what we already have?! If not, yes, they will go to the garage and keep the other cabs we removed over the peninsula company :)

    I agree, there may be too much gray in this quartzite, will see if I can find something with more white and less gray.

  • Majra
    12 years ago

    I have the same kitchen layout and 1968 brick fireplace in the adjacent family room, and am in the planning stages of a renovation to both spaces. I love your quartzite and think that your wood floors automatically warm the space.

    On a tangent, I'm leaning towards keeping my peninsula, to keep the counter space. What factored into your decision to change to an island?

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    Missy--that quartzite is stunning! If you love it, go for it! I think you'll regret not having the counter you love more than you'll regret a little loss of warmth. As I said, you *can* make a gray countertopped kitchen warm. Maybe not as warm as with a brown counter, but still warm. Floors, accessories, and the right paint can help balance the coolness of the gray.

  • dianalo
    12 years ago

    I think the quartzite is stunning. Your floor adds a brown tone to the room if you are looking for "warm".
    I bet you can find a nice green, yellow or blue color for the walls to soften the gray and white look.
    I think your hardware looks just fine and would hold off making a decision about it. If you liked it a few months ago, then I'd keep it.
    I may be biased because our kitchen is all white, gray, black and lavender. It has all cool tones, but the look is warm and inviting. I don't think it looks cold in the least. It is about the decor if a kitchen is warm looking or not to me. I have seen all brown kitchens that look like "hands off".... and some that seem warm. It is not about the color alone. FWIW - our kitchen looks light/cheerful even in low light situations.

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks all, hoping all the numbers come back in our budget, then I am ready to commit and finally move on! Oh how happy hubby will be when I commit to a counter top...its holding up every other thing that needs done, like paint and trim being installed. I am thinking the paint in the adjoining family room will need to be a warm grayish color probably, with a brown or green undertone to it. That will be carried on the long wall in the kitchen that can't be seen in above pics. I have to find a paint that compliments the kitchen choices and brick fireplace.

    @Majra - I just think it needs to be opened up, if that makes sense. We originally planned to keep existing layout and just extend the new counter top 12 inches overhang for seating along the peninsula, but I am concerned that will interfere with layout of family room. Those darn big corner fireplaces take up space and limit furniture placement! I will admit I love my big peninsula for the counter top space and storage, but hoping I will gain most of it back with the island.

    @ Breezy....are you the one planning a wood island top? I am mixing up a few of us that are in the planning stages. That is my second option...doing lighter perimeter with wood top on the island. I know my hardware would work then, and for sure be warm looking. May still choose that route!

    @Miss Dianalo, show us your kitchen!

  • littlesmokie
    12 years ago

    Any item is going to look different depending on the colors that surround it.

    I'm not clear-are your cabs already painted BM Linen White? Linen White is a warm white (If I remember right, it has red undertones, which probably is perfect with the adjacent brick) but that quartzite would look even grayer next to it and I'm afraid LW might make that quartzite look...dingy?

    (With cabs painted something like BM White Dove--white with slight gray undertone--yes that quartzite is stunning. But I wouldn't necessarily say "warm.")

    What about a butcher block island with your perimeter soapstone, ORB hardware, and Linen White cabs?

    PS A stainless steel faucet/sink will be fine with oil rubbed bronze hardware--this is done all the time :)

  • littlesmokie
    12 years ago

    Oops sorry I didn't see your last post when I posted, Missy. I see that you are still in planning stage and that cabs aren't painted yet. With your other planned finishes, I love idea of a wood island, but I am biased because I have a wood island ;)

    Have you done the sweeby test--what style/feel do you want your kitchen to have? We spend a lot of time here thinking about how things will look, but also do think about how they'll "feel." :)

    I love me some marble (I used marble in our master bath once I decided to let the marble kitchen dream die.) Wood is the warmest material-literally-that you can choose. It adds visual and actual warmth-it is not going to be cold to lean on :)

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Hi littlesmokie....you are correct, the cabs are BM Linen White, and that is what color they will stay, at least on the perimeters. If we go with something like the above quartzite, then I would have to paint the island dark and not leave it Linen White. Maybe it would still clash though with the perimeters being linen white? Hmm...

    I will say that the linen white does read a bit more creamy to me than I had hoped. But, we have terrible lighting in our kitchen right now, so thought perhaps that was part of the reason. We do live in Ohio, a place that gets its fair share of doomy-gloomy days, so I want to keep it light.

    I love the wood island tops, so warm and inviting. But I am going to have to decide...granite perimeters with wood island or soapstone perimeters with granite island. I can't visualize the soapstone with the wood island......

    I have not done the sweeby test. Sounds like I should!

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    Yes, I'm considering a wood island top. 99% certain I'll do that. Here's my Carrara for the perimeter. Very gray.

    A wood island will warm up the marble. As will my new wood floors.

    I second the suggestion for the Sweeby test.

    I should say that my definition of "warm" doesn't strictly mean a kitchen using materials that fall in the defined "warm" color section on the color chart. To me, warm means cozy, inviting, friendly, full of textures some of which are soft under hands, with personal touches. Your definition may be different.

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    is this the sweeby test you are referring to? if so, i was expecting...well, i was expecting it to say "you should do this, look at that.." more exact answers! darn...

    Here is a link that might be useful: sweeby test

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    Yup. That's the one. And yes, you have to work at this test. Essay answers, not multiple choice. :)

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    shoot!

  • MIssyV
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    here is a kitchen with wood island top and soapstone perimeters....to answer my own question! i came across it when the owner was asking about BS options, and possibly changing her island top.

    Here is a link that might be useful: soapstone with wood island