Could you post pictures of the samples?

What kind of doorstyle are you interested in?

Do you have pictures of the room?

I would stay away from any wood that's yellowish or too reddish so maybe oak? I'm doing QS oak so I'm a little biased.

I am in the process of trying out a very light gray stain - Sherwin Williams 7023 or 7024 on hard maple to try and create a drifwood sort of look. I should be getting my samples next week and will check it against my floor tile and counter top selection to see how it looks.

I'm trying to stay away from a yellow or reddish sort of look as mentioned by 'remodelfla'.

I am also looking for a driftwood color stain for maple cabinets. How did your samples turn out?

Jayce....

As it turns out, for my first run at the maple wood stain quest, I used Sherwin Williams Clear Base with L1-Blue added. [Blue when mixed with yellow creates green but done in teeny, tiny amounts...gives a grayish sort of look.]

I think I've finally decided on a GC/Cabinet guy and we are supposed to work on the wood color/stain more in depth. I wanted to keep the transparency of a stain versus the more opaque look one gets with whitewash.

If you want, I can keep you updated. What is the timeline of your project?

Pepper

~ Sorry JDF to hi-jack your thread.

You may want to try the Martha Stewart line of cabs as they have color options like what you describe. Even if you do not buy those, you can see what the colors look like and do similar.

Txpepper, I'm also really interested in how your staining experiments turn out.
I'm expecting a call anytime from my cabinet maker, he wants to have a staining party. My cabs are going to be done in white birch and he thought it would be interesting to see what he could come up with for a transparent Lt. grey.
I showed him my flooring (very urban looking with greys, blk and browns) and my quartz which is a med/drk grey.

I hope you start a new thread when you have more pics...
I'll do the same when I have anything to show. My base cabs are supposed to be done about Nov.1

txpepper...
I would love to be kept up to date on your stain quest, as it is also mine. We will break ground in two weeks on a new build. I am planning on Cambria "whitehall" for the perimeter countertops, and have a slab of Lapis eyes for the island. It is grey, white, and cobalt blue. I have white 4x8 subway for the backsplash, with blue glass accents for over the cooktop. I might switch to white cabinets if I can't get a good result with the gray stain.

I thought I might post some images that you can see
different combinations with grayand light stains.
Last week while at the supermarket (waiting in line)
I saw some pictures in a magazine (I think Martha Stewart,
but not sure) gustavian gray peices with light stained
woods. Your ideas of putting the white counters tops with
a gray floor and a stained gray or natural wood sounds
yummy. Maybe these images can help you imagine ideas
for your own space.
~boxerpups

SS blue images

Gray Kitchen

Washington Post Magazine

Apteker Kitchen

Wayland Bleach Wood Kitchens

Steven Gambrel Designs

Artichoke Ltd Kitchen Design of UK

Newcast Gray

Trikeenan Tile Backsplash

Shaker Euro

These are really helpful..thanks

Why are you picking things this way?

not trying to be too blunt, but the biggest color or "thing" in your kitchen is your cabinets. you should really have an idea in your head about that first and pick things to go around that.

when you start with gray floors, I think white cabinets, which don't go as well with a white countertop. I also start thinking like concrete and modern design. I guess my point is, I'm sure there is a color combo that works for you, but I think its easier to start with the cabinets, and or 1 other piece and work from there.

Wow, boxerpups, those kitchens! I love the one with the open French shelving with all the copper, oooolala.

Here's a website where you can see granite colors next to cabinet colors. I've found it very helpful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Granite next to cabinets

BigDog....

That is a fabulous link you provided to see cab colors next to various granite materials/colors.

Thanks!
Pepper