At our house, we experienced the domino effect. Not pre-planned, you understand, but that was the final result. In our case it was more flooring and paint choices, but there is no doubt that the planned kitchen reno turned into a whole house overhaul - the DR is really a part of the kitchen, and the LR has a large entry into the DR, and if the bamboo is in the kitchen, the DR, and the LR, really it should keep on going down the hall. Since you can see the DR clearly from the LR, the wall colors at least have to be in the same family. And really, the fireplace needed attention, and what better time than when you have to tear up the floor anyway? We still have some ORB in the two bathrooms, but everything else has gone nickel/silver/stainless, including ceiling fans.

Our bedroom is just finishing up - bed came today, mattress tomorrow!! - and I can say we're glad we did it. I like our new look. A saving grace here is that we did 90% of the work ourselves so we weren't paying for change orders and labor fees. I just saw a photo today with a date. It was one year ago today that the granite was installed in the kitchen. You'll have to decide, do you want the kitchen to match the existing features or do you want a complete make-over?

So you can theoretically close off the kitchen with the pocket doors? You're off the matching hook. Even if the doors never close, they provide enough separation, no matter how big they are.

Throw in a couple crystal knobs in the kitchen and you're good to go with the shiny chrome.

I don't know much about your home except for what you've said. I wonder if you've got a nice warm look to your home that will make the ubiqutious white kitchen look cold.

How about changing it to more of an ivory with calacutta gold marble scheme?

I'm just guessing, but thinking you've got warm wood floors and warm woods throughout. The bright white/grays you like might stick out like a sore thumb, especially if it opens out to each other. I feel like an older home like yours with the warm colors needs more of an ivory feel.

Now, don't get me wrong. I repainted our cabs and did a minor face lift. I really wanted the something gotta give kitchen you're interested in. I realized (with the help of everyone here) that my home wasn't a home that warrants those colors. My floors are orangy oak and my color scheme is now blues, greens, and grays. I did choose a taupey gray for the walls (revere pewter). But, now I wish that I chose more of an ivory or something warmer. I've had to repaint everything to make it look right! Had I chosen better, I wouldn't be painting everything! Gray is pretty trendy (as of right now) and I'm not wanting to paint the rest of the home any time soon. I'm sure you aren't either. I, too, felt the need to change everything. I'm painting our orange trim, so it didn't make the floors look so orange and out of place. I switched out the chandelier, the light fixtures, the hallway light, painted the bathroom that you can see from the kitchen, etc. Ugh. I feel your pain. I guess I would take a good look at what you've got and where you want to go. Do you really want the grey look or is that something you see everywhere are now sucked into it? Does it go with the style of your home? Let's pretend that you walked into another persons home that is similar to yours, would you be surprised to find that type of kitchen there? I think you need to tweak your scheme to make it match your home. I think aged brass is really pretty. Not shiny, but warm aged brass. I think it would look lovely in an ivory cab (we used ivory white by BM) with calacutta gold counters. You're totally getting into the domino effect with that type of kitchen. :(

I saw these knobs and thought they looked pretty. Though, the probably match more of what you have in your home. You might not want crystal knobs, but they are a nice shape (to me) and i actually like the dark gold/brass finish.

Calacutta gold marble...
https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bath-traditional-bathroom-boston-phvw-vp~782061
https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-traditional-bathroom-phvw-vp~93581
https://www.houzz.com/photos/old-world-elegance-meets-todays-todays-contemporary-space-requirements-traditional-kitchen-newark-phvw-vp~133964

Good luck! Make sure to really look at what you have. You're probably not going to do another kitchen for a long time. And, are you really ready to redo your entire home to match your kitchen?
:)
Kim

Here is a link that might be useful: brass knobs.

I think mixing finishes is fine. The kitchen is separated by the pocket doors; is the flooring of the kitchen the same as the rest of the house or is it different? I ask because if it is the same, the separation, even with the pocket doors is softer.
While you have talked about the colors you want in the kitchen, you haven't talked about the style. Things can be different but they do need to blend. Even if the space was completely closed off that would be the case. You mentioned gray, which I love, but it can be difficult to get the right gray and it can be very cool.
Also, don't be afraid to mix finishes within the kitchen itself to give a visual nod to the rest of the house as well. My house is completely open, my dining room table is a burnished bronze trestle, the DR light fixture is a similar dark tone. My adjoining entry hall and sunroom fixtures are ORB. My kitchen light fixtures are brushed nickel, but my cabinet hardware will be ORB or something similarly warm and dark. It feels like that is what will be right in the space. (someday it will be done and I will post pictures, elctrician here today-yeah- let there be light!)

I could have written your email myself. My situation is 99% the same as yours, except that I don't even have the pocket doors between the kitchen and the DR but I do have them in the wall that splits my DR in two (the back third is being used as another bedroom/den). I went with polished nickel in the kitchen and antique bronze the the rest of the apartment. I think the kitchen is its own space. On a regular door in the space that holds my washer and dryer, I used a crystal knob (original to the apartment from the 1920's) with the original old brass backplate.

I think you will be fine.

I assume that since you said some fixtures are original that your house is older. Mine is too and I see no reason why you can't have your nickel hardware in the kitchen. Older homes should, in my opinion, have the look of evolving or a "collected" look because it makes them more interesting. Everything matching is usually boring. So go for it, but I hope that the kitchen reflects the style of the rest of the house - that does need to consistent.
Diane

Thanks for all the input and support!
I spent much of last evening and part of my morning today really considering this "issue" and the overall scheme of my finishes. I think that many of you are right, when you suggested that my house is full of warmer tones.
I have been a victim of coveting what I see, both here on GW, and in the magazines and showrooms, but it's just not realistic for my home. We are a busy, bustling, messy family. There isn;t a square inch of glam or bling in this place, and trying to bring that into my kitchen, which will be the hub of activity, just won't work. I love the grays I'm seeing everywhere, but I don'; have a speck of gray in my house--it's just not for me.
I really think I;m getting my color story figured out, finally, and it feels *right* for me and my family, in our home. I'm wondering if you'll agree, or have any suggestions to make it work better?
(PS--sorry for my ridiculous typos--I'm hurrying through this with toddlers climbing on me and fighting to use the "Hi-pad" too, so I'm not going to correct them--please forgive me)

jbrodie's kitchen has always been one of my faves, and still is. I think it's got the style I want, but it is still very warm and inviting. I'm planning to use white inset shaker style cabinets and soapstone counters. For the island, I'm considering a darker stained wood to coordinate with our mahogany dining table, and possibly a warm honed marble counter there, too.

Maybe some antique bronze and glass knobs and cup pulls?

And bronze and glass pendants?

I really like the colors in these placemats, so I'm thinking of using them as the color story for the room, and the DR as well. The blues, whites, tans, greens, and browns are all colors used throughout our house.

And here is an older version of my planned layout...still working on getting the latest onto the computer.
{{gwi:1942718}}

So that's the direction I'm heading. I'd love to hear thoughts on this, if you have any. Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: photos of my home

We have almost the same exact kitchen layout, your kitchen is longer! Be forewarned- you are going to be told you need a prep sink in the island, decide now if you want one or not.
Your home seems very traditional, so white cabinets with soapstone is definitely a popular way to go. Looking at your color story, you could easily go with the cabinets being the sage green, still with soapstone or Monson slate. I see the brown in your color story as the metal finish or maybe the stained island with Danby marble top.
I can't comment on the glass cup pulls- too much bling for me. Are you sure they are you? I see your rustic metal dining chairs in the color story shot and wonder.....

Are you planning to have any storage in the dining room? Maybe a hutch or buffet? The crystal knobs might work better, there.

Also, I like your inspiration picture! The white island with brown leather stools might work really well in your space...with the wood top and soapstone on the perimeter. I like the chandelier, too...but both pendants seem a little too industrial, for your space. Maybe that's just me :)

@localeater: yes, I know the prep sink is highly suggested in this layout, andI keep going back and forth on that. I like an island without, so it's one, big, uninterrupted space. Like I said, we are messy and harried and the prep sink seems like a mistake for our lifestyle. I'm thinking the main sink will have 2 sides, so one can be used for prepping, if necessary.
I don't think I am a rustic person at all. Our table and chairs in the kitchen right now are maybe more industrial? I can't put the picture here, but I've linked it below. I really like its simple style, and it fits with our home. but there is no room for it in our new plan. I wouldn't mind incorporating a bit of that industrial-ness into our new space, just not sure how? Stools, I suppose? or the pendants?
And about the pulls...to me, the dark pulls on white cabinets are kind of jarring, visually...they jump out at you, making a strong statement. I feel like the plain glass cup pulls would be less visible, kind of blending in with the cabinets and drawers. I might have to order a few, to test that theory. We do have glass doorknobs with antique bronze backplates throughout our entire house, so I think it's very much fitting with out house.

@lavender, thanks! We do have some built-ins in our dining room, corner cabinets that we are planning to keep. And they do have glass knobs :)
I do love the brown leather stools too--they just look inviting and comfy, dont't you think?
I love those industrial style pendants! That's what I'm drawn to, but our current chandelier looks liike this (and we plan on keeping it...)
{{gwi:1966198}}

Here is the current dining room, but you can see the doorknobs, and the style we are trying to tie-in with throughout the house:

I know this DR has a more formal look, but we want the kitchen to be simple, clean lined and non-fussy. So I want to coordinate, but not match. Like fori said, they are two separate rooms, becasue of the pocket doors, right?

I did a search on Houzz last night, and found lots of examples where the pendants didn't match the cabinet pulls--dark metal pendants and chrome or nickel pulls. I will use chrome for my faucet for sure. I feel better about that, but still not sure about the pendants....

Ah, decisions, decisions...can someone please make them for me???

Here is a link that might be useful: jackson table and metal tub chairs

After seeing your dining room...marble would completely work with your style! Even if you don't want to use it for the countertops, I think you could use it for the shelf above the sink, maybe the backsplash, and/or part of the island. It's a huge island...have you considered lowering one section (with marble top) with lower stools?

Here's an idea...with wood on most of island, marble on one end and soapstone on the perimeter. {{gwi:1966200}}From Cottage house plans