I like the combo. We are doing something very similar. We are getting medallion pecan cherry cabinets which appear close to your color) and went with palais versaille tile for the floor (these have a lot of variation but are cream, to light tan based), and we are doing tan brown granite. I dont have any pics yet but will post some once my cabinets (eventually) come in.

The colors look a little off in your first photo with the slab of granite. If your color is more accurate in the photos with the cabinet door, granite sample and floor sample, I think it looks great! Good luck with your decision.
Barb

I think it looks very nice! So when does it get put in? Hope you put up more pictures after it is done (or even partially done).

Agree with bbtondo that in the first picture the cabinet is not good with the granite. My monitor shows the door in the first picture very yellow. However the second and third photos the door looks totally different. If the top picture is not representative and the others are then I say good choice!

I really like the floor tile and cabinet door together--sorry, not crazy about the granite with your cabinet choice; however, it may just be my monitor because it looks like it has a pinkish cast.

I'm sure you know this, but be wary of making decisions based on samples. Will you be picking your slabs of granite, or ordering 'Tropical Brown' sight unseen?

Could be the monitor/ picture quality- but there seem to be yellowy tones in your cabinet, and pinky/peachy tones in your granite.

BTW, my first thought was that a Golden Uba Tuba would be great with those cabs. I saw one in a show room that was stunning- there were so many gold flecks in it, I didn't even realize it was Uba Tuba- which I usually think of as close to black.

okay, you did say it was okay to voice an opinion...

I think it is too safe. It all goes nicely together for sure, but just sort of predictable.

were it me, I'd want a little bit more pizzazz.

I really like the doorstyle and wood... very warm and pretty.

Thanks everyone! Yes, the color in the first pic is a bit overexposed bc of the camera flash. The 2nd and 3rd pictures better reflect the cabinet color. However, even to me looking at it in person, the cabinet color looks very different in different types of light. So, I think we are going to hold off on our final granite decision until we can see the cabinets installed in the room.

DH and I did go to the tile store so he could see more of the tiles. Luckily, the store had decent sized display area of "our" tile. We both still like it (I am actually liking it more and more). So, the cabinets are bought, the floor is decided (as soon as the store can get me the price for the 19x19s...She had to call Italy bc they are special order, but using the 13x13 price as a indicator we should be ok budget wise). As much as I just want to make a decision about granite and move on, I really think it is best to wait to see the cabinets and floor in the space...Just means more time using the laundry sink - UGH!

Not sure if I see pink in the tropical brown. I will have to look closer when we see the whole slab again. (raehelen...I will absolutely be picking my exact slabs).

mamadadapaige...I am the Queen of playing it safe and then regretting my decisions. So, PLEASE, spice up my kitchen - What would you suggest? The floor tile is going throughout the entire first floor (except sunken famly room) so we wanted something neutral. As far as granite goes, DH does not like a lot of movement and we are trying to stick with something in the lower price points. Any suggestions?

Thanks again everyone!

I'm going to hop on the mamadada train. First the positives, and let me preface this by saying that we have KraftMaid cherry cabs and turkish travertine floors that look quite similar to yours so I love those two choices. The cherry, as I'm sure you know, darkens and warms over the years and it is just so lovely. Our floors, though neutral, DO have pizzaz in the sense that they are travertine, matte, and are exceptionally striking in the sense that they are an organic material and unique. I am not familiar with your tile so I am not sure if they are ceramic or stone. I would vote stone as it is timeless and ads a depth of interest and beauty not quite found in ceramic. On to the hard part and I won't mince words: boring. Model home boring. dated boring. My contractor told me he is ripping this kind of stuff out boring. You can do much better and will be happier in the long run. Are you wed to brown or in that family? I will tell you that a black counter top looks stunning with the cherry and beige/creamy tile floor. Soapstone (this was our choice), honed black granite (I am NO granite fan but the honed black is stunning) or other matte surface. It makes it a bit more timeless and interesting. be careful or your kitchen will look like a showroom and have no distinctive mark that makes it yours! That said, it is hard to argue with an aesthetic choice...

merimom,
How about Vermont slate? I saw it recently on a kitchen tour and fell in love with it. It is VERY durable, does not have a lot of movement so good for your husband's request. It comes in lots of different colors. It has a quality to it that would make your kitchen look unique and timeless and would look STUNNING with those cabinets. Because you chose a neutral floor you can pretty much do anything you'd like with the counters which is really nice.

Below are some pictures of the vermont slate that I pulled off of the web.

missopinion47...fitting screen name...LOL :-)

Mamadada...WOW - That Vermont slate is beautiful...I especially like the one with in the bathroom setting. I wonder about upkeep and cost...I'll have to do some research...While I haven't been looking for it, but I dont think I have seen that at any of the granite/stone yards I've been to.

Lots to think about. I was backing away from the black granite (we were originally thinking uba tuba orignally bc it was in our price range and I like the green and gold) because I was not sure if I liked the sharp contrast in cabinet and counter. However, now I wonder if everything is going too monocromatic and nothing will POP.

I do like our floor and cabinet choices. Our floor is a porcelain tile...We debated travertine (and still do a little), but a quality honed, filled travertine is about $8/sq ft in our area and that is a bit out of our price range. We live in a modest area and while we do plan on staying here for awhile, we really dont want to overimprove too much. Not too mention, I like the idea of a low maintenance porcelain floor with 2 young boys! But real travertine it is not - I know this.

Please continue offer any suggestions you may have. I will be sure to post pics of the cabinets and floors once they are in...Hopefully installation will start soon after Thanksgiving.

Meri- I saw your post on our thread, thanks. We looked at tropic brown but thought it blended too much. I liked uba tuba but didnt want the gold. our tile is porcelean also but has a limestone/travertine type look and feel. We had also thought abour dark green granites and liked the way they looked, they were out of our price range though. As you can see, we saved the POP for the backsplash.

Is your kitchen open to other rooms? If so, are the furnishings light, med., or dark wood? What other colors do you have running through your home? I prefer lighter granites myself but am not sure of the price points on what's out there.

I have had Tropical Brown and it does not have a pink tone. I despise pink and can see tones when others don't. lol Many tiles, including yours (IMHO)have a pinkish tone. I am afraid that once your tile is down, the overall picture will look either pinkish or orangey.

Right now, I am not crazy about your cabinets with the TB granite. However, having the KraftMaid cherry (in the next darker stain,) I know that the cabinets will darken and will eventually look great with the TB. :) They will take about a year to start darkening.

I just posted photos of my counter tops and kitchens on the "Let's Talk about NVG" thread.

I hope I didn't offend. Several of your choices were similar to mine which I love and I hope I communicated that. I LOVE the Vermont slate--see, it is ALL about matte. Good find, mamadadapaige! Our backsplash area is smallish but we did go with a shiny marble tile, sort of close to the floor color. It is very subtle but different enough to look really nice and contrasts with the matte counter top.
Also consider the HONED black granite, it is stunning in an understated way. Less IS more... Apologies again if I was too tough:)

I'll join the mamadada-missopinion bandwagon and say that what you've got there is brown overload. Pink or peach or whatever else the tones might be, doesn't really matter because the combination is quite simply way too brown. I love the slate linked too above although that would never have occurred to me as a mate to the cherry above. Taking at least one of the majority elements in the kitchen in a different direction would be fantastic and the slate is quite an inspired choice. Good luck!

missopinion...No you did not offend. I appreciate your candor. I am curious...What is it about polished granite that you don't like?

The recent responses about being too safe and too brown were a friendly "Snap out of it!" to me. I think the TB granite would work, but it definitely would be a SAFE choice. It is just scary to take a leap on something so permanent (I know nothing's PERMANENT, but once it goes in we will not have the budget to change it for a long time).

To answer some other questions...The u-shaped kitchen cabinet area is open to the eating area, which is open to the family room. Kitchen range and TV in the family room share the same interior wall. Family room has this fireplace which I do not love by any means (1980's fireplace), but I might as well so the pic.
(Please ignore the clutter...things are crazy around here these days)
{{!gwi}}

The brick is the same brick on the exterior of our house. I don't really want to design the kitchen entirely around a fireplace that I don't like, but I guess the kitchen should work with this somewhat bc we don't have any plans to change the fireplace except to maybe change the mantle to a cherry tone to tie it in with the cabinets. Other wood furniture in the house is medium to dark.

There are no other colors going throughout the house...I have lived with the previous owner's white walls in the family room and mauve walls in the kitchen for 4 years so I could start with the kitchen and work out from there...

Simply... what colors do you love? Warm, autumn, cool, pastels, bold....

I would definitely say warm, autumn colors....That's why we ended up with cherry cabinets

We have decided to buy a box of our tiles to make sure we like them in the space. They are non-returnable, but I'd rather lose out on a box of tile than regret a very costly decision.

Oh, decisions, decisions, decisions...

Thanks again to everyone for your honest opinions...More are welcome so feel free to keep 'em comin'. I'll keep you updated.

Merimom, I think the Vermont slate would look stunning with those beautiful cherry cabinets. I especially like the third pic she posted (couldn't really tell what the second one was). Good Luck!

Have you looked at Dakota Mahogany granite? It looks awfully nice with our cherry cabs.

merimom, okay, you asked, I'll do my best to answer you. First, the sealing and necessary re-sealing because it is so porous is something I would not want to deal with. Using trivets or other protective surfaces before setting scalding pots down is also something I would not want to do. Obviously many people deal with these issues and they aren't really a big deal. I understand adapting and then it becomes part of ones routine.
My chief issue is purely aesthetic. The hard and reflective surface is ubiquitous. Regardless of the style, quality or vintage of the home, there it is. I find it often at odds with the style of the house: examples would be a colonial home in New England, or a California 1930's bungalow--how incongruous bright shiny granite counters would be. Instead of honoring a style and having the counters blend seamlessly into the overall design, there is the shiny granite. Most of us do not live at Versailles, let's not go wild with materials that are at odds with the home. I also think as white cabinets are indicative of the 70's and Corian the 90's, granite is the sign of the 2000's and will eventually be sort of a marker of a time. Considered use of materials in conjunction with the home's style can result in a timeless and interesting design. Bottom line is MOST polished granite is cold and uninteresting (TO ME) as a counter surface. I'm a fan of matte surfaces that are soft, warm and inviting and soothing to the eye. Matte does not mean dull, there is definitely a quiet pop to unpolished surfaces. Do you really want your kitchen to look like every other?

Have you considered Dakota Mahogany? My cabinets (Kraftmaid Natural Cherry) are a similar color and I think the Dakota goes well. Just another thought.

{{!gwi}}

Gosh, I must play it safe because my first thought on your choices was that they worked very well together LOL!

Your TB granite looks exactly like the Dakota Mahogany I had in my last kitchen and like the 2 that are posted above. Is it just a different name? I had mine with Maple cabinets with a honey glaze and I thought they complimented each other very well. But there was no POP and I can understand wanting something more exciting.

Thanks everyone! I REALLY appreciate the input. I have seen Dakota Mahogany (I think?)...Isn't kinda red? Not sure if I want red tones bc it might clash with the orange undertones in the cabinetry.

I did a little research on the slate and soapstone and I am not sure they are in our price range...$100-$150 per sqft, is that about right?

I need to see a larger piece of honed black granite to determine if it is for me. I think honed black and soapstone look great with white cabinets, but I am not sure if it is what I want.

We definitely need to get a couple walls of cabinetry up before we make and further decisions.

I've decided to take a break from thinking about all this until after the turkey and pumpkin pie have digested...Maybe the tryptophan will bring me clarity of thought...or at least a good nap - Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I can only speak to the soapstone cost: $100+ sounds about right and of course that includes fabrication and installation. I think your idea of putting in the cabinets first and then deciding is a great idea.
p.s. I was re-reading your original post which began this lovely long thread where you said your DH preferred a more modern "rectified" look, surely you meant rectilinear...?
Have a happy Thanksgiving and ponder your options.
Catamount; I love your cabinets, are you planning pulls of some kind?

There is a website that gives different stones and their price points (I saw this on another thread). It might help you to figure out what will work for you cost wise. Here is the link: http://www.allmarbleandgranite.us/granitecolors.html
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks, pluckymama. That is a useful site. We are definitely trying to stay in a level 1 or 2 (ok, 3, if I fell in love with something!)

missopinion....Actually, I did mean rectified when I referred to the tile. A rectified tile is one that is fired and THEN cut to precise measurements (as opposed to being made in a mold which gives some variance in size). A rectified tile allows you to lay the tiles very close together with almost no grout line. You tend to see this in very modern, sleek settings.

Glad to hear you like the cabinets...They are the one thing DH and I agreed on from the beginning! I have been casually looking for pulls, but have not found anything yet. Looking for something not too sleek, not too rustic, not too "period"...I guess I am looking for something "transitional". Got any suggestions?

Thank you for the education on 'rectified tiles" I was completely unaware of such a thing and love to learn. I looked it up and it sounds wonderful: credit card thin sized grout joints-wow, amazing what they can do. Thanks again for your informing me:)
Pulls are really tough. We brought home about 30+ samples from Expo (they have a huge collection) and then ordered maybe five online. We really needed to hold them up to the cabinets. Once we did that, the "absolutely nots" were immediately obvious. It was amazing, some pulls we loved looked horrible on our cabinets and others we were so-so about looked really good. There was only one set that warranted a "great" right away and we were surprised (read shocked) super modern which usually isn't our thing. But they worked, we love them and we haven't looked back. So prepare yourself and your DH for some pull samples. If you are bringing pulls home to try, really open your mind and consider trying ones that you aren't sure about, they just may be the ones. As with most things, less is more. best of luck to you.