Above are mock up images of new kitchen

Here are photos of the space which is an open plan kitchen and garden room. The garden room will have floor to ceiling glass panes in an oak frame ( this is currently boarded up as you can see)
Beyond the door opening on the other side of the room is a utility room which will have a pantry, toilet and boot room.

A pic from outside
and one showing garden room looking out onto garden, just to give a bit of context!

It is a house in the country (converted barn) and the building work/kitchen/garden room is at the back of the house.

I really like a modern country look. The kitchen is a shaker style. Any help at all will be greatly appreciated!
Please ignore colours computer image- they do not reflect my preferences!

As the wood is quite dark I would suggest going with a light colour rather than something too dark and maybe a bolder contrasting colour for the island.
Have you looked around Houzz for inspiration? There are tons of country house pictures.
What colours will the wall and floor be?

Thanks for post Pauline.
There is no dark wood. The oak will be quite light and will age to a silvery grey.
The dark bits on the ceiling are rafters which will be plastered next week. Same with the horizontal steel lintel.
The space is very light - it's just hard to appreciate at the moment as half is boarded up while we wait for the oak and glass!

With light oak you can go with anything I'd say from white/cream to pastel colours or bold ones.
If the room is going to be very light and rest of the decor quite minimalist you could go for bolder colours like dark blue for instance? Pastels in green or blue also work really well and you could pick a pain a few shades darker for the island.

Hi Anita. As Pauline said have you chosen the floor or worktop yet? Which way does the room actually face? it looks as if light neutrals appeal in the main to you so why not look at little Greene where some of the colours are available in different shades so you could go for a darker shade on the island? If you want colour then add it in for accessories

I've picked a few pictures of different country kitchen styles to illustrates: https://www.houzz.co.uk/ideabooks/77660736/thumbs/country-kitchen

You can search for pictures on Houzz & create your own idea book to show your kitchen company.

Hope that helps!

Hi Minnie, We are going for travertine on the floor and mix of oak and granite worktop
I really like river white granite.
Here is oak worktop and tile for floor.

Thank you for advice so far - great to have people to mull things over with.
I feel a bit anxious about getting the kitchen cabinet paint colour right. Once they are sprayed there's no going back!
I quite like french grey and I'm wondering what would go with it, if I had fg for the units and a different island colour? Or do you think fg is a bit dark?

The granite is lovely. So will the wood be for the island with the prep sink? Where's the floor from to have a closer look? Are you looking at little Greene or farrow and ball French grey?

Minnie the kitchen is West facing, the glass side of the garden room is north facing. It's fields on 3 sides though.

Yes, wood for the island and also for the run with the double sink which is under the 2 windows. granite for the aga (lol!) side.

How about a Wedgwood blue for the island? A chalky tone to pick up the white but strong enough to contrast with the travertine and oak. Or a bold peacock blue, enough green in it to compliment the French grey?

Thank you Craig - do you have a specific colour in mind?

Cheddar mum, I'll have a look at those colours too.

Minnie, I don't think I've ever used Little Green paint, only F&B and Fired Earth, so I meant F & B french grey

Ah ok! I think it will work, hard to tell until tested. I've copied a link showing it in different lights although it may obviously look different in yours! Have you thought about combining it with a red? The first pic is rectory red and it's actually with lamp room gray on the units but looks like FG! I also like radicchio which is similar to the aga (is yours dark grey?) in the 2nd pic and the units in this pic are actually FG. Or I really like FG with railings for the island, again would need to be tested as it can come out more or less black. I'd keep walls in a "white" in either case. What colour are rooms leading off it? Do you also have a sample of the granite so you can test everything together?

http://moderncountrystyle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/colour-study-farrow-and-ball-french-gray.html

Thank you~ what a brilliant article!
Just shows what a versatile colour it is.

Not sure I could live with the first red but the second one is nice.

Yes the aga is pewter (very dark grey)

The granite is something I'm really struggling to get a sample for...It varies a lot from batch to batch so supplier reluctant to part with a piece (?). Because It's white with grey swirls and tiny dark aubergine spots ~ I did think about an aubergine paint for the island, but wondered if I would tire of it easily, and of course I'm having oak worktop for the island rather than granite (too clinky)

Am afraid that you really need to get samples of all of your finishes together, including appliances and the granite, and then see what sits well - whatever base colour your choose be it white, cream or even red, there are hundreds of variations of each out there, and only putting them against the chosen finishes can you see what works and what swears!

I wouldn't pick a cabinet colour without this information in front of me.

DM me if you need any more help - am based in the SE/Surrey area if you needs a 2nd opinion over a coffee! Kate

Hi Anita
So jealous of your new kitchen! Great work please share photos when it's finished!

I like cheddarmum's choice, although personally I'd stick to a grey island rather than blue (otherwise would use cornforth white for the upper cabinets instead), and would use down pipe instead. With French grey, which is a bit green, they should work well together. For the walls if I were to stick to those cabinet colours, I'd probably go with the new colour shadow white. I used this in my lounge and kitchen, both south facing, it changes colour through the day and has a very mild green undertone to it.

Thanks for the offer Kate but I'm in Norfolk!
I do have samples for everything apart from granite.
I will certainly be putting colour samples together and mix and match to see what works, but to be honest, I prefer to have some ideas for starters, otherwise it's a bit like a needle in a haystack :~}

Appliances all integrated except Aga

Thanks k11agl, some interesting ideas for me to look at.

I will certainly post pics as things progress!

Work started in July, so it's a long haul, just hope it's worth it in the end! ;-)

I much prefer the more muted red too. Brinjal is a great colour and could work although if you think you'd tire of colour I'd definitely look at railings. You could also go a darker shade of green for the island and look at green smoke. Alternatively use the French grey on the island and go lighter for the units i.e. Shaded white, shadow white or maybe clunch but would definitely need to see that against the granite. You could also just use FG on both island and units with colour for accessories.

Or this is little greene's French grey (different to f&b!) with dark lead on the island

I think the problem is that the bright red doesn't really go with the other colours??

I would love to be a bit braver colour wise.

I really like earthy, swampy, inky colours but tend to back out at the last

oops.....minute!!

Perhaps F&B Lulworth Blue or Little Greene Pale Wedgwood. For a deeper hue, perhaps F&B Vardo or LG Canton or Moon Shadow.

Should I have a light over dining table?



Hello Houzzers,

Can you advise please?

Our kitchen extension is nearing the end of our building work phase and I need to decide on final lighting positions.

It is a very big space so we are having an island with obligatory 3 pendant lights over.

We will also have a dining table in the garden room end of the build. The electrician has left wires for a pendant light to go over the table but needs the final position before ceiling is plastered.

Now I'm thinking that having a light will limit where we can put the table, eg if we want to move it in the future and also, (as I've not even thought about table size or bought one yet) its difficult at the moment to give a definitive position for the light.

The kitchen is about 3weeks away from being fitted.

So should I ditch the idea of a light over dining table??

Thanks in advance for your help!

Personally I like to see what I'm eating. Always a light over the dining table for me. Perhaps you can select one that's dimable so it's not too bright if you want low lighting.

Thanks for reply.
It's not really about brightness, more about
position of light.

Hi

So far I can suggest Slipper satin on top units and that will play all neutral colour depends dayl light and railing or basalt on island - that will give wow effect..