12 years ago

Hi All,

My partner and I are just reaching the business end of a house renovation and it’s time to pick a kitchen. We’ve looked at a number of layouts with the help of this site and its wonderful contributors and have settled on a cabinet layout shown in the pictures. Some imagination is required as it was not possible to place cabinets where the chimney was (they will have to be cut/modified)

We would like to go for a painted kitchen, something similar to that shown. We also like the idea of black and white/ivory but find it difficult to know what combination would look best with the configuration of cabinets shown as the online kitchen planner used would only allow one style or colour of door so it wasn’t possible to play around. Most layouts with a mix of colours tend to have a contrasting island or something so I’m not sure if it would look right. We plan to have dark wood flooring and a black Rangemaster range cooker.

Can you suggest a way of achieving the look we desire with the layout proposed? Would it look strange having all black wall units? Or perhaps the black range cooker with a black base cabinet either side and the rest white?

Are there any free online planners that would allow me to mix and match cabinet colours etc?

As always your expert advice would be VERY much appreciated :o)

Featured Answer

PRO

Eco-Modernism, Inc

12 years ago

I agree with linseyakin on the dark base cabinets & lighter wall cabinets. We do that combo all the time & it grounds the base cabinets & opens up the higher level.

One thing you may also want to consider is using drawers as opposed to doors/shelves in the base cabs. Drawers = 40% more usable storage than shelves b/c of the full extension. You can see & reach all the contents as opposed to digging for something hidden behind something else on a shelf.

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Comments (9)

Paul Holligan
Original Author
12 years ago
Here are a couple of kitchens recently posted on here which we really liked.
Paul Holligan
Original Author
12 years ago
Also wondered what people would think of perhaps white painted mixed with walnut, and perhaps walnut flooring? Would it be a bit much?!
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Lindsey Akin
12 years ago
I'd go with dark cabinets on the bottom and light on the top, since you're doing dark flooring and black appliances, you need to bring in some more lightness so it doesn't seem gloomy - countertop and backsplash I'd say should be light. Also pick up the ivory with the dining room chairs, and then with a neutral scheme like that you can use pops of color with bowls on display, linens, kitchen towels etc to liven things up - lemon and green type tones in the spring and summer, and orange and reds in the fall and winter.

I'd also be very tempted to do a row of narrow, taller cabinets along where you've got the bar stools, to create a higher bar there that will look down onto the regular countertop. You'll get dining room storage, block the kitchen mess from view while you're eating at your dining table, and your guests will be able to hang with you while you're cooking.
PRO
A Crew of Two
12 years ago
I agree, dark on the bottom- light on top. You could also stagger the upper cabinets and put crown moulding above to give them a furniture appearance. I have seen the mouldings done in a contrasting color., like black. Will a refrigerator fit where the chimney is? It would make the eye flow better since you can't place upper cabinets there. I would make the cabinets deeper between the dining room and kitchen and place your sink or cooktop on the peninsula to encourage conversation. If you put the sink there, it would be good to have the dishwasher there, too. Easy table setting and clean up after a party! Also, placing cabinets above the penisnula with glass on both sides would give you storage for your pretty glasses or dinnerware. It's hard to tell, but it looks like you have room for a small island. Remember to keep a working triangle.
PRO
Kathryn Peltier Design
12 years ago
Good advice. I think that you can go with either a dark paint or a dark wood finish, with - as others have said - light on top, dark on base. Are you going for the look in the photos - kind of a clean traditional? Carrera marble would be a beautiful counter (if you can live with marble), or perhaps a light counter of a different material with marble subway tiles as a backsplash. Also, extend your upper cabinets to the ceiling (not as shown in your computer illustration). You might also want to add small glass doors at the top and light them for interest. How about adding cabinets starting at the counter on either end of the blank back wall with shorter cabinets in the middle to give you a hutch apperaance? What were you planning to have on that wall, if not cabinets?
Paul Holligan
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for all of your advice.

Clean traditional is the look we're trying to achieve.

We were definitely going to have natural stone for the countertop, is marble practical? I'd be concerned about teabags etc. Or is all natural stone prone to staining, even light granite? I don't think Corian would look right.

The plan for the back wall was to have a massive mirror possibly covering the whole of it to try and reflect some light down that end of the room. We also thought that having the sink and dishwasher down that end would mean that if you were doing the washing up you could still see what's going on. maybe have a floating shelf on the wall/mirror.

That would leave the counter/breakfast bar for food preparation and was going to have built under fridge and freezer there to maintain the triangle.

We want to have the range cooker in the chimney and have already opened it up to accommodate it. We'll put an extractor in and have a shelf or something above.

I agree that it should be dark on the bottom and think that black would be too much all around though. Perhaps we'll have to look at painted alternatives which are lighter. Or go all white!

Thanks again for all your time and suggestions.
PRO
Kathryn Peltier Design
12 years ago
With marble, it depends upon what you mean by practical. Marble will stain, and some people like the "lived in" look. Granites - especially the light ones - should be sealed and are much less porous than marble.

I think a whole wall of mirror is going to look odd. Plus, although it may mirror the background, it will also double the mess at the sink. If I were you, I would put the sink where you are looking into the room (perhaps raising the bar area to 42"h). If you don't want to do this, then maybe add a prep sink towards the front, with your main sink on the back wall. That way, you can talk to guests as you work - you are not going to like having your back to people all the time. As I suggested, if you made the back wall look like a hutch, then the open area could have some shelves, etc. but still be mirrored. The best way to get good lighting is with a good lighting plan - perhaps some small pendants over the bar, some general ceiling lighting (but if you do the rest right, you won't use this much) and good task lighting: under-cabinet, in this case.
Gail Silveira
12 years ago
I agree with dark on bottom, light on top. Not sure about your lifestyle, but refrigerator and freezer drawers are very small. Think about putting a full size fridge with cabinet above and more wall cabinets on the back wall, with some glass doors. Use 90 degree wall & base corner cabinets.

Raise the cabinet and countertop at the sink, so your guests have an area to sit at while you cook.

I would advise against marble, too much maintainence and too porous, look at quartz, it doesn't scratch, stain, doesn't need to be sealed. A manufacturer to look at is Cambria they have some great matte finishes that look like soapstone & marbles. Silestone is another manufacturer. Another product that I love is Paperstone, although expensive, it is a green product made of recycled paper and petroleum-free resins. It is amazingly durable and hard as a rock and extremely cool! Website: http://www.paperstoneproducts.com/

I would also consider adding a hutch or cabinetry to the right of the space (in the first perspective, on the right is a blank wall). You can use cabinetry to make it look like a piece of furniture, with drawers below and glass doors on top. Have the top cabinets sit on the countertop. I would do it in a light color or cream, black will draw your eye directly to it. You can them add color with decorative items behind the glass doors.

I also agree with using drawer base cabinets, like ecomod says, they give you the most storage space and easy access. I would probably nix the mirror idea or hang a large framed mirror, but lighting is really the way to go to brighten that end of the house, recessed cans, interior cabinet lighting where glass doors are used and decorative pendents at the bar. Along with under cabinet lighting. Also paint, if you choose a lively color (even just one wall).

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Paul Holligan
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Paul Holligan
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