Know thy self... you sound like you're bobbing around in an ocean of ideas and safety nets and don't know whose life rope to grab. Take time out to look at addressing a few aspects of yourself : * the dynamics of yourself as an individual and the needs upon you and of you in light of your desires for better feeling and functionality of the space * then let's select pieces, items and collections you feel compelled to hold onto for one reason or another * group things and find the unique story that is you ... your family ... whether letting go of or even moving toward * then start incorporating the reno decisions to compliment and contrast, moving outward with the eye and feel into other areas of your home * if working from a blank canvass then pull pics from magazines and start a collage or a number of boards to express interpretations * another idea is to simply sit in meditation... close your eyes, relax, in your minds eye walk into your dream kitchen. Picture this by yourself, as a family, entertaining and any other occasion you experience. Have fun! Let me know how you get on. I'd love to see pics and know your thoughts and feelings around the choices, not decisions, choices.... you made :)

Wish i found this Q &A before. So many beautiful people advising and sharing here! I am Repainting Tropical Queenslander with dark red and orangy timber floors and this thread is so helpful. I painted Whisper white and it is throwing so much Green it makes me so sad I am going to repaint. I get loads of tropical sun in the north facing - with eastern morning sunlight. Was just about to go and buy Natural White just to cover it. Do you think it will be too dull/warm a colour. I do like a fresh feel and contrasting with vivid white decorative trims. The whisper white looks nice For a while in the morning while the morning sunlight throws read up onto it but then it returns to a green

Hi Bradleys54, as you are creating a 'contemporary' style home, I would keep your kitchen finishes nice and simple - white on white. Then bring in colour variation by selecting a paint colour in a gorgeous, sophisticated grey, for the surrounding walls/bulkhead. Taubmans Cloudburst or Taupe Grey are both great interior colours. Your white kitchen will look fresh and crisp inside this colour. Consider a mirrored or grey kick face to your kitchen to work in with this scheme and glass pendants with grey or black fittings. I'm assuming that window will become your Kitchen Splashback.. If you wanted to steer away from an 'all-white' kitchen, then you could select Caesarstone's sleek concrete for your kitchen island bench top only, which would work in beautifully with they grey interior paintwork. Good luck!

It depends on the look you're trying to achieve. For a contemporary and streamline look, I would select Dulux natural white for the kitchen cabinetry. Or, if you want the kitchen to stand out, I would suggest to choose a contrasting colour with the walls. A great way is to select your material and colours would be to take your stone and wall colour sample into a paint trade centre or hardware store where you can put them against possible options. Another way, is to have the stone, natural white paint colour in your hands, put them alongside the Jarrah floor and possible options. I'm not familiar with your style, existing furniture or personality so I'm taking a stab in the dark - but because your benchtop material looks like a cool grey, I would suggest to also choose a cool grey (like Dulux Sky Painting) for your cabinetry. Best of luck!