The bricks and the slate together make the area very busy and while it was a nice warm look many years ago, I think it looks a little dated now. Can you use the renovation to cover the bricks for a cleaner, less busy look? The dark brown/black would be fine with the slate, but it will make the room look heavy. I would be inclined to go for the palest colour (soft white) from the slate rather than go dark, I think it will keep your kitchen looking much cleaner and fresher looking. The slate is always going to be the statement piece in the room, so keep everything else as simple as possible.

Put your photos onto a paint company website where you can "paint" your existing cupboards to give you some ideas of how it will look finished, most of them have this feature now.

Dohraime (Doh Rai Me - I just got that..)
That first pic is the best I have EVER seen a slate floor look! The mid-wood tones tie it in beautifully.

Thanks all, I'll have a look at the painting site that lets me colour my pics :)

I'd really like to remove the slate flooring but my extensive research (and by extensive I mean 40min on Google of course) has shown me that apparently it's a very costly exercise to have slate removed.

I think what I might have to do is get some prices on removal and relaying tiles. And then when I see once and for all that I just don't have the kidneys to sell, I'll just re-do the appliances and cabinets etc.

Thanks heaps for the suggestions I'll go try some lighter colours on he paint website :)

Here's some pictures of kitchens I really love!

Cheers
Louisa

Love the first picture Louise, it is very dramatic and you have a well lit room to carry it off - just a pity about the slate as you obviously like the bricks. I must admit I would prefer the bricks than walls that need painting (as in work) any day. Good luck with it all, it is a shame money (and lack of it) plays such an important role in decorating. Do let us see the end results won't you.

Hi Louisa, my partner and I removed my Dad's slate in kitchen and dining over one weekend. It wasn't difficult. We hired a Kanga - like a small jack hammer but has a big drill bit with a flat head. Hire cost about $60 bucks for the weekend. And the trailer load of slate cost about $100 blocks to drop off at tip.

We just started at an edge and worked our way in. Shovelled up the lifted slate every so often. Used an angle grinder to remove some stubborn glue spots. Not difficult but was sweaty work.

Then we laid floating floor (not on same weekend). Total different room, well worth it.

Oh wow bigreader that's awesome! Maybe I'll have a chat with my more handy friends and see if anyone has ever attempted it.

I'd love some large grey tiles or some dark wood on the floor if I can afford it!

Isn't it great the things you learn on Houzz. Such a resourceful bunch.

Big reader - tell me about the floating floor, how does your dad clean it. I'm very keen to have it but I hear very mixed reports when it comes to caring for it.

Hi olldroo, Dad isn't the best of housekeepers so it gets quite grubby between cleaning (me/sister) visits. It is mid range from Bunnings. It gets a sweep maybe once a week and a damp sponge mop monthly. We just use the sponge mop and Earth Choice floor stuff from the supermarket.

He had the dog inside sometimes, people wear shoes inside and the kids do kids stuff.

It is wearing very well and comes up beautifully after each mop.

Louisa - go for the dark kitchen in your first inspiration photo! You have a large space that can handle it and, as in the photo, if you choose white benches and small accessories together with s/s appliances, it will keep the kitchen from looking heavy and oppressive.

Even if you can't/don't want to remove the slate as bigreader has outlined [well done, by the way bigreader!!] I think your kitchen will benefit from taking away the brown cabinetry. To my eye, it's the 50 shades of brown that are doing the injustice [bricks, wall shelves, cabinets, cabinet/bench edging and door pulls]

Thanks big reader, I'm hearing you should not wet them but in my mind how else would you clean them, afraid I'm very much a soap and water person.

No probs Olldroo. You can read so many different views. Dad's have now been down for at least four years. A damp sponge mop using a bucket and the detergent is all that we've used. No problems or damage in real life use.

I immediately thought of a dove grey to pick up on the tones in the slate and maybe timber benches to pick up other colours in the slate. I think this would also go with the bricks :) Good luck.

One of my joeys is in the US and uses a steam mop on hers and says it is brilliant. Been down about 12 years and she has been in the house for 7. Just not sure of any difference in products between here and the US though. I really can't see products being touted for kitchens though if they can't take water - in theory that is.

Hi Louisa. I found your question interesting as I am currently planning my own kitchen renovation with a slate floor, which looks very similar to your slate. I decided it too expensive to change the floor as it flows through to my dining and family rooms as well. My space is not as large as yours. I have chosen a warm white for my cabinets, and a Caesarstone benchtop in a colour called Linen, which is a soft neutral colour. This will suit my space and the "look" I want for the house. My appliances are stainless steel. I renovated the kitchen in my previous home 3 years ago. It was a large space opening onto the family room and meals area with a lot of exposed brick in the kitchen and family rooms, in a colour slightly lighter than yours. One thing I noticed about the exposed brick was that I had to regularly clean it with a vacuum because the dust stuck to the bricks. Brick absorbs the light in a room, so I kept my cupboards in a light warm cream colour and matched the wall colour to them. This created a very neutral coloured area that wasn't jarring to the eye. I chose a diamond gloss laminate for the benchtops (for cost reasons) that looked like stone and fooled most visitors into thinking it was. It was shiny and helped to reflect light about the room, along with the stainless steel appliances. I have posted a photo of this kitchen.

Have a think about how much light you get in the room and the "look" and "feel" you want to create i.e light and airy or dark and moody. Both can be equally attractive with the right colours and materials. Also, consider the visual connection and flow from other rooms. I would look for ways to introduce some shiny surfaces, as the slate and brick are matt.

Looks fantastic domesticangel! I'm definitely hovering between dark wood with a light bench top for a relaxing industrial type look or a fully white cabinets and light bench top like yours for brightness and light.

I can see I'm gonna have to a lot more research!

I did find some ikea cabinets that look similar to the brown cabinets so that would save me a few bucks I think. I might go price them and see if there any pictures of them in a house with exposed bricks or a slate floor :)

Cheers

We have similar slate (which I love - it's so practical). We've used Haymes "Sanctuary" on the walls and I'm going to have the two pac cabinetry in Haymes "Airey Cream" which we have also used on the ceilings and trims. Bench tops are going to be Quantum Quartz "Havana" to pick up the brown in the slate. I'm splashing out (pardon the pun) on an Abey Schock sink in bronze with a Gessi polished nickel tap. All aiming at a warm, cohesive scheme based around the lovely slate!

Louisa - think about those Ikea cabinets those ridges will collect lots of greasy kitchen dust.

Hi Louisa, I had a very similar slate floor in my previous house,which I only sold 18 months ago. I redid my kitchen in that house approx 4 years ago and went with gloss poly cabinets and a black flecked marble look bench top, very similar to the second of your inspiration photos. Although I didn't have any brickwork to contend with, I absolutely loved the look with the slate.

When I sold, my slate had been down approx 17 years. Sealer was put on when originally laid and I think it was redone maybe twice after that. And it was still looking good.

Good luck with your renovation.

Personally, given the sizeable kitchen with so much natural light, I would go bold & dark, the room can take it... I would keep the slate floors, paint all the brickwork a very dark slate colour (almost black) and contrast with light/natural timber cabinets, not sure about the benchtop yet... I know it's a dining room but here's the inspiration...

How funny. I just renovated (on a budget) my small kitchen and added exactly the slate look in tiles you have, though they are in fact porcelain. And I placed them throughout the house for continuity. The tiler asked if I was after a retro hippy look but it doesn't look like that at all.

My cupboards were the same colour as yours and I utilised the bones of the kitchen and had the doors and Benchtops changed only.

I also have plenty of light in the kitchen but chose white doors and as I was on a budget I chose granite look Benchtops, they are very serviceable and it looks great.
The blue backsplash was the colour lift and here you could choose any colour to your liking.

Basically the kitchen ended up with white cupboards and appliances other than cooktop, with the stainless cooktop and coloured splash back being the focal point.

The paint colour are: whisper white walls, integra splashback, white ceiling and for increased contrast I used the same white above the splashback on the rear wall.
I would consider painting out the brick but leaving the texture.

If you really don't like the slate flooring and it's restricting what you want your dream kitchen to be there's an easy fix. Vinyl planks. All you need to do is get a thin screed laid over the slate to create a new level floor and lay your choice of vinyl planks. They are only about 5mm thick, are extremely hard wearing and really look just like real timber. Don't go with self adhesive - it's a gimmick. I can give you more technical info and web links if you're interested.

Good luck.

Sandi

Hi Louisa, really keen to hear how your project went... we have a kitchen that seems to be from the same era. Exposed brick, dark slate, dark jarrah, and creams. There are some hero's here and some villains... I'm trying to decide. I'd love to see an after photo if you found a solution.

Olldroo...that pic you posted of the ikea kitchen, were the colours i was going to suggest. You're kitchen is large enough that i think you can get away with the darker colour. Timber bench top should tie in with both the slate and the bricks. Good luck!

Not me knackers :))

This thread is over 12 months old now - wonder what Weezy Lid decided on?

I had slate in my last home, and while it is dated it was great for hiding the dirt/dust and easily swept/mopped, just don't spill hand sanitiser on it, it will bleach it!

If your keeping the brickwork as is and black slate on the floor. I would consider white cupboard doors with a work surface either a Corian or Ceaserstone in a black to with a subtle pattern through it, which will compliment the brick and the black slate floor. Bring in black on the handles even of the cabinetry too.

The only colours that jar in your existing kitchen are the apricot cupboards and white white of dishwasher. Have you noticed the first and third inspiration photos you posted had similar colour to your slate floors/ bricks on the walls? I think the ikea cabinets you posted or any of the colours in your first or third photos would look great. Keep floor and bricks then spend money on best cabinetry eg lots of drawers food lighting etc