So, you'd just have a black island (with white bench top) as the focal point and everything else would be white on white? I think that would work well.

Thanks for your reply :-) Yes everything in the main kitchen white on white - other than the black island with white bench top - I would also have black cabinets in the scullery - so that you have a glimpse and subtle repeat of the black

I have been agonising over the same decision! I have decided to have the island black, white benchtops and the rest of the kitchen white, with black pendants - oh and where there is splashback behind the cooktop, I'm going with a marble mosaic.

We have very similar style Susan!! Great choice I have to say - the marble splashback was incorporated until I moved my kitchen around so that I could have the window as the splashback... Can I ask what you are using for your ''white'' benchtop

I am tossing up between Smartstone Arcadia and Quantumquartz Luna White. Neither throws any cream, which is important against the marble. I would really like to go with the Caesarstone carra look-alike, but unfortunately not in the budget as we have a lot of bench! Now I just need to choose the wall colour and its doing my head in!

We sure are in the same boat!! As much as I am loving the marble look, I have started to steer away from massive amounts of it in the kitchen (personal preference here and yes the amount of benchspace and cost to upgrade has influenced this decision! ) and having it as a feature splashback, with white bench tops will be gorgeous! We have slate earthy tiles going down (compromise with the hubby) so I am looking at warming the room up a little and am thinking of incorporating caesarstone snow which is a slightly warmer white...

I think if you go all white there at the back it will give your kitchen a slightly more conservative look than pic above which is very contemporary looking (and all black adds that extra bit of drama I think!). Whichever way you go it will look modern with the lovely clean lines you have chosen. and any mix of black and white is always going to look classic and never date. Love to see it when it's done!

I am very tempted to go all black Petapea .... however I just don't think I am that brave .. nor do I think I have that much patience with the upkeep. So conservative is a very good pick!! The tiles that are going down are 600x600 and quite dark with earthy tone's through them and even though this is an open living space with large windows we have a alfresco area that is covered so I fear that this may end up too dark if I go dark toned tiles and a dark kitchen. Fingers crossed I am making the right choice!! Thanks for your positive feedback :-)

Test that the surface won't leave a myriad of fingerprints which will leave you with a constant cleaning problem.

I am also thinking that White Island bench with white stone and black for other cabinets is better option, not all houses have perfect light conditions.

These photos can also be photoshopped.

Susan have you decided on wall colour as yet and can I ask what material you are using for your black cabients.... I am leaning towards either Kitty Grey or Designer White... and torn between polytec black finegrain or a warmer polytec wenge ravine... Going around in circles!! It would be great to hear your thoughts on if you are going with a matt or sheen in the cabinets too. Thanks!

Don't go a plain bench top - it shows every crumb and mark - trust me I've seen plain and have just gone, yuk its dirty , much better to have a fleck or marble effect. I have this in my kitchen and bathrooms and have not regretted it! Good luck.

Hi Renae

Just checking if your kitchen is complete? If so I would love to see some photos.

My new kitchen is a similar layout & color scheme, polytec classic white sheen for all cupboards (only the 6 cupboards above the cooktop will be in polytec ravine natural oak), island bench in polytec cinder, lithostone 20mm benchtop in Bianco snow.

Ta

Just letting you know that Laminex have just launched a matt black, anti fingerprint range and it's beautiful.

Hi Renae,
I completely missed your previous comment- sorry. I'm assuming it's all done by now - although mine hasn't started :(. I have however chosen the paint colour. I went with Dulux Vanilla Quake half. It's already done in other parts of the house and I love it. I've also ditched the marble and am going with a concrete look large format tile - it's huge so there's only one - no grout to clean. Would love to see any pictures of your kitchen.

Hi Susan , thanks for your reply and update . It sounds amazing !!! I too have ditched all marbel whatsoever in our home. In the end I chose all black cabinetry ( polytechnic black Wenge) it was slightly warmer and has a grain. My bench tops are all Caesar stone osprey , including the kitchen island , scullery and benchtops. I have a large window splash back that runs along the oven etc . but also quite a lot of walls which I have tiled in an offshore herringbone .The colour of all painted walls throughout solver white delight . We have concrete slate tiling and the white warms this space. It sounds as though we have headed in a similar direction ! We are at the stage of build where the cabinets are getting installed / I'll take a pic and send - I'd love to see yours also ! Here is a pic of a kitchen that has the same elements and colours that I chose .

Ladies I would love to see photos of your kitchens/selections. I am considering many of the same finishes. I'm also having a window splashback on one side.

Sure thing C P :-)

Hi Renae,

We are planning on having similar tones and a similar layout:

Bench Tops: Caesarstone Ocean Form (20mm)

Island Cabinets: Polytec Matt Black (slimline)

All Other Cabinets: Polytec Sheen Polar White (slimline)

Splashback: Mirror

All Handles: Livorno Matt Black (horizontal & centered)

All the best!

Ed Ed, may I suggest changing your polytec matt black to laminex matt black.
A very new product that has just bee released by laminex and it doesn't show fingerprints. the polytechnics does.

Bugger! Cant remember seeing a matt black from laminex. We have already finalised our selections and cant afford to hold things up. Im sure we will cope - we loved the matt black colour from polytec. Thanks anyway!

Also FYI, for our bathroom vanities:

Bench tops: Caesarstone Ocean Form (20mm)

Cabinets: Polytec Matt Tuross Oak (slimline) (raised and recessed)

Handles: Livorno Matt Black (horizontal & centered)

Hi Ed Ed - I love your choices !! And our kitchens and bathrooms, laundry and powder room etc sound similar . I have chosen black Wenge for cabinetry , Caesarsrobe osprey for the bench tops, I'm using a smaller herringbone in a warm white for the splashbacks. We are using the same handles as you are too and all our fittings , including the frames of the showers etc are Matt black . I honestly think that using handles really assists with keeping hand marks at bay .