Thank you! Feel free to chime in on granite choices that would go well also.

white cabinets don't create dirt, they only show where they need to be cleaned. your children will touch the grey exactly as they'd touch the white. (if anything, they'd touch white less as they'd see a grimy mark right away). and the grey will be as dirty as the white, just not cleaned when the dirt is fresh and easy to wipe off.

for this reason, you have no reason to fear white.

Lol you are right ninigret! I can just see myself following them everywhere with a rag cloth nervously cleaning off the white cabinets everywhere they touch. There are 3 toddlers so they outnumber me and are faster than me! :) But really, I dont know how much they'd actually touch the cabinets...something we wouldn't know until we have them...

#2, because #1 is kind of depressing :/

;)

i like the new #2. those two grays in number 1 really don't work well together.

don't be worried about the white. kids are only small for a short time. hopefully by the time they're teenagers they'll learn how to wash their hands and use the handles!

#2

IMO the 2 grays in # 1 do not go thogether so I guess if i only have 2 choices it would be # 2

The first photo shows the exact cabinets of the two grays together for my option 1. IMO the cabinet combos in both option 1 and 2 look nice together.

this lighter gray is way too taupey. It's nothing like the gray you have in that picture.

your gray has a pink/lavender undertone, the one below has a whiter/blue undertone. big difference.

to go w/your dark brown shakers, you need a cool gray.

Beth,

Photos don't really show tones and colors very well with different people's screens and devices. Those two cabinets are the same exact cabinets I would be purchasing. The photo is from the cabinet place that we are getting the cabinets from. Also I asked the cabinet co and the Newport gray cabinets in my #2 poll choice are the same exact color as the regular light gray shaker cabinets in my #1 poll choice just different door design. I have a sample of the 2nd door which is why it looks different in photo than the #1 . In that photo I took a picture of the door and in the other photo I cropped a photo off website. For the poll I could have put the newport door next to the dark gray shaker door (like this photo) but didn't since it is a different style of

door.

ah, ok then. thank you for clarifying. from the two photos, you'd never know they were the same color! And it's not just my monitor,,,many other have said the same. If you've seen the cabinet in person and can verify it's not a pink undertone gray, then that's great. It would be fine together. I like both options so it's a difficult choice!

Yes now that its coming up I wish I had just put the dorian gray cabinet sample that I have next to the dark gray shaker cabinets for this poll since they are the same exact color. That way people could see the true colors a bit better.

Beth,

Do you have a floor and decor locally where you live? That is where we are getting our backsplash and tiles. I am second guessing this backsplash in photo. I love it but worry it will make kitchen too trendy & won't go well with the rest of the house which will have a contemporary farmhouse feel to it with light grays, rich Brown's, tans, beives, dark grays...like these photos...input from a pro is appreciated!

It's a tad on the trendy side, but not overly so. the colors are perfect, but I'm afraid it might go the same way as all those other glass mosaics. Why don't you wait until everything is in. just leave the backsplash for the very last. Normally you want to wait so you can see how the lighting is, the layout, and just the overall look. take your time with it and look at other things. there really is no rush to get a splash in. you can live without one for awhile.

what countertop did you decide on? you need to have that one first. if you show me what you get, I can look around for some other tile selections for you. I have hundreds and hundreds!

I haven't been able to go back to the countertop place. They are a 40 min drive away but plan to before I finalize anything. The last time we went we looked at 3 different white granites that we thought would go with anything. I will let you know when we go back. Thanks! I think I will wait on backsplash and lighting until I have the cabinets and granite in. My builder wants everything picked beforehand but hopefully those two things won't hold anything up. I also am wondering about cabinet hardware? I originally thought for sure we would do stainless steel or brushed nickel for the cabinet hardware in kitchen. The lighting and door hardware throughout house will be oil rubbed bronze. The appliances and sink, faucet are all stainless steel. However, now I am seeing several ideas of oil rubbed bronze cabinet hardware on dark gray, light gray and white cabinets that look great so I don't know anymore which would go better with the house.

I was going to mention the brushed brass/gold tones. It looks so good w/your color combo and is ok to have with SS appliances. You would prob have to change out the faucet though.

here,,,I found a new splash for you,,,,the fish scales. I really like the colors w/your choices too.

here are 3 handle choices. (the pic you posted is very tiny so I can't enlarge it)

some others

I like number 2 better. If you haven't chose your granite yet your choice of the backsplash maybe too busy. Have you thought about doing a solid subway tile? Or find your granite first then see what backsplash would be good.

Great choices for cabi bet hardware! I hope I can find those. The 2nd photo is very similar to the stainless steel hardware I was originally set on. Still like it, also like the orb with brass mix and the glass mix

just found these too,,,,Martell Hardware , Angle two tone series

Now those are very cool!! :)

If you've always wanted white cabinets I'd suggest you get them. There will always be children in your life that may get the cabinetry dirty but that shouldn't stop you from having what you actually want. The white will brighten up the room as well

#2.. Dark floors, Light cabinets, dark doors to add pizzazz to the area. Then darker counter top.

Ken

I could do dark doors but I am limited on dark tiles. Cannot seem to find them at the usual places.

Is it "acceptable" to do two different door styles (see photo) with these colors? I have read that as long as they compliment each other it us acceptable. For my kitchen layout I would be doing mainly the dark sha ker on left side and light gray cabinets on right side of kitchen. I am wondering if I should do the same shaker dark and light gray doors or do the dark shaker with these light grey doors that have slightly more detail. ?? Want it all to look complimentary.

It's probably acceptable, I personally would not do that. I thought you really wanted white cabinets have you changed your mind or are you just settling for the gray? I think by doing two different door styles your going to be focusing on too many different things in the kitchen and it won't have a nice flow to it. Have you had a chance to go to the countertop place yet?

I'd keep same door styles otherwise you will just have too much going on here. It's an enclosed spot, so try and keep it cohesive, otherwise it looks too chaotic.

Thank you! B, I have always wanted white but I also love the gray and there are so many wants on my bucket list that I may have to wait on some. I AM doing white cabinets in my small home office so hopefully that satisfies that. : ) Regarding the cabinet doors, that's what I figured Beth...We have not gone to the countertop place again just yet. Been looking at lighting and paint colors. Have you seen either PPG Whiskers or Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray in person? Both grayish but one slightly warmer from what I know but I wish I could see a whole wall of these colors or talk to someone who has used them. We will have a lot of warm colors so need a warm gray but I am not a fan of beige walls so don't want a color that is too greige...

My builder does not recommend we do the combination of 2 cabinet colors in kitchen because the trim (shoe molding, scribe molding, quarter round and crown molding) are different for each color even though the shaker doors are the same. My builder says it will not look cohesive since the cabinets are in the same space. So we are now trying to decide on just one cabinet color....ugh

Good luck, I'm sure you'll pick the right one.

Both are beautiful so don't think there is a "wrong" choice from a style perspective. Note on backsplash: If you love it, it doesn't matter that the world also loves it right now. You will love it as much 10 years from now. Don't buy it because it is trendy, but don't avoid it because it is trendy either. Go with what speaks to you. Re: White cabinets - beautiful choice, but if you think you are going to be neurotic about cleaning or annoyed because they are dirty and you are tired, then get the darker color and give yourself (and the kids) a break. Considering cleaning and wear-and-tear is a legit way to narrow your choices.

I would pick your stone before you get too wedded to that (rather busy) backsplash, as most granites have a lot of pattern/movement, and the combination might make things busy. Plus, your choice of stone might make one or the other color of cabinet a better fit.

Also, you never said what the speckled sample on the right in your photos was, but if that's your flooring, I have to say that it doesn't match the gray of the cabinets you're looking at -- when you have the samples side by side, the cabinets look greenish (or, conversely, the tiles look pinkish). So either you need to pick the dark gray or white options, or you need a different floor tile. sorry.

I like option two! Use the grey for the lower and white uppers. That way you won't have to worry about fingerprints from little ones. This is a kitchen I just finished with the same idea.

Best of luck!

Midcentury Kitchen · More Info

I agree with Beth H. Take your time with the backsplash. You can add it later after your granite is installed.

Lilintj, thank you! I needed that :). I really like the backsplash. I was told by a local interior designer that it "may" be a bit trendy for the transitional modern farmhouse-ish style I am going for but when I have looked at others "so far" none speak to me. So my plan is once I have cabinets and granite picked if I still like that backsplash with everything then I will go for it. If I find a backsplash that I am more excited about then I will go for that. So far I am leaning towards doing the dark gray cabinets but now wondering if I should do dark gray on left side of kitchen from oven to sink etc and white cabinets (instead of light gray) on right side of kitchen near refrigerator and cabinet behind refrigerator....don't know if dark and white would be too much of a contrast or if the backsplash and granite will go with the white so have to look more into it.

Melinda, I thought about doing the dark gray lowers and white uppers do my builder suggested that possibility since that allows us to keep the trim the same but a few things are holding me back :

1. Would it look too busy with my particular kitchen layout. See photos above of my layout. My layout doesn't have your typical island and the oven unit and the large pantry cabinet showin in the hallway behind the refrigerator would need to be all one color so I'd have white uppers, dark lowers and then two long cabinet units that are either all dark or all white...I fear it would all be too busy

2. Would white uppers go well with the dark gray or would they be too much of a contrast ? ( my reason for thinking of doing light gray with the dark gray instead of white)

3. If I keep that backsplash (which I love) would It go well with white uppers...

so much to think about...on top of all of that my builder says if I pick a white cabinet that we then have to make sure the wall trim ( baseboards, door molding near cabinets works well with that white cabinet because there are "so many colors of white"....lol. I never knew there was so much to think about. I am used to making quick decisions and everything going fine!

Melinda, Just noticed you meant light gray lowers and white upper cabinets..so in that case 1 and 3 still apply

1. Would it look too busy with my particular kitchen layout. See photos above of my layout. My layout doesn't have your typical island and the oven unit and the large pantry cabinet showin in the hallway behind the refrigerator would need to be all one color so I'd have white uppers, gray lowers and then two long cabinet units that are either all gray or all white...I fear it would all be too busy

3. If I keep that backsplash (which I love) would It go well with white uppers...

Another view of the combo.

Would it divide the room up too much if I put all gray shaker cabinets on left side of kitchen and put white shaker cabinets on the Walls to the right side of the kitchen where refrigerator is and wall behind it??

Ok so originally I couldn't do all light gray cabinets in all of the kitchen because they didn't have several of the light gray cabinets in stock....well now they do, so another potential choice! Ughhhhhh. I like the idea of light gray cabinets throughout the kitchen...they aren't so dark yet aren't white. Would this combo go well with all light gray cabinets, a white granite and two oil rubbed bronze hanging pendants above sink?? Orb pulls or stainless steel pulls?

Your last option looks great. Do you have the option of changing your layout?

At the very least, can you switch the dishwasher to the left of the sink? How are you going to vent the cooktop? Even a recirculating hood us better than nothing. One thought would be to move the cooktop down to the oven wall with a hood above or extend the wall over above the cooktop and put a hood above it.

Hi barncatz thanks! When you say the last option looks great which option are you referring to? Oh and yes we already changed the layout to have wall extended behind the cooktop so we can have a backsplash and vent hood and we moved dishwasher to other side of sink.. I just don't have a 3d visual of it so been using this old one.

Also found another backsplash that we like...now deciding between the dark cabinets and the light gray cabinets with either backsplash...may have to do a new poll. Lol

I like the contrast that option 1 provides, but I wouldn't do two cabinet colors. However, if you want a very bright kitchen, then white cabinets/gray walls/ multicolor backsplash is ideal. If your kitchen has windows with plenty of natural sunlight, then number one would look nice. If not, it may be too dark.

Thanks everyone for your comments! They are helpful in my sorting all of this out, especially Beth H!. This site has so much info and is an awesome resource! I have been giving a lot of thought to the countertops and am excited to go back to the countertop place next week. I also have a bunch of tiles in mind. Such as this darker tile. I wish it were solid color but its the darkest tile locally that I found & like. Was thinking about possibly doing this darker tile (see photo) to warm things up a bit if I went with the lighter painted gray cabinets since the cabinets backsplash and countertops are very light...or even keeping the light tile and doing a darker countertop instead (such as photo below) Also looking to add warmth by doing orb hardware & pendant lights & thought about also doing a wooden pantry door (in a slightly lighter colored wood than photo) since the pantry is in middle of the kitchen? Am I going in the right direction or is it still not quite flowing together? Ideas and Suggestions are welcome! :)

love the door idea. and I like everything except those new glass tiles you picked. to me, those are already dated and over done. between the two you picked, the first ones are better, but some of the others I posted I like even more.

these are all from tilebar.com and you can get 5 samples for $5.

I found these you might consider. if you really like the glass bars, this alloy iceland colors are perfect

I'll be back w/the pics. they aren't loading at the moment.

They are both pretty but i think one never gets tired of white probably because it always brightens an area but also it is a classic kitchen choice. You might get tired of choice 1 before choice 2.

Thanks! Love the tile bar credenza!