Thanks for your comment Renae, cabinets are Polytec Black Finegrain (so appears matt with lines texture making cabinets look taller), and splashback I didn't use glass at all, textured wall itself, painted it matt colour Ivory, and then added tile design in front of stove which is working out well, wanted it to add something and glass was ok but not finally what I wanted.

Hi Daman For it to work well the Oak should be in two block areas, if you just have one small area it doesn't work as well as you don't get the continuity that creates visual harmony Hope this helps. Avril designer kitchenmaker

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 .

When looking at kitchen cabinetwork doors you should be looking at more than just a sample, but how the edge is detailed. The edging for polyurethane doors is seamless as it applied like paint and the "paint" just wraps around the top and side edges. You can't wrap a melamine finish to the front and four edges of a door, so somewhere there will be a tiny seam between the front and an edge. Some melamine doors have rounded side edges (which are wrapped) but a square detail to the top and bottom edges where there will be a tiny seam between the front face and top edge. With your choice of Jamaican Walnut this seam should be almost invisible, but is easier to spot on lighter finishes such as Laminex Parchment. The Jamaican Walnut in matt should be harder wearing than the polyurethane. Some polyurethane colours yellow slightly with age and exposure to sunlight and are almost impossible to match if you ever need to replace a door. But you could also have the same issue if the manufacturer of Jamaican Walnut stops making it. For resale the polyurethane is considered more prestigious if it is still in good condition. Why don't you ask your builder to see a sample of a polyurethane door and a melamine door so you can see the edge details?