Love this! My kitchen is basically dark cabinets, and blue pearl granite, designed for my husband, and all men really like it; floors are dark wood, too. I think you will be have more than enough variation with the way the light will hit the different surfaces, but I would still ask the pros at the lighting stores to see if you have maximized your flexibility with the three kinds of light. Include dimmers. Be sure to install your under cabinet lights close to the edge of the cabinet and not to the wall, and have plenty of can lights over each shoulder where you will be working, including the sink and stove. Think about the handles on your cabinets -- a repeating theme. If they are knobs, you might want to add a contrast perhaps two different styles. Consider also that you have a floor surface that will add another texture/color/reflective surface. Even with my dark kitchen (contrast with mica in the granite and stainless steel appliances) we chose black and navy blue textiles for the floor rugs and kitchen towels. Perhaps you will find yourself in need of adding accessories with different color splashes that change with the season, but you may also like to stay with this sophisticated pallet and add more and more shades of gray or white. Take a look at the slate gray pearl air popcorn popper from Cuisinart. Or you could look to Crate and Barrel and Sur La Table for RED!!! Or Green, Yellow, Turquoise. Remember that food has color, too. And you can add texture/color with window coverings, paint. Your kitchen will also look great with some black frames for photographs in black and white or color, perhaps tinted black and white photos. I did add a large gold ceramic plate to pick up a color in my drapes in the family room, but I am not at all reconsidering the decision to stay with just two colors -- mahogany/ blue pearl. It's like a forest in my kitchen, peaceful.

Thank you we are looking forward to it :-) I have already done a whole floor plan for the renovations and additions and I have done elevations for the kitchen, which have already had a few changes due to seeing something on Houzz and thinking hmmmm that would work better etc. I will also run the drawings past an architect just to make sure there isn't a better way of doing things. Also we will live in the house as is for quite some time before starting the renovations which will give us a feel for how things should be. Very much appreciate all the advice. Regards Lynda

Hi Helga, 1 ). The Island is 3.5m x 900cm ( the ridge down the middle is part of the railing system I used to get the posts so that won't be there) 2 ). Small appliance cupboard is 1m to Island (trying to get as much family space as possible and to fit the support beam/s in) my kitchen is 1100 between island and bench and I find that heaps and could easily be 1m. 3 ). The DW, window bench to Island is 1.225m , The fridge is 700deep so is 1.125m from the island, 4 ). The window bench with ovens is 1.125m to the wall of the small appliances and 950cm between ovens and pantry cabinets on the plan to allow for opening. All of these can be re positioned to line up correctly depending on what you thought, The Ovens can be swapped over to the far end of the Appliance cupboard and possibly move your appliances to where the ovens were. I think the twin beams could look great in your kitchen, I have worked artistic calculations for the beams so not sure how close I am. cheers

Thanks Yvonne, It's a great product this one was selected by Mr Plywood Newcastle with a beautiful grain. We had a narrow white laminate board set back under it to give the shadow line, most certainly do it again cheers