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Stoneshop I would definately recommend going with granite or quartz countertops as opposed to Corian. Choosing stone countertops adds value to your home, and they will look great for many years to come with proper care. Even though stone is a little more expensive initially, it is completely worth it--plus it boosts the re-sale value of your home if you decide to move.

Based on your black cabinets, white, gray, or tan/gold granite would look beautiful in your space. Try Kashmir Gold, White American, Colonial Cream, or Copenhagen. You could also simply browse through photos here on Houzz to get an idea of what style you want your kitchen to reflect: http://www.houzz.com/black-kitchen-cabinets

Definately select your countertop next, and then base your backsplash, paint color, etc off of what you have in place.

mmonika Agreed with above, your first decision is your countertop. Go and have a look at some fancy showrooms to give you ideas and where you can see, compare, touch and feel the different things that are offered. I do not love the look of granite for more modern styled kitchens because it feels more tradition to me, however this is MY preference. We opted for a Quartz countertop in the end.
Your countertop will drive your backsplash. In our case, we decided to forgo the backsplash for now because frankly, we are tired of making decisions and it can always be added later :-)
I shopped and returned many lights because these are really a matter of personal preference.
I love the colors orange and grey :-) They will be smashing selections!!!
There are no rules for your kitchen. Trust your heart and choose the things that make you smile.

turnstyle / giggle-room Looks like you've got a great canvas to start with. Considering your black / dark gray cabinets (love the modern finish), a contrast in the way of a lighter palette will balance things out. A couple of things to consider: you can start with either your counter tops or your floors, but the two should compliment each other. Depending on the space, the eye has a tendancy to see directional planes in the same way (i.e. your eye will catch the horizontal layout of your floor and counter tops together, the vertical of your cabinets and appliances together etc.), so often times they are best chosen in a similar color palette. Stone is certainly a great choice for either or both, but consider changing up your textures so that you end up with a good visual balance. Lighter wood floors would play well to your modern cabinets, but be soft enough to feel rustic (not to mention great to stand on, easy to clean), Cream quartz or a beautiful mid tone beige and cream paletted granite would love great on your counter tops. Terrazzo is often overlooked, but is a great retro material that still feels current. Another key to a great kitchen is always lighting (start with recessed lights, strategically placed and then add pendants or some other fun light flourish). Then you can focus on under-cabinet lighting which can be retro-fitted or there are inexpensive options you can install yourself. You mention some great wall colors, but those also depend on the rest of our home (dont forget that the house should feel cohesive and color really helps contribute to that). Your backsplash is also a wonderful place for color experimentation or keep things simple for artwork to shine elsewhere in the space. Think balance.

Luis Gv Stoneshop, thanks dor your comments i am a little biased toward using Granite. Looking for a white one, that looks clean and even. I like the feel and look. I looked at a White Chashmir, and a Siena White. Tha cabinets area dark brown. Thanks for your comments will post advances to let you know.

mmonica, totally agree with your comment. The countertop will drive my backsplash, i will wait to see how it comes out.

turnstyle, thanks for your comments, floor has been changed for a white/gray porcelanic one. I think it cant be seen clearly on the picture. I will let know further modifications. Will decide on the countertop and from there on will move to wall colors and backsplash.

Stoneshop Since you're looking for white, also try Alaskan White, Misty White, & White American or Super White (it has different names depending on your area). If you want some other ideas, also check out this website: http://www.ohmintl.com/live-inventory/search/Monroe+NJ.html
They have a wonderful online slab gallery which can give you ideas as to what the different slab colors look like. Keep us posted!

Luis Gv I followed your suggestions and decided on a granite countertop. The countertop is now ready. What do you think? What should the backsplash be tile? Glass? Any suggestions or ideas? Ill keep posting any advances.

Stoneshop It looks wonderful, Luis Gv! Great choice. The countertop really complements your cabinets and stainless appliances. With your contemporary style, a glass backsplash would really look great. You could do a black/white/gray linear mosaic, or even bring in an accent color. Glass subway tile would like nice as well if you do not like the look of small mosaic tiles.

Granite Transformations Hi Luis GV,

Your cabinet and granite countertop selection is excellent, they look great together. I know you mentioned go with either an orange or gray for the paint, what about a Colorado Gray or Beach Glass by Benjamin Moore? They have some blue in them, which I think would compliment the counters and cabinetry you selected well. Plus, it would give you some more contrast that I think the room could use. You might even consider going with a gray or off-white for the ceiling and trim.

Are you installing recessed lighting in their at all? I would highly recommend it. You might want to consider undermount lighting too for the wall cabinets to illuminate the counters.

Good luck with the rest of your project. Keep sharing pictures as you go!

turnstyle / giggle-room ...and I'm going to come back to the idea of a great color opportunity here. The youthfulness and striking result that can come out of a backsplash is an excellent time to personalize your space. Think about your lifestyle and what you want to convey and know that a little will go a long way. It's a fun time to take a risk. Here are two different examples that really imbue a place with modernity. Looks like things are moving ahead with this beautiful back drop you're creating - indeed, agree with granite transformations - the recessed lighting will make all the difference.

nick4378 This light fixture should look nice on your peninsula

hiyucca Countertops backsplash go natural stone balance back with natural tile. Then accent with color like pull color from art.

nick4378 Stainless steel backsplash behind the range for ease of cleanup and a shelf as in the attached image. I would go with glass tile or stacked stone for warmth on either side

Paradise Restored Landscaping & Exterior Design Nice choices and it is fun to see your work in progress - grab some boards to help with back splash tile - seeing them in the space and walking in and out - the right will be an easy choice -

Luis Gv Thanks for yout advice today i stumbled across this tile. I think its a good choice for backsplash. I also think stainless steel would look good, but cant find someone near who can do the job. What do you think about this tile. I really appreciate all your comments. Cant wait to show you how the proyect will end.

Stoneshop If you really like the look of stainless, they also make stainless tiles that you could take a look at. They come in various shapes and sizes--check your local tile shop.

Leif A whitish quartz with a funky backsplash would be great. Love your cabinets. We just finished our kitchen except backsplash. We did a cherry java slab cabinets.

Leif Maybe random stainless, white glass, gray glass 2x4 subway tiles

Luis Gv Well its been a long time since my last post. Im updating you with a picture i took today. Your ideas have really helped us make this project better. Now we have a new dilemma: what color shall we paint our walls. As you can see, we have a dark kitchen, glass tile ( dark brown, beige and clear glass) , we have tried to use aluminum accenta where we can. The countertop is "sienna white", mix between white and light beige. I would love to hear all your comments about what color to choose, and any suggestion about anything is appreciated. We hope to finish our project this weekend. Ill post the updates. Thanks to everyone who has cooperated to make this project better!!

Leif A sutle look that would look good and really make your tile pop would be Sherwin Williams cardboard. It's fantastic, we opened up our kitchen to our living area and painted both the same color. Looks great and our kitchen is the same basic concept. Good luck with whatever you choose and please post the finished results!

Luis Gv I Forgot t mention since it is an open kitchen, we only have 1 complete wall to paint. the other wall is where the fridge goes and the other wall is open. So we would like the wall to look really integrated with the kitchen. I was thinking in gray tones. Let me know your ideas!!!

turnstyle / giggle-room I would stay away from gray at this point, given your beautiful backsplash and cabinet tones, you'll end up with too much of a monochromatic feeling. If you have one wall only to paint and since you chose what looks like a gray palette for the backsplash , why not add a punch with a great color to round out and enliven the space. I love Ralph Lauren's California Poppy GH170, which is a mellow orange, although his paints are now sold in limited places and otherwise another unexpected color (and you'll have to consider what type of mood you want to convey overall), but Bejamin Moore's Midnight Navy 2067-10 is a rich, cobalt-y blue that I love with gray. It's modern and daring, but classic at the same time. Hope that helps!

designideas4me wow .. reading this thread and watching updates is like a hgtv show. I like the progress. I hope I am brave enough to post mine. What was your budget? where did you get the cabinets? It looks great so far.

Stoneshop It looks great, Luis Gv! You must be so excited for this space to be nearly complete! Thanks for updating us with pictures :)

For paint, I would recommend choosing either a beige tone from your countertop or a color within the same tone as a tile in your backsplash. Introducing another color may make your space seem less cohesive.

Can't wait to see final photos!

Luis Gv I post a closer look at the countertop an backsplash. Backsplash is a dark and light brown with clear-almond color white. thank you all for your comments. Its really difficult for me to chose a color, ive spent so much time in this proyect i dont want to make a wrong color decision. Keep the ideas coming.

designideas4me what are the colors in the granite?

Luis Gv Mostly light beige and white, a bit of light gray, and very little brown dots. I tried to capture the colors in my last images. Im having a hard time deciding, which colors to select. I haven't realized these color scheme will be used through the dining room too!

designideas4me I think the other woman is right who suggested beige. But not seeing the whole house its hard.. for me I want the kitchen to be part of the rest of the house because its so open in my house . So I see the kitchen and living area together. I would consider tying in the rooms that its close to and carry the paint thrughout. So if you use lets say the glass color( maybe its blue or taupe) and use it as paint on the wall then what I do is look at it from the other viewing room and see if it fits. Of course you are talking to someone who has 50 paint samples on the wall and can never decide..LOL

But I hope i helped.

designideas4me see thats why I am soo stuck. I am looking at the house as a whole not just one room.

designideas4me almond(the clear glass ) taupe and brown. Choose one. get samples. Brown will make the room darker. maybe do an accent wall and the other walls in the almond.

designideas4me where is your window? what did you spend for the cabinets?

Luis Gv I tried and photoshoped this colors. I really tried to incorporate an accent wall but nothing seems to fit correctly i have this two. What other color would you suggest will fit into the kitchen?

designideas4me I would not do that orange. try a grayish blue and the other walls in the almond that matches the tile. I think that dark brown is too dark next to the cabinets. Can you photoshop a floor into my pics for me?

Luis Gv Its a plugin i found in www.comex.com.mx where you can easily put the color of the paint and select the area. I have no idea how to use adobe photoshop. :( ill make one considering your suggestions and will post it.

designideas4me ok cool. Thanks I will look at that site myself and try it out.

Leif This is the SW cardboard, it sounds like we have close to the same granite and our cabinets are close to same color. This is what my wife's interior designer thought would look good and it did. We have an open kitchen concept into living room. We ended up using this paint in kitchen, living and dining rooms and have added color pops with accessories. The designer said with this color you can give the rooms changes cheaper by just changing accessories with the seasons.. Etc..

designideas4me I see a pale blue in that tile. For ME if you want modern do the blue gray tone that matches the tile.

Luis Gv Im posting the color update. Its almost done!! I tried cardboard by Benjamin Moore. I went with this color which looks very similar. Although in the picture looks kinda yellow it is actually grayish/Brown/Green. Cant clearly describe the color, thats why i post a picture. Last but not least i have to decide on a Range Hood. Any suggestions are welcome. And of course would like to hear your comments. This kitchen wouldnt have been possible without your help!!! Thank you!!!

designideas4me looks great

designideas4me Are you putting up a hood and where is your frig?

designideas4me Oh sorry I see you are looking for one. There was just a big discussion on this maybe I can find it for you or look thru the discussion topics from the past few days regarding kitchen remodels and you will see it.

designideas4me http://www.houzz.com/discussions/282151/New-house--old-kitchen-needs-lots-of-design

Luis Gv The picture i took it precisely where the fridge is inserted. I attach this other pic. In this little cavity (room) goes the fridge and a storage room for groceries yet to be done. I just unpacked the fridge as you can see. :)

Luis Gv FInally we are almost done. Here is a picture of how it came out. we are still missing the fridge cabinet and grocery cabinet to be done to finish our proyect. I think this will be done in the next couple of months. Thank you for all your help. We are still open to suggestions or comments. I if you think this can still be improved we will gladle consider your opinion. Hope you like it.

Leif Wow, it looks great.. I am unhappy with the busy backsplash I put up. I plan to redo it and still need to purchase 4 bar stools. I will then post my before and after pics. Our kitchens are close to the same yet completely different. It's neat how you can use the same basic concept and come out so different.

Sharon Awesome job! Well done on pulling it all together. Very stylish.

Stone and Cottonwood I like what I see so far, but may I present an alternative to the stone for the peninsula? It looks like a good opportunity to soften the edges with a polished wood surface, which might be more comfortable to sit at, while providing a nice contrast with the stone on the countertops beyond. The combination of wood and stone has been one of the most popular looks recently for our customers here in Colorado.