SFGate

Darzy Want to try something different? How about rustic turquoise? I think the right color will work with the stone and the black tile. Check out the island color and finish. Hmmm. But, I think a new counter is in order!

Keenan Wells i would paint the cabinets grey and change the tile to metal i think it would look great

rini6401 Not sure what the style of your house is, or what the rest of the kitchen area looks like, but if it's casual/country - in addition to painting or staining the cabinets a more updated color (dark brown/black/dark gray) you could install chicken wire in the upper doors for a more spacious, less heavy look. Once painted, you could add some simple chrome hardware to soften the doors and continue the stainless appliances to give it some sparkle. Agree counter tops need replacing, but in doing so, don't use the small 4" back splash - use a different material ( 4x4 travertine on diagonal, 1x2 subway, or even wall paper?). The small back splash cuts off the wall space & makes the limited wall space look even shorter, bringing the cabinets & ceiling down. Also, for the open lower cabinets, you could use colored baskets to distract from the heavy stone above ( something fun & lively like yellow, red or aqua blue?). If these ideas don't work with your taste or style of home, you could always stucco over the stone for a softer look. Hope that helps!

rini6401

mmilos Your cabinetry layout looks very inefficient...open shelving next to stove...odd corners, etc. I would try to modify the cabinets so they wrap around and give you a larger, level, U-shaped counter top.

Soapstone counters, a light tumbled marble backsplash. Go for a rustic look with the stone.

Susan Jablon Mosaics Hi Jaimie, I agree with mmilos in keeping a bit of a rustic feel in order to work with the stone. You could refinish the cabinets to update them, but I would go with a warmer backsplash to keep the stone tied in. If you update everything to all cool/grey/white tones except for the stone it will stick out like a sore thumb. Using a backsplash such as one of the images below would tie in the warm stone but still look modern if one day you do get rid of the stone.

jaimiebaecker Thank you all for your input! I agree that new counter tops are in our future, but since we are making some other renovations and additions to the house, I am trying to make the biggest change for the buck in the kitchen right now. I like the idea of adding the turquoise and metal accents!

jaimiebaecker Thank you all for your input! I agree that new counter tops are in our future, but since we are making some other renovations and additions to the house, I am trying to make the biggest change for the buck in the kitchen right now. I like the idea of adding the turquoise and metal accents!