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by zennifer
4 months ago in Design Dilemma
Wood cabinet color?
Doors will be shaker style and go to the ceiling. Appliances are black and staying.

Two questions: which wood color? The light is natural cherry, the dark is a chestnut stain.

The floor is staying. It's oak with a medium stain.

Also, overlay or inset? I'd love to do inset, but am I overlooking a potential problem?
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zennifer One more pic of the door in iverlay style in the darker wood color.
4 months ago ·
zennifer OK: here's two different pictures from HOUZZ that I think show what it MIGHT look like together
Kitchen and Dining room
And
Rustic Eclecticism Kitchen Remodel: Chester Springs, PA
Both floors are too light in the pictures, however.
4 months ago · ·
onthefence Being typically onthefence.... I prefer the color of the dark but think the lighter might work better in your kitchen. I think the dark when you combine upper and lower cabs and a wood floor may be too dark.
4 months ago · ·
zennifer Onthefence, that's exactly why I'm on the fence! I tend to agree. My DH is in love with the darker (and it is gorgeous), but I'm worried about a black hole in there, despite good light all day.
4 months ago · ·
onthefence OK, I just went back and looked at your photos from your earlier thread. For me, I think the light would work better.

An alternative thought though - have you considered dark cabs for the base and light/white painted for the uppers? Or some combo of dark and light/white painted? Maybe the peninsula light and the rest dark? I've seen photos here and it really seems to lighten up a kitchen.
4 months ago ·
zennifer Hmmm...won't do painted (I just don't like the look), but a combo of the natural and dark stain might look really nice. I'm going to look through and find some things to show my DH. The pics in the old thread are VERY dark, taken at night with a bad camera, btw.

Defnitely want something "classic" looking. My desire is to do this once, and never have it look too outdated, be easily updated with new paint color or hardware, etc.
4 months ago ·
onthefence Gotcha on the painted. Some friends did their kitchen quite a few years ago. It was at a time that cherry was really a premium upcharge. Most of their kitchen was a light wood (maybe maple?) with a couple dark cherry pieces interspersed. It was gorgeous!

Found this photo....I know this isn't your style or size kitchen (mine either!) but it shows the wood combo. I rather like it!

4 months ago · ·
alex511 I'd go light. I went darker in my kitchen, and I regret it. Lighter will be brighter!
4 months ago · ·
olldbobbi Go light! The dark looks muddy against the floor, at least in the picture.
4 months ago · ·
zennifer Thanks for that picture! That is a striking combination. The floor is ALMOST dark enough, too, to give a good idea of how it will look with our floor.
4 months ago ·
zennifer This is a picture I keep coming back to as well; I think we might do a subway tile backsplash, or something else light...


The house is from the 80's and has a lot of the 80's craftsman revival influence, so while I'm not going to do a "period" kitchen, it wouldn't look out of place with the bannisters, etc.
4 months ago · ·
onthefence I'm so glad the photo helped. It looks like the island in the pic is darker than your chestnut stain but it does help to give an idea.

When I look at your pic #2 of both cabinet options sitting on your floor I think the three really work well together.
4 months ago · ·
onthefence Saw this on another thread and thought of your kitchen. Another good photo example:

4 months ago · ·
zennifer The three do look good together. Unfortunately, dh strongly disagrees. :) since he cooks as much as I do, we're going to stay single color. He's coming around on the lighter being better, however.

We are leaning towards the natural cherry with a dark counter and a tile backsplash, either white subway tile or something like this pic (see next post):
4 months ago ·
zennifer


LOVE this tile.
4 months ago · ·
onthefence Just noticed your update. Massive congrats on your decision! You really couldn't have gone wrong either way ;-) The natural cherry is going to be great - particularly with that backsplash!
3 months ago · ·
Grace Reed What exactly does dh stand for? I obviously don't have one!!
3 months ago ·
onthefence Grace - it's dear husband. Although some days, the D stands for something else ;-)
3 months ago · ·
Ironwood Builders Grace...as a guy..I prefer to think it means "darling husband". There are other words that begin with the letter...I've been called those too!
3 months ago · ·
Grace Reed Thanks for clearing up the DH thing for me!
3 months ago · ·
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