I'm going to need some help with tile and sink choices in my mmh, 'unique' kitchen.

[ItsMainelyYou]

Alright, @MamaBee.
You asked for it.
Enjoy!

Hey, everybody! Help me brainstorm some ideas!


Backsplash tile ideas?
Apron front or undermount sink?
Should the sink be porcelain, copper or other?
What color stone for the island?

This isn't rich farmhouse by any stretch- that would be MIL's house. That place is Insta worthy.
The nicest thing you can say about mine is it's cute.
It's a basic cottagey farm, rabbit warren style, old house.
We joke that it's the shabbiest of chic. It's ah, let's say, not impressive. Not enough regular storage. Weirdly endearing though, in it's own way.
We've studiously mostly ignored 'beautifying'. We've maintained it as necessary. You'd be surprised how much that costs.

Here's partial shots because it's so weird. It's bigger than it looks. Butler's pantry with @200 yr old wonked cabinets and potato bins and the sink, which need a paint touch up. The wonderful array of clutter. The laundry room/even more pantry is out that way. Other than surface changes (which we're going to give our best shot as we go) the only other course would be a complete gut from ceiling to floor joists down to the studs- they built the cabinets down into the floor joists. Why? I don't know. They're all 60's style solid wood and all the pulls are antiques, so, probably could change the doors someday though I don't mind them. Maybe nicer hinges. It's history.
Really the issue is that I don't have the 50k for the dream reno. I'll have to do small and relatively cheapish piecemeal changes. I have to put down however many thousands on a new septic system and getting the residing/paint on the house next spring. Priorities.
The walls are all original, many times repaired, horsehair plaster. They blew insulation in behind them and some what up into the ceiling in the 80's, I think. Imagine that particular nightmare. Nothing is done normally or easily with nary a square or truly flat surface in the entire house. I'm going to change the counters in the pantry to the same butcher (which I have in the barn until I decide on the sink), stone top for the little island, probably tin tile or equivalent something cool the ceiling in both spaces, tile that whole wall behind the stove with the hood thing I hate (not sure if what to do there, it's not actually vented), re-tile the pantry backsplash that you won't see anyway and light fixture upgrades(can't do recessed right now, too much of a pain). Probably add a freestanding wide cupboard next to the freestanding butcherblock(can't see it but it's one of those antique ones) or something where the old kid/side table is on the far side you can't see.

* DH says the kitchen TV stays, he likes to watch the news in there in the morning/night...I pick my battles, and he's the real labor for what we do. If he wants big news, he gets big news.

We love this place, warts and all. I raised my children here, so here we stay.
Also, have you seen what happened to the market up here?! You'd be gobsmacked for what we could get for this pile now.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i love that style drawer handle
i brought lots for my new kitchen if i ever get one
i also love all the storage
all i would say is make sure you dont end up with less than you have now

 

[dk168]

I shall have a go at these:

Backsplash tile ideas?
Apron front or undermount sink?
Should the sink be porcelain, copper or other?
What color stone for the island?

Backsplash ideas, something to brighten up the kitchen, probably not all the backsplash as it might be too much, however, yes to as accent e.g. behind the cooker.



The rest something plainer so that it is not so busy to the eyes:



Apron front sink would look more in tune with the cottage and the kitchen IMHO, the bigger the better.

Stone or porcelain, the latter probably more durable as it would less porous.

If the island is intended to stand out, then I would opt for a granite in lighter colour, a beige with a pattern as seen in the landscape photo above.

All personal preferences and all that (my kitchen and house is predominately black, grey in different shades, white, glass chrome and stainless steel).

DK

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

All of the pulls were over in the store that used to exist in my other building. They're a connection that I love and there were just enough of them. Cool, huh?
I'm struggling with tile choices and ceiling treatments because the style of the house sort of limits the directions I can go. Too fancy, or wild, will look overwhelming, but I also don't want flat and boring. I'm wondering if texture is the way to go?
I'm very partial to zellige tiles and I love Moroccan or Spanish tiles/texture. I also love Suzani type patterns. I'm also partial to old fashioned anaglypta wallpaper.
I think I'm most worried about the ceiling and the wall competing with each other.
Ugh, I don't know- I'm probably going to stare listlessly at tile and stone samples soon.

And I'm agreeing on the sink, the old porcelain cast iron I have is deep enough to wash a five year old and I need it least 33 to 36 inches wide.

 

[Matata]

I can't envision anything other than a farmhouse sink in your kitchen. Are you keeping the cabinet color? If not, I think a copper sink would be lovely. If you're keeping the cabinet color, a copper sink might blend too much.

Rustic style tiles for backsplash. Something neutral and appearing to be handmade rather than perfect in shape and uniform in color and texture.

 

[MamaBee]

Thank you @ItsMainelyYou! I’m so excited! I will be back..I have an appointment soon. Your kitchen is where I would want to spend Christmas and family gatherings..It’s warm and perfect..

 

[MamaBee]

A few thoughts while waiting for my appointment. I love Anaglypta wallpaper. It can be put on the ceiling and painted. I would paint it white in your case..You can even leave it unpainted but painting gives it a protective finish. It will also look like painted tin which would be more expensive. I think you want a stone for your island. Since you don’t mind if things aren’t perfect..I would go with honed marble for your island. It will develop a patina which would be perfect for your kitchen. The bins that are painted could have the paint stripped off the top that lifts up..I would refinish if possible or install it in wood. Oil or finish them in a matt finish. This way it would tie into your beautiful buttery counters.
I’ll be back!

 

[Kim N]

All of the pulls were over in the store that used to exist in my other building. They're a connection that I love and there were just enough of them. Cool, huh?
I'm struggling with tile choices and ceiling treatments because the style of the house sort of limits the directions I can go. Too fancy, or wild, will look overwhelming, but I also don't want flat and boring. I'm wondering if texture is the way to go?
I'm very partial to zellige tiles and I love Moroccan or Spanish tiles/texture. I also love Suzani type patterns. I'm also partial to old fashioned anaglypta wallpaper.
I think I'm most worried about the ceiling and the wall competing with each other.
Ugh, I don't know- I'm probably going to stare listlessly at tile and stone samples soon.

And I'm agreeing on the sink, the old porcelain cast iron I have is deep enough to wash a five year old and I need it least 33 to 36 inches wide.

I love this inspiration pic you posted.

 

[lala646]

@ItsMainelyYou Do you have any idea what kind of wood/finish is under the paint on the cabinets & trim? I would imagine stripping that paint would make a world of difference, though I'm sure it would be an a**load of work.

And I also vote apron front sink.

 

[HockeyMama]

Here's my two cents based on A LOT of renovating/new home building. I am not a designer or an expert, I've just made mistakes when I tried to get too fancy or original:

1. Countertop: look into remnants, you don't need large pieces and may get more bang for your buck. Honed marble patinas beautifully and is actually not as expensive as it sounds. Soapstone also is lovely if you want dark. If you want polished, granite or quartz (manmade stuff) depending on if you want plain or busy. Decide on your cabinet colors first then go look at stoneyards. In a dream world, polished quartzite (not quartz) is natural and low maintenance, but like a super ideal cut stone, very expensive. Taj Mahal quartizite is a creamy colored dream.

2. Backsplash: light polished tile (white, beige, gray). It doesn't have to be standard subway, they may wavy edges, elongated, square, etc. It also doesn't have to be standard brick layout, can be stacked, herringbone, chevron.... Endless options. I've attached one that is easy to work with, but they actually carry variations at Lowe's.

Inspire. Create. Design Something Fabulous! | AlysEdwards

Browse our selection of Products.

www.alysedwards.com

I love zellige style tile but $$ (though you don't need much, could be splurge) and grout lines end up irregular (you can't be a perfectionist). I've attached a line that is "more accessible" (less$) with lots of installation pictures.

zellige tile | authentic moroccan tile in terracotta | clé tile

clé's authentic moroccan zellige tile comes glazed and unglazed. every moroccan tile is hand-molded, hand-cut, and hand-glazed. no two zellige tiles are exactly alike.

www.cletile.com

Natural stone or honed stone is porous and a nightmare to get tomato sauce out of, even when sealed.

3. Sink: the apron fronts are a dream to keep clean, consider if you want split or one big opening. The material may be dictated by budget but most traditional homes do well with porcelain.

Last, you mentioned market values in your neighborhood. If you may be moving in the next 5 years or so you may not want to choose things that are too specific or exciting, most buyers don't do exciting. If you're staying, choose what you love.

Let us know what you decide! It can be fun. Good luck!

 

[Arcadian]

I have a fired sink that has an apron front plus its a top mount. Its very big and very heavy. the cabinets had to be reinforced. Lord forbid it ever breaks (not in production anymore!!) And the opening is huge. And while the sink is still lovely, being a fired sink means over time it develops some character.... And I don't have a garbage disposal on the sink because its kinda an odd size opening and, frankly it could damage the sink.

If I had to do this again, I'd go with porclain over cast. Would still be heavy but would probably last through a bomb going off.

The good is that I've not even so much as cracked it

My kitchen is plain but I like it. it does its job.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

@ItsMainelyYou Do you have any idea what kind of wood/finish is under the paint on the cabinets & trim? I would imagine stripping that paint would make a world of difference, though I'm sure it would be an a**load of work.

And I also vote apron front sink.

I would, but you see I've still got lingering horrors over it.
About 60 years of every color you can think of. I tried that once, it turned out to be just some meh white wood, likely pine or alder. I was so hopeful, but dashed. They were built with the intention of painting I think. This is definitely a house built with utilitarian, 'working man' materials.

I can't envision anything other than a farmhouse sink in your kitchen. Are you keeping the cabinet color? If not, I think a copper sink would be lovely. If you're keeping the cabinet color, a copper sink might blend too much.

Rustic style tiles for backsplash. Something neutral and appearing to be handmade rather than perfect in shape and uniform in color and texture.

That's the tile I have in the butler's pantry backsplash now! I'm thinking handmade ceramics for the main room because they're easier to clean grease off of. I just need to stop blind picking ones only to find out they're $80-100 a sq ft. For now, I will be keeping the cabinet color and then one day I'll just go, enough!
and it'll be gone. I do that periodically, and that's something I worry about. You're right, copper sinks are so cool, but it probably would look like a black hole.

I have a fired sink that has an apron front plus its a top mount. Its very big and very heavy. the cabinets had to be reinforced. Lord forbid it ever breaks (not in production anymore!!) And the opening is huge. And while the sink is still lovely, being a fired sink means over time it develops some character.... And I don't have a garbage disposal on the sink because its kinda an odd size opening and, frankly it could damage the sink.

If I had to do this again, I'd go with porclain over cast. Would still be heavy but would probably last through a bomb going off.

The good is that I've not even so much as cracked it

My kitchen is plain but I like it. it does its job.

I love the whole thing. The sink I have now is a cast iron overmount that's 33 inches and looks deep enough to swim in I do love that about it. It's the 15+ years of scratching and the staining. It drives me crazy. I love the look of your sink and I'm glad to hear some real world usage, that's the information that you never get when you're looking.

A few thoughts while waiting for my appointment. I love Anaglypta wallpaper. It can be put on the ceiling and painted. I would paint it white in your case..You can even leave it unpainted but painting gives it a protective finish. It will also look like painted tin which would be more expensive. I think you want a stone for your island. Since you don’t mind if things aren’t perfect..I would go with honed marble for your island. It will develop a patina which would be perfect for your kitchen. The bins that are painted could have the paint stripped off the top that lifts up..I would refinish if possible or install it in wood. Oil or finish them in a matt finish. This way it would tie into your beautiful buttery counters.
I’ll be back!

The ceiling. You solved it! YOU SOLVED IT. We've had some tin tile samples but we were worried about the weight. Looked at the poly ones and didn't like the way they looked. Thought eh, maybe I could stencil. It's oookay, but....
I have some anaglypta from our old house. I used it in the dining room ( painted red with antiquing glaze- I loved it)! I could easily put that, or some other pattern up, that's no weight and I can maybe slightly pearlize the paint? I'll have to experiment.

I'll have to look at the bins but we decided moved the microwave and Keurig over there in that corner, so I may just get a stone match remnant and elevate it for underneath.

Here's my two cents based on A LOT of renovating/new home building. I am not a designer or an expert, I've just made mistakes when I tried to get too fancy or original:

1. Countertop: look into remnants, you don't need large pieces and may get more bang for your buck. Honed marble patinas beautifully and is actually not as expensive as it sounds. Soapstone also is lovely if you want dark. If you want polished, granite or quartz (manmade stuff) depending on if you want plain or busy. Decide on your cabinet colors first then go look at stoneyards. In a dream world, polished quartzite (not quartz) is natural and low maintenance, but like a super ideal cut stone, very expensive. Taj Mahal quartizite is a creamy colored dream.

2. Backsplash: light polished tile (white, beige, gray). It doesn't have to be standard subway, they may wavy edges, elongated, square, etc. It also doesn't have to be standard brick layout, can be stacked, herringbone, chevron.... Endless options. I've attached one that is easy to work with, but they actually carry variations at Lowe's.

Inspire. Create. Design Something Fabulous! | AlysEdwards

Browse our selection of Products.

www.alysedwards.com

I love zellige style tile but $$ (though you don't need much, could be splurge) and grout lines end up irregular (you can't be a perfectionist). I've attached a line that is "more accessible" (less$) with lots of installation pictures.

zellige tile | authentic moroccan tile in terracotta | clé tile

clé's authentic moroccan zellige tile comes glazed and unglazed. every moroccan tile is hand-molded, hand-cut, and hand-glazed. no two zellige tiles are exactly alike.

www.cletile.com

Natural stone or honed stone is porous and a nightmare to get tomato sauce out of, even when sealed.

3. Sink: the apron fronts are a dream to keep clean, consider if you want split or one big opening. The material may be dictated by budget but most traditional homes do well with porcelain.

Last, you mentioned market values in your neighborhood. If you may be moving in the next 5 years or so you may not want to choose things that are too specific or exciting, most buyers don't do exciting. If you're staying, choose what you love.

Let us know what you decide! It can be fun. Good luck!

I know, I just love zellige but my eyes water at the cost. I think I will splurge a bit for the tile because it's a smallish area. I had planned on remnants from a local stone place. The place has huge selection of slab/tile. I'll just have to see what they have- their remnant yard is quite large. I'm thinking apron sink may be the way to go and I've always had a single opening, so that's definitely the choice for me.

Thank you everyone for chiming in. It can get overwhelming and a little depressing knowing that we can't put in the new fancy kitchen I really want, but it's nice to know I'm not going in a direction that's coming off as an, 'ew, why?' trying to tart up what wonky I have with a small budget. Even if it is only a little.

It'll be piecemeal and take awhile but when I do anything I'll show off my handiworkIf it goes well, anyway.

 

[MagpieMama]

Backsplash tile ideas?
Handmade tile of some sort… slightly imperfect to look softer/more rustic.
Some kind of warm off white would be lovely with the persimmon color of your cabinets and the butcher block counter, maybe with a light brown/terracotta color grout?

Apron front or undermount sink?
Apron front, fits with the cozy/cottage vibe.

Should the sink be porcelain, copper or other?
Porcelain, for ease of care and to add some brightness

What color stone for the island?
Warm toned but light color honed marble… Calcutta Gold or Taj Mahal - as others have said look for a remnant you don’t seem to need much of it!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

@MagpieMama get out of my head!
Where is this from?! I love it.

 

[MagpieMama]

@MagpieMama get out of my head!
Where is this from?! I love it.

Hahaha, it’s fireclay tile - I pretty much everything they make

Sintra

Shop eco-friendly handmade tile, glass tile, subway tile, backsplash tile & brick tile. Easy free samples. Free 3D design renderings. Trade discounts.

www.fireclaytile.com

 

[lambskin]

I would love a new kitchen in my 100 year old house. Layout sucks and, like you, a cosmetic redo is preferable to the much needed gut job. But what holds me back is function over form. I cook and bake from scratch -a lot- so I need a kitchen that can tolerate, heat, cold, acids, stains, scratches and has plenty of storage. Thus, any type of porcelain, stone or ceramic sink is out of the question. I love an under mount stainless steel sink and would not have anything else. It never looks dirty and does not stain, chip or lose it’s finish. My dream countertops would be a big quartzite slab for a great surface for my baking -a nice cold slab for rolling out dough. The other counters would be a brushed Stainless steel Especially near the oven, range and sink. Easy to clean, does not stain and is heat and cold resistant. The scratches provide a nice patina. I would be too abusive to a wooden countertop and could not keep up with the staining and scratches. Ceiling height top cabinets for storage with no Glass fronts or details. I abhor grout lines and would prefer a beautiful marble or stone slab backsplash but frankly would be too heavy for the sorry state my joists and foundation. My house still settles Which would promote cracking. Finally for the floor I still prefer wood as it is softer to stand upon for longer periods of time, and things that fall don’t break as much as ( or crack or chip the floor) a hard surface( and I just hate vinyl). Ceiling would be full of task lighting and white. Needless to say, over 20 years we have done nada in the kitchen other than replace broken appliances and paint. It looks like crap but it works...sort of! I can’t justify the cost of a gut job To do it right!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I would love a new kitchen in my 100 year old house. Layout sucks and, like you, a cosmetic redo is preferable to the much needed gut job. But what holds me back is function over form. I cook and bake from scratch -a lot- so I need a kitchen that can tolerate, heat, cold, acids, stains, scratches and has plenty of storage. Thus, any type of porcelain, stone or ceramic sink is out of the question. I love an under mount stainless steel sink and would not have anything else. It never looks dirty and does not stain, chip or lose it’s finish. My dream countertops would be a big quartzite slab for a great surface for my baking -a nice cold slab for rolling out dough. The other counters would be a brushed Stainless steel Especially near the oven, range and sink. Easy to clean, does not stain and is heat and cold resistant. The scratches provide a nice patina. I would be too abusive to a wooden countertop and could not keep up with the staining and scratches. Ceiling height top cabinets for storage with no Glass fronts or details. I abhor grout lines and would prefer a beautiful marble or stone slab backsplash but frankly would be too heavy for the sorry state my joists and foundation. My house still settles Which would promote cracking. Finally for the floor I still prefer wood as it is softer to stand upon for longer periods of time, and things that fall don’t break as much as ( or crack or chip the floor) a hard surface( and I just hate vinyl). Ceiling would be full of task lighting and white. Needless to say, over 20 years we have done nada in the kitchen other than replace broken appliances and paint. It looks like crap but it works...sort of! I can’t justify the cost of a gut job To do it right!

I feel this! What you describe for yours is the ultimate in functional kitchen. It would be amazing.
I can't imagine what would happen if we started large scale 'remodel' on our old girl, she's going to be 198 this year. Everything about her is a production.
I've been staring at my kitchen for 17 yrs and hating the old tile countertops they had installed for all of that time with a passion. I would swap paint/cabinet colors thinking I'd hate those tiles less. Nope, still tile. I'm already really happy with just the other counters not being 'that stupid tile' that I think I'll be at peace with the mini makeover we're going to be able to do.
I'm definitely going to get stone for the little island as it's where I do most of my cook prep and rolling. I may get two smaller slabs and add feet, one for the counter by the stove(for when the island is being used for prep as extra space for hot pots/baking sheets straight out to cool) and one in the pantry for our coffee station area.
Old houses like ours can be frustrating if you don't have the funds to throw around. I hope you get a chance to do some of what you'd like in yours, even if it's a small thing, it'll make a difference.

 

[MamaBee]

I’m just going to throw out caution to anyone thinking about getting quartzite (natural stone) countertops. I ordered a quartzite countertop for my kitchen here in Pa. It was a total kitchen regut. I wanted marble but didn’t want the care it would take to keep it pristine. I would have liked it to be perfectly shiny..I went with a very expensive quartzite stone. The cabinets were built on top of the stone..so it would not be easy to replace without taking all the cabinets out and a major renovation to the cabinets. The countertops started etching with water spots and scratching right away. This was more noticeable because of the polished finish.. After numerous inquiries from other stone people..I found out there is a type of marble that is being sold as quartzite at many stone yards. The people that mine the stones put a type of epoxy wash on them and then buff it out before it gets sold as slabs to distributors. The people you purchase the slabs at in the states are not even aware of this treatment. It’s not something you can see on the front of the slab. It fills in some of the porosity of the marble..If you look at the rough sides of the slab you can sometimes see the epoxy if you look really hard and know what to look for. For that reason I will never get a quartzite again. My counters are beautiful..but they are etched and have little scratches all over. The one thing that is positive is that I don’t have to seal it because it doesn’t stain. I remember one stone person say that the quartzite is much more fragile than regular carrera marble. I found that to be true..If I get a baby chip I can find it with an emery board. That’s how soft it is.

 

[lambskin]

So my above post. Basically suggests you should also take into account how you use your kitchen when remodeling. Good luck! Can’t wait to see the choices and progress…

 

[lambskin]

Mama Bee, Wow had no idea re quartzite issues. I thought it addressed all the downsides of actual marble! Love this forum. When cooking, I have to deal with stains, scratches and hot pots. I’ll trade with anyone’s counters sight unseen as my counters are…wait for it.. the worst imaginable… white Formica from the 1970’s! Can u imagine the upkeep and constant wiping I have to do when cooking? Thank God for Comet and Barkeepers Friend.! The only thing I know that is not removable are burn/scorch marks from hot pans. I still think stainless counters are my answer but they can look a tad commercial especially if appliances are SS too. I don’t have any room for an island so I need some sort of stone slab for baking.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I hope you do it, @lambskin.
It never even occurred to me as a viable option until you mentioned it. So, of course I'm curious and was looking at a bunch of examples and I especially love the look of the hammered steel. I think steel could be incorporated into a kitchen in any of the finishes and look fabulous, especially with SS appliances and a backsplash behind the stove.
If I hadn't gotten the butcher for crazy cheap already, this would be a real option.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I’m just going to throw out caution to anyone thinking about getting quartzite (natural stone) countertops. I ordered a quartzite countertop for my kitchen here in Pa. It was a total kitchen regut. I wanted marble but didn’t want the care it would take to keep it pristine. I would have liked it to be perfectly shiny..I went with a very expensive quartzite stone. The cabinets were built on top of the stone..so it would not be easy to replace without taking all the cabinets out and a major renovation to the cabinets. The countertops started etching with water spots and scratching right away. This was more noticeable because of the polished finish.. After numerous inquiries from other stone people..I found out there is a type of marble that is being sold as quartzite at many stone yards. The people that mine the stones put a type of epoxy wash on them and then buff it out before it gets sold as slabs to distributors. The people you purchase the slabs at in the states are not even aware of this treatment. It’s not something you can see on the front of the slab. It fills in some of the porosity of the marble..If you look at the rough sides of the slab you can sometimes see the epoxy if you look really hard and know what to look for. For that reason I will never get a quartzite again. My counters are beautiful..but they are etched and have little scratches all over. The one thing that is positive is that I don’t have to seal it because it doesn’t stain. I remember one stone person say that the quartzite is much more fragile than regular carrera marble. I found that to be true..If I get a baby chip I can find it with an emery board. That’s how soft it is.

Welp, that tears it, I'm going to steer clear of white quartzite when we get to the stone yard! What a nasty little surprise, especially to have paid a premium for. As sorry as I am for you, I'm grateful for the PSA. I know that we would absolutely destroy soft stone as our primary worksurface!

 

[luckygreen317]

All of the pulls were over in the store that used to exist in my other building. They're a connection that I love and there were just enough of them. Cool, huh?
I'm struggling with tile choices and ceiling treatments because the style of the house sort of limits the directions I can go. Too fancy, or wild, will look overwhelming, but I also don't want flat and boring. I'm wondering if texture is the way to go?
I'm very partial to zellige tiles and I love Moroccan or Spanish tiles/texture. I also love Suzani type patterns. I'm also partial to old fashioned anaglypta wallpaper.
I think I'm most worried about the ceiling and the wall competing with each other.
Ugh, I don't know- I'm probably going to stare listlessly at tile and stone samples soon.

And I'm agreeing on the sink, the old porcelain cast iron I have is deep enough to wash a five year old and I need it least 33 to 36 inches wide.

I have a light neutral kitchen and don’t think I would ever go another direction again. I went with “cream” cabinets and a warm white quartz countertop with subtle flecks. Quartz is man made and durable. It does chip but easily repairable. I went subtle on the countertops because I have a show-piece Sea Pearl Quartzite counter on the kitchen island.

I love the handmade look, tonal shading and shine of the white subway tile in the photo above. If you go subtle on the tile, you will never grow tired of it.

I have a 29” wide undermount sink that is very versatile. Think about the loss of 6” inches of counter space for a larger sink and if it’s worth it. I went stainless and wish I went with composite. My friend has a dark grey composite sink and I wish I had seen it before I made my decision.

Have you thought of adding recessed lighting to your kitchen? That makes a big difference in making the room feel larger. Under cabinet lighting is a very nice addition.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I have a light neutral kitchen and don’t think I would ever go another direction again. I went with “cream” cabinets and a warm white quartz countertop with subtle flecks.

I love the handmade look, tonal shading and shine of the white subway tile in the photo above. If you go subtle on the tile, you will never grow tired of it.

I have a 29” wide undermount sink that is very versatile. Think about the loss of 6” inches of counter space for a larger sink and if it’s worth it. I went stainless and wish I went with composite. My friend has a dark grey composite sink and I wish I had seen it before I made my decision.

Have you thought of adding recessed lighting to your kitchen? That makes a big difference in making the room feel larger. Under cabinet lighting is a very nice addition.

I think about it all the time! I can't do the recessed lighting now as DH just doesn't have the time and the ceilings pose a problem. Really, what we need is for our electrician to come and rewire several rooms, but we don't have money for the added expense at the moment. I probably will in a few years if I can.
The cabinet lighting will go a long way in the interim and the new pendant light and hood should jazz it up a little.
I'm with you on the tile, I've chosen a 2x8 and am getting samples of the white and off white to see which I like better. The nice thing about them is that they're varied shades in each colorway so they won't be overly uniform. I may actually do them herringbone, but am not sure just yet. I'm thinking that as much as I love patterns, subtle texturing is better for the long haul because I can expect to change the wall and cabinet colors a few times in the next decade or so. I know myself I saw some composite sinks and they intrigue me, what I'm used to seeing are big old fashioned cast irons like mine, soapstone and farmers. The sink is on it's own on the counter ell(?) DH votes for 33'' undermount instead (same size as current), any variety, as he likes that it's sleeker looking. I would be fine with 30-33, though there is space for 36. I was thinking while measuring it that I could easily do 30" and be fine. I waffle on the sinks, which is why we have yet to switch the counter in there. There are too many options. It's not where I expected to waste time on a sink, but here I am, doing just that!

 

[sledge]

Honestly I think the section of your kitchen done with the white painted cabinets and dark butcher block looks pretty awesome. I would carry that look throughout and put in an oversized farm sink.

If you want a different look on the center island I could see the same white cabinets and that stainless hammered steel top. Replace your current black appliances with stainless to finish tying it in.

FYI your black hardware will look great on the white and against the dark butcher block. Also I like the idea of metal ceiling tiles but they can be expensive. I saw upstream someone mentioned a wallpaper that gives that look. I also think that would tie in nice with all these other things.

That would leave your backsplash which I think a simple white tile in a herringbone pattern would add some interest while remaining simple and elegant. Use a darker grout to play off the black hardware elements.

FYI we are in the midst of updating our place. We just repainted. Did white trim and doors and installed black hinges and door knobs. Painted kitchen and master bath cabinets white and installed black hardware. We have a ways to go but making progress.

 

[MamaBee]

Mama Bee, Wow had no idea re quartzite issues. I thought it addressed all the downsides of actual marble! Love this forum. When cooking, I have to deal with stains, scratches and hot pots. I’ll trade with anyone’s counters sight unseen as my counters are…wait for it.. the worst imaginable… white Formica from the 1970’s! Can u imagine the upkeep and constant wiping I have to do when cooking? Thank God for Comet and Barkeepers Friend.! The only thing I know that is not removable are burn/scorch marks from hot pans. I still think stainless counters are my answer but they can look a tad commercial especially if appliances are SS too. I don’t have any room for an island so I need some sort of stone slab for baking.

@lambskin..I actually loved the white Formica countertops I had when we lived in New Jersey many years ago. I had a teenager, middle schooler, and my youngest who was four at the time. They used to spill everything on that counter including Kool-aid which stains everything. I know Kool-aid is bad but you have to pick your battles at that age.. Windex took out every single stain on that white Formica. Just spray it on and the stain just comes out! I used Windex the other day on my kitchen table because something red stained it. I sprayed it on the stain..Poof! Gone! Try it!

BTW I also have an undermount one bowl stainless steel kitchen sink. It’s wide enough to soak very large pans for when I entertain my family. I made sure it was the kind that was heavy duty. It’s Luxart..

 

[Arcadian]

@lambskin..I actually loved the white Formica countertops I had when we lived in New Jersey many years ago. I had a teenager, middle schooler, and my youngest who was four at the time. They used to spill everything on that counter including Kool-aid which stains everything. I know Kool-aid is bad but you have to pick your battles at that age.. Windex took out every single stain on that white Formica. Just spray it on and the stain just comes out! I used Windex the other day on my kitchen table because something red stained it. I sprayed it on the stain..Poof! Gone! Try it!

BTW I also have an undermount one bowl stainless steel kitchen sink. It’s wide enough to soak very large pans for when I entertain my family. I made sure it was the kind that was heavy duty. It’s Luxart..

I want a stainless steel sink but sadly every appliance in my kitchen is stainless (which I absolutely do not like)

 

[sledge]

I want a stainless steel sink but sadly every appliance in my kitchen is stainless (which I absolutely do not like)

Have you considered black stainless appliances?

We swapped from normal to black stainless a few years back and love them. We moved out of state a year or so ago and currently updating several spaces including our kitchen. We are going to update the other appliances to match our fridge along with new counters, backsplash, etc.

This is another pic after we repainted the cabinets and before I got the new hardware installed.

https://www.kitchenaid.com/major-appliances/refrigeration/refrigerators/french-door-refrigerators/p.25.8-cu.-ft.-36-multi-door-freestanding-refrigerator-with-platinum-interior-design-and-printshield-finish.krmf706ebs.html

 

[MamaBee]

I want a stainless steel sink but sadly every appliance in my kitchen is stainless (which I absolutely do not like)

My refrigerator and dishwasher are built ins..but my free range is stainless. I would also do a white sink if my appliances were all stainless. I love a white sink but not with my messy family!

 

[MamaBee]

If I can get the kitchen together after my family comes today..I’ll take a pic of my kitchen. I collect things so don’t expect a magazine cover!
I’ll take a pic of my supposedly quartzite counters which are really a type of marble.