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Happy October 1st, how is it possible that we are steam rolling towards the end of the year already?! O.k. folks, let’s all slow down and take time to sip some warm apple cider with a cinnamon stick, put a fire in the fireplace and/or simply curl up with a good book/Kindle and enjoy the cool days of Autumn. Let’s start a pact that says Thanksgiving, let alone Halloween, come first. Christmas is at the end of December!
When we moved into our house in 1982 it showed promise but you really had to use your imagination to see it. The kitchen had harvest gold Formica, unfinished aluminum steel windows [way past their prime, if they ever had a prime], and a dark linoleum on the floor. The cabinets were a dark wood(?) that had seen better days. (Sorry, I haven’t found any before pictures, I try to keep unpleasant memories at bay).
The band-aid cure was to replace the cabinet fronts and paint the new doors and cabinet base white, knowing we’d remodel someday. We added a bay window and found a very inexpensive tile guy to tile the counters. [You get what you pay for, but that’s a story for another post] These fixes made a vast improvement and I loved our white kitchen. Like most of you, I dreamed of my “perfect” kitchen based on a file full of ripped pages from magazines, ideas galore, but I was patient for the right timing [read: funds].
In 2003 we met with a friend who happened to be a designer. She drew up plans for our dream kitchen and when it came to cabinet color, Mr. B. said he really wanted stained cabinets. His reasoning was we had lived with white cabinets for 20+ years and he felt we would appreciate a change. Every other detail in the kitchen had been pretty much my choice, so I agreed.
While I love our kitchen, even after 11 years, I miss a white kitchen. So the file (Pinterest) is filled with images of white kitchens. I don’t expect to remodel the existing kitchen since it’s really held up well…yes, the granite may date our kitchen, apart from that all is well. Still, I think to myself, what if we downsize? There might be one more kitchen in our future.
You can see, we actually use our kitchen. Why did I take a picture with a pan on the stove?! Real life, I guess.
Our granite ages our kitchen a bit, but I don’t hate it. I remember when we had tile and that seemed classic to me at the time, much like the consensus on granite when we installed it.
My question to you, my dear blog friends, is if and when I were to do a white kitchen, would I use dark counter tops or light?
Here are a few of my favorites…both sides of the argument (dark counter tops vs. light) are featured. There are no wrong answers. Let me know what your thoughts/experience has been…
I like the creamy white of these cabinets, the dark trim on the windows and dark counter top is very pretty. Contrast is a good thing for me. I also like pops of black. As you can see above, our kitchen pantry was built to look like a piece of furniture and is painted a satin black with some slight distressing on the edges.
Yvonne, over at StoneGable Farm, has a lovely kitchen and accompanying her white cabinets are dark counter tops. Such a great look.
I love this kitchen, from the pendant lights to the subway tile over the stove, it’s easy for me to imagine this as my future kitchen. The counters appear to be a warm beige color with a butcher block island top. Hmm, more to think about.
My favorite cookbook writer and food.tv star, Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, in her “barn” kitchen. This was built on her property in the Hamptons expressly for filming her television show. White cabinets, black counter tops. A pattern of interest seems to be developing…
An all-time favorite kitchen from Traditional Home magazine. White on white, with dark hardware and steel windows.
This is one of my favorite houses online. Joan of for the love of a house has soapstone counter tops and white cabinets. Visit here to see more of this incredible kitchen.
Another favorite, Alison over at The Polohouse has a beautiful kitchen. I remember her telling readers that the island is a piece of furniture she found (or was given, I can’t remember which) in any case, it’s a wonderful kitchen.
This Randy Boyd kitchen is exactly the look I’m after, contrast, charm, and a great stove.
Do you like white kitchens? There are so many options and each one can pull me towards something different. This is an exercise, just visualizing in my mind what I might enjoy if change were required. You understand, right?
Garden, Home & Party 
Shirley said:
MY CHOICE WOULD BE THE DARK OR BLACK COUNTER TOPS WITH WHITE CUPBOARDS. THE CHROME LIKE HARDWARE LOOKS NICE TOO. MY DAUGHTER IS LUCKY AND HAS A BEAUTIFUL SUMMER HOME. OLD HOME THEY RE DID AS SUCH AND IT IS SO NICE.
Karen B. said:
Hi Shirely, That is what I’m leaning towards. I find that my file for white kitchens seems to have more dark counter tops than the lighter surfaces. Thank you for voting. This really is just an exercise, and excuse, for me to dream. You understand, right? 🙂 xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 4:41 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Jennifer Smith said:
Before I added a travertine floor, my kitchen cabinets were creamy white and my countertops were solid black like the photo. I really loved that look. Unfortunately, the travertine and the color of my cabinets were a bad combo. Now I have olive green cabinets and zinc counters. I vote for the cream and black. I love your built in microwave and the large window in front of the sink. My sister has a similar stained cabinets with granite counters and a travertine backsplash. She wants to paint her cabinets too, but her husband won’t let her. Good luck!!
Karen B. said:
Jennifer, Ha, ha. Once before I wrote a post about wanting to paint a wood ceiling white and across the board. Most commenters that their husbands didn’t want to paint wood, they felt that was sacrilege. I do love the dark surfaces and figure there’s one more kitchen in my future where I can give white cabinets/black counters a go. xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 4:58 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Rebecca Dexter said:
Please think twice about butcher block…I have had them for 26 years and unless you and your family are very anal and never set a wet glass down on them you will rue the day they were installed. Unless you poly them or like an extremely rustic patina (which take 26 years to achieve) they are very high maintenance. I am ready for a redo and know that I absolutely want white cabinets…I have stained wood (I really think that that is a “man” thing) and it literally sucks all of the light out of the room. Getting older and living in WI I need as much light as I can get. I am still stuck on counter tops…love marble but it is too hard to maintain with a husband who is definitely not careful (sorry but it is the truth). Probably will go with quartz that looks amazingly like marble. Also be careful about steel windows…I adore the look but had them in college (see, everything comes around again) and if you live in a cold climate they attract the cold and look like they have snow on them. Can’t wait to see what you choose.
Karen B. said:
Rebecca, That is interesting about butcher block. I’ve never had it and did wonder about stains. I would make myself crazy trying to keep them looking pristine. (I realize this is crazy, but I also accept this is part of my DNA!) Our son and family just redid their kitchen and they used caesarstone and it truly looks like marble but is impervious to stains of any kind. We live in Southern California so I guess the cold wouldn’t be too much of a worry with regards to the windows. In fact I’ve been wishing for cooler, fall-like weather for weeks now. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 5:36 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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sheila@mykentuckyliving said:
Karen…I understand your feelings. I had a solid cherry kitchen with white countertops for over twenty years. Now with a white kitchen in the new house I had to decide on countertops and backsplash. I went with black granite for both. I sort of wanted white subway tile for backsplash…but the granite turned out to be faster and slightly less expensive. I love my black granite! When did granite become passé? I missed that memo. Ha! Just go with what you love. We want pics when you make a change. Sheila
Karen B. said:
Hi Sheila, I love that combination of white with black. I should have clarified, granite isn’t passe, never will be since it such a classic surface. My particular color selection, busy pattern with a coffee tint and flecks of brown, black, beige, seems to have been the rage in the early part of 2000-2003. Not so much now. I don’t dislike it, rather I think it gives visual clues as to when we redid our kitchen. I agree, we have to please ourselves first. If I ever have to remodel a kitchen again, I’m going with white and black. xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 6:21 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Victoria • Restoring our Victorian said:
I think anyone who has had granite appreciates it for its total indestructibility. Every single other (natural) material requires SOME kind of pampering. (Yes, I know you are supposed to seal granite, but my mother has never bothered with that and 10 years later, her granite still looks practically brand-new.)
As far as dark counters, I LOVE the contrast with white cabinets. But we have black counters. And they show EVERYTHING. Streaks, drips, whatever. We actually have to dry the counter with a dish towel if we want it streak-free.
Karen B. said:
I did wonder if black counters, like black cars loose their appeal after you’ve buffed and shined them for the umpteenth time. I did have our granite sealed when it was installed, I’ve never done it since and it looks like new. My designer friend said if I tire of it I could have it honed for a different look. Maybe I’ll do that one day. Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 8:43 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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debra@5th and state said:
i do believe i was a mole in a past life as my comfort zone is dark warm and cozy spaces. that being said, i also love your inspiration photo’s, each image was a favorite until the next, and so on. when we re-did our kitchen a designer friend said no to dark countertops. her thinking was that you were adding a black hole element. i listened but still debate that in my head, leaning towards she is correct.
with that, we chose a top called jerusalem limestone in gray color ways and honed. it has been 9 years and i still LOVE it!
xo
debra
Karen B. said:
Debra, I do think next go around I’d do honed, maybe even have our existing counters honed at some point. I prefer the more natural finish to the shiny one. Our granite has dulled a bit over time, but not so that it looks bad, just looks better (to me). I was encouraged to do limestone counters but it was above our budget. The place that we bought our tile for the back splash absolutely loved it and said we’d be happy. It was a bit more $$$ and we (me) said we could do without it. This was just an exercise in daydreaming but that’s what we do isn’t it? At least when we have time. 🙂 xo Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 8:55 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Linda Coble said:
Karen,
This post was right up my alley since the kitchen is my favorite room in the house. I like the look of white cabinets and dark countertops and I think it would look fantastic in your home. The white cabinets I had many years ago were a pain to care for but I’m pretty sure they have better finishes available now. For myself, I still love my granite countertops which still look great after 16 years of hard use.
Karen B. said:
This was truly a day dream exercise, I won’t be changing our existing kitchen, but instead just preparing my favorite kitchen file for a possible “downsize” in the future. Still I do love the idea of a white kitchen. xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Jeannine said:
I really like your present kitchen, but then I have stained cabinets which I love! I also love white kitchens. I think the contrast between the white cabinets and the black countertop is wonderful, but I wondered about everything showing and see that someone commented that that is the case. I like the kitchen with the white countertops, but there’s something a little cold about it and I think I would tire of it. Just my two cents.
Karen B. said:
Jeannine, I do love my kitchen, honest. I just think white looks so fresh and inviting. I wonder if I had done a white kitchen 11 years ago if I wouldn’t be thinking I’d want stained cabinets next time. I do believe some white cabinets don’t seem to be as forgiving as the stained of dings, etc. Thanks for weighing in…it’s been fun to daydream about a different kitchen. xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 3:01 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Kristy Woodson Harvey said:
Karen, you have created a beautiful kitchen! But, you know me… I’m all about the white! I think white honed marble is just the best. It doesn’t show etches like the polished kind. But I don’t think you can go wrong either way! xo Kristy
Karen B. said:
Kristy, I do think honed stone is wonderful. I have a friend that had her marble kitchen island honed after she was having difficulty with stains and water marks. That took care of the issue. Funny, I would have thought the opposite but it has been easy to care for since they honed it. Thanks for weighing in. xo Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 3:04 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Chronica Domus said:
Your kitchen looks very comfortable and serviceable, but I do understand your dream for a change to white.
I have a white kitchen and I’ve yet to tire of it. Although my counters are marble, so not much of a contrast, the floor is Douglas Fir, which is where the contrast comes in.
It is always fun to dream, plot and plan for the future, a pleasant past time if you ask me.
Karen B. said:
Thanks for that vote of confidence on the whole day dreaming issue. I find that its fun for me to plan and dream, and sometimes it comes in handy when the time comes for a change it’s nice to have visited the idea in advance. I do believe one day there will be another white kitchen in my future. Have you ever shared a tour of some of the rooms in your home. I love the quality design that went into your garage doors so I’m sure the inside is lovely too. I know some don’t like to share too much, and I understand, but since I am relatively new to your site I wondered. Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 3:52 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Chronica Domus said:
Hello Karen,
No, I’ve yet to have a coming out party, but I’m happy you enjoyed following along with the garage door design. I am a mere fledgling to the ‘sphere, having started my blog in January, but I’m sure I shall eventually write and post on some of the interior projects we’ve undertaken.
CD
Karen B. said:
Thanks for the follow up. I’ll be looking forward to that and any other topic you write about. I enjoy your site very much. Karen
On Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 1:53 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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D'Arcy H said:
Hi Karen! You KNOW I love white kitchens! Since we redid ours with the white cabinets and gray linoleum, it’s so light and bright in there, which is important in the gloomy Northwest winter. I love the contrast of my charcoal Caesarstone counters, and they are so easy-care–love ’em! It’s hard to design something today that won’t look a little dated tomorrow, but I think white and black kitchens stand the best chance. Yours is lovely, though, and looks like it’s such a pleasure to work in. I do like your granite. –D’Arcy
Karen B. said:
D’Arcy, I still like my kitchen too but it’s funny, when I look in my ‘kitchen’ files on Pinterest, most of the kitchens are white. My daughter in law and son just put in Caesarstone and they love it and it looks like marble. It fun to dream and should the opportunity every arrive to do a makeover on another kitchen, white and black will most definitely be high on the list of possibilities. Thanks for your kind word about my granite. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Wed, Oct 1, 2014 at 8:06 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Vicki said:
Hi Karen– I can relate to this post- we re-did our bathroom in 2003 with a dark vanity and granite counter very similar to the tones in yours. I keep thinking about painting that vanity. Your kitchen is pretty- very warm, and I love the black pantry. You made beautiful choices.
Isn’t it fun to daydream about the changes you could make? Helps me fall asleep at night. 🙂
Karen B. said:
Vicki, I love to imagine what I’d do if I had 3 or 4 houses. Not that I’d want that many, but there are so many pretty rooms in blog land and its fun to imagine your favorites as your own, with personal tweaks, of course! 🙂 Funny you should mention sleep, when I wake up, mind racing, that is the exercise that helps me relax. The design of the what-if rooms. xo Karen
On Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 9:10 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Leslie Harris aka Gwen Moss said:
Karen I read this post from my phone yesterday and I’m back to tell you how much I enjoyed this topic! These photos are so fun to gaze at…and personally I go back and forth with my choices.To me, the white cabinets with the dark counters is a classic look. Although i’m fixated on marble too. And I do love your kitchen with it’s warmth and coziness also….boy it’s hard to beat granite when it comes to durability;I sure loved my granite. But I have to admit I’m looking forward to something different in this house.
Karen B. said:
My take away after writing this is that we all like a little change, no matter how classic something might be. That’s why Mr. B thought we needed stained cabinets. I like them but next go around I’d enjoy white with maybe a Caeserstone…that is either black or some form of white. Son and DIl’s sure turned out fabulous, it resemble carrera but is impervious to stains or heat or anything. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I received your email notice much later (late this afternoon) and just now read and commented on your posts for Oct. 1 & 2. This will be fun to see what happens within the time span of 31 days. Don’t worry about commenting if your slammed, I completely understand and have done the same myself. xo, Karen
On Thu, Oct 2, 2014 at 1:35 PM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Leslie said:
Karen, I love them both and sometimes using a combination is fun! .. sort of a two toned look. I did that in my last kitchen. I had white marble on the island with a black base and black granite on the counters with white cabinets. The new house will have mainly white .. white cabinetry mixed with some that’s glass and Calacutta marble tops. The island will be black with the white top for contrast. Also something to consider is floor color. It’s good to have a contrast there;) I can’t wait to see what you decide! xxleslie
Karen B. said:
Hi Leslie,
How are you? I do love the dark counters with a light color on an island. Since this is just an exercise in day dreaming I figure we can do both. 🙂 We may never “downsize” but it’s sure fun to dream.
I’ve missed you!
Karen
Design Chic said:
I love a white kitchen and both dark and light tops. We have chosen marble for the Beaufort house with much trepidation, but love marble so much that felt it was worth the risk…beautiful images!
Karen B. said:
I hear honed marble isn’t too difficult to keep up. I do love marble, but have seen a couple of newly remodeled kitchens with some very convincing manufactured stone counters. Fortunately, this was an exercise in daydreaming about a downsize that may never take shape. Still, I ‘m so happy to have so many respected designers weigh in. It will assist me when and if I am making that decision in the future. Thanks. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Tue, Oct 7, 2014 at 6:02 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Taylor Greenwalt said:
Hi Karen, your kitchen is beautiful…You did a great job coordinating the tile patterns and the granite…but I know how you feel…I always recommend to my female clients.. first figure out what you want than show your husband…other wise it never feels right…I think its a nesting thing.
I love both… if I were to design my own kitchen I might use a combo of dark and light counters. I love the marble look with the black granite or soapstone…..I’m hoping one day I will be able to.
Karen B. said:
Julie, I know we’ll most probably not redo our kitchen in this house, but the notion of a little less yard (our house is small enough) appeals to me. We have a mow and blow guy but I detail the garden and it’s fun but a lot of work as well. Thanks for weighing in. I do like the idea of dark counter tops with a light island counter. xo, Karen
On Tue, Oct 7, 2014 at 7:40 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Gretchen said:
Karen, with your beautiful dark wood floors I think you could use light countertops with the white cabinets. Dark countertops seem more dramatic however. I really like the suggestion of using dark everywhere and light on the island. All the photos I’ve gravitated toward lately have that combination.
Karen B. said:
Gretchen, I will live vicariously through your ultimate redo of a kitchen in a new(to you) house! I do have a ton of picture of white kitchens to inspire. 🙂 xo, Karen
On Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 8:13 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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Gretchen said:
I would love to take a look at those to further define my plan.
Karen B. said:
Next time we get together I’ll bring my lap top and the flash drive file
Sent from my iPad
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Jayne on Weed Street said:
I am on my 5th kitchen, having overhauled only 2 of the 5. And believe me, I know how you feel. You always like the NEXT kitchen you think you might have best! So, in our latest home, I inherited a fairly new kitchen with cherry cabinets and a black granite counter. It is not solid black – it has a chocolate brown grain. But when did the granite become passé? I wanted to change the counters to a more golden granite to look good with the golden hued stone on the floor, but do I have to think twice? Will I date the kitchen? By the way, I LOVE your kitchen.
Karen B. said:
Hi Jayne, As I wrote that about the granite I knew I’d be sorry. 🙂 I think my color choice of granite isn’t as popular is it was when it was installed…but then what is, right. Even “timeless” items can seem dated. I love having granite but figure next go around (if there is a next go around) I’d select quartz. Our son and daughter in law just redid their kitchen and her caesarstone looks like marble, only there are no stains or etching involved. Your new kitchen sounds nice, at least it’s fairly new. I know sometimes kitchen redo’s by someone other than yourself can be a disaster.
By the way, I loved y our post about your organic gardening. I don’t use pesticides but I do use other sprays that seem to work some of the time. I’ve never grown an edible thing in our garden that didn’t get worm-holed by day 2. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend, lucky you to have some signs of fall weather. Karen
On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Garden, Home & Party wrote:
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