I would like advice on counter top and wall color for my kitchen. The cabinets are cognac, appliances and wood trim are cream (bisque). The floor and back-splash are Terra Cotta. Most of my house has cream through gold walls. I am considering black granite with cream and Terra Cotta colored marbling. Thanks.
I think you are right on target with choosing the black granite countertops with the marbling you've described. Every room needs a touch of black. It will help balance out the cream you have there.
Mostly anything will go with your neutral kitchen. The basic rule of decorating is to always go with a neutral color for things that are expensive or hard to change out (like large ticket furniture, flooring, cabinets & counter tops) Then give the room some punch with colors in the way of paint, throw pillows, rugs & doodads... (things that are less costly & are easily switched out when you tire of the color or style) I would look for a black granite that has copper colored swirls, specks or veining in it. This copper flecks will match the tera-cotta without being to "way-out". Also, if you have stainless appliances, see if you can find a black granite that also has some silver flecks in it too. Everyone is going with stainless appliances these days, but I like black appliances with black granite.
Pick another color you that you really love to paint the walls. I'd go with green, any shade of green would go wonderfully with the terra-cotta. I, myself consider Green to be a neutral in a way, because it goes with pretty much anything because it's in everything in nature (grass, flower leaves & stems, trees, moss, etc, etc.) I'm getting the idea that you like to play it safe when it comes to color & green walls would be a way to give your room just a little bit of punch without going too crazy. Think, golden sage, light or medium olive or even hunter (dark blue green) or dark olive if you're looking for a deeper color. If you need sunshine, think maize, mustard, or a med beige with lots of gold in it.
For trim, white would be okay or a darker or lighter version of one of the other colors you mentioned. Add some punch to your room with a colorful kitchen rug, canisters, planters, a painting or print. These things are easy to change when you tire of the color scheme but will give the room lots of pizzazz!
This pages has been archived 5 times. You can view older posts and feedback below.
Request: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops (11/02/2009)
I am changing countertops in my kitchen. The cabinets and oak floor are stained pecan color. Kitchen is medium in size. What is the best color of laminate counter tops to use?
Request: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops (06/10/2009)
We have maple cabinets with a light finish and bamboo floors in our kitchen. What kind of countertops should I buy? Also, what color would look the best with light cabinets and floors?
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Request: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
Archived on 11/02/2009
I am changing countertops in my kitchen. The cabinets and oak floor are stained pecan color. Kitchen is medium in size. What is the best color of laminate counter tops to use?
Everyone has their own preference. Just about any color would work. You could get some construction paper or anything with color and lay them on the counter top and take some pictures. Whichever you like most, choose that one. I usually go with white because they are so easy to clean and keep, and they match everything. (06/11/2009)
Countertops are like a man, you will know when it is the right one!
When in doubt, go to a store that sells both flooring and counter tops. Their sales people are trained in the products they sell and will have a number of ideas. Also, take a cabinet door off and/or a spare piece of flooring and take that with you when you go shopping. Ask if they will let you take a sample or samples home, then you can check it in your homes lighting as well. It is better to be overly cautious than not enough.
Also, what paint colors do you have in the space or accessories? What about the rest of the house. What in your kitchen do you really love? What kind of cook are you? Take that in to consideration, too. If you are a bit messy, go with an easy clean surface that is not white or full on glossy (there are matte finishes to melamine counters). If you are a clean freak, by all means go full on mirror glossy! After thinking about all that, a well trained salesperson should be able to help you find a product to meet your needs. (06/12/2009)
My advice would be to paint your countertop. Go to the hardware store and buy a few small cans of paint in the colors you think you may want. Then paint the existing countertops. You are going to replace them anyway, this way you will have a better idea of what color you want and can see the whole counter in the colors you are trying out. Those little chips are too small to give a real idea of the color you want. (06/20/2009)
I have oak cabinets, oak floors, and yellow walls. I did black counter tops. Love the way they look, but you have to stay at it or they show dust, fingerprints, etc. (06/26/2009)
We have maple cabinets with a light finish and bamboo floors in our kitchen. What kind of countertops should I buy? Also, what color would look the best with light cabinets and floors? The appliances are stainless (but not shiny).
Robin from NYC
Feedback:
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
I'm a designer and a decorating magazine enthusiast. In general, when choosing countertops, it looks best to put light countertops with dark cabinets and dark countertops with light cabinets. The contrast looks classy. The exception to this is if you want a totally monochromatic room (one color). (01/17/2009)
In my kitchen, I have natural oak floors, natural maple cabinets and white appliances. Would a black counter top look good?
Suset from Chicago, IL
Answers:
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
When a hurricane gave me the chance to remodel my kitchen, I installed maple cabinets, tile floors in a beige that had grayish undertones, used a laminate that was a very close match to my floor color as my backsplash on all the wall surface underneath my cabinets, a wonderful shade of paint of blue with purplish undertones for the wall surfaces, and black granite countertops. WOW! With the crown moulding and baseboard that matches the cabinets and the flat black hardware I chose, it is gorgeous beyond my wildest dreams. Not for one single second have I ever regretted going with black countertops! They make my kitchen POP!
Because not all of our appliances were ruined in the storm, I still have my white refrigerator and dishwasher, but I replaced my ruined stove and oven with black double ovens, and a black glass cooktop with black range hood. I also have a black microwave. I don't mind the look of the white dishwasher and fridge, but when it's time to replace them, I'll be going with black to make the kitchen look more polished and coordinated. (02/19/2007)
By Jill
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
There are many good suggestions in the responses here for colors, but whatever you do, don't use black or dark colors, even if they coordinate well with the wood, wall color, etc. There is nothing harder to keep clean than dark counters, stoves, and other appliances in a kitchen. It shows lint, dust, flour, sugar, oil, fingerprints, and whatever else comes in close contact! Been there, done that, and hated it! (02/19/2007)
I am trying to fix up my kitchen some and can't decide on the walls and the counter tops. The cabinets are going to be painted white because I can't afford new ones right now. I think that a new wall color and new counter top will work wonders. I just don't know what colors to choose. I have been thinking that yellow walls and butcher block counter tops would be okay, but am not sure. Any ideas? (02/21/2007)
I need help with the color of our kitchen countertop! We had white cabinets and dark navy blue walls. We just did the tile floors a tan/beige neutral color. We are stumped on what color to go with on the countertops. The countertops will be against white board and white cabinets and navy walls!
R Noah from Northern KY
Answers:
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
I think a nice timber effect would be nice in a shade close to your new floor. Timber has a timeless appeal and co-ordinates with pretty much anything. (01/08/2007)
By jojo
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
Do you have a Menards store in Northern, KY? They have little squares of laminate color samples that you can take home with you. Then you could lay them out on the counter top and see which ones you like best. If you don't have a Menards, I would just go to the paint department and pick out the paint sample cards and try laying those out on the counter top. I think that a nice beige/tan color to match your flooring would look nice; but you never know, next to the white cabinetry it may look dingy. I picture a nice blue that coordinates with the wall color, are you thinking laminate counter tops, granite, or tile? I have to tell you, I just had a tile counter top installed and I have never had tile before. I really don't like it at all, the grout lines are always needing cleaning because stuff just sticks in them, and I always have to bleach the grout even though I had used a sealer. Just something to consider when deciding on a counter top! (01/08/2007)
I'd match the counters to the new flooring. (01/12/2007)
By carol in PA
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
Our bathroom is navy with white cabinets. We found that a peachy/tan/beige is a nice balance for the navy. Even if your floor is a tan color, use the same or something in that same family- just a little darker or lighter.
(01/12/2007)
By Kat
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
I would choose a light brown, speckled with colors, (have seen black/green/etc speckled-lovely) so its a "basic" and if you change your wall color? (01/12/2007)
I need some advice. I thought I was doing the right thing here but now I'm second guessing myself. I am in the middle of remodeling our home. We added a good sized kitchen which I painted the walls with the cabinets on them a dark apple red, we have hickory cabinets and wood floors. I would like to have hunter green countertops and go with an apple theme. Do you think the hunter counters would be too dark?
Wendy from Blanchardville, WI
Answers:
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
My daughter has a new home and the counters are forest green formica. They look elegant and expensive. Her cabinets look to me like cherry (wooden). The walls are not painted yet so are white. The forest green is a good color. I would use it if I were you. If your walls are a strong color (tone) you will want to use colors with similar strength (tone or depth) to balance that off, I think. For me, the deciding factor would be how much sunlight your kitchen receives. I should also let you know that the green counters do show the dust... They seem to show wet marks and food marks too. but they are very beautiful. I have old formica counters which are lighter yellow. I have never had any trouble with marks showing.. I just wanted you to know ahead of time.. But I truly believe if I were you, I'd go with your original choice of the dark green. Best wishes for the good outcome of your endeavor.. (12/23/2005)
By Carol
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
Personally, I would use the same beige color as the other rooms which would still look great with the blue countertops and white cabinets. Just find a beautiful border (there are thousands) with the colors from the wall and countertops as well as maybe some white in it. The "splash" of color will make the cabinets appear richer and you don't need to limit the border to the upper wall where it meets the ceiling. I used mine around the backsplash too. (12/30/2005)
By Marianne
RE: Color Advice for Kitchen Counter Tops
As a real estate broker, I have to comment... I show many properties to a wide variety of people and the fact is, neutral sells! It's ok to have bold paint, bold fabrics and bold accessories to suit your own decorating style, but keep the "fixtures" neutral. In other words, if its an item that will be included in the sale of your home, make sure its neutral enough to suit many decor styles or that replacing it is cheap enough to do before selling. This will keep your home as marketable as possible and help you get more money for your home in the long run. This is also good to follow when buying expensive furniture items (like sofas etc), because if you keep the basic peice neutral to some degree, all you have to do to change the look is change your accent peices (like pillows and throws or even occassional chairs), but you protect your investment on the bigger ticket items. I would recommend a beigy type countertop and put lots of plants and green accessories to throw in that splash of color without overwhelming the space. (01/15/2006)
