Another remodeling question: Oak cabinets and Granite counter tops?

[asha]

Does any one have this combination? If yes, what color did you pick for the granite and floor? If you have any pictures, that will be perfect.

We are thinking of keeping our old cabinets, they are oak. We also have a breakfast nook and a whole wall unit in the same wood and they are in good shape. So, we dont want to change them. We have a good sized window and a skylight in the kitchen, so it is pretty bright there.

I am really bad with all these things and am afraid I will end up with awful colors. My neighbors have the same setup and they ended up with black granite counters and backsplash. It makes the whole kitchen look really dark. I am afraid I will make similar mistakes.

Thanks in advance.

Edited to subscribe to the thread.

[karolyp]

I would imagine a warm honey colored counter top and floor would look good. Some of the best color combination ideas I've gotten were actually from the Lowes and Home Depot sales fliers...if you can get past drooling at their beautiful kitchens!!! :)

Anhyow, I understand about not wanting to change the cabinets bc your other pieces match...a furniture company was willing to change our bedroom set for free because we had so many problems with it, but I turned the offer down because everything in my bedroom coordinated!!!

HTH

[lmintzer]

A beautiful color granite (that looks good with lighter woods) is called Santa Cecilia. It's kind of a beigy/neutral with grey and pretty pinkish splotches called "cranberries". Here is a linkk to pictures of it: http://www.builddirect.com/Granite/granitecounters-Santa-Cecilia/Additional_9020_127012_10002964_692.aspx

We used it in our old kitchen with maple cabinets (lighter than oak but similar enough, I think). It really brightened up a small, dark room.

You could anything for a backsplash--I can imagine tumbled stones looking neat. But I'm far from an expert.

Hope that helps!

[swampus]

The only thing I might be concerned about is how large the grain in oak is-- and a lot of granite has large cleaves (is that the right term?), so it might look kind of busy... but if you get a granite that has a softer (less contrasting) look to it, it'll look just fine, I'm sure. Also, if the oak stain is dark enough, it could hide a lot of the grain, which would make this less of an issue.

I'm starting to plan my backsplash and am really looking forward to it--but it is daunting!

have fun with it!

[Momof3Labs]

Good point - our old house had natural oak cabinets with a fairly noticeable grain, and we found that a more muted (pattern-wise) countertop looked much better with the cabinets. Anything else was just too busy.

[lmintzer]

duplicate post

[lmintzer]

Hmm. Didn't think of that (re: the grain). Maybe a granite alternative, then? One of the other stones that has a more muted look. If you like the look of granite, I'm sure there is one with less going on. Maybe someone else will have a suggestion as to a particular one.

Actually, come to think of it, our new house has oak cabinets. I keep forgetting that they are oak because of how non-grainy they are. They are a light honey color--a bit darker than natural maple, but still on the light side for oak. No real noticeable grain at all. Our granite has some pattern in it--it is a pretty neutral color--has an orange/peach cast. I THINK it may be Rosa Porrino--you can see it here: http://www.monticellogranite.com/granite-colors.html

[swampus]

Maybe you have quarter-sawn oak? I love quarter-sawn, and now that we've spend thousands of dollars on our dining room set (doh!), I realize I like it much better than regular oak. Quarter-sawn has the look of lots of small lines instead of the regular grain of oak. It also runs about 1/3 more than regular.


Edited because "now" is not "know." :)

[almostamom]

Asha,
While I don't have oak cabinets (mine are maple)here are a few pics so you can see the colors together. My best advice would be to start visiting model homes. Even if they use formica or silestone in the models, you can see how the colors go together and know what you like and don't like - just an idea :)

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/30856.jpg
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/30857.jpg

~Linda~
DS 11/9/04