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Question re: color trends and kitchen upgrade. I'm posting here rather than the kitchen boards as the question really goes to long lasting decor style more so than kitchen layout.

I LOVE the look of two cabinet finishes - one color for top, another for the lower. Is this too trendy? If you go with basic black for the lower with a white/cream for the upper, is it neutral enough to stand up to changing decor over time?

Appliances are black (already in place) and floor will likely be red (tile, stained/painted concrete). DH does not want all black cabinetry (it would be too much in our space), but I don't want an all white kitchen either.

Any thoughts on this "trend"?

This two toned has been around as long as there have been kitchens! I do not feel it is a trend, just popular at the moment, but really classy.

My daughter chose to do a med-dark gray for her bottom cabinets and white for the top cabinets. She has two teenaged daughters and two dogs, so she felt gray would stand up to the traffic better than white on the bottom. But, that is not the case with the new paints and finishes we have today. So, just for personal preference, I would do a two-toned kitchen if you love that look.

My daughter loves the color scheme of yellow and gray. She wanted an all gray kitchen, but didn't want a light gray at the top and a dark gray at the bottom. I had advised her that having the dark gray in her 'face' (painting the top cabinets dark gray) might be more depressing for her than white. She agreed and we both agreed on the white at the top. She LOVES the idea of this so far.

Attached is a pic of the INSPIRATIONAL kitchen photo we found, this is NOT her kitchen, just the photo we found to see if she would like the two colors together. She ended up painting the walls that beige/taupe color and it looks nice.

A lot of kitchens are done this way in a modified version with the island being done in a different finish than the rest of the kitchen. I think that would be called a two toned kitchen as well.

I am planning an island that will be a different finish (different counter top as well) than the rest of my white kitchen.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

Glad you asked this cause I am considering it when/if we move...I like the look; what I want to do is have the center set of cabinets with the two-tone look plus have that set feature glass doors

Just a nosy question but.........
If you are going to have dark bottom cabinets and light top cabinets, why not just paint the cabinets you have now. Then down the line if you change your mind and don't like the two-toned look, you can paint them a uniform color.

I don't think that's a nosy question at all!

The kitchen is original to the house - 40 years - and the cabinets are not functional, not in good shape, and the space in the kitchen is not being utilized. This is the least functional kitchen I've ever had! We need to re-do everything. When we get closer to decisions I'll share photos.

I agree, it's a look that's been around for a long time. And it's only paint. If you tire of it you can always make a change later.

I like the gray and white. My favorite inspiration for kitchens and cabinet colors are from Sarah Richardson.

Oooh, look what I found.
http://personalityispreferred....eat-inspiration.html

Why red? Do you mean bright red, or reddish brown? Have you seen plank tiles? Love it.

quote:

Originally posted by jovtfam4:
Why red? Do you mean bright red, or reddish brown? Have you seen plank tiles? Love it.

We have a lot of Spanish influence here, and red floors are quite normal - tile, brick, etc. We were visiting an open house up the road (soooo out of our price range!) and the original red tiles in the kitchen were so beautiful. Absolutely stunning. We were 90% there on color decision, but that house pushed us to absolutely sure.

So more of an earthy red? I love red, so I'm all for it. I was picturing these bright, lipstick red floors, for some reason, which I have never seen before

Seven years ago we painted out cabinets -- 30s green on the bottom and a beige on top. It looks "period" and as our house was built in the 20s seems to fit. Our island is stained wood and the shelves are painted the same green as the lower cabinets.

We had it white before and I did like the white but . . . I do like this green/beige combo for I thought it seemed less "trendy" than white!

I do think it is a trend but there are "trends" and there are "trends" -- I think the two tone is "classic" and will always be around.

When we painted ours you didn't see many examples in magazines -- it really was DH's idea (but he is the "color" person and I think he wanted to have some color in the kitchen but if I had the green "in my face" I might tire of it -- I think he was right).

I do think the most neutral needs to be on top -- the most color on the bottom.

Sort of like those guests baths -- you can put anything in it as far as papers or colors for you never really tire of it for you're not in there for long periods at a time.

I do like the example.

And I've seen black and white kitchens in magazines and thought they were pretty nifty.

Did you say anything about countertop? What were you thinking?

Martha

Trends are at their worst when applied incorrectly. My reservation regarding two tone cabinets would be based on the size of the kitchen and the neatness of its occupants.

Kitchens are notorious for clutter.Appliances, homework, art work,and take out menus are just 4 possible causes for clutter. Add in the occaissional(?) dirty dish and two tone cabinetry could be the line drawn between magazine pretty and real life cacophony.

Step over that line and you risk being a fashion victim not a fashion victor.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Charles D,

I think all the comments have been wise ones. While two-tone is not my personal preference, I do like the inspiration photos posted. And they make me think that a very dark charcoal gray (off-black) might be less jarring that pure black on the bottom. And my personal preference for whites is always an off white, not a "blue white."

I'm going to try to add an inspiration pic so you all can see the "red" floors. this looks to be stained or painted concrete. Sorry it is a bit small.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: junk collector,

I've never paid attention to trends. I do what I love since I'm the one that's living with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles D:
Trends are at their worst when applied incorrectly. My reservation regarding two tone cabinets would be based on the size of the kitchen and the neatness of its occupants.

Kitchens are notorious for clutter.Appliances, homework, art work,and take out menus are just 4 possible causes for clutter. Add in the occaissional(?) dirty dish and two tone cabinetry could be the line drawn between magazine pretty and real life cacophony.

Step over that line and you risk being a fashion victim not a fashion victor.

Photoshoots are rarely taken of 'real' life mess unless it to get a 'before' photo! lol
The best we can do is design clutter 'catcher' features, but with most of life's activities, there are things out of place more often than not. REALITY CHECK: Family out of the house, hours of prep, and we have a photo opportunity!

kayhill,
Love the one you're with!

quote:

Posted Jun 05, 2012 07:29 PM Hide Post
I'm going to try to add an inspiration pic so you all can see the "red" floors. this looks to be stained or painted concrete. Sorry it is a bit small.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: junk collector, Jun 05, 2012 07:30 PM

Ah! I looked up red tile floors and found that same picture and I saved it in my inspiration folder. I love it. I would go all white or off white. Husbands don't know anything. Do what you want! The house you saw, that you were inspired by, what were the cabinets like there?

I think its pretty apparent to everyone that interior design shots used in editorials are propped by stylists and digitally enhanced by the photographer.

To make my point more clear I would say that most people do not have kitchens as pristine as their "inspiration" photos. So when you fall in love with a current style consider what it will look like under conditions "normal" for you.

Same kitchen with red floors...

Bigger...

quote:

Originally posted by jovtfam4:
Ah! I looked up red tile floors and found that same picture and I saved it in my inspiration folder. I love it. I would go all white or off white. Husbands don't know anything. Do what you want! The house you saw, that you were inspired by, what were the cabinets like there?

The house we looked at was 100% original to the mid century build. Cabs, counters, floors, EVERYTHING was original to the house. The sink was a gorgeous rust-red, cabs were white, and everything was in very good condition (this house is a bit more "up-market" than ours - then and now!). The house was so fantastic, DH wanted to move!

Jovtfam4 - Thanks for posting the larger pic! I could not figure out how to get it from Houzz (it wouldn't let me save it), and then the download came across so small...

I showed this pic to the designer and she loved the floors too, so I'm hoping we can find a match to the color.

At any rate, we have three drafts to look at AND a contractor is coming tonight to look at the space (and the load bearing wall).

quote:

Originally posted by Charles D:
I think its pretty apparent to everyone that interior design shots used in editorials are propped by stylists and digitally enhanced by the photographer.

To make my point more clear I would say that most people do not have kitchens as pristine as their "inspiration" photos. So when you fall in love with a current style consider what it will look like under conditions "normal" for you.

Point well taken and I've actually addressed some of the "clutter" issues w/the designer. I've spent the better part of my career "organizing" others, so not having the right space for our habits drives me nuts.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles D:
I think its pretty apparent to everyone that interior design shots used in editorials are propped by stylists and digitally enhanced by the photographer.

To make my point more clear I would say that most people do not have kitchens as pristine as their "inspiration" photos. So when you fall in love with a current style consider what it will look like under conditions "normal" for you.

Charles I get that and should have stated that I so agree with you on everything you said.
I have been in wonderful very high end homes with my jobs and there is a lot of hired help to maintain that staged look throughout the day! In Victorian times, all those linens were to show off not only the linens but the 'hired help' to maintain them!

People who take a look around the hotel room they stay in on vacation as they leave for the day know how fast a room 'can come apart' with humans staying in them! BTW, I tidy up, can't help it, my habit.

I look at all the shelving they show in kitchens and inspirational photos such as this one (shelves on the left) they are not things you would use in the kitchen and they say 'extra storage' and it is not really, just collection display.

Well enough on the subject, I must have gotten caught up on the topic because it is a pet peeve of mine!

Charles, I always find your answers to be informative and mostly right on, I enjoy reading your comments.

junk collector,
I think if you KNOW what you love and you get to live with it, that is a kind of wealth we can have in this world that can mean so much! It is living the dream!

I can't wait to see what your design for your new kitchen is!

Thanks Mary Ruth! The funny thing is my partner and I have been talking about our kitchen redo all week and were tossing around the idea of two toned cabinets. I love them but both of us were raised by "neat freak" moms and hate messy rooms. Obviously two guys on the go with a crazy rescue puppy are gonna' have a mess now and then, so we're thinking the two tone look might just be one more thing to add to the occaissional chaos. So we're rethinking how to keep a small space interesting some other way.

I know I change my mind a lot about what I am going to do with my house because of that very factor (messy hubby, not puppy) so I want to keep things (less things to leave out) to a minimum and a place for mail clutter, etc.

Hope you share your ideas and photos when the time comes to redo!