Dear Tom,

We have been in our home 16 years and have decided to redo the kitchen starting with granite countertops. Our refrigerator and stove are white and the microwave and dishwasher have black fronts. The sink will be stainless steel undermount. The fruitwood-colored cupboards have cathedral style doors. I would love to send a picture if possible. The cupboard knobs are brass and white. I lean towards earthy colors - browns, tans, etc. Even though we will be choosing flooring (hardwood would be my preference) and paint later, I am completely stymied as to what color to use. The kitchen has a cathedral ceiling (no sky lights) and a south/west corner window above the sink and french patio doors. I usually have the lights (ceiling-mounted floodlights) on while working in the kitchen. Samples we took home include - Juparana Royale, Cafe Imperial, Tropic Brown, Verde lab, Amarillo Veneciano. I’ve had the samples for a month and am no closer to making a decision. I don’t want a mundane kitchen but at the same time I don’t want a dizzying effect. Can you please help?

Donna

Hello Donna,

Your photos really helped as well as your comments about the color samples you have selected to date. I usually don’t recommend the color such as New Venetian Gold but your kitchen is closed in by three walls and needs to stay as light as possible. In addition, the color and veining in your cabinets also demand a more subtle, traditional granite color that is more set off by its shine and accents than it wildness. I think you pick this up by the range of choices you mentioned.

New Venetian Gold in its best quality selection, which is a warm brown color with deep garnet inclusions, would look beautiful and it compliments white fixtures very well. There is also a granite color called Giallo Ornamental that I want you to examine which is the only light granite that I recommend with stainless. Since you have the white appliances and stainless combination, these two granite are each great choices. The best complimentary aspect of these stones is the natural garnet inclusions that will bring color into your room.

I strongly recommend considering a darker reddish or brown/burgundy floor tile to compliment the granite. The darker color on the floor will bring lightness to the cabinets and the granite and the walls will lift the room is bright way. That would bring it all together. Keep your walls as light or white as you feel right about.

Just to cover the other colors you mentioned, let me go through them now. Juperana Royal Granite is one of my favorite colors and extremely striking with stainless. It looks like a modern million bucks when there is not speck of white in the room and dark cabinets. So! That does not work here given the color pallet.

Café Imperial, I hate it unless used as the perimeter granite in a large kitchen with another granite color as the island. This granite will bore you to death in your décor.

Tropical Brown, when selected in its deep brown color, is gorgeous with stainless. However, it needs natural light to be beautiful and not the best choice with white appliances.

Verde Labrador is always my #1 choice with stainless even though it is so very common. That doesn’t mean that it is the only choice for stainless, but I definitely hate Verde Labrador with white because it just kills its brilliance.

I hope that I helped you, Donna. Thank you for supporting the Rock Blog’s World Visions Kids.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 at 10:00 am and is filed under Answers to Granite Questions..., Granite Choice Advice, Granite Color Help. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.