Discuss LILJESTAD on IKEAFANS.com. We're Personalizing the IKEA Experience. LILJESTAD - Need help with planning your remodel? Want a kitchen planner to review your ideas? This is the happenin' spot!.
Thanks to all for answering the Vent or not to vent question. My wife and I now have a bigger dilemma. Originally we were looking at the ULRIKSDAL cabinets and we have since gravitated to the dark brown LILJESTAD. The problem is that we do not have money to replace the relatively new appliances that happen to be black. Would dark brown cabinets go with black appliances and if so what color handles would go, black, silver or? Please help before we get divorced. Just kidding. By the way our floors are light to medium linolium, walls are a soft earth tone and we would opt for a light quarts counter. We are also considiering under cabinet lighting to open up the darkness of the brown cabinets. Advice please.
IMO black appliances would be too dark for the Liljestad. Here's a pic. of a darker kitchen with black appliances, and this cabinetry is lighter than the Liljestad:
Is there a lighter style you like? What about mixing finishes: a lighter cabinetry on the base cabinets to go with the appliances, and darker wall cabinets?
I think if would be fine...black and brown is a classic combination. Use a little black here and there, in the backsplash, accessories and as you have already figured out, in your hardware. It will be beautiful.
A light countertop, relatively light backsplash and good lighting will make it perfect. You can also light the insides of glassfronted wall cabinets.
I agree with Eva IAWE
The black and brown could look amazing, but it is all going to depend on the rest of the choices or you are in danger of it looking too dark. And Eva is so right when she says it is going to require a light countertop and something to tie it all together like a backsplash with a bit of black.
As you do the research, show us a picture of each piece - we love to be included!
While we have a white fridge and range with Liljestad, and it looks great, we opted for a black dishwasher because we thought the white would actually stand out abnormally in the undercounter cabinet row. It goes fine.
You'll have a harder time picking hardware -- we did. If you're pulling in black, you can probably find something easier than we did because you can include some stainless or nickel with it (we have no stainless or nickel in our kitchen).
If I were you, I'd buy a door panel (you can return it to the store if iyou decide otherwise) and work through the backsplash and hardware and sink/faucet choices before you commit the big $$$ for the doors. Check it in your kitchen space-- Liljestad changes in different lighting.
My blog has a lot of comments about our experience, and there are a number of pictures in the gallery as well.
You'll have a harder time picking hardware -- we did. If you're pulling in black, you can probably find something easier than we did because you can include some stainless or nickel with it (we have no stainless or nickel in our kitchen).
If you have black appliaces, I think you will have a lot easier time finding hardware than Mike did. Probably any black pulls or knobs will look excellent - just decide matte or gloss. It will be more a texture variation.
We have to disagree with Laurie (sorry) but we do think it could work if done right.
Mike we do agree with purchasing a couple of door finishes and styles to make sure of the match. A two week delay could save us alot of heartache and money.
Eva we were looking at placing ribbon lighting above the cabiets, fluorescent under cabinet and one glass cabinet (30"x30") with lighting to open up the area.
Zeuss thanks for setting up design board and suggesting countertop colors. We looked at HanStone Quartz and think that the Vanilla Java and the Venetian Avorio would be the best choices followed by the lighter Sandcastle and the darker Chocolate Cognac. It would be hard to go with a light (on the white side) since both our linolium flooring and paint is more an earth tone. That's why were looking more towards a creamy countertop.
As for hardware my wife wanted silver, I though it would stand out to much. Than we though of brushed nickle. My first thought was black.
We will keep you informed and as soon as we make the purchase we will take before, during and after pictures. As for the thought process we will keep you in the loop, but, please keep the ideas flowing!
It would be hard to go with a light (on the white side) since both our linolium flooring and paint is more an earth tone. That's why were looking more towards a creamy countertop.
Why don't you post a picture of this linolium? But just so you know in theory, I wouldn't see anything wrong with whites (off whites any way) with an earth tone floor. They are all neutrals and would all work together. It is a bit of a myth that you can't use white and cream in the same room. It all works depending on what you use to pull it all together.
I do like those surfaces you've looked at - the quartz is gorgeous. But don't dismiss a whiter tone yet. Put all the items together to see what the whole picture is going to be. And realistically, you will probably have your Ikea cabinets and quartz countertop a lot longer than linolium.
I keep coming back to white because I worry with the dark cabinets and black appliances, earth tones floor and walls, that another earth tone could end up creating a colour palette that is in danger of becoming "muddy". You need at least one element of your kitchen to "pop".
The Vanilla Java quartz looks amazing with a couple of the tile samples I posted. I know you say you've painted already, so this might be too late, but I must say I LOVE the look of the neutrals -brown, black, beige - contrasted with a cool colour like the grey blue or the icy green in the first couple of the samples. Could you imagine a kitchen painted in one of those tones with the beiges, browns and blacks setting it off.
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