Please help - Kitchen ideas

[mellowyellow6]

Looking for advice please - we currently have a slightly dated kitchen with white cupboards and flooring but black tiles and worktops. We can’t afford a whole new kitchen but my partner has suggested we replace the dark tiles and worktops which should hopefully transform it. I really love something similar to the attached pic but am concerned there might not be enough contrast and might be too light if we go for those very light worktops with the white cupboards and flooring. What do you think? Also, any other kitchen ideas with white cupboards and flooring please? (Doesn’t necessarily need to have blue tiles). I love wooden worktops but my partner is against them as he thinks they don’t wear well. What worktop material do you recommend please? Thanks all.

I would never ever get wooden worktops again.

Could you just retile?

What type of flooring do you currently have?
Because replacing the flooring might be a relatively cheap way of changing things. LVT is relatively affordable and easy to fit. If I was going for lighter worktop and white cupboards, I think I would want a darker floor to prevent the room looking too washed out... I dont know why but I think thar darker colours look better lower down, and lighter colours higher up!

The photo looks nice because although the worktop and cupboards are pale, the black handles give some contrast (and the floor is darker). The wood floor in the photo provides some warmth too, as the kitchen may look stark and cold otherwise.
You can get some nice wood effect LVT I think.
Presumably if you are doing the kitchen on.a budget, you'd be going for laminate worktops? Quartz is lovely, but very expensive!

We're going for marble effect quartz in our new kitchen (with white cupboards quite similar to the photo) but it is stretching the budget considerably.

Thanks all. Here is a picture of the flooring. Sadly replacing it isn't an option.

Ah ok!
In that case a white or very pale worktop would probably be too much white with the floor and units!
In your position, if I really liked the look of wooden worktops, I would probably go for a high quality laminate wood effect. I know it's not as nice as the real thing! But there is a lot of choice out there, it's very affordable, waterproof, and doesn't have the upkeep associated with wood.
I know that you can't put hot pans etc down on laminate... but I've had laminate for years, and have never burnt it (despite being a clumsy, absent minded cook).

We are replacing our kitchen at the moment, but the old laminate worktop has been there for at least 10 years (probably a lot more) and really is in very good nick considering.

But if your current worktop is good quality and in good condition, I would just retile!

Thanks @SquishySquirmy. The worktops definitely need replacing but my partner is keen on something other than wood/laminate so we'll perhaps go and do some research on other options such as quartz. And I'm not too sure what colour to go for either than will be dark enough to contrast the white but equally light enough to still look nice.

I know its not a popular opnion on here but there are some really good wood effect laminates out there.
I love mine, it was actually the cheapest one we looked at and was from B and Q.

Wooden worktops are lovely except around a sink, so you could consider real wood if you have two separate areas of worktop (eg an island), and keep the (pricier) quartz or similar to your "wet" area.

There's a company I've heard recommend but not used myself called Granite Transformations which will fit a granite or quartz worktop over your existing one, which is meant to be cheaper than replacing the whole thing.

Hi all, can I ask your opinion on this for our worktop and whether you think it's nice or would it date? (I'd have liked to go lighter but it would be too light with a white floor and cupboards). Thinking with dove blue kitchen tiles - do you think that would go well?
Thanks

Sorry forgot to post the link...

www.mayfairgranite.co.uk/shop/granite-worktops/product/azul-platino.html

I have Verde Lana which is a saggy green with off white units.

Download the houzz app and there you can set the color of counters, walls and floorings, and it will show you a lot of different pictures of any room and any budget