New house, new kitchen. Help me choose please!

[wifterwafter]

So we have reserved a new build.

On Saturday we have to choose flooring we have a dog and a cat, no children at home.

Kitchen choices are gloss doors with integrated handles which I love but I've no experience of gloss doors and wonder how easy they are to keep clean? Or shaker style Matt units with handles.

Ideally I'd like wood effect worktop and wood effect floor but is this a no?

Please inspire me with your kitchens.

Have a look at colour and material combinations at Homebunch.com

These homes are huuuuge - but all materials and colours are named, so it will give you an idea of which combinations you are drawn to quickly.

Just save all the looks you like without overthinking and you may find a pattern emerge of finishes you are consistently drawn towards.

Nothing is a no if you like it. It's your home.

I like the look of gloss kitchens but my friend has one and you can always see fingerprints all over it. Not sure if that's because she's a bit lax with the wiping or whether they are hard to keep clean.

The high quality vinyl flooring is great, it's warmer than ceramic tiles and you can get it in loads of different wood finishes.

I’m biased, but I have wooden worktops with wood effect floors (Karndean) and think they look great! I also have shaker style units.

I was unsure about wood and wood to start with but having looked at several Google images, quickly became convinced it was a nice look.

I've found the kitchen the hardest part to choose in our new house.

Are you thinking of having the wood effect worktop and flooring the same shade of wood? I think this would be ok.

I like the gloss but in the end we didnt go with it. With 2 small kids I could just imagine smear marks all over every cupboard.

We've got light grey gloss and you can see all the fingerprints - although not as badly as in a previous white gloss kitchen. I own a toddler though so don't really see sticky fingers prints anymore!

Have a look on Pinterest for ideas?

I have a gloss dark grey kitchen- it's a bit of a nightmare with kids but looks modern. Used to have white floor which showed everything but just changed to LTV parquet and it hides a lot of sins!!

Gloss are a doddle. You need to invest in a window vac: just wipe over with soapy water and window vac and bobs your uncle.

I personally dislike shaker as being passé and pretentious in new builds but that’s personal taste.

Wood floor is I would say a good neutral choice. I’m all for neutral god quality floor and cupboards and you can change worktops, tiles accessories etc when you get fed up without a huge outlay.

We have a karndean type floor always forget the make till someone else says it; it’s great, easy to clean and waterproof

I'm in the middle of trying to design a kitchen and choose kitchen colours. Think it's a matt navy handleless island, Matt light grey handleless units, white silestone worktops and a herringbone wood floor. Pinterest and Instagram have helped me decide what I like. Do like gloss but had white gloss and light grey silestone worktops last house so want something different.

I have a wood effect floor and a shaker kitchen but the worktops are quartz. However I also have a wood table so I think two lots of wood is fine as long as they're a similar kind of colour. I've attached a picture to show you what I mean.

I would personally go with the shaker style but that's because that's my preference our house is 70s style built in the 90s so totally not in keeping with the age of the house but I think it's a classic now.

What do you prefer?

Thanks for all the replies.

I like the gloss with no handles but worry I'll regret it. Have had shaker in the past so wanted something more sleek and it being a new build too. However mum will be living with us and one lounge will be hers, totally traditional, mahogany wood furniture, floral curtains etc so perhaps shaker would be better.

I can't afford silestone, we've been quoted £4.5k to upgrade to it and it's not a huge kitchen!!

Colour wise I'm thinking white or cream and I love wood, wood effect so chances are will try to get similar worktop/flooring.

Honestly gloss is so easy to clean if you have the right tool!

When we had white gloss it was fine to keep clean and I'm no Mrs Hinch, hate cleaning!

I think shaker with wood sounds lovely.
I find gloss very clinical - not homey?
I have white wood cupboards with walnut worktop and walnut flooring.
I would upload a photo but DH is in there cooking and it's a war zone

@JMAngel- that sounds fab

Quick tidy

Love your kitchen @SollaSollew
We've just had an offer accepted on a house which will need an extension. Yours is a very similar configuration to how I envisage ours.
It's beautiful

@SollaSollew what floor do you have in those pictures? Is it real wood?

Thanks @HumourReplacementTherapy I am pleased with how it’s turned out and good luck with your purchase!

@digginthedancingqueen it’s laminate by a company called Elka who also make quick step so it’s very similar to that. It’s this one www.builderdepot.co.uk/elka-8mm-orchard-oak-elw122-long-plank-laminate-flooring but I got it from a local flooring shop. It’s hard wearing and looks very natural but I am finding that the light colour does show up dirt.

@SollaSollew thank you. Would it put you off choosing it again, the dirt issue?

Hi @digginthedancingqueen. Honestly no I don’t think so, it was the best one and looks really good even if I am vacuuming it more than I did my slightly darker floor. Also for full disclosure I have three children and a dog and building work is still going on so it may not be the same for everyone.

The glossy units are a pain - I have them in my laundry and they need constant polishing. I have Matt-ish kitchen units (eggshell paint) which are more forgiving!

Don't be put off of the gloss if you like them. I have white gloss units and they're very easy to keep clean and I don't think they show many fingerprints at all. Go for it!

Love white gloss units. I don't like Shaker style because of the extra ledges which trap dust. Integrated handles probably also good although I have normal ones.

White gloss helps bounce light round the room which may be a consideration.