Can someone excite me about matt cream cabinets

[NoseyNooNoo]

We're currently having a new kitchen designed. DH says he doesn't care what it looks like (ahem) but has ruled out shaker-style, white, gloss finishes and strong colours. This seems to have left us with cream matt drawers and cupboards. I cannot say that I am too excited about this and therefore can't really engage with the process. I feels like a big compromise that I'll have to live with for the next 20 years (this is our forever house).

As an aside I have see a bright green work surface that I adore. I think this would only go with white so that is ruled out. I can't see bright green and magnolia being so great.

Wood?

He doesn't want wood either...

Leave him?

Can you actually get a decent quality matt cream?

I would be tempted to lie, tell him it's matt cream and order gloss anyway

How about silco/granite worktops

Charles Rennie Macintosh range - just gorgeous

The matt are shaker style????

Painted wooden units with muted f&b colours?.Not white and not shiny and can introduce a bit of colour?.Island with a contrasting worktop?.Don't see why green wouldn't go with magnolia.

Ha, ha, divorce would be a good idea. We used to have similar taste but he's turning into a grandparent type. I just spoke to my mum who pointed out that men are 'so conservative'.

It looks like we have to slab front cabinets. I quite like the idea of painted wood in F&B style and it would suit our house very well - but DH isn't convinced.

The more I think of it the more I want white cabinets with the green top. It is this one: granite-worktops-solutions.co.uk/index.php/gemme-agata-quarella.html

I've also seen this recycled glass one: www.glasseco.co.uk/palettes-new.html

Perhaps my problem is that I am scared myself of being too daring and the kitchen looking too modern and funky which won't age well fashion-wise.

I am just about to have slab doors in F and B colours from here www.kitchenandbedroomstore.co.uk/kitchen/kitchen-doors/rio-painted-kitchen-doors.html-0. I hope they will be ok, the samples look good and their service is amazing as I have called them about 100 times with queries and they are so patient....

They are a matt lacquer finish and the company will make anything you want in any size and f and b or dulux or RAL colour. They are manufacturers and sell to lots of very expensive kitchen places who then sell them on as their bespoke kitchens. You have to do all measurements and fitting yourself through your own builder but you get the benefit of this in the prices.

I don't work for them by the way but just spent months working out where to get off white painted style slab doors in strange sizes for an old house that didn't cost about 30k...

What about green glass splashbacks - they would probably be cheaper to change at a later date than worktops if the scheme dated?

I was inspired by seeing a kitchen in a magazine that had grey cabinets and steel worktops, but the rest of the room was styled in such a colourful way with artworks, kitchenalia, interesting furniture and lighting, that the cabinets weren't really the focal point, it was still a lovely kitchen. I have used this to convince DH that plain cream/grey doors in our kitchen isn't too insipid or won't be by the time we've got all our things in the room.

Apologies though because it's the promoter of dodgy outdoor kit and primetime TV Ben Fogle

you have my sympathy btw with a DH who only knows what he doesn't want

Is he the sort of man that you can assure white is cream, and go ahead and order a glossy white kitchen?

To cheer you up, I'll tell you about our previous kitchen. Part of DH's job involves graphic design, so he's very keen on colour choosing (and actually much better at it than I am). We chose a colour for our kitchen walls, to go with our grey and off-white cupboards. I took a couple of days off and single handedly painted the kitchen walls, which was a real hassle as the room was double height at one end. DH walked into it the next day and said 'no, that paint colour is totally wrong, we need to start again'. I told him he was entirely responsible for repainting the place...

Ooh, love Ben Fogle's kitchen. That's a gorgeous idea, seems to fit all your DH's criteria, and doens't look insipid or dated in the least. DO go for that.

I believe it's something like £25K of Plain English cabinetry though, would it look so good if it was just the Howdens version?

He's not the type to be 'confused'. I do like the idea of having plain cabinets and then having bight funky artwork. I even suggested this and he said, 'It's a kitchen not a gallery'.

This thread has made me realise that he is being quite unreasonable and I shall have to put my foot down.

Tell us what he actually wants and then we can sneer add constructive criticism and you can then get more of what you want.

Love Ben Fogle's kitchen - love busy kitchens

Cream matt can look v modern with long horizontal inset handles. Ours are in brushed steel.
Second the idea of going funky on splashback rather than worktop.