What colour worktops?

[MadSweeney]

Kitchen cupboards themselves are ok, just clearly fitted by someone pissed as not a single unit/door/drawer lines up as it should.
We've decided to get someone in to refit the units and replace the awful, marked countertops.

I've fallen in love with walnut block worktop, does anyone have that colour combo with cream gloss units and black tiles? I'm thinking it may brighten things up a bit. Also would you replace the kick board for a walnut colour too?

Pic is of small area of kitchen, lots more (badly fitted) units and worktop on the other side.

Wood or cream plinth, but not the existing black

How about cream glass worktops? They can match the colour to the colour of your units.

Yep, black plinth has to go I think.
Cream gloss is a bit too light for my tastes, I feel like the room needs warming up a bit and more cream won't help (hideous marble floor I'm stuck with sadly)

A wood effect work top would like really nice.

I have almost the exact same units as you and have a wooden top, it's lovely. We have green tiles though, I'm not sure about the wood and the black together.

To be honest we inherited this kitchen with the house, I like the units but it was so badly fitted it was falling apart. The black plinth we put in last year as the existing plinth that matched the wood of the end panel was severely water damaged and falling apart. It was a quick, cheap fix so I've no qualms about ripping it back out.

I did see a display kitchen in B&Q with black tiles and the walnut block worktop which looked really nice. I'm also considering re grouting the tiles with black grout to make it a little less 'in your face'

I'm hoping that we can improve it a fair bit with a few minor changes.

Can you reduce the depth of the tiles, they are a bit overpowering against the cream. The wood could look nice.

Toning down the grout would modernise it.
Also maybe change the white plastic plug sockets for stainless steel or whatever matches the handles.
We did that in our remarkably similar kitchen and it made an amazing difference.

Can you reduce the depth of the tiles

Not really, its a balancing act really between trying to improve it or saving for another couple of years and ripping the lot out. I don't mind the tiles to be honest, the ceilings are quite high so in real life they don't look too bad.

Good idea about the sockets as well! Thank you!