Choosing materials

IKEA cabinets:
Our existing window trim and baseboards are all a medium brown, so we wanted something that wouldn't clash with that. I definitely did not want white. 

We considered Filipstad (center) but ultimately chose the Grimslov (right). The color is very close to the Bonde bookcases (medium brown) we have in an adjacent room, and we're very happy with how that look. We also think the Grimslov looks more modern without the strong wood grain effect.

Countertop:
We knew we wanted a tile backsplash, and that we would need to retile the floor. I was concerned about competing patterns/colors. This probably would have been easier if we had hired an interior designer. Our current countertop is a dark green laminate.

IKEA now carries Caesarstone quartz products. We also looked at Home Depot and Lowe's, as well as some independent tile shops (e.g., Trends in Tile in Brighton, MI). The prices at IKEA were the best during the kitchen sale (20% off). 

Caesarstone quartz in Belgian Moon (4100), ordered through IKEA. My second favorite color was Raven (4120). Ultimately we picked this because we decided to go with a red backsplash and gray floor tiles (see below).

IKEA doesn't offer samples for purchase, but you can order directly through Caesarstone for $4 (including shipping).

Belgian Moon on the left, Raven on the right. We chose the "eased" edge, which is included in the price. 

One of the current model kitchens at IKEA has the Grimslov cabinets with Belgian Moon counters (see below). When we ordered our cabinets, we hadn't decided on the counter/backsplash/floor tile combination yet. We finally sorted that out two weeks later, and I assumed that I would be able to get the discount for counter since the sale wasn't over. However, the first kitchen associate told me no - I was pretty upset but calmly made my argument - and she wouldn't budge. While she was busy with another customer, I asked a different associate who said she could "make it work" and entered the sale into a special binder (I believe it deals with adding to an existing order). I was so glad I didn't give up - we saved $645. 


Some other materials we considered: 

Stonemark Granite in Peacock Green (HomeDepot - $55/ft2). The quartz we chose from IKEA ended up being the same price with the kitchen sale.

Samsung Radianz quartz in Mirama Bronze (Trends in Tile - $72/ft2). We really liked this, but decided it was more brown than we wanted.
















Floor tile:
We visited the Tile Shop and found several porcelain tiles we thought could work. The kitchen and our dining area are adjacent to other wood floors, and we like the look of the gray tile we have now, so we looked for something similar. Much to our surprise, the floor tile prices were lower at the smaller stores we visited (Virginia Tile, Beaver Tile and Stone, and Genesee Tile). We liked various tiles by Florim, Olympia, and Atlas Concorde. Bringing samples of the cabinet, counter, and backsplash definitely helped us make a final decision - though we ultimately borrowed some sample floor tiles and took them to the IKEA model that has our cabinet and counter choices.

Our final choice was Seastone (in gray) by Atlas Concorde. We really like how it looks like it contains fossilized shells - but it's subtle enough not to compete with the bold backsplash. It's a very similar in brightness to our existing tile.

Our second choice was Argile (in concrete) by Olympia. It's a bit darker and more industrial looking. 

In the IKEA model - Seastone by Atlas Concorde on the left, Argile by Olympia on the right. 


















Backsplash:
Initially we didn't think we would want a tile backsplash, but after discovering Houzz and digging through pictures, we liked the kitchens with bold designs. Pinterest also gave us lots of ideas. Unfortunately most of affordable choices at HomeDepot and Lowe's were not in the colors or styles we liked. 

Some of the company websites we looked at were Oceanside, Lundada Bay, and Alys Edwards. There are several tile stores on one street in Farmington Hills, MI that carry these brands (Virginia Tile, Beaver Tile and Stone, and Genesee Tile). 

The white cards were samples we ordered online; the rest were at Virginia Tile. Top row (left to right): Nova Roma matchstick (Coliseum Red) - Medici glass, Gigi's Groovy Glass (Cara Mia Crimson) - Alys Edwards, Tessara in various finishes (Red) - Oceanside Glasstile; Middle row: Falling Water Rainbow (Indian Red) - Lunada Bay, Liberty (Red) Trend - aka Laliberte by White Horse; Bottom center: a blend from Oceanside.

Our unfortunate discovery was that the samples on boards looked very different than other samples. In fact, one store ordered six sample cards of the same product for us, and they were all significantly different from each other (i.e., some looked more red, some more brown, some more orange, etc.) Considering how expensive these are (nearly $40/ft2) we were really surprised at these quality control issues - we wanted to know what shade we would actually be getting.

I found a reference to XS Studio on a message board - this is Oceanside's overrun store. The price was terrific ($20/ft2) for first quality tiles - and we were assured they were all from the same batch. I ordered one square as a sample; the shipping was pricey but it was worth it. We went with Muse (7/8" x 7/8") in red non-iridescent (777). Shipping from CA to MI for 42 sheets was $222. Also, their customer service was outstanding.














The final combination: Oceanside Muse in Red non-iridescent; Grimslov drawer front; Seastone gray tile by Atlas Concorde