E-mails, to be precise, and I have decided to share some of them, as well as my responses, with all of you. I hope some of our readers will take this opportunity to help each other and weigh in with their own opinions.

Choosing the right colors seems to be one of the hardest parts of putting together a new kitchen. Here’s a perfect example:

“I am redoing my kitchen and need to pick a countertop. I have oak cabinets, am getting oak floors and white appliances, and would like to get a Corian countertop but am having a hard time picking the right color. I am considering white quartz (but do not want the kitchen to look too sterile), natural granite toned (but don’t want the small kitchen to look even smaller with a dark counter), or beach sand (but don’t want it to have all the same tones between oak cabinets, sand-colored counter and possibly beige walls). Or azure granite is pretty, but might decrease my resale value. What do you suggest? Thank you!”

My first thought is to try out the Corian design tool on our site. Just scroll down to DuPont, and you’ll be able to try out different Corian colors as well as Zodiaq (that’s their quartz) colors.

A couple of tips:

The Corian azure counter is pretty, but it may be too bold for some potential buyers. If resale is a concern, you may want to save your bold color chocies for the walls—paint is always the cheapest way to get a new look.

I say avoid the all-beige color scheme. Think about what kind of ambiance you want to create. For a warm, welcoming, cozy feel, paint the walls a gold-, yellow-, orange- or red-based color. (You can try the paint design tools on our site, too).

Here are two kitchens with white appliances, wood flooring and wood cabinets. Both have yellow walls and use a medium gray/brown granite look for the counters.