We just had our template done yesterday so I won't have granite for another 2 weeks or so but I'll probably do something similar to what I've done in the past. I have a clear glass bowl that I keep lemons and limes in (I use lemons a lot in cooking) I also have a paper towel holder and my my coffee pot out and usually a small potted plant on the sunny part of my counter. I cannot live without having my cookbook out so I have a decorative plate stand that I use for it (see link below). The majority of my cookbooks are stored over my range in the cupboard and I have to drag a chair over...so instead I've compiled my most frequently used recipes into one book and it sits on the counter. Here is a link that might be useful: plate stand similar to the one I use for my cookbook

Thank you so much for your feedback - I really appreciate it. To answer your questions -- yes, I have taken a door sample of both island and perimeter cabinets to the granite yard and yes, I have taken a sample of the granite to my kitchen. I just can't tell from that. Bottom line, I dont' know if cream goes with the gray/white slab. The cabinets are definitely a creamy white - not a gray white. I will try to post pictures of the slab if I can figure it out. The other granite I liked is called Everest White but it was very expensive. I really haven't seen that much I like and I live in a very busy market (NJ). Thanks for your input.

These are my pics of my countertops placed Friday June 22, 2018. I cried looking at these seams. It looks so cheap. Fabricator explains that's the way it comes. I explained that I shouldn't be able to see the seams so clearly. It looks so unprofessional. They ended up taking them back to their warehouse. In hopes they say if it is quality control will try and fix it just to make it look better. Otherwise I will have to pay an additional fee for them to come out again to install. I just don't know what to do and if still looks the same. This is the first time I've replaced my counters in 24 years. I don't and can't live with it. looking at this for another 24 years. It looks so cheap and it really was not it's a lot of money to me. I hope fingers crossed that they will fix this problem. They never told me that there would be such seams. I thought the edges were done by a machine and it would be all one piece. I have read up on this and now understand there are seams. But now I do know that they should not look like this. If they are good fabricator you shouldn't be able to see them so clearly. I will find out next week what happens.

@Chessie - yup. Kate Barrington just did it again, about 20 minutes ago, linking to the Caesarstone website. Resurrected an older thread to do it too, just like here, just like the others. What, you think Caesarstone doesn’t pay shills to direct people to its website under the guise of being a poster? Kate Barrington does it repeatedly, it’s spam.