It can be cut with a diamond blade in a circular saw. Tape the top of the slab so the saw's plate doesn't scratch the granite. I'd recommend clamping a straightedge...something like a piece of wood...to the granite to guide your saw. Cut in a couple of passes. Try to cut too deep and too fast and you can overheat the blade, the blade will expand and get wobbly. Try to cut too slowly and you can do the same thing. You need to goldilocks it. If the blade does get wobbly, turn off the saw, let it cool, and cut again. It sounds more difficult that it is. Fully support the granite so when you're almost all the way through the weight of the cutoff doesn't snap off, destroying your nice clean cut line. If there is a fabrication place nearby they could do it for you in two minutes. Mongo

First, let me say how very much I appreciate everyone's help with this. My salesperson is not really processing through this with me. treasure - your bathroom is stunning, I have seen your pix before and just love it. good to see the frameless mirror as well... that's the way I'm leaning but have a while to decide. have to deal with this faucet issue pronto while I still have the plumber engaged. the "hook" beneath the panel is an extra hand shower holder, so it's accessible while sitting on the bench which does not show in the pic. Back to the handles/faucet - great point oly - here are the specs for each (I wish I knew how to make these clickable): this is the one I currently have, and would like to keep the handles: http://www.rohlhome.com/pdf/220.pdf This is the spout I'm leaning to: http://www.rohlhome.com/pdf/1020.pdf Yes enduring - the size of the hole is a huge consideration. The plumber measured it from the underside and we think it will work. I'm going to ask DH to loosen the faucets enough so we can measure the hole. Yes, absolutely the 1st replacement spout will fit - same size base and same size spec'd holes. I actually think that the 1st one is more lovely but I want the extra 1/2" of space the other affords! I will maybe just buy each and insist that my salesperson take 2 back once I decide. If that fails, I learned that AMEX still has purchase protection and that may ensure I can receive credit. I hate to do that, but I don't know how to tell otherwise.

If my prep sink and clean-up sink is one and the same, is bigger better? A rhetorical question if ever I heard one! :-) I am intrigued by the stages 45 and have been waiting for some real-time reviews. IMO, this sink only makes sense if you are going to use it for prep and clean-up, or if you are a multi-butt kitchen. Im the only cook in my family, but DH seems to always be at the sink when I need it. The Stages 45 with 2 faucets would take care of that problem. So, IMO  if you are not going to have a separate prep sink  I think the Stages 45 is perfect. Drachiele  I agree with most of your post  but not about the center drain. In my last kitchen (we recently moved) we had a center drain. We turned both of the doors below the sink into pullouts that would each hold a tall kitchen trash can. The sink also had a standard sized disposal. If the disposal was in the back corner, we never would have been able to have 2 full sized kitchen trash cans in pullouts underneath. I *really* liked this setup and plan to repeat this when we remodel this kitchen. I do understand about things interfering with the drain, and I did have that problem. I always figured a sink grid would take care of that  something I never did get around to getting.

I love the color of your sink, jcollins. I'm going to keep that in mind for our next house. And you're right about the anthracite for ours, but I think I'm really loving the idea of a single bowl now. They have one right up the road at Home Depot, a Franke in "composite granite" that has the faucet hole already drilled (so it won't be a problem for the counter installer.) Not even very expensive either. I can't believe how everything's changed since I 1st began whining about all this last week! Most especially I'm grateful that we came to our senses about the granite counter tops before we had the ugly stuff installed. Whewie! The leathered finish just makes sense, now that I've read up on others' comments and looked at photos.