I have a granite vanity top in a bathroom that is used by 2 boys for about 4 years. Still looks like new, and easy to keep looking nice. Most of the time I used cleaner meant for granite. I don't know how necessary it is to use a special cleaner.

I had the same question about Moen faucets. My GC said they are same quality. The sales woman in the plumbing store disagreed. I ended up buying the model I liked in the plumbing store online at a much better price.

I am not going to be much help with the kraftmaid cabinets. My brother has top of the line Kraftmaid in his kitchen and they look beautiful. I mentioned Kraftmaid to one of the workers on my current bathroom remodel for a kitchen and he made a face. I am using medallion cabinets on this bathroom remodel. We are very happy with them.

If you're set on canning the marble idea for your counters, you may want to look at honed absolute granite. It's black and when honed has a matt finish and looks quite beautiful with the white. I personally would reconsider the marble choice. With the proper sealant it should hold up well. At the very least, call a couple of fabricators and get a professional opinion.

In regards to fixtures, we installed Moen and love them. However I would never purchase them at the big box stores. From what I have been told, they are often made with inferior inner parts so they can be sold at lower prices. Don't skimp on your inside plumbing parts. To repair a break would be costly. We bought ours from Faucet Depot, got a great deal on them (I think) and their customer service was very helpful. Overall, I was very pleased with the experience.

We have a Kraftmaid Cabinet in our spare bathroom at present, it was installed by a previous owner and has held up quite well although I'm not thrilled with the stain. I've heard a lot of people have been dissatisfied with the Kraftmaid product or service. They apparently used to be very good but may have deteriorated in recent years. A great resource for feedback on cabinets would be the kitchen forum. I'd cross post that part of your question there and see what others can offer.

In regards to the basketweave on the floor. If you're going to venture and put marble on the floor, you shouldn't have a problem with the counters. Check out The tile shop, they have basket weave, and really any local tile store will have it, as well as other historical designs to choose from. Again, unless it's a name brand, I might have concerns about the quality of the tile coming from Home Depot. Although several people have used their subway tile and said it worked out very well for them...so it's probably a hit and miss.

Hope this helps a little. Good luck!

Janie439, I'm looking more carefully at granite now. I figure, even if it does stain/scratch/etc., it's more hidden by the pattern -- carrara marble won't give me much coverage for anything, I'd imagine.

Lukkirish, that's the impression I am beginning to form about Kraftmaid. Thanks for the names of some online places -- I'm rather wary of trusting an online source unless it's recommended.

Anyone got any feedback on American Woodmark?

If you do order Kraftmaid, specify all plywood construction. You don't want "engineered wood" in bathroom cabinets because the product will swell in the humidity.

From what I've read here and on other sites is that marble has two problems: staining and etching. Sealing won't help with etching. Some people say they have had no problem with marble countertops and others have had staining and etching that they didn't like.