Woops, sorry, didn't notice this thread was three years old... Perhaps my comments will still be helpful to someone else... For other readers, since you now seem to be leaning towards a black or charcoal based countertop: I could certainly be wrong, but it seems to me that you have your Mascarellos labeled backwards, or it may just be the way the photo is taken; I believe the Antique (with more white, less gold) is on the right and the Golden is on the left (with more... gold). I used the Golden Mascarello in a house I recently remodeled (photo attached). It went well with the wood cabinets and the beige paint in the adjacent dining room (and the off-white color of the island). I am re-doing my sister's house, so she can sell it, and we are considering the Antique Mascarello because she has white cabinets with brushed nickel trim. I am a real fan of the Mascarellos. Formica also makes a Crema Mascarello that is white and off-white with gray granite streaks and a hint of tan and brown - we used this color in the bathrooms (of the house we remodeled). Your kitchen looks very nice; IâÂÂm sure it will turn out well. This post was edited by DelsFan on Fri, May 23, 14 at 9:37

If the "error" is more than 15% of the frieze board width (the flat piece below the cove molding) then the "follow the slope" fix will look bad. More than 15% (3/8" in 2 1/2") will be very noticeable. Then the better solution is having the cove/crown customized with a matching strip attached to the top edge, then neatly scribed to the ceiling contour. These conditions need to be observed/noted/corrected in the framing stage so an appropriate remedy can be worked out ahead of time. Adding a little scribe strip here and there to cover those shims is really the worst solution; I'll go out on a limb and say it's no solution at all. Casey

Have you checked the Finished Kitchens Blog (FKB)? It has pictures of many kitchens from members of GardenWeb. You can use the FKB Categories page to look at kitchens with shaker-style cabinets. In the "Kitchen Basics" section (1st section), there's a "Kitchen style" subsection....with an entry for "shaker". Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!

With my other bathroom, I used this same gel stain and the plywood end next to the toilet was the spot I started with, and how I found this technique. I put the gel stain on with a dry brush, and coated it evenly. Then I dipped the brush in a cup of thinner and went over the whole thing, wiping off the excess onto a rag every so often. That thinned it without wiping it off. When it was the thickness I wanted - the right amount of grain showing through - I went over it one more time with just the very end of the brush and that feathered out most of the brush marks. But I sanded the plywood end on this bathroom down too much I think, and the gel just wasn't as workable. I didn't sand anything except that one end, so the rest should be easier. I also used a rag, a nylon one I think, to do the drawers and doors and didn't have any problem with it going on too thick or wiping off too much. I tried a cotton rag and it did take off too much.