I am having a lot of anxiety over this area and am really hoping for some guidance from all the experienced and gifted posters out there - please! We decided on absolute black honed for the counter - now need to decide the thickness. This dining room butler's pantry in the expanded dining room was suppose to appear like 2 independent furniture pieces. KD's goal was nothing like a kitchenette (or the adjacent kitchen) so he did not want 10 feet of a counter - hence the brown "china cabinet" piece steps back from the black "buffet counter" BUT he also planned for the counter heights to be different. The china cabinet has a thick (almost 4") of a wood slab between base and uppers. And he planned for 2 cm for the buffet. I know it is hard from these pictures (I'll try to get by there to get better ones today) but if we use 2 cm granite as recommended by the KD there will be only like 3/4 of an inch difference. If we use 3cm it could be shimmed up slightly to line up with the base of the routed edge on the dining room piece and seem in line. I don't want the 2cm to look like a mistake - a just miss BUT if the design with the step back already commits us to "mismatch" pieces I don't want to do it half way. HELP. I am at the end of a long line of too many decisions and just want this done and moving forward. Any help, suggestions, questions etc. would be GREATLY appreciated.

The first one seems way too modern for your cabs (but I love it!). As far as the second one, we put a very similar faucet in our master bath and I love that look (ours is by Danze). I wanted the curves also, to contrast with the angles in the room. I think the shower components are fine with the second faucet. Check out Danze faucets and shower heads if you like that look for other options. I purchased all of my plumbing from faucetdirect.com. LOVE that website!

Elkay pioneered the die-drawing method of cold pressing used to manufacture stainless sinks. With manufacturing facilities in Broadview, Illinois; Lumberton, North Carolina; and Ogden, Utah, Elkay manufactures many of its sanitary-ware products (toilet, sinks, etc.) domestically. But, it also owns Zhuhai Daya S.E.Z., a manufacturer based in China, and E.B. Tecnica Mexicana, Mexico's largest sink manufacturer located in San Luis Potosi. These provide stainless steel sinks for their home markets, but also supply Elkay with sinks for sale in the U.S. and Canada. Franke makes many of its stainless sinks in Switzerland and Canada (Franke-Kindred), but also gets some of its sinks from a Chinese factory owned by its subsidiary, Franke (China) Kitchen Systems Co., Ltd, And, some of Franke's stainless sink manufacturing is farmed out. Chinese companies such as jiangxi Zoje Kitchen & Bath Industry Co., Ltd., manufacture stainless sinks for Franke as well as a half a dozen other "name brands". You have to check the box to see where a Franke sink is made, or ask customer service. And, as the same sink may be made to two or more different factories, sometimes customer service cannot tell you where a sink is made. Miseno is a build.com/faucetdirect.com private brand. Its sinks are all made in China or Korea. Miseno has no known association with Kraus, so I am surprised to hear of a Miseno product being delivered in a Kraus box. I think some Chinese factory got its orders mixed up. We have no information on the quality of Miseno sinks -- the brand is too new -- and welcome any information readers here might have. Kraus USA is an importer of Chinese sinks, but seems to import only better quality sinks, and is a good prospect. The Kraus sinks we have installed have had no issues, and as noted by wilson853 above, Kraus customer support is pretty good. Kraus faucets, too, have improved over the years I don't think they are yet up to the average quality of Cifial or Danze, and certainly not Delta, but they are better than the average Chinese import. Another source for Chinese sinks that has not been mentioned here is Ruvati, a relatively new company that offers stainless sinks of decent quality made mostly by XinHe Stainless Steel Products Co., Ltd. , a reputable producer of quality stainless steel products with a good international reputation. Chinese sinks used to be considerably cheaper, but they have been hit hard with an anti-dumping penalty tariff and are now about the same price as sinks made in North America. You are not going to find a stainless sink that does not dull with time and scratch with use. There is no such product. Do stay away from highly polished sinks. They look great in the showroom, but not after three months of use in your kitchen. Go with a brushed finish, 304 or 305 stainless and at least 18 gauge steel -- 16 gauge is even better. Buy only sinks with a lifetime warranty. If the manufacturer is not confident enough in its sinks to guarantee them for a lifetime, then you should share its lack of confidence and move on to another brand. I think stainless sinks require too much maintenance, and would not have one. But, it's a personal choice, and I know of folks who would not have anything else.

I started out wanting minimal holes on my island and thought I wanted a touchless faucet. Then another GWer explained the function of the Kohler Karbon and I was sold though it was $$$ out of my budget. While I cooked in my temp kitchen during the many months of my remodel, I had the revelation that the sink and faucet were what I used most in my kitchen. This led to me making major changes and budget alterations to accommodate. I decided to get what functioned best for me. My sink and faucet are the best decisions I made in my kitchen and these decisions evolved with research. I know it's beyond your budget, but you asked how others decided. There are so many technological changes with faucets that I'd advise to take your time, research them, and try to see and play in person. Choose one that suits your needs and style. The favorite function of mine is that I can position it where I want it then have both hands free under it. I wouldn't give a second thought to a soap dispenser. It's used all day long!