Thank you all for your comments. Our friend tells us that she visited someone who had granite in their bath and every time anyone used that bathroom, they were required to wipe down the counter lest water be left on it. Maybe the friend was extremely anal. The Bella Verde is somewhat dark but with a lot of white veins in it. Actually when I do a web search for it, the images I find look different from the small sample I have. It always seems to be this way with granite! I saw a Verde Esmeralda that was about the most beautiful piece I have ever seen (but too bright a color for a counter), but none of the online pics of that same color are as brilliant or as beautiful/ Anyway, I think we are going to have to visit granite yards to see the actual pieces we have to choose from, but I won't be overly worried about choosing granite for the bathroom. For the kitchen, I am a bit more concerned, since we are not the types to tidy up eveything right after cooking or eating.

Thanks muchly. Will check out Kerrock. Panasonic is on the list. Now the frameless shower door is. Flooring is unknown. Doing radiant heat so that is a factor. And house is tiny, less than 900 s.f., and tight, tight, tight for energy conservation so vinyl is out (out-gassing). Might be marmoleum/lino or porcelain tile (which I learned this morning from Bill V can have thin grout lines -- I'm a fan of tile but hate grout). What I'm wondering about most is the beadboard idea. Not having any painted surfaces in our current bathroom, I can not speak to wood, painted beadboard vs. Italian Grazia tile beadboard. I'm guessing the Italian tile is tres cher but am I going to regret painted wood? My husband is hard on a house (rough and tumble, who doesn't notice the debris he leaves in his wake) and the German Shepherds are murder: bathrooms are goal cages for games of keep-away and walls get a work out at bath time. Since I love all dearly and don't want to get rid of any of them, I need to figure out how to make a home that will accommodate us all, and within budget.

It should look great - go for it!

Thanks for the laugh about "purified angel's tears"! I'm really leaning towards marble in the shower area...I did some internet research and read that a diluted bleach solution is okay. I'm not sure what think! I printed out catmom's reply (THANK YOU!)with all the product names in case we decide to go with natural stone. Went tile looking again today and saw some pretty porcelains, which I know are much less maintenance. Nothing is "set in stone" LOL:)