momof2doxies: thanks for the photo! That helps me visualize. I think if I do BB there I'd have to do something contrasting -- either striped like yours or end grain. shanghaimom and ci_lantro: reinstalling the Jenn-Aire as a functioning cooktop is not possible. We have a stone house and the exhaust vent to the outside is already covered up and re-stoned, so I can't hook it back up. (We had a lot of stone work/patching done before we moved in and had the vent patched at the same time, before we really discussed options for dealing with the big hole!) This is a strange and quirky house, so the patched counters will just have to be one of its charms!

Our substrait is plywood as well. We wanted it to approximate the 3cm granite on the other counters so we used two layers of marine grade plywood. Marine grade isn't necessary, but we had it on site from our shower construction and didn't mind the extra protection it gives in a water area. Our fabricators came out three times with the counters to do a dry run on the fit, then went back, cut, banged, etc and finally arrived at the finished product. Between the raised counter, the corner sink, the runnels going into a sink, integrating the sink, integrating the backsplash and wrapping the front around the bends in and out, they said it was the most complicated countertop they have ever done. I thought it was pretty simple actually heh heh (it's so much easier to be the designer LOL) Our sink is actually not an exact matched finish to the counters. It went in shiny like any new sink, but after a few months of use it's patina is pretty much the same as the counter. So I think with yours the finishes will blend quickly. My sink had a rim on it (it was able to be installed either as an undermount or overmount because it was a commercial sink). To put the runnels in on the corner they had to chop a bit off of one corner. I was worried how it would look, but really, it's totally seamless. That's what you'll get with a good fabricator. They really do wonderful work, just be sure to ask to see some of their work before you go with whoever you pick. Sometimes cheap means weld marks, dings, etc. You don't want that :) "igloochic-love the faucet! Did you replace it or modify it? Faucet shopping is on my list of things to do...It looks easier to clean without the coils. How on earth did they integrate your sink so well/seamlessly? That looks great!" Those are both KWC Systema faucets. The tall one was actually our first choice. We wanted the reach, and that professional look, but once it was installed, it didn't really work in the windows. We have two friends who have that same faucet and they love it. Cleaning the springs is not an issue at all (they really don't get dirty, even here in dusty alaska). It's a gorgeous and heavy faucet, which was also part of the problem. That swing arm weighed a ton, which was GREAT for use! It functions so easily, smooth movements, etc., but the head is heavy, and given the proximity of the windows, we had grave concerns about it hitting a window and breaking it. We have a 3 year old who loves to play in water and I could just see that thing getting a little shove...it takes a crane to bring in windows to the location, so we figured it was cheaper to buy another expensive faucet than to replace the windows at some point heh heh So that tall one is sitting in a box in the garage waiting for me to decide what to do with it. Poor darling...it's lonely for a nice kitchen heh heh (it's next to a plastic shop sink now...I think it needs to be humbled a bit) :oP So we went for the shorter Systema, but it's still nice and heavy. The visual is better for the location than the taller one, and it does not have the open swing the spring one had (I prefer the open swing frankly, but not with a 3 year old and windows). I'll probably use the tall one in the victorian house...or sell it...gad I don't know LOL (Our remodel is like a shop project from little boy hell...it seems to be together but we have LOTS of extra parts).

Our sink was an off-the-shelf, 18 gauge undermount sink. Our fabricator welded it into the countertop, and you really can't tell that they were ever separate. No seams, nice clean lines. You can judge for yourself! It's true that you can't integrate just any sink. It has to be a certain thickness and quality in order to weld it onto the countertop, and the sink manufacturers' specs don't necessarily tell the whole story. The sink may have been made out of 18 or 16 gauge steel, but after it's stamped and stretched into shape, it may no longer be that thick. When we first met up with our fabricator, he was complaining about having just welded a Franke sink into a countertop, because there was so little material to work with, the sink having been thinned out quite a bit during manufacture. The sink we ultimately went with happened to be in the fabricator's shop already, so we bought it off him, and he knew he could weld it.

I have a question for you guys. Is it too outdated to have a cointibayoon do the quartz for the badksplash(only the 4inches) without having to add any other back splash? I worry about making my kitchen Look too busy and having a hard time matching colors , so i was hoping to just install a quartz counter top with that extra 4 inch lip without doing any other backsplash . That is assuming my counter top isn’t too bland . Also, can I get away with a gray? What about the Silestone calacatta gold ? Are the speckled quartz outdated ? Thanks! My floor has to be changed because it’s got a lot of holes and pkaces that are showing the underneath black rubber. it also has stains . My dream is to have white cabinets , a Taupe counter top(warmer gray like), and wood floors . If calacatta gold form Silestone , Bianco drift from Caesarstone , cambria Torquay , or viatera “sol” would work with white or warm cabinets , I’d pick one of those maybe. It’s a small kitchen, and I don’t have a huge budget .. but I do want to make a big enough change beginning with the counter tops that were never sealed properly, flooring, (and our back wall behind the sink that needs to be replaced ) . Thanks, again. I like honesty .