Oh dear, my instinct says walk away. Granite is expensive and when that much money is on the table.... If you feel this uncomfortable NOW, imagine what you will feel like when he has all your money? And add to this if he does a terrible job. A red flag goes up for me that he mis-quoted his price. Even if he made a mistake on the price he needs to eat the difference. His mistake he looses the $400 not you! You will find a great installer who is a true artist and fair in their price. I would ask every neighbor, every church member,every one of my girl friends who they used to get their counters done by. Ask your dentist, doctor, child's teacher, laywer, taxman/woman... And you did the right thing by coming to GW. I don't live in Long Island in Suffolk County,But I am almost positive there are Gardenwebbers who do and can give you names of people they have used. I wonder if you could find out through FKB? I will do a search later to see. I love my granite fabricator. He and his crew worked with DH and I to create the most favorite part of my kitchen. He did not have my kind of granite in any of his locations. He helped me find it. When I could not afford the price. He did another search all over new england until he found slabs that I could afford and he could afford to work with. My seams are flawless and bookmatched, my edges divine, and I had a say where the template went. This is how a good installer works. I wish you the best in finding a good artist. This guy might be it, but your worries concern me. ~boxer oh check out the link if you have not yet, Here is a link that might be useful: Natural stone primer/ granite 101 by stonegirl

"dilly, the first 2 pics you posted did not come through" Hmmm. I am seeing them. Maybe a browser issue? I don't know what else to do. I am not very computer literate. ----------------- One thing to remember with the cedar chest that you have, is not to paint the cedar lining, but you knew that already I assume. I have seen cedar chests at Goodwill where they painted them inside and out and I don't know why. Shabby Chic can evolve. And there is Coastal Shabby Chic, Funky Shabby Chic, Girly Shabby Chic. You can go in many directions with it. Try for you own signature style. You don't want to just copy the famous original Shabby chic that is now seen everywhere and is rather defunct. Choose furniture with a unique silhouette. Add an unexpected fabric keeping the piece fresh and casual, and 'everyday'. Heavy brocade upholstery is out. Chintz brings it together. . This below would make people say "Ooooh, I saw that at Target! That's nice." and keep walking. Or "That is sooooo Rachel Ashwell." or "That is soooo Mary Englebert." pointing and walking on by. People are saturated with Shabby Chic that makes rooms look like Cabbage Rose Soup. . This would hold more interest for the chest. . It's the juxtaposition of formal elements with casual........ . You may not need to redo everything you find in a print before you sell it. Color and texture are key elements that bring Shabby Chic together. . Below linked is Bella Cottage which finds vintage items and re-dos them to a Shabby Chic style. Note that the pieces all have painted handles whether they are metal or wood. Otherwise crystal knobs are used. http://www.thebellacottage.com/product_search.php?search=antique Here is a link that might be useful: Bella Cottage

@Sue I know this is a year old but hoping you can confirm for me the colors of your kitchen. Agreeable Gray walls and Snowbound Cabinets? My floors are nearly identical to you but we still have brown/beige/charcoaly granite counters that we can't replace yet but I am just over the dark wood cabinetry and need a color to go with my agreeable gray walls.

If the reverse roll doesn't fix the hardware visibility, would it be possible to get a straight valance made from the same material? I'd call the store and explain my dilemma. I'm sure they can find a solution for you that works with the existing shades.