Thanks very much for that photo, monkeyjac. Wow, that is an amazing job they did with your seam. In my case the sink is centered on the island, with the widest part of the arch across from the sink and facing the family room directly. If I knew for sure that it would look like yours, I would have no concerns! This has actually been my hardest decision. I have come to think something like NVG could work best in my kitchen for a number of reasons. Not only does it complement both of my cabinet colors but I feel that as much as I love the movement granites, too much in a large space could easily overwhelm (there's a desk and bar area I'm covering, too). Thats something that my KD has cautioned me about as well and he loves granite with movement. Also looks like you put in the exact Artisan sink I'm considering. I'm between this or the Ticor. PS Sorry for all the typos in the earlier post - it was late!

I had the same situation between which white to choose. I completely agree with everyone that says you can't really choose a color until you see the sample in your new kitchen. I picked during the framing stage by putting all the samples next to each other in what was to be the kitchen and looking at them at different times of the day over several days. I hung a tarp over the exterior wall to try and simulate the lighting of the kitchen after sheet rock. I have a hard time with creamy whites because they go yellow in the evening here (Seattle) so I picked BM White Dove, which was the middle of the road in my samples. Of course I was second guessing myself right up until the end, but I'm glad I went with the the mid-white of the samples as it does tend to go a little yellow at night and it's not too stark during the day. The grey undertone helps keep the yellowing minimal. Here's what I came up against that others should know...my cabinets were site finished and they were sprayed with a primer of bright white. Talk about operating room! I was glad I didn't go with the brightest white of my samples. Then the first coat of BM White Dove Satin Impervo went on. Each time I had to shut down the job site for three days and crank the heat while the paint cured. I hated waiting three days to see the cabinets and all the built-ins! Anyway, after the first coat of White Dove I snuck in the house at night. The cabinets were the dingyest yellow of all yellows! Yikes! Of course I cried because I had picked the wrong color when I was hoping I had picked the perfect color. Back to square one. Ugh. But then the next day as I moped around the job site I noticed that the cabinets didn't match my sample from the store. Here's what happened...I went to my local BM store and bought several quarts of tinted Satin Impervo paint mixed at the store. After I chose the White Dove, my painter went to his BM wholesaler and bought White Dove Satin Impervo off the shelf as it is one of BM's stock colors. Although most say the formulas are the same, they aren't! The difference was horrifying! Luckily it was the first coat, I was able to figure out the problem and the final coat went on perfectly in store mixed White Dove paint. Sadly, we had already finished all 40 shelves and 74 doors when the carcasses were painted and the mistake was discovered so we had to go back and redo all of them. My point? No matter what you choose, always go with the exact same formulation as your sample!

WendyB Do not paint those beautiful cabinets!!!!! Interestingly, they are very similar in color to my cabinets, I also have new Venetian Gold, and a natural hardwood floor. (My rugs are similar in color to yours also! However I will need new ones soon. Where did you find yours?) I love the look of the countertop with the cabinets. I do not have a tile backsplash, but when I was considering one I looked at a white crackle tile. (Not stark white, more of a biscuit. It was a 6" square but I have also seen it in a subway tile) I think it would have looked beautiful. I didn't do it because of the way my kitchen is laid out. There's only one section where I could have had the tile backsplash installed. I thought if I had put the tile backsplash in that one section, it would have made the other places where there are cabinets and countertops look unfinished. My kitchen is painted "blonde," from Sherman Williams/Duron. Restrained Gold is the color below blonde (darker) on the paint swatch, and that would look very nice also. You could also go with a milky coffee color (beige like), darker than the current color your walls appear to be currently. I preferred to pull out the gold in the countertop and compliment the red hues in my cherry cabinets. I think your kitchen looks beautiful.

if it's on your walls, then for sure I wouldn't use it on the cabinets. You need some sort of break/contrast! what you do to bring in warmth and color is accessories. wood cutting boards, pendants, greenery, metal hardware, rugs, window coverings, shelving, glass in the upper cabs w/colorful dishes,,,,whatever! you certainly don't have to do the white subway tile. do the white cabinets and pick a charcoal tile. I can help you w/that when the cabs are done. that's easy. Right now your lighting is so yellow, its difficult to pick something. see if you can stick in a few more cans in the center. as a suggestion, I'd remove the valance and window treatment, and try something like this (in diff colors of course) and if you like the farmhouse white sink, try the drop in model. And I hope you're addressing the lack of storage. I get it. If possible, have some large drawers put in, somewhere, in order to store those items on the countertop. I had a drawer put into my island and keep everything in them. another suggestion, have a simple hood vent made (trim it wood if you like). the current one, along w/the valance and curtains over the sink, really date the space. this is how I did mine: whitetail cabs against a whiter wall. since you've already painted the walls, do something diff on cabs. can you imagine what this would look like if the cabs/walls/doors were all the same??! maybe look at some of these others that will compliment Whitetail. maybe Chatroom or Antler Velvet ?? I'd also do handles, not knobs, on the uppers. I think the gold would be pretty w/the granite.