buffalotina - sorry for the late reply but I have been focused on my landscaping now that the addition is done. My cabinets are frameless & that is one of the reasons I chose them. swickbb - Thanks...my kitchen seems so much warmer than the pics I posted now that I have accessorized a little. I still don't love my marble...but I found a company who did repair work on my new travertine floor & they suggested that they could re-hone the marble counters to make them a little less shiny so the etching doesn't show as much. I haven't done it yet because I still have other work to do on the house (like new built-ins & fireplace in the LR) before I start re-doing the new things. Plus they are getting so much abuse by my husband I am waiting to see if all the etching blends together into one big "patina" look

Thank you all so much! Palimpsest, what a great idea about the samples from Kohler! I was ready to consider SS as I know most of you suggested, but last night found the GREATEST sink--an apront front white fluted fireclay by Whitehaus. Originally, the only thing I knew about the remodel was that I wanted a sink like that, but then I had abandoned the idea because of cost and the fact that you can't put the garbage under the sink. (Now I'm hoping to make room in the island--the microwave will also be there). But I think my problem was that I just didn't want an undermount of any color. So now the fact that the sink is white and I have off-white cabinets doesn't bother me. That kind of sink is timeless and I am hoping to achieve a somewhat vintage look. I know this sounds insane but I was waking up at night in a sweat worrying over white or biscuit with the undermount and the decision to go with the apron front was truly liberating. I had no idea how stressful the decisions are and we haven't even started construction! I won't even tell you about how hard I looked before I decided on the Yellow River granite! I can't thank you all enough for all your support! It's so nice to have people out there to help you with all of this madness. I promise to post pics as soon as my 22-year-old daughter comes back in two weeks and can help me with that.

When you already have cream and bright white, and the solidish gray or black sink, I can only think of something like an aggregate pattern to try to tie the colors together. I have a hard time picturing another solid added to the bunch. Maybe just something to blend with the sink? You haven't told us much about what you like or want. Do you prefer strong/bright colors? Dark or light? Cool or warm? You must've had some vision in mind when you chose cream and bright white, which usually aren't used together. I think you need to share more about the idea you're working toward before we can offer suggestions.

I was looking at this website about choosing a color scheme. According to this, my kitchen has a split complementary color scheme. My wall color is blue. The complement is orange. The split complementaries are yellow-orange (my cabinets) and red-orange (my Brazilian cherry floors). I also have a good dose of neutrals with my appliances and light fixtures and gray countertops. In addition, my walls are a grayed blue to tone down the blue, allowing the split complementaries to shine. My stone does not read as "green" as the previous picture of the Frank Lloyd Wright kitchen. I'm really not fond of the monochromatic color scheme currently popular. My kitchen is a lively place and the bold color scheme fits it well. I am confused as to why others feel the colors are fighting with one another? Regardless, finding a suitable backsplash is proving to be a challenge.