gina171 and Tara... the finish is blue granite Pebble Sheen. We LOVE the color. It is a beautiful blue! Tara...Our coping is tumbled torreon and we really like the look. We used the 24" length (the longest we could get)because we wanted it to have a more elongated look. As for the distance from the patio...I was worried,too. We couldn't go further back because of septic boundaries. It turns out that we have plenty of room. I haven't measured how wide the space is, but it sounds similar to yours. I have kids and a dog and have had no problems at all. I think yours will work!!!! Thanks for the comments. I will post more pictures after we have finished up. Good luck with your projects.

@nosoccermom - good questions! :) I really love my kitchen. Both the function and aesthetics of it. I must have spent a gazillion hours researching, looking at options, reading, etc. And in the end, I am very happy with my choices. But, there are a few things I would do differently: 1. Prep/bar sink - I would skip it if I were to do things over. I hardly ever use it. I drank the "Gardenweb Kool-aid" regarding prep sinks and should have known it wouldn't be that useful for me. That said, I do like how it looks, and it makes a handy "hiding" place for things on the counter. ;) 2. Ventilation - we have a challenging configuring that was better suited to a downdraft unit. But I love the look of the overhead hood, so went for it. It's not terrible, but I am sure it would function better with a downdraft. I would probably still have the hood facade, but then have a DD for actual ventilation. Favorite things: 1. My appliances (hopefully I won't jinx myself by saying this!). They've all performed beautifully. Love my microwave drawer - so much easier and more functional. French door fridge is great (adore the filtered water dispenser inside); and my induction cooktop and ovens have been wonderful. I got brave enough to try the self-clean function on my ovens not long ago, and it worked great. 2. My backsplash. Makes me happy to look at it. Even though it was a splurge, it was totally worth it. 3. Drawers! Love, love them - especially the ones for pots/pans, bowls, serving dishes and baking supplies. 4. And, similarly - drawer inserts/dividers for spices, knives, utensils, etc. Love having a place for everything! Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions...

Gorgeous, thanks for sharing? We are currently choosing countertops for our kitchen reno and your pictures are selling me on Superwhite! Questions: 1. What edge did you use on your counters? 2. What is the height between your countertop and the bottom of your cabinets? I think 18 inches is standard, yours look a bit higher which is what we are thinking of doing in our new kitchen. 3. Do you know the company that made your cabinet knob hardware, where did you buy it? Thanks much!

I just found your beautiful kitchen while doing a search for pulls/knobs and I LOVE it! I just yesterday changed my island top from a quartzite called Luce de Luna to a marble called "Vermont Danby Marble", which is quarried in VT. The claim made by my stone distributor's postcard says it is "approved and ideally suited for kitchen countertops providing a clean, beautiful alternative to granite." "This marble is less absorbent and more dense than most granites." I think you must have the same marble on your perimeter. Now that you've lived through the holidays with your new kitchen, do you have any comment as to the durability of your countertops? Any regrets? Would you recommend it highly? I'd love to get some comfort buying a known no-no, marble, for my kitchen island counter. (We'll be templating in 2 weeks.) Thanks!