I should have added: Marble can be tricky, as some of it is very porous, some can even be a bit translucent. Use a thinset that matches the color of the tile. Usually white thinset. That will prevent gray thinset from shadowing through the tile. Backbutter the marble tiles to ensure you get a full coating of thinset on the back of each tile. Some thinset here ant none there could also result in a mottled or striping look with the finished tile. Marble can wick water, so the after tiling it may have a mottled appearance for a few days as the thinset cures and the tile dries. Polished marble can be scratched by sanded grout. Depends on the care of the installer. However, thinner grout joints (less than 1/8") should lead you to use unsanded grout. A dark grout can stain the edges of light colored marble, leading to a "dirty look" aroudn the perimeter of the tile. Mongo

Oh, there are lots of local tile stores, but my contractor knows someone at Dal and I was going to get a particularly good deal, so now I'm going to have to take a deep breath and go pay looking and pay more and I'm getting to that point where I just want it to be easy. Rectangular is definitely a contemporary look, just not one I personally love, except when it's small enough to get called subway tile, if that makes sense. It's funny, for one bathroom, what we're actually looking to do is a contemporary version of the one minette99 posted a picture of in this thread http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg060043154774.html. I have cobalt blue 1" square blue glass tiles and I'd like to do big white squares part way up (instead of her subways), the blue glass tile, a more contemporary white trim and then very pale blue walls. The vanity will be natural maple with slab doors, black silestone countertop and American Standard green tea faucets. So I thought big white tiles set diagonally on the floor, with some of the blue glass pieces used as dots, the same white tiles done stacked on the walls. But hmmm on possibly the difficulty of finding the true white tile with a high enough COF and also thinking about what Susan said about it looking dated very quickly. I'm probably headed back to the stores.

"The wall ovens were always preferable but optional, as was a 36" wide fridge as opposed to, say, a 31" wide that is taller." Regarding the refrigerator...stick with 36" wide by 70" to 72" tall. Manufacturers in/for the US are standardizing on 36"W x 70" to 72" tall refrigerators as their minimum size offering. Yes, you may find narrower ones here and there, but they're usually low-end of the mainstream refrigerators or very high end manufacturers (e.g., Liebherr). So, plan for this size space for your refrigerator: 38.5" wide x 72" tall. Width: 36" wide + 1.5" for end panels (3/4" on each side) + 1" for air clearance and wiggle room = 38.5" Height: 72" tall This way, you won't have to either search far and wide for a smaller refrigerator or pay $$$$ for a high-end refrigerator. Periodically over the years we've had people come to either here on the Kitchens forum or the Appliances forum frantically looking for a refrigerator to fit a small space (width and/or height). If it's a built-in, you don't have to accommodate the end panels b/c a built-in does not need end panels to hide the sides of the refrigerator. Counter-depth and standard-depth do need the end panels. And don't forget a 24" deep cabinet over the refrigerator (I can't tell for certain from the drawing if it's 24" deep, so I thought I'd mention it!)

Not to hijack this thread, but my question is similar regarding the 12 x 12 vs. a 12 x 24. We are doing some updates to the front of our house - 2 story, built in 1965. Small front porch that has 4' x 32' of original concrete, including a 3 x 8 step up to the front door. (It cannot be taken out, since there is a full "cold room" under it.) Other updates include enlarging the posts, new lighting, new garage doors, etc. Nothing structural. As an overlay on the concrete, we're looking for a slate tile or a porcelain that looks like slate. Since the house is traditional, would it look better to stay with a 12 x 12 tile laid square? Or go to the 12 x 24 laid in a brick pattern? Either way, I plan to have a matching grout. Thanks for any advice!