So it was called PA soapstone but from Brazil??? I thought PA soapstone was from PA. Maybe it looks like the soapstone they used to mine in PA? I am leaning toward using Bucks County because there have been so many rave reviews here on the GW. I would prefer to use someone who only deals with soapstone rather than someone who does granite and soapstone and marble. My friend used Philadelphia Soapstone (they are in NJ just over the bridge) and had a great experience. I have yet to go to a yard and look but we need to do that soon! It seems like the soapstone is becoming harder to find. Very little still from the USA from what I understand. What price per square foot did you pay? If you don't mind my asking and still remember. I am trying to get an idea of the ballpark we might pay. I know it varies but a ball park would be a good place to start. My contractor said he thought about $150 sq. ft. (including installation).

I agree the 4" protrusion of a regular towel bar might be uncomfortable. I guess I should have specified that by towel bar I mean to use an appliance pull. Won't stick out any farther than a regular cabinet pull. I guess it might be uncomfortable if I pressed my belly up against it, but I've always found that that's a good way to get your shirt wet at a sink, so I don't. It seems to me to be the most convenient location to hang towels. My kids will be able to reach it. I won't drip across the floor to get to a towel somewhere else. No drips on my stainless appliances from hanging one on them. I don't have filler space for a pull out, and those look like more work to keep clean anyways. In theory the stone/quartz apron will also resist water better than towels hanging directly against a wood cabinet. I am open to any suggestions for a more functional place to hang my dish towels. This is the best photo of the kitchen with the faux farmhouse sink that inspired me that I could find online. I wish it showed the sink better. I didn't realize it wasn't a farm sink until I read the description.: Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen with faux farmhouse sink.

I have had my fireclay sink with a garbage disposal for more than a year. I have 3 teenage sons who are NOT gentle and I use the sink and disposal multiple times a day. After reading some negatives about fireclay, I have put on bright lights and readers to see if there are any hairline cracks, scratches etc. - and after 15 months - NOTHING. The sink still looks brand new. My contractor was careful not to over tighten the disposal - and I use sponges designed not to scratch and softscrub when needed - but the fireclay surface is so smooth and easy to wipe clean. I chose the Alfi Shortwall because I had limited space, wanted a double sink - but also didn't want pan handles sticking out. It is an ideal solution. At the time I purchased the sink, they did not make custom grids, but after reading some negatives about fireclay, I bought cheap rubbermaid grids from Amazon.com. They have been awesome and have provided me with a lot of peace of mind. Bluebath now carries custom grids for my sink, but I really don't see the need. The rubbermaid grids are hinged for easy access to the drain/disposal - and after more than a year, they still look great. I pop them in the DW occasionally to sanitize them. I absolutely love my fireclay sink with disposal and I think you will love yours too. Here is a link that might be useful: Rubbermaid Sink Grid $12.00

Just wanted to provide some first hand experience and input with regards to Fabuwood cabinets. We too had looked at alot of cabinetry lines when planning our kitchen remodel in our new house, as we had previously purchased a semi-custom line of Kraftmaid cabinets for a kitchen remodel in our previous home, which we loved, but were looking for something a bit more economical as we paid almost $12k for Kraftmaid back in 2004. We too had some reservations about Fabuwood, but after much research, online reviews, and seeing completed projects in person, we ultimately went with Fabuwood's Wellington Ivory. For the design, quality, style, construction, price, finish, etc. you really would be hard pressed to find another manufacturer that offers all that. They are also one of the few companies that offer a tall and wide pantry with pull outs, and this was a must for the design we wanted/needed. And yes, the hardware/hinges are Blum. My husband is a carpenter so we had planned to do all installation ourselves, and he is particular, and he was overall satisfied with quality and construction. We added quite a few "xtras" with decorative supports for island, fluted panels for pantry, trim for foot moldings, etc. but all totaled was less than $12k. We worked with a kitchen design center/dealer, and cabinets were ordered and received (well most of them anyway) within about 4 weeks. While there were a few issues with a couple of the items (scratched, dinged, or cracked), all we had to do was take a pic with our phone, send it to our dealer, and a replacement was sent within less than 2 weeks time door to door. I would say that if we had a young, growing family, I may have chose a natural wood, which may be a little more durable, but since our kids are grown and out of the house, we went with a painted/glazed finish, and we absolutely love it. I have read that others have not had good experiences, but If I had to rate ours...I would say an 8.5 out of 10. There are always issues that arise during a major reno project, and we expected and accepted that. While it caused some delay, it was not a huge deal, to us at least. We have a log home so we there were some limitations to style, i.e so we were going for a french country look. Here are a few pics of the before, during and after reno.