Do you have a sample of the Silestone Lagoon to look at with your tile. I think you are right that it might look slightly off but it's hard to know with out seeing it in person. I also think it might be difficult to find a solid white countertop that will play well with both the white in the tile and your white countertops. Maybe you should concierge a light to medium tone gray countertop. It will provide a little contrast and keep your room from looking too white (unless that is the look you want). I think it would look better not to have too much movement in the countertop since the porcelain carrara tile has lots of movement. I posted a picture earlier in this thread showing the Carrara look alike tile my daughter used in her bathroom. She opted for light gray cabinets and initially wanted a white countertop. She shopped remnants for her countertop and was not able to find something that didn't "look slightly off". She ended up using a black quartz that had some lighter speckles in it. She thought it looked better than a solid color. Perhaps you could find a grey with some flecks of dark grey, black or white in it. I've posted many pics of my daughter's bathroom on this forum but here's a few shots for you so you can see how contrasting colors work Since you probably don't want to go with black, maybe something like Silestones Ocean Jasper Or Moonstone Would work for you. If your not limited to Silestone Cambria has some options that might work too. Snowdown White Greystone Good look with your search for the right countertop.

Good questions. We've now used beadboard in two bathrooms and, at the risk of going overboard, are going to use it as the kitchen backsplash as well (laid horizontally). In all cases we've used MDF panels under semi-gloss paint. None of the surfaces are able to soak in water, and their well-caulked, but PVC would probably be the safest bet in damp environments. We chose a board (from our local lumber supply yard vs. HD or Lowes) that had deep, authentic-looking grooves. I adore true tongue and groove, but my husband, the main carpenter of the operation, wasn't interested in the time needed to install it. The chair rail is two 1.5 x .5 inch trim pieces laid perpendicular to one another. I really like this detail, and it's a cinch to do. Good luck with your decisions! Whatever you do will be great...

This is kinda hard to even think about. There is Tuscany - the place and a completely different Tuscany - the style in the USA. Mixed in with that imagery is generic "Italian" even when it resembles beef-a-roni. I can't imagine polished marble being desirable in a kitchen due to slippage. Tuscany - the place in my head says warm colors, slightly faded, easy care, honest materials, simple designs - not necessarily "olde worlde". Perhaps, it is the way pictures of actual kitchens in tuscany feel to me. Tuscany - the style says imitation, fake exposed brick or distressed walls, gold everything, majolica, heavy use of heavy tile and possibly fake beams, all cabinet design is "olde worlde" and also usually fake distressed. I'm not against "fake" by any means. I have stuff that is fake distressed. It's just descriptive. My mind blanks on polished marble flooring in either Tuscany the place or the style. The only "authentic" redo I've ever been in was a nice second generation italian couple who spent a fortune redoing their home - lots of bronze fixtures, green tinted plaster walls in the kitchen, terracotta tints everywhere else, nice dark carved cabinets, some honed marble and tile counters - and plain earthenware tile floors. No shiney marble at all. It was great and felt like another world full of rich dark color. My suggestion would be to go to a mighty big book store and look through some books on tuscan style and look at the flooring.

The cost to refinish marble countertops will be based on size,condition of stone(how severe is the scracthing, etching and or staining,cracks,chips,etc)type of stone(darker stones and some limestones can be tricky to refinish)time and materials. Special pricing if we change the finish from polished to honed(easier and reasonably priced) or honed to polished(which is impossible to do to granite on site- very-difficult to do on marble(can be pricey). Our pricing on an average kitchen(60-80sqft) with normal wear and etching will start at around $650.00 and up. Larger kitchens with multiple islands and multiple countertops and other areas over 100 sq ft can that can be done in a day will start $900.00 and up. Pricing will vary region to region. Stone refinishing is one of those trades where experience is very important. I have been doing this since 2003 and still learn something everyday. While some stones are easier to work on others can be a serious undertaking. Not to mention the possibility of damaging fixtures back splashes,cabinets etc. Other issues could be dust or water containment and proper masking techniques so appliances,wallpaper,furniture and fabrics are protected . So While I am sure that a very handy person could do or try to refinish the stone there is the question of purchasing and using the proper equipment. I think in the long run it is cheaper to hire a bona -fide refinisher with references. Stu Rosen www.mbstonecare.com www.stoneshine.com