Herb - I think we have the same shingles! Darker will absorb heat - lighter reflects but need to match the character of the house - now we picked our shingles and then 2 years later, painted the outside a very different color - I might have picked a different color if I had known that I was going to change colors - but the driftwood has both brown and gray - so we were covered! Also CT has a website and you can look at different options - pick the color and style of shingle and it pops it on the roof!

Yes, of course. I've gotten so much help here, I'm so glad to be able to help someone else for a change! :) I have to get ready for work soon and will have to look up the knobs info tonight, but I can answer everything else: We have The Tile Shop in our town, but they have a web site. I think it's tileshop.com. I'm bet you can order the grout over the web. I can find out the brand later today if that will help, but I think they probably only carry one brand. It lightened very slightly, but I love it now!! Thank goodness!! I would not want it any lighter. The granite is Giallo Oramental aka "New" Venetian Gold. It does not really have gold in it, like regular Venetian Gold. It is more brown, gray and white. It was one of the "stock" granites where we bought it. I had looked at Bianco Antico, which I love, but it was much more expensive. I love all the colors in the NVG and am so glad we went with it. The wall are Relaxed Khaki from Sherwin Williams. I've got to get to work now, but let me know if you have any other questions! Hope that helps! Jill

j-yk, I totally understand how you feel. I had a hard time figuring out the right size lights over our island and had to return two sets before I ended up with the ones I have. Hang in there! You will find the right ones! I just explained your question to my sister-in-law who is here visiting. We got out the measuring tape and measured out your island size and height. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but we both agree that the pendents are too big for a 52" long island :( Bummer! We also think they are to big for 8-10" of chain (for the chain/light to look proportionate)... I know that is a bummer to hear...but I'm glad you asked and I could help you figure it out. I would hate for you to order them only to have to pay to return. There is another light that is similar and a little smaller. It is from Ballard Design and is called the Carriage Light. I have the larger one in my foyer and it is really pretty. The smaller one is only 8" in diameter. It might work! I hope that helps. Let me know how it works out! Jill

Hi Lake Girl, Thanks for your kind words about my almost-done kitchen! It is nice to hear that others like it. My small subway tiles came on mesh with a pre-set 1/8 inch grout line. Because of the size of the grout line, our tile store recommended that we use a mixture of 1/2 sanded and 1/2 unsanded grout. (Hope this was a good choice). The color is TEC Pearl. Elsewhere in the house we used light gray "Silverado" and my DH wonders why we didn't use it in the kitchen as well. I like it that the TEC Pearl brings in a warmer, beige tone. It is just dark enough to set off the individual tiles. As for the lights, yes we love them and I think that two would work well over a 66" long island -- how wide is your island? The antique pewterish finish would blend well with many finishes. We have polished nickel hardware and faucets and they work well with that. I can imagine that they would work well with bronze because the finish on the pendants is warm. On the other hand, I like mixing metals. Maybe it wouldn't look right to others who want consistent finishes in the kitchen. As for the light, with 40 watt bulbs in each they give out enough light to light the surface of the island. But you will need to have other lights in the kitchen to complement and fill the rest of your kitchen with light. That is something only you can decide. Best wishes for your reno. Have you posted progress pictures? I'm sure we would all love to see your kitchen.