Jgopp, been waiting for yours, too! Thanks all, and yes, the paint for the beadboard and walls, plus installling the "tile rug" is all that is left in the kitchen! Decided togo withcab color on the beadboard, got ithalf repainted and had to refocus elsewhere so it is still half painted, ha ha. Texas Gal, will absolutely let you know via email when the reveal finally gets posted. After all this time it will seem anticlimactic, but my GW peeps have been so faithful in standing by me through my agony I would not dream of skipping a reveal! I will try to keep up in the weekly thread, that tends to be difficult for me. I always feel like I leave out recognizing someone! But I do miss you folks, so will check it out right now...

It went thru. Okay, I got it now!!'. :)

Oh the tile is so beautiful and I LOVE how it looks but I see what you're saying; from what you've shown, the darker contrast has more of a kick. Wonder if you could wipe it down really well to remove a little, and then grout with a darker grout? Or - a quick search showed this - perhaps a good fix? I would highly recommend applying to a sample board before you apply to your actual grout. Apply Enhancing Sealer Apply enhancing sealer to help darken the color of dry grout. Although it may never be as dark as it was before it dried, the sealer will help deepen the color and block stains. The most common grout sealers will not darken grout because they are formulated to dry invisibly. Check the label to be sure yours is an enhancing sealer. There are also lots of threads about applying a stain to the grout and wiping it off, to darken. Would you be willing to post a picture of the range wall with the tile grouted, for comparison? Your kitchen is GORGEOUS.

In my area, the electric company offers a service for free where they come assess the energy efficiency of your home and offer suggestions. In addition, they replace every single lightbulb in your house with an LED! I have 16 alone in my kitchen/FR. So we had our contractors put in regular ones and then we had them all changed out (told the electrician to use the dimmers for the recessed, etc.) Now, it is a free service that everyone pays for on their monthly bill (like $1) but few people know about this. Check with your company first to see if they offer anything like this. They also give huge rebates on insulating, windows, and other energy saving projects. (Part of our house is 100 years old so that was a bonus.)