Hello Peggy, I was a bit confused with the username different than the post name...yes at times I can't seem to navigate and find the things I'm looking for. Glad you found me - I welcome your comments. Would love to be finished with this project but it seems I take such a long time deciding, now the thing is that I really like it so far and don't want to "mess it up" with a wrong decision :) The cabinets are frost glaze. Lowes also has a bisque glaze - it had a bit more tinge of yellow to it and the glaze didn't seem as white. You can't tell it in the pictures but the glaze around the details of the cabinets are white white, the bisque didn't have that. There is a bit of distressing in the frost glaze which I'd rather not have but only my husband and I notice it through close examination - looks a little worn but I suppose that will be good in the future :) I fell in love with this granite when I saw it, nothing else quite "hit me" like this one did. (I orginally fell in love with the look of the white on white as the marble gives and couldn't quite find that in a granite) We had considered others that were a bit cheaper but they never gave me that "wow" factor, so after a month of looking we made the decision to go for the summer - it was exclusive to just one fabricator here in town - went there and to our dismay they were out of it which was hard to believe because their whole yard was filled with it - was so discouraged and then I found out that 2 slabs were released and we jumped on it. I was going all over trying to find it and other fabricators were telling me that others were doing the same thing?? It came in quick and left the same way. I know it's from Brazil but that's about it. My pros of going with it behind the stove were the two reasons you mentioned - love the rock and so easy to clean but I'm pretty decided from everyones comments that I will go with the tile - NOW which one - LOL I will check out the tumbled travertine - then there is the issue of color, size, shape and straight verses diagnol - LOL and crying again :) Don't have pictures right now of the open areas - will get but we are working on finishing touches in there too. I don't have the measurements but the rooms are quite small compared to alot I've seen here. One story ranch. There is an arch that cojoins the living room and the dining room (if you can call it that :) the only thing that seperates the dining table and the kitchen is the island. There is a sliding glass door with mullions (to give it that "french door" look-didn't have room for a swing) and then out to the deck which overlooks our yard. Thanks for the compliments. We are trying to make our small space beautiful, warm and open. We're happy of the progess so far and have to remind ourselves that it will eventually be finished and will be worth it! You will have to let me know of your progress - would love to see where you are with it.

I would do the oil-rubbed bronze, and you don't to have any other black or near-black in the kitchen.

@cupofkindnessgw, Here you go! It is a 3 drawer cabinet. All 3 drawers will be a wiiiiide U shape to account for the sink & related equipment, but I’ll be able to store all of the sink/cleaning accoutrement. The sink is 42” wide, so the top drawer might be pretty useless, but I’m going back & forth with the carpenter about making it operable anyway. He insists it shouldn’t be done. I think it should. I bet I‘ll win. The painting is still in the ‘prep’ stage, as you can see. Three of the four guys that were working on it had to go back to our master bath to hang a large mirror, and my bespoke trapeze towel bars (anchored in the attic) left over from Phase I of the reno (MBed, MBath, MCloset, Powder Room/closet/linen to Laundry/Powder room) that started in October. Good times.

Real stone is overrated IMO. It has man-made processes applied to it to make it suitable for residential kitchens, as well as sealers, so being more ‘real’ is just marketing in my book, particularly for a surface you’re going to be cooking and eating off of. A sterile man-made product that is easy to clean makes more sense in a kitchen environment to me personally, which is why we chose white solid surface for our remodel. Our second choice was white quartz. It’s easy to tell if it’s clean and maintenance is a breeze. There are many many threads here on quartzite getting water ‘stains’ around the sink, seems, and stove, issues with sealing, issues with food stains and etching, poultices being applied, etc. The pale colors can be unforgiving. I personally think real stone is not a great choice for residential kitchen applications, at least not for working kitchens in the suburbs. In kitchens that see limited use where it’s all for show, or in old traditional working kitchens that utilize marble and embrace the patina, I can see the appeal more.