Some of you may have already read this on on the "Snafu" thread, but I have to say that despite all the problems I've had, in the end most things are turning out better! Can you believe I said that!!! :-O Venting Issue: Yes, it caused a 9-week stop work order and forced us to go with an outside plumber to move a shower drain pipe...but it also resulted in: We ultimately replaced all our polybutelyne water pipes that no longer meet code b/c they get brittle and crack over time (and they were 13 years old). We originally said "No" to it, but the long wait gave us time to think about it and we realized that the last thing we wanted was to have one of the many water pipes in our kitchen ceiling spring a leak and ruin the new kitchen plus it was less expensive to do now b/c the ceiling and walls were already opened up and most of the drywall work is already included in the remodel. A new hot water heater! Can you believe it...we had all the water pipes replaced and the next day our hot water heater sprung a leak! (Nowhere near where the work was done w/the water pipes). It turns out our water heater is under warranty until 6/1 so we got a new water heater for just the cost of labor...and since standards have changed since we bought the defective one, it's a much better one! Measuring error on the cooktop wall: We originally had two 9" standard cabinets (no shelves) flanking our cooktop. We were going to use them for tray storage since they were too small for much of anything else...even though we already have more tray storage than we need over the ovens & refrigerator. But now that we have the 6" fillers on either side and they're pullouts, we now have better storage for that location...mostly spices. [My only disappointment is that Omega's filler pullout...which BTW can be retrofitted since it's one piece...does not have adjustable shelves...so no room for oils there...but that's OK...one side will be spices and the other side will be baking things like colored sugars/sprinkles..still more useful than those extra tray cabinets!] Message Center: B/c of the measuring error on the sink wall that forced us to have a smaller pantry and eliminated our future Message Center for good, we got a niche in the pantry wall now for our Message Center. The future one was going to have to wait a few years until we had saved enough and had made other, more pressing changes. OK, we won't get the full Message Center that I originally wanted, but I will have something now. The jury is out on the granite right now!

I think one of the things that ends up missing in a lot of discussions about backsplashes, is that they are supposed to be easier to clean and more durable than a painted wall, and a painted wall is fairly easy to clean and pretty durable. I think the argument that a backsplash is needed because you are going to splash things on it gets a little weaker when the backsplash is stone or mosaic that is primarily ornamental and would be susceptible to stain and water absorption without sealing it. My gym recently updated the showers with stone tile and mosaic. They removed tile showers that were probably 60 years old. The stone requires a lot more maintenance, isn't as bullet proof as glazed tile, and, since they are used heavily, you can tell when they need to be resealed: they smell bad, like a combination of mold and mildew, and they feel slimy. I don't take showers there anymore. Not that this is going to happen to a residential kitchen backsplash---but my point is that a good paint would probably be just as good a backsplash from a functional standpoint as cleft stone. This sort of backsplash veers into the Ornamental category. As for the 1" backsplash not Adding anything to the look. I agree, but it doesn't subtract much from the look either: it's there primarily for function.

Angie - I love your floor and your black BS range!! I want it in my kitchen! DH rolls eyes on black... good to know about the upkeep on travertine. Yeah I LIKE the herringbone! Msrose - Thanks for the link to the other thread. The granite and BS you've picked would be great with the travertine. Are your cabinets darker stained? It seems the issues are more with the grout than anything else when it comes to travertine or regular tile. I think maybe a dark gray grout with the silver travertine? If I lay the stone in a running bond or herringbone I don't think it will look Tuscan. Just maybe too contemporary for the farmhouse? I have a close-up of my color choices but the light is not good. This shows the soapstone and a few wall paint choices. Soapstone will also be the BS and windowsills. I'm going with the Anastacia from Texiera it stays dark with one oil and is really hard.

Francoise47: Thanks so much for the link to Sandn's kitchen. I am also doing a marble island, and it is so exciting to see a beautiful pairing! sw_in_austin: Love the picture of your sill. Looks just like what I was hoping it would! The tiles are really beautiful! Thanks for sharing. ppbenn: Can't even begin to think of BS, but I do love Soapstone. I'll have to look for some examples of a soapstone backsplash. I am getting Barocca from Bucks County SS. Can't wait! Thanks so much! Definitely going for it.