2cm engineered quartz is siliconed on on the sides of the cabinets. At least it is in some places. I had an installer at my place yesterday. First thing he said was "all you need are the sides." The counter rests on cabinet sides, on a bead of silicone. I saw another kitchen done this way in 2009, in another city 500 miles away. To install a quartz countertop, you silicone it onto the top of the cabinet side panels. The other panel, crossing horizontally, is not necessary except as a spacer -- and in fact it must be removed for an undermount sink to be installed. Plywood is a bother, and if your counter is longer than the plywood, it's a big bother. If I wanted to raise my counter a little higher, I could cut a 1" bar of stainless steel into 24" lengths and screw them onto the tops of the numerous cabinet sides. Or I could cut strips of a discarded panel: it's OSB inside which is as good as any other material. hth

I selected black Caesarstone for my bathroom vanity a couple of years ago. There were problems (to put it mildly!) with the installation, and the contractor had to switch fabricators and they could not get the Caesarstone. I ended up with a Silestone black. The whole job was such a fiasco I decided to accept the Silestone black even though it was not as nice as the Caesarstone. I felt the Silestone didn't have the richness and depth that the Caesarstone had. The Caesarstone did have the little sparkles that the Silestone did not have, but they were not a big deal to me either way. The Silestone looks good when wet or polished, but has a bit of flatness otherwise. You should be happy with the Casearstone.

I'm still a newby in terms of experience in use, but I can speak about shopping around for a countertop. I think many people choose natural stone, including granite, marble, and soapstone because they have this beauty that comes from within. It comes from nature and there is just no way to reproduce what nature made. There are probably a little more maintenance to each of these, but some very little, and others worth it or even enjoyable. I would have thought with my art background, that I would then have chosen one of them, but instead the caesarstone. (guess I should learn how to spell it since I have purchased it!!) I think that I wanted something different. I wanted a very practical and very neutral surface....I guess I would say when I see it though that is a clean, pretty, light in color, and either slightly contemporary or even retro. I am hoping to put more focus on a colorful backsplash and to enjoy my beautiful cabinets. The caesarstone price, where I live, was just a little more than the price I was quoted for a more common granite. Like rubyfig said though, it is not all about the look. Research the differences and think about what will suit your home and your kitchen function.

Our floors are Provenza Heirloom Collection in London. I love how they look but am less sure how they're going to wear. Already have a few scratches. The knotty, grain-y look is very forgiving but I'm annoyed that it scratches easily. Thanks for the compliments!