Hi, To start with the soapstone- we have had it in for about a month now and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I cannot get enough of the charcoaly black color and feel of it--like a baby's skin. It is from Brazil so is the very soft version of it. It definitely dings and scratches easily. The scratches disappear with an oiling and the dings blend in with oiling. I plan to try and sand them soon so I will let you know how that goes. I am not sure where you are located but we are in PA and got it from Bucks County Soapstone. We paid a tiny bit more to go with them (maybe $5/sq ft more) but I cannot say enough about how wonderful this company is. It was so worth it. It is the best company I have every dealt with--with regards to anything I have ever purchased. They are just wonderful! Maybe I should do an add for them;o). With regards to your island--I LOVE the wood. We had butcher block in our old house and I just loved it. We thought of it for here too but I didn't feel it fit with the style of this more traditional house. (I like a much more funky house with more character but this made more sense to be in a neighborhood with lots of kids). I think a soapstone perimeter will look gorgeous. My aunt has a different kind of soapstone--little more greenish to it and it is much harder. It is equally beautiful and is what made us think of soapstone originally. As far as the posts go, how big are your cabinets (total overall dimensions of it)? When we were working on ours--they suggested a minimum of an 11" overhang on the sides with the larger counter stools. They actually suggested it on any overhang side but we didn't have enough room on the stove side and we knew we would just have a small stool there so it didn't bother us. We did a bit more on the fridge side than the 11" as we had the space. I would say that once the counter is installed, try to put a piece of wood or baseball bat or fed ex shipping tube... to mimic the post in the place you want it by the kitchen table to see if it bothers you. That is what we did with the extra overhang on the island on the stove side as one of the handymen we got a quote from said it might feel too cramped. It didn't bother me. What I would say about the posts is they don't make it feel closed at all. It still feels as open as when I just had the counter without posts. You could also do slightly smaller posts. IMHO I really love the posts. It used to bother me before we replaced the counters and expanded the island that the counter was just floating there with no support--but that is just me. I know many like it the other way better and I think it just comes down to personal preference. I am by no means any good at designing though--I am very mathematical and love symmetry:o) so hopefully someone else who is more artistic or with design experience can weigh in. Good luck. Keep me updated and let know about the dimensions of the cab to see if you can do the posts! Also, LOVE how your kitchen is turning out!

Hi Dr. J G, thanks so much for your nice compliment... read this post this morning and have been thinking about this on and off through the day. Since I am new to KDing, this advice comes from me as a homeowner and someone who recently renovated their kitchen. I think this first decision to make is inset vs. full overlay vs. frameless. If inset is the look you want then that narrows which cabinetry lines you'd want to look at. The craftsmanship required to do inset well is more exacting so you'd want to choose a line that does this very well, so obviously CP would be someone to look at. Woodmode too and people on here have really liked Plain and Fancy. These are all lines I looked at when shopping. the P&F was the least expensive, but the girls in that showroom had limited experience and given some of the decisions they made while working up a price, I lost confidence in them. This gets to my next point... how much help will you with the design? and when I say design, I mean the functionality of the layout as well as the unique touches you can put on it to make it stand out. I would say the answer to this should guide you. Visit showrooms and get a sense for who will be designing your kitchen. If you decide to go the CP route ask others on this board who they used for a designer and how much help that designer gave them to bring the plan to a different level (or not). I think of erikanh's kitchen as a standout as well as Gina's (not sure what her handle is but her kitchen has been in numerous magazines and she is now designing a new kitchen with the same CP designer and the plans looked great... if you get to that point, you could post a question asking for more info on her). As for custom cabinetry, I would think of it this way: A full custom line will be able to do for you whatever it is you need, which may be nothing beyond their basic offering. As a for instance, CP would have been able to match a Benjamin Moore color for me (would have cost me a % upcharge, but they could do that because they are full custom). I didn't need that but the option was there. a couple of my boxes needed customization - one is not as deep to accomodate a jog in the wall and one has three draws across the top over four draws below (stacked two next to two). You'll only be paying an upcharge if you need the customization so don't limit yourself by staying away from custom. What you put into your kitchen will also play into the value of your home and how long you'll be there, etc. etc... Some of the semi custom lines I priced out were more expensive than the CP that I ended up with so you never know how things will shake out. If you aren't going for inset cabinetry than you have more options. You may also consider custom cabinetry. I did but for me it was a bit dicey as they were going to have me sign a waiver on the painted finish (which would have been done by a painter of my choice on site). I really like the idea of a baked on painted finish with a warranty (particularly since I have little kids running around the house) . The kitchen we replaced had painted oak cabinets. We had a professional painting crew do the painting and it looked pretty good for the first few years, but toward the last several years before removal there were plenty of chips and flaking paint. So, in summary evaluate the type of cabinetry you want and then assess your need for design help. Spend A LOT of time working out the design (I wish I'd had more time... I definitely regret a couple of decisions I made). Aim for as few regrets as your budget will allow in terms of getting the help you need and getting the quality of the appliances, cabinetry, counters, tile, lighting, flooring, etc. Consider a built in refrigerator if your budget will allow... if you spend enough time on these boards, you realize how many problems it solves to have the fridge flush with the cabinetry and I think it is one of those things that makes a kitchen look high end (just my opinion). Consider a custom hood or some sort of unique hood treatment. I just love the Modern Aire hoods that I see on these boards and I also love my custom Range Craft hood (although because it was expensive it meant I couldn't go as far with the cabinetry as I would have liked ... the island suffered as a result - I had to eliminate many cool but $$ features I wanted for it). It is really like pulling levers back and forth to bring all the pieces together when you are working on a budget but that can be the fun of it if you have the patience. I hope this helps and good luck and thanks again for your kind words.

hi, I have 24" on either side. I don't use the side on the left very much (between my fridge and range), but I do really like having a 24" base under these countertops and wouldn't want it any smaller. The space on the right I use alot and it connected to the space between my sink and range (bisected a little by the cabinet I have that sits on the counter which contains my toaster oven). I have 64" of counter space from the front of that cabinet to the sink (and 35" deep because of window bumpout) which has made the biggest difference for me in my new kitchen of any other feature (that and the toe kick heater under my sink... our previous kitchen was completely unheated and was miserable - this is currently our only heat, but between this and all the insulation we added we are VERY comfortable).

Have you taken your layout to the Kitchens Forum? A lot of layout mavens there don't spend a lot of time in Appliances. Yes, an oven, combi- microwave stack would be too high. Vaguely possible if the oven were at the lowest position at floor level, but that's a hateful place to put an oven. That's lower than a range oven would be. Combi-steam ovens are not good for low mounts. Some can't, but also when you open the door that low, unless you're conscientiously using a steam removal function, which generally takes half a minute, you're putting the steam out right where you don't want it. Many people are happy with undercounter microwaves, but just under. Not lower. Look into drawer versions as well as standard. If you're accustomed to watching, however, you're right that it's not a great height. On the other hand, ovens don't take a lot of tending, and sit very happily outside of the main workpath. You don't want them so far away that moving a heavy pot between cooktop and oven is difficult, but if shifting them over six feet makes everything flow much better, that works fine. In fact, some people don't like to have the ovens crowding the stove. Often a microwave is useful nearer to the fridge/beverage/snack area, but close enough to the cooking zone to not have to trek with your melted butter. The ideal level to lift a turkey from is approximately waist, or low-waist, where you can create the greatest muscle tension in your arms. Think of the classic flex your biceps angle, but with your arms down. It's easy to use a lever action from your knees and hips in that position, and not rely on your back to lift. You just kind of shift the pan over to the landing area, rather than having to do a snatch first. See if you can find a friend or showroom with similar layouts to what you're considering and play cook--or really cook if you can--to try it on. Bring pots and weights (large cans of tomatoes or bricks).