Lisa; It's interesting how differently people have interpreted your original note. Our GC, in an almost-avuncular tone, took me aside early in the planning stages to "caution" me about the cost of the crown moulding (let alone other trims / casings) we'd selected for our project. (one eight foot piece of crown alone was $1000 [because the wall is curved, so it had to be made out of flex and, as it's a "custom" profile (one my husband and I designed ourselves) the flex company (in CA) had to make a new mold for it]) Because I already had a good feel for the sort of person our GC is and I was in the situation (not reading about it, I mean) I understood he was trying to help me not have a heart attack when I got the bill. (The crown [material, not labor] alone, not inc. base, not inc. casing., not inc. trim, was >$15K. Gulp, but I love it!!!) When I read your post(s), I automatically heard my GC's kind, caretaking tone from your plumber's point person. There's my bias. So when I read the rest of your note, I was left thinking "isn't that nice that they wanted to make sure you understood what you were getting into?" I think v. often so many of us bite off more than we can chew, simply because costs have a way of spiraling .... (ours did) Plus, most of us aren't serial remodelers (or flippers), meaning we aren't always aware of the (mounting) costs of fixtures plus labor. There are some incredibly cher fixtures out there which are crap -- they have The Name (whatever the name du jour is), but they haven't the good innards. Please make sure before you spend any money on your beautiful reno that your house has good (plumbing, electrical, mechanical, etc.) "innards." What a waste to put in a beautiful faucet only to have problems with the pipes in the walls or from the street! I also want to say I believe I read edlakin's initial post in a completely different way from you: I thought s/he was just trying to help get to a potential root of the issue. It might not be your root at all! I know that I am a little embarrassed about how much we are spending on our nearly-whole house reno. It's gauche in our society to talk about money, plus the truth is, within myself I feel horrible guilt about why I have been so lucky when so many others the world 'round have not. I think about the flooding in Bangladesh and all those displaced people and it makes me wonder "why me? why them?" I think you'll understand, Lisa, because you wrote that you "don't need to remodel" -- if I read into your comment(s) correctly, you know it's a real luxury to get to change something which already works for something which will give you pleasure. And I love it. Our kitchen is not yet done but even still, walking in and seeing my dreamy countertops just makes me happy. So for me, to have that feeling, was worth $X. I believe I am generously charitable with my money, my time and my positive thoughts, but it is still something about which I think. That's me. I'm pretty sure that's from where edlakin was coming -- not trying to attack or pigeonhole you. I also don't think his/her "blaming you" comment was directed at you .... So the way I understood your plumber's comments were merely to give you a head's up, not to sway you toward or away from what you want. I think you're on a great path: getting bids for all your Dream Objects (from your fixtures to your countertops). After you have those bids, only you and your partner can determine if it's feasible or if something needs to be trimmed. I wouldn't start altering fixture / countertop choices yet: I'd wait until I had all bids in hand. You might not need to change a single thing! As you and louisianapurchase (of whom I am quite fond!) have been chatting, costs for the same item / labor 'round the continent can and do vary widely. I'm in Colorado and for what you're planning on doing I think you'd be lucky to get that all done for $200K. My fingers are crossed your KD is right, though, and that it comes in closer to her figure. I confess, sometimes I am really envious of the prices people here have quoted for various objects (cabinetry, for one) in other parts of N. America. But I don't live there. I live here, so I have to pay "here's" prices. I am v. excited about your upcoming reno -- it is going to be lovely. Congratulations!

pictures by this weekend...i PROMISE!!! i just love my granite and you will too. have you picked a paint color yet? i really am a "green" loving person (and i mean the color!) and at first i wanted to paint my walls a greenish grayish color (jogging path by sw) but i was afraid it would just blend with the granite and make everything look too green. we went with grecian ivory sw and i do think it is perfect for what i was going for. i guess my point is this.....don't worry too much. worst case senario...if you think the counters look too green, pick a paint color that will pull out the gray or neutrals in the granite. i haven't had a problem with staining but i'm pretty good about wiping things up quickly. before this, i had a tile countertop so i think i'm used to cleaning up quickly. i have noticed that sometimes i will see a ring where a glass was but it does disappear. maybe this is common...not sure though. i think the sealer was stonetech impregnator pro???? the fabricator sealed it and left me a sample for future use. it really hides crumbs quite well. almost always looks clean, except for the occasional smudgy little hand print from my 5 or 3 year old! you are going to love it, and you will be suprised at how neutral it is. can't wait to get updates on your kitchen progress!

Oh Lord, our floors will be dark too. What am I setting myself up for? :) Honestly, I am a little OCD about these things too. Like it's the little things drive me crazy. I already wipe down the counters multiple times a day so I'm hoping it wont faze me? Granted we currently have a brown stone looking laminate that hides messes pretty well. I have been to my friend's new house maybe three times and never paid any attention to the granite. She says it looks amazing when just cleaned so that is probably why. Her biggest complaint is water marks. Also, I was not kitchen obsessed like I am right now so I guess that has something to do with me not noticing it! Do you think the Black Pearl will disguise spots better than say Absolute Black would? The main area that concerns me is around the sink. Most other messes will probably be made at the island, I think. alley2007 - Thanks for the picture. I do love the contrast, I worry that the white all around will look washed out. We kitchen will be pretty bright, we will have a ton of natural light due to taking down a wall to the living/dining room.

Since it was resurrected I might as well give an update! We bought that lot I mentioned a few posts up and built a house during covid ... fun times and higher costs!! Have been in the house for just over a year and 99% happy with all the choices I made. No designer used and I prefer it that way. Jan thought it was a positive that a designer would limit the choices to show a customer, but I consider that a huge negative. Why should I let a stranger select three colors I should pick from, when the colors I really would have loved might have been color 5 or 6. Some Designers also pick based on their personal likes/dislikes or they try new/odd things they would never do in their own homes! I had the time to do the research and make my own selections. I also trust my taste and ability to match colors and patterns.