My first thought, also, was that antiqued pewter would be elegant and understated, light but still with some warmth, and would coordinate well with the rest of your choices. But if I walked into that kitchen with all of that marble...Would I notice the hardware? ;-D (Just teasing, not belittling your concern for the details. I just happen to be so jealous of white marble, it would blind me.) If you prefer the polished, it could look clean and sharp, and I don't think it would detract from anything. The whole scheme really sounds so gorgeous.

Thanks for your replies. FIRSTHOUSE. I love your kitchen. It is BEAUTIFUL. Your kitchen looks both "homey" , "clean and classic" and ELEGANT just as I imagined mine to be. We are having our cabinets made with glass fronts like yours also. And yes we have the same look in floors. We just had ours oak floors refinished with Miracle Oil, it is suppose to be tougher than poly, ( used in the Grand Ole' Opry dance floor.) Do you like them? We don't have our baseboards back up or furniture in the rooms yet , people think they are not finished. Here's another question FIRSTHOUSE, in the photo your counters look like marble. DH would like granite over marble over concern for marble's reputation. I've never seen white granite, can you tell me more about it ? What is its coloration ? Tell me all about your kitchen. Thank you so, so much for your inspiration.

Thank you! I'll go tomorrow to get the scotch brite pads and marble cleaner and try it on just a portion, just to make sure it works. This is some serious etching. It doesn't make me crazy though. I knew from the get-go that something like this would happen with my busy crazy kitchen. So if it doesn't work all that well, we can just consider it the first bit of character.

I think the granite looks great: very classic and a big improvement over the tile! I'd definitely look into undercabinet lights. Before, the white counters reflected the ceiling light back up under the cabinets. The dark granite holds onto the light and makes the undercabinet areas a little cave-like. Lighting will make a big difference. I think the previous suggestions are excellent: painting the wall in the kitchen, along with finding some colorful accessories. I had a small galley kitchen similar to this one, and I was amazed at the difference a bright blue rag rug and a few blue dishtowels over the stove handle made.