Beautiful Kitchen photos! Our bianco antico countertops and 6 inch backsplash are being installed next Wed/Thurs!!!! I'm going to paint the cabinets white (not sure about the island yet-maybe black/chocolate brown). I love the browns in the granite...I want the gorgeous granite to be the focus of the kitchen and the backsplash to be an accent...so since we only have about 12" to tile (and a space above the built-in desk) I am thinking of using a tile by American Olean/Urban Canvas in the Matte Nutmeg 2X4 with the Ellipse Accent 1/2 X 8 1/2 in French Mocha. Click on this to see the tile http://americanolean.com/series.cfm?series=144&c=49 My first thought was that we would use white subway tile, but the brilliant white is so close to the antico bianco that the granite looks dingy. ...I will make my final decision after the granite is in...oh, so many decisions! So much work to do! So little time! I may be back on here with all my pictures to ask your opinion! Good luck with your decision! Suzanne

And I think it would look a little off balanace stop at the ductwork. I say skip the desk area entirely. The large pantry is a great visual break for the tile to stop. FWIW I will have a similar set up with a desk at the end of a long counter run separated by a floor to ceiling pantry. My desk will be counter height as opposed to lowered. Right now I'm not planning on BS by my desk (though my cabs aren't installed yet and I might have a change of heart once I see the room with cabs).

A - Options with marble backsplash with white backsplash with some other backsplash B - Designs #1 (no island, one continuous counter) #2 (island, one tall cabinet at very end) #3 (island, two tall cabinets (one on each side of window)) something else C - Aesthetics make the cabinets in the dining room look just like regular kitchen cabinets make the cabinets in the dining room look more like they belong in a dining room, despite being used for kitchen things something else Last but not least: D - Countertop black with white veins solid black some other dark option light grey dark grey something else Hi...what an exciting time for you and congrats on your adorable house... :) I highlighted my own preferences....but they are MY preferences...why?: I adore carrara marble hands down. I think white tile would be rather industrial looking. In fact, I would do carrara on the island if it's in the budget (and you don't mind the inevitable wear) I have always loved the idea of "extending" the cabinet run into the dining area. You don't have to keep kitchen stuff in it. It will fill up with "good" dishes, games, wrapping paper, tableclothes....all of the things we need on the daily. Plus you can NEVER have too much cupboard space. Also, I like to work at an island. My back isn't facing everyone else... I would have a soapstone counter. Once again I love it, but also if you love the carrara, I think the marbled counter would be too much of a opposite, negative look. Good luck on this. The examples you've shown are just lovely...

Not sure where in the process someone thought this would come out as good. Is this even fixable, Or do I need to take out the upper cabinets and replace the entire counter top!!? That top is best described as a sin against Walnut. I strongly suspect that someone tried to save some money by grabbing a couple of cheap premade tops and slapping them together. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, there is no reason the counter should be installed in two pieces, even the minimum requirement for an elevator would allow for more than a 120" top. If it had to be cut for some reason it should have been book matched. Yes, it needs to removed and replaced and I wouldn't think it is acceptable unless it was specifically stated in the contract that it would be done this way. You can easily find economical 4' x 12' Walnut veneers even in today's supply chain problem environment.