The tiled backsplash usually sits just off the countertop by an 1/8th inch or so and the gap is caulked. The caulk can be cut away and the countertop should be able to be removed without damaging the backsplash. That's in a perfect world. Some installers set the bottom course of tile right on the countertop. Less clearance. Depending on how the countertop is attached to the cabinets below, that can affect things. The shape of the counter. A straight run or and "L" shaped? Are the ends open or captured? How the countertop is constructed? A slab of stone? Or a tiled-in mud bed? Sometimes the countertop needs to be sectioned out in pieces. In general, the backsplash can usually be preserved, but getting the countertop out might be ugly, especially if it's piece by piece. So..."it depends".

Thanks for the input. I lean toward the Raven and Calacatta, too. (In fact we just told our contractor to put the order in for the countertop). I'm still not 100% sold on the marble tile, though, I originally wanted a carrera that would be more muted, but the tile shop we're using doesn't have anything that looks right with Raven. I just worry that the Calacatta is SO white. When I see kitchens like this: http://bungalowhomeinteriors.blogspot.com/2012/04/clients-home.html my eye is drawn to how cool the tile looks next to the cabinetry. Guess I'm also concerned that the calacatta has more movement in it, which could be distracting. I'm loving the look of this kitchen (also with Raven), but I don't know what the tile is: https://www.houzz.com/photos/south-pasadena-craftsman-traditional-kitchen-los-angeles-phvw-vp~14622889-Pasadena-Craftsman-traditional-kitchen-los-angeles Does anyone regret getting marble backsplash?

If you have trouble visualizing what you'd like but "know it when you see it", then at this stage you should probably just look at as many stainless / dark cherry kitchens as you can and see which countertops and flooring "grab" you. In my case I knew I wanted simple, natural cherry cabinets and stainless appliances and probably a wood floor, but that was it. Looking at lots of pictures helped me narrow things down, so now I can at least have intelligent conversations with kitchen designers. I'd suggest going over to houzz.com and entering "stainless steel dark cherry kitchen" into their search box and looking through some of the hundreds of results you get. It's a great source of ideas. After you see some you like, you can probably come up with more words to add to the search box to narrow things down. You can also go to google and enter "site:gardenweb.com dark cherry stainless" and you'll find lots of threads on this site too. I don't know of a way to limit it to threads with photos, unfortunately. Laura

@Summer Lilly The risks of quartzite and the alternative surfaces to achieve lighter colorations have been written about elsewhere in the Houzz forum, but I will copy a few of my comments from other threads for reference here since you asked. As with any forum input, please do your own research. A skilled fabricator and proper tooling is essential to a successful installation with quartzite which is both dense and, as a result, on the brittle side. Cracking of quartzite is well-documented elsewhere. For starters: Just noticed a crack on Taj Mahal counter by the faucet hole Cracks around sink . . . quartzite countertops Cracked quartzite countertop Crack in new quartzite countertop Crack in Newly Installed Quartzite Island Countertop Quartzite Countertops May be Gorgeous, But . . . Cracked quartzite during installation Much of the Taj Mahal quartzite on the market right now is skewing brown. A sales rep at Triton Stone told me that this is due to the slabs being cut from farther back in the quarry now and that the producers are actually processing slabs with bleach to lighten some of the brown tones in the quartzite. The lighter, creamy tones that were more desirable are harder to get now. Taj Mahal is one of the more durable quartzites, not having as many impurities in the way of calcite deposits which can lead to etching as with other stones labeled quartzite. Quartzites are overall lighter in color than a lot of the granite selections but have varying track records for durability. As a group, they are so dense in composition that they are brittle to the point of cracking during or after fabrication and installation if not done by a consummate professional with proper tools and lots of water used during cutting. Some quartzites behave more like marble and tend to etch or stain. They are costly, which adds to the level of risk given the propensities for problems. Some people absolutely love quartzite and wouldn't have anything else, but do your research on the variety as some are known to flake like crazy or develop hairline cracks easily. Nothing looks like actual marble; it is such a special and unique surface. There are some marbles more durable than others, particularly the dolomitic marbles, and a great sealer can go a long way toward making marble a workable surface, but if you really want the look of marble in an ultra-durable surface, engineered quartz might be your best option. Also, I'm not sure if you've priced quartzite or not, but if you go that route, you'll be sinking a lot of the budget into your countertop with no guarantee the fabrication and installation will go smoothly nor guarantee unless you're able to obtain a sample for pre-testing that the material will wear well long-term. That said, quartzite is becoming a very popular surface in high-end kitchen design, so proceed with caution if you decide to continue to investigate this. There is no light-colored natural stone countertop out there that is foolproof. Taj Mahal seems to have the best reputation all-around among quartzites for durability in regard to etch resistance and probability of a successful fabrication if you're using a skilled fabricator, but it can have what some may consider to be unsightly rust veins. Once you move on to other quartzites, you're usually dealing with more risk of flaking, breaking, and etching concerns than you might have with Taj Mahal. The slabs themselves may have already broken and been glued back together, something you may not recognize unless you've been trained to see it.