It's great!! I think your backsplash and counters are such a good match for each other and for the kitchen. Congratulations on a job well done!

Very pretty kitchen, and your layout is similar to what we are considering for our remodel.

Gorgeous! Can you show a close-up of the counters?

Congratulations, nice looking and well designed kitchen!

That's one nice kitchen. Backsplash and countertop are lovely, not too fussy but eye-catching in that space.

Beautiful! Love your choice of granite and backsplash.

Thanks! I'll post some pictures soon with a close-up of the counters and some more pictures of the cabinets around the Range. There is a spice rack pull out on the right side, and a lazy susan in the corner.

I am getting very similar cabinets in the next few weeks, different door style but Wellborn select in divinity. I've been very concerned about the color "reading" white in person (which is what I want it to) rather than cream. It's hard to tell from picture? How does it read in real life, and what kinds of lighting do you have?

I'm having some buyers remorse about not getting the glacier white, but I was worried it was too bright white, and my KD assured me the Divinity it would "read" white as long as I keep all the other elements cool in the room.

Andrea, I need to change out the lights that were just installed above the kitchen table. They do not match the same LED bulbs I purchased that have the same daylight spectrum that is in the semi-flush near the range and the 4 cans in the ceiling.

In terms of how I read the white, I think it is closer to white than a cream. We didn't want that stark white appearance and ruled out glacier white. I think we are in the same boat in terms of color choices, and I've seen cream cabinets that almost lean more yellow than white. These lean white. Did you get a sample door? If not, you should ask for one.

Thanks, Krogervt. I do have a sample door, I'm just having a hard time "seeing" it - because once we move a wall and swap out some windows, the lighting in the room is going to be really different than it is currently. I also think it will read differently when it is a full wall of cabinets.

I think keeping the lighting "cool" in tone will help as well.

In some of your pics, the cabinets look really, really white. and in the first photo and the one other I see more cream. It's amazing how the color changes!

We start demo on Monday, so I'll know sooner rather than later!

Beautiful kitchen! Congratulations :)

Beautiful kitchen!! I really like your backslash and how everything ties together so nicely!! :-) The honed granite is also very pretty!

Wonderful job. You nailed that fine line between calm and visually interesting! Plus it looks very functional for you.

Serene and beautiful. I love your backsplash, it's perfect! Do you have a close up of your granite, it looks very soft.

Beautiful job! I especially like your backsplash. Well done!

Great job! I love the countertop. What is the floor product? Very nice kitchen, it looks like a dream to work in.

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Close up of the granite, a few were asking for this.

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Spice rack pull out cab. Can't hold all your spices, but it made use of the space well.

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Lazy susan in the corner by range.

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Someone requested a closer look of the drawers by range.

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A closer look at the hardware and drawers next to fridge

My first thought when I opened this thread was, "wow, I love the counters!" My next thought was, "yay, they're Silver Pearl!" aka Steel Gray, which is the granite we're using, only in leathered, not honed (slab was already leathered). I was having some doubts about our choice since it's darker than what we currently have but after seeing it in your lovely kitchen, my doubts are vanquished. So thank you so much for posting your reveal!

Did your fabricator voice any concerns to you about a honed finish? Our fabricator isn't keen on honed surfaces. They request that we sign a waiver that states that we acknowledge that it may show scratches. I've talked to others and it seems that what the fabricator is calling scratches are actually rub marks. I've tested a sample of honed Blue Pearl (gorgeous!) and if you look at it at a certain angle, you can see very light rub marks but it's definitely not a big deal, IMO. I've always loved honed granite (was never a fan of polished granite). I love the leathered finish, too, especially since it's a light texture on Steel Gray, but I keep going back to my first love. = )

Love your backsplash with your counters, too. Your kitchen came together very nicely!

Lisa, thanks for the compliments. I was a bit paranoid about the honed granite because the more I read about it, the more nervous I got. I didn't want a high maintenance counter, but I knew I loved the softer look of the honed granite. I also knew I didn't want to go w/soapstone. When the counter arrived, I breathed a pretty big sigh of relief because they were very close to the original sample that we really liked.

No, our fabricator did not make us sign a waiver. I think I know what you mean by these rub marks, and you have to look at the counter at a particular angle to see them, but it doesn't bother me. My main concern going in was if smudges, fingerprints, etc would be an issue. I'm glad to say that our's is very low maintenance. No fingerprints or smudges. Usually a damp cloth will take care of a spill, or something is caked on pretty good I use Method granite cleaner and that does the job. Cleaning is really easy.

Thanks for answering my questions, krogervt, and for the additional info.

I much prefer a softer look, too. We looked at soapstone and marble but knew that they weren't the right stones for our family. Silver Pearl/Steel Gray seemed a good alternative to soapstone. Honed stone is still my first love but Steel Gray is also really good looking in a leathered finish. It's a light texture, too, unlike some stones that come out quite rough when leathered.

We found our slab already leathered but we're having our fabricator leather our slab of Bianco Romano (they have the equipment to do it in-house so it's relatively inexpensive to do). That stone comes out even smoother, nearly honed looking. I've been debating about asking our fabricator is they can do an even more lightly leathered finish on the Steel Gray. Can't hurt to ask!

Our fabricator also makes people sign waivers if they choose marble. They told me that they do this so that they know people have heard and acknowledged their cautions about a stone or a finish.

Krog, I just found your reveal. My first impression was, "What an elegant kitchen." You made excellent choices on the counter and backsplash. I think the cabinet door profile and all of the storage are my favorites. Wishing you many happy years in your new kitchen.

beautiful kitchen and lovely finishes. You can see the attention to detail. Enjoy!

I love the countertops also. Thanks for posting the closeup pics. Beautiful kitchen. Great, great storage. Enjoy!

I love your counters!

Thanks Allison! We do too. I just made fresh biscuits on them this morning. Came out great.

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krogervt, I keep coming back to your kitchen and its gorgeous counters. So, of course, I'm second guessing my choice of leathered Steel Gray granite. I love honed granites, long before they were popular and even longer before anyone heard of brushed, antiqued and leathered finishes. In fact, I wasn't a fan of granite counters until I saw one honed. And then I fell in love.

The other reason I'm leaning towards honed is that I think it will be
easier to tell when they're clean. A slight bump on the surface will be
something on the counter and not part of the counter's texture.

I'm going to pick up a tile of Arabian Black (same stone as Steel Gray/Silver Pearl) and ask my fabricator to hone and seal it and then live with it for a few weeks, doing all kinds of kitchen-y things on it to see how it holds up.

I know that honed Absolute Black shows finger smudges and such but I think that because of Steel Gray/Silver Pearl's mottled appearance, this stone honed would be more forgiving. Now that you've lived with your counters a while longer, has that been your experience, too? TIA!

Beautiful kitchen! Add me to the list of those who love the honed counters--I want to run my fingertips over them.

Lisa, I have to say that these counter tops have surpassed my expectations. They are buttery smooth, and yes you can run your hand over the granite and feel if something is sticky or just sort of caked on like a spill. I have no issues with smudges or fingerprints. I get grease splatters on the counter that is next to my range. After cleaning it, I know it's clean when I can just run my hand over it and you just know there is no grease because it's smooth as silk.

I think it's a great idea to pick up a sample. I've made gnocchi, biscuits, pasta on them, and the clean up is very easy. I usually just take a damp sponge with water to gather the mess, and then polish off my cleaning with Method granite cleaner. They are a joy, and besides the range, probably my favorite thing about the new kitchen.

Thank you, krogervt! As another poster said to me yesterday, if I could hug you, I would! = ) I'm definitely going to pick up a sample and test it out. Fingers crossed that my sample does as well because my heart really does belong to honed stones.

Our Bianco Romano slab on the island and hutch will be leathered but that stone comes out so smoothly in that finish that it's nearly honed.

Mama goose, I told my KD that I can't help but pet honed stones. I've also been known to run up and hug a tree with gorgeous bark and not care if anyone saw me do it. = )

Krog -- gorgeous kitchen! We are about to purchase the same 36" Blue Star and I had a question for you about your hood. Do you have any concerns/issues with installing your cabinets right up to your hood? Our kitchen designer was suggesting that we need to have room in between the hood and the cabinets but (a) our kitchen is super small and (b) I prefer the flush look.

Thank you so much for posting all these photos of your gorgeous kitchen! I think many of us who are ready to remodel have a similar floor plan and this information, especially the storage ideas, is just invaluable. Enjoy!

Beautiful!

KL, prior to using the kitchen, didn't even really think about it to be honest nor did our designer bring it up. However, I will say that after using it, I have to be mindful of what I'm cooking, especially anything tomato based. With the color of the cabinets, it's definitely within reach of a big splatter or if I'm not watching the heat on a tomato sauce, I could see an accident waiting to happen. And with the BlueStar, things get hot, FAST. I wipe down the sides of the cabinets every once in a while because the grease can buildup as we all know.

Thanks Kroger!

It looks great!

Krogervt, I haven't been on GW in a while and missed your reveal. I'm so glad Lisa_a referred to it in a thread she started about honed granite. Your kitchen is beautiful!! Thank you for posting a close-up of your granite--gorgeous! Also, thank you for posting all your organizational details. We're in the planning stage and haven't finalized all the organizational decisions yet, so your pics really help.

I have a couple questions about your Blue Star range and hood. Are you happy with the oven? Does the exterior and controls get hot when the oven is used? Also, is the hood loud and are you happy with its performance? How difficult is it to clean? Thank you for any insight you can provide. (Those biscuits are making me rethink what I'm going to make for breakfast tomorrow.)

Best wishes for many years of happy memories in your beautiful kitchen!

Beautiful kitchen, overall!! I love your door style, the coordination of the backsplash, counter, and paint, and your range hood with the really deep, angled grids.

Im so glad this came around again; I must've missed the premiere reveal. I love the backsplash - it's goregous! The granite countertop could pass for a soapstone top. Really nice!

flwrs, thank you so much for the compliments. We are loving the kitchen and good luck in your planning. It can be a stressful time and I know it weighed heavily on me at times.

So the oven was a mild concern before using it. I've read all the negative reviews about how hot the doors can get, and other parts of the oven. Does the exterior get hot? Yes it does. Does it impact me and the family? No it doesn't. I've cooked pizzas in it and the oven was cranking near 500, so I did put it through a high heat test. It doesn't bother me much because my kids are are a bit older, so they know better than to go touch the oven outside of the handle. Performance wise, I'm very happy with it. It's even, it retains heat very well, and it's cavernous. I've used the broiler once, and it did a nice job of browning some cheese on a chicken parm.

The hood.. it is a bit loud. But I usually crank it up when woking, and when you have the heat cranking up high, 99% of the wok dishes I'm going to cook are done in a few minutes. These burners are fantastic in that respect. It does the job for me, but our budget was already getting above and beyond, so I didn't go high end with the hood. I think there are better but pricier alternatives we could've gone with. At the time, there was also a promo of getting the hood/range together. Cleaning the hood is pretty easy. You can put the baffles in a dish washer, but you need to get in there and use a degreaser to get it fully clean. I think it's way better than those mesh screens.

Krogervt, thank you so much for answering all my questions. I'm still not sure if I'm going to do a 36" rangetop or range, but your answers gave me some good info to consider.

Just an update, as it just occurred to me that it has been one year since our remodel. The BlueStar range is still the workhorse range that I wished for, and the counter tops look and feel like they did on day one.

krogervt, thank you for posting. You have a beautiful and functional kitchen! I greatly appreciate your willingness to share your information, especially the pictures that show your backsplash. I'm at the backsplash stage of my planning now, and it helps to see the look I'm after in an actual home application and not in a showroom. Happy Cooking!

krogervt, did you see that I put honed Steel Gray (aka Silver Pearl) granite counters in my kitchen last year? Love them! Your kitchen convinced me to switch from the leathered finish to honed so thank you for sharing it with us!

Lisa, glad to hear it all worked out and that you love them too! Send me a picture of your kitchen, would love to see it!

Here's the link to my kitchen reveal last fall, 50 Shades of Gray, TKO version

I didn't see the message option on your profile page to send the link to you privately so I hope it's okay that I'm posting it in your reveal thread.

Love it! As many other people have said, the counter tops are great, and I also like the backsplash.

It's almost exactly the layout we're going to have, right down to many of the same type of cabinet in the same locations, so I'd like to ask a couple very picky questions:

- What're your overall dimensions? What's the length of the counter run with the range?

- I see you have the dishwasher on the right of the sink; we were thinking of the left. Any thoughts on this? Would it make any difference?

- I see that your peninsula is not extra-deep -- just a standard 24" like the other cabinets? I ask because it seems that most people go deeper ... but then, we're not planning seating on that side of the peninsula.

- Upper corner near the range: You have a standard cabinet, which must have a blind spot all the way to the wall, and a pull-out ... we were thinking of an easy-reach L-shaped upper in this corner. Since you're living with it already, what are your thoughts on the two choices?

Thanks for any thoughts you may have on the above!

Very nice. Great layout and very soothing color palette. I love a serene place as the heart of the home.

@ Lisa - Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

@mrspete - I don't have the dimensions at the moment, but will try to get them to you. Our dishwasher wouldn't fit to the left of the sink, so it wasn't an option.

Good eye on the peninsula. We debated if we wanted the counter to extend further, but since we were not planning on having seating on the other side, we chose not to. It helps create a larger space where the kitchen table is, and it works for us. Yes, that blind spot that goes into the corner, I stuff all sorts of things back there and forget about them! :) I like your idea of the L shaped upper cabinet.

Thanks, krogervt!