I my area there is an additional charge for the 4 inch back spalsh. I would also check on that if I were you. You may be paying for something you are not keeping and did not ask for.

Yes. It's beautiful!

Lines and branches normal- here are mine:

So, here's the thing... we all think it's fine, but we don't have to live with it. You may be surprised but given a little time, you may come to love it as you originally did. If you have any questions about the stone, email karin_mt. I know nothing about rocks, but I've seen enough granite counters to know the black lines are totally normal.

So what do you do now? Your image of the island makes it appear not to have been cleaned or polished, so by all means follow Treb's advice to have that done, and have the stone sealed.

Regarding the bs, you can have it removed but... if they did not scribe your counters to the walls perfectly, there will be gaps that, depending on the thickness of your tile, a bs may not cover. If they did scribe, you will be fine. Talk to them about it. I don't love the bs they put in but I don't think it looks like a '90's splash either. It is shorter and more modern in appearance. If you are going to have gaps... ask them to cut the bs down to an inch or so in height, then tile from there up.

Good luck! Give it time, and work on the stuff that's reasonable first, then see how you feel. It's just a counter. You can always change stones down the road - just don't tile it in :)

I know nothing about stone so no comment on your granite, but why is the cabinet at the end of your island completely off the floor?

I think your counters look beautiful. Its just new and different and once you get your stuff in there and start decorating I'm sure you'll love it.

dcward89 it was actually a wall cabinet that had to be used for the island, but everything will be finished with skin and toe kicks and hopefully will look ok.

I am warming up to the granite after all your positive reassurance. I definitely want that backsplash taken off though. The fabricator ordered 3 slabs, but used only 2. What happens with the third slab? Can he return it to the yard?

Debrak 2008 I love your take on the orange spot. I'll be trying to rub that cinnamon off like a maniac until i make a whole in the counter :)

I'm so glad you are warming up to your counters. I am not a real granite freak, but I really love the colors in yours. Very pretty. :)

I am not sure if the rest of the cabinets are finished yet. I think the granite is beautiful. As far as that cinnamon spot...this is a natural product that formed in the earth. It is beautiful for something to have a slight imperfection. If it bothers you and you still have a slab without it. Why not switch it out. I do think once you kitchen is finished you will feel more settled. What are you planning on using above your window curtain wise.

gwlake i don't think I will have much room above the window once they trim it out, what would you suggest?

Love that granite and your kitchen is gorgeous! (And I'm not just saying that to help make you feel better.) I'm glad you are warming up to it. I agree with everyone else that after you put everything in and decorate, you will warm up even more. I don't mind the backsplash, but if it's an option to remove it, I probably would, too. But only as long as your back splash covers whatever gap might be there when they remove it.

As time goes by in general I am liking small backspashes, so I like yours too :)

The linear black areas are needle-like crystals. Not all crystals that make up a rock will polish up to the same gloss level. It looks like natural variability to me (I am a geologist.)

I love your counter tops! I think in time you won't even notice the black areas not as bright. Your kitchen is going to be gorgeous! I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel & will have the 3" in backsplash as we have an older home. Both the GC & fabricator highly suggested the backsplash as sometimes the walls aren't even. I don't mind it & will tile above.

Your granite is beautiful! The small black specks in my granite aren't as polished as the rest of the stone either - from the side it looks almost like they're tiny nicks in the counter. It never bothered me.

Can I ask what color your cabinets are? I'm looking at different whites to paint mine :)

I believe they are called linen white.

Abick2 - you will warm up to it. We had granite installed and I hated it for about a week. Then, it grew on me and I started seeing what it was I had chosen.

Your kitchen counters look awesome and all those lines and colors etc are part of the beauty of natural stone.

Russ

I am hoping that everything will get polished nicely and will come together as I had planned in my mind. I still have a long way to go, but will definitely post pictures. This has been one difficult journey with the house and it's been a year since we started building, so by now I am burned out. A lot of disappointments along the way. Hopefully it will look good in the end. Wouldn't have been able to go through with this without everyone's support and advice. Thank you!!!

karin, what a great analogy!

abick2, i sort of hate granite, but i love your slab if that means anything. it is a beautiful stone. i would vote no on the backsplash piece though. what is your sink?

The sink is undermount kraus 32"

It's stunning! Going to order the same one just based in your pic:)

abick-I have alaska white not the same as BA or magnificent white but it has some personality (what I choose to refer to my favorite and not so favorite areas) to it, kinda like people and like life. Every day can't be the best day ever and every inch of your stone can't be a fav.

It's interesting. I chose it and I know it's the one I held since I had a gagillion pics of it and could identify it easily. Vertically it looked one way and once installed horizontally I saw new things. One of which was some purplish color. PURPLE? WHAT?! How did I miss THAT? Not my fav and believe me I stared at that stone plenty. However, I have come to appreciate it's personality as a whole. I have my favorite areas still sure but maybe I wouldn't love them so much if it didn't have some other less appealing spots. Can a stone like this with such variation by nature be loved in every single area without having the character and variety it does in the broad view? I don't think it can-especially as large as they are!

At first though I too was disappointed in the purple and one really dark area that I was hoping the sink cut out would remove more of but I digress. It is a costly purchase for sure and you do put so much energy into it. I still love my stone though and I really hope with time and the rest of your kitchen completed you will appreciate yours too black mica and all. I have some of that also actually and I hadn't noticed it until I read your thread, lol! Mine aren't lines as much as who had the black sharpie out!?! I think now after living with it for a year I look at the island as a whole and not every.square.inch like you do when it's first installed. I do still like to touch my favorite areas as I walk by though. :)

I understand where you are coming from but I too like the others think your stone looks great.

Missing the review your post button. :(

Prior home we installed uba tuba. Smooth like glass. I loved loved loved the feel of it. But - it was pretty much just there. I feel like the trade off with the more charactery (my own new word of the day) granites can be that they have more inclusions and different elements in them that do not allow for it to be consistently super smooth like that but oh to look at them, so beautiful. It's more like art though and not in the background like a tight granite such as uba tuba. Just my thoughts after having both.

I have a granite table, I am now guessing it's uba tuba. Very uniform and shiny. I wish there was something similar in white, but I know there is no such granite.

I agree. My mother in law always used to comment on how smooth my uba tuba granite was and I couldn't figure out why as hers was pretty smooth but I didn't ever grope it like I do my own and yup there is a difference. Now I get it. I actually love honed/leathered! I wish my Alaska was offered in honed but nothing like that around here (and paying extra for it just was not an option). Someone on here has something similar - maybe delicatus and my oh my. Love it.

Looks beautiful, abick2!

Beautiful!

Love the granite (I have had it in two of my previous homes and loved it to death!). Your kitchen is spectacular. Once it is all done I think you will like the granite even more.

Does your island overhang have support underneath?

The overhang doesn't have additional support.

It needs that. Similar discussion here. You can only leave about 2-4 inches overhang unsupported.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3549316/quartzite-peninsula-overhang?n=4

I think Vith is referring to the right side overhang, closest to the fridge...?

ETA: Should have led with this, but your kitchen IS beautiful! Mind sharing what those pendants are? I love them! TY.

Yup, where I believe you plan to have seating on the fridge side. And now that I look at the pic you just posted, I feel that overhang should have supports also. This side was not as visible in the other pic. Don't let anyone put anything heavy on those unsupported overhangs, GC should place temporary stud supports underneath between floor and countertop till they are correctly supported.

the fridge side overhang is 14''. the side with the cabinet is 16

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Indoor-5-light-Luxury-Crystal-Chandelier/5152205/product.html?TID=MyAcct:MO:OR:ProdName

these are my pendant lights

Very nice kitchen! Is the cove lighting LED? We're planning similar in our dining room and I'm curious about dimming, need for diffusers, etc.

After reading THIS THREAD I'd be extra careful about making sure any overhangs are supported properly. You might consider posting a photo of the underside of the overhang in a new thread and ask if it's sufficient. It a safety issue and it doesnt hurt to double check.

Follow page 3, please.

"Can someone post a picture of what i need?"

2nd and 10th post down.

"Lift the counter off and install metal plates cutting them into the cabinets?"

Yes. It isn't that big a deal.

Your kitchen looks lovely! Linking to pictures of what we did, and a threadI started: Island Support

Abick2, what is your flooring? I really like the granite, btw! The coloration, lines and branches are so interesting.

the floor tile is 20 x 20 called Dom khadi, i love it.