Thanks for checking in on our progress, patty_cakes! Unfortunately, with all of the rain we've received over the past month or so, progress came to a standstill and we are still waiting for our foundation to be poured! Construction crews all over this area are so far behind on jobs, and I'm trying to have patience. At least we presently have a house in which to live. I know that there are many who work construction here who depend on having those regular paychecks and when they stop rolling in, they really suffer. My heart goes out to them, and I'm trying to keep this all in perspective! As it now stands, our projected completion date is mid-October at the earliest. We have made all of our selections for the house, and I think I've got photos of most everything we've selected here in my "idea book." (Can you view it?) My vision was to keep things as classic and timeless as possible. We've chosen hardwood flooring throughout, with the exception of the bathrooms and the laundry which will be tiled. My kitchen will have white cabinets (with a couple of lighted Flemish-glass fronted cabinets to display my blue and white Cornishware), black granite countertops, and a glossy white subway tile backsplash. We've added crown molding throughout the house. Will have a stacked-stone fireplace in the living room (which is open to the kitchen - a concept that will be quite different than we are used to!). The bathrooms will be simply styled with white subway tile in the showers, white integrated counters/sinks, and we'll have brushed nickel hardware throughout the house. The walls will be painted a very neutral off-white -- certainly different from the Crayola box that our current house used to be! I'm yearning for simple, classic, clean. And new. Never, EVER thought I'd be saying that, but well ... here I am. :-) We'll be buying new furniture once we're in. I'm leaning towards a sectional in the main living space, and we'll need new bedroom furniture for the master and the upstairs bedroom. The little "game room" upstairs will be a space for TV watching and reading, and I'd like to furnish it sparsely but comfortably. I plan to use my paintings as pops of color, and it will be fun to figure out where to hang things once we move. I'll have to sell a few pieces, but I think I can use most of my favorites. We have already committed to plantation shutters in all of the rooms requiring window coverings, and I'm really happy with that decision. I've loved that look for ages, and am also just tired of dealing with curtains. Right now it still feels a little like a dream that's a long way off ... But I know we'll get there eventually!

I have a silgranit sink from blanco which is 4 months old and just cracked as well. It cracked in a place (back side 3 inches up from bottom, horizontal crack 5 inches long) which was unlikely to be caused by anything other than a defective product. I am frankly barfing at the people on this forum who are saying the manufacturer is doing all they can/should do by providing a replacement sink. Nobody would want a replacement sink where they already have a poor quality controlled sink from a company, now knowing that they are not the only one. The company should offer a refund and labor install for the replacement. Not saying that they will do that without a fight but that is what they should do. I dont really want to hear from people who think a manufacturer should not do that because no warranty covers that. If a manufacturer is reputable, and not simply trying to cover itself, it will evaluate cases for good will and preservation of its brand name and act accordingly. I have not yet submitted my case either to the store where i bought it or blanco so i dont know if they will react with good will. Also, the idea that a garbage disposal could cause this is ludicrous. This is advertized as strong, and impervious to everyday wear. the store said that the sink was basically indestructible. I have a 400.00 insinkerator disposal which is barely audible and super low vibrations. If a sink cant stand up to that (or any other name brand disposal) then it should not be sold. Update: I am already hearing from the distributor (not the seller - the seller immediately passed the buck to the distributor who i have no agreement with) that Blanco doesnt cover labor, nor will they swap out for a stainless sink (even a Blanco brand). The way i hear this is Blanco has every right to sell you a defective sink for a custom installation and yet have no responsibility for the damage it causes except to ship you another defective sink. This is what i expected. They know that most people wont want to play hardball for what might be under 1k worth of damages. We shall see.

Just found it!!! It was called Create Good Sinks! I have been googling for days and wracking my brain to come up with the name. Anyway - if any one is looking for a great kitchen sink, I recommend this one!

I have a California Faucets Zero Drain in both my bathrooms. It is level with the bottom of the sink when in “drain” mode and you push the stopper down to close it. Water goes down easily, but anything much larger than whiskers or hair does not go down because the stopper is there. You just get your fingers around the edge of the stopper and pull up to remove and clean it. Once or twice a year, you need to spray it with silicon lube spray. https://www.calfaucets.com/bathroom/sink-shower-drains/zerodrain/zerodrain-pop-down-style-lavatory-drain-with-2-1-4-diameter-flange-9050zb