I definitely don't want wood, but thanks for the suggestion. I'm a little bummed tonight because I went to buy a sample of the tile backplash I liked, but the shade of the current batch has more beige brown in it and I liked the charcoal greys that were more prominent. I was too delayed in buying it! Anyway, I did some looking and decided that Corian is not an option in a darker color. Didn't like it. Can't use laminate because of the undermount sink. Lab counters don't sound like a great fit. I think they might be too dark also. Here's my options I think: 1)Honed Granite: if I want to risk the staining issues. No scratching or heat worries right? Perfect color choice. 2)Quartz: risk of chemical stains, risk of heat damage from griddles, slow cookers. No scratches, perfect color choice. 3)Stainless: No staining, heat damage, and scratches only add to the look. Not a perfect color choice. 4)Soapstone: Great color, not staining, no heat damage. Chips easily? It would appear that stainless is a great option for the durability but I really want a tile backsplash. I liked the look of marble mosaic because the pattern was small and from a distance, it would look uniform. I want to look somewhat industrial but not 100%. My floor tile looks like a rusty metal. In the daylight, depending on the angle, it is very reflective, like an old mirror. Without daylight, it has the copper/bronze color more. It is the most awesome tile!! But, I want some warmth. I will have tongue and groove ceiling painted to match the cabs. So would stainless counters be too much metallic? Would they work with a darker tile backsplash. I also like a 1x2 multicolor slate backsplash or something like these: http://www.missionstonetile.com/products/17-Tabarka/tabarka-med-10 Here's my faucet and sink too: How do these compare to each other in price. I have no idea. We supposedly are able to get less expensive AB granite here because it is quarried locally.

You do not need to stack two 2cm slabs on top of each other to make it look like you are using 4cm thick slabs. You only need a small amount of extra material (1-2â inches depending on edge type) to beef up just the outside edges of the counters. Laminated or mitered edges are very common here in So. Cal., where most stone and quartz is sold in 2cm size, rather than 3cm. The fabricator will put a 5/8â thick plywood subtop that is a little narrower than the finished counter size on top of the cabinet. Then the 2cm slab counter is put on top of the plywood. A narrow strip of the quartz is attached just at the edge of the counter to hide the edge of the plywood and make the whole counter look thicker. For standard 24â deep cabinets, the finished counter width with overhang is typically 25.5.â I donâÂÂt know what brand of quartz you plan to buy, but Caesarstone slabs are 56.5â wide, Hanstone is 55â wide, Silestone is 54âÂÂ, Cambria is 55.â (Some brands sell wider âÂÂjumboâ slabs if you have deeper counters.) Assuming a 55â wide slab, two 25.5â deep counters will use up 51â (plus a small amount of loss in the cutting process), leaving the few inches you need for the edge strips. You should need the same number of slabs whether you use 2cm or 3cm material. The thinner material will cost less, which should offset the increased labor cost for the laminated or mitered edge. I am going to try to attach pictures that show the different types of edges.

orPaint the trim around the door a nice crisp white (use a semi gloss enamel like BM Advance.) Paint the window and trim in the same white. paint your door black or Iron Ore. remove that valance. Replace the cabinet hardware to a matte black or a brushed nickel. try Pale oak on the walls, and two of these others for the trim/door color or for under the window you could do a built in bench against that wall (see pic,,,ignore the L shape. you would just do the single bench against the wall) and find a rectangle table to push up next to the bench. add two chairs for the other side

I’ve seen the Silestone Calacatta Gold in several “I hate my quartz” threads, and I agree. It’s not attractive installed. It looks like a child’s drawing of marble, lots of huge fake veins that never line up and look stripy. There’s an active thread on this right now, I believe. The Viatera Muse and Minuet I have heard less about, meaning there may be fewer complaint threads on them. They certainly look more subtle. The key to choosing the right backsplash for these types of counters depends a bit on the color of your cabinets. Are they white or wood?