Terible (I feel funny writing that name ;-) ) - We wanted the bling to come in through the granite. That's why either Bianco Antico or Cafe Imperial appeals to me - they have sparkle. I was also considering mini crystal chandeliers as pendants for a more luxurious aspect. The kitchen opens up to the family room which we are redecorating (new furniture, paint, carpet, etc) when we redo the kitchen. Family room: Here's some other pics of rooms in our home, to give you an idea of our style. Most of our rooms still need more furniture and accessories. We're also lacking colour which we'll eventually add through artwork and accesories. I'm a minimalist but not THAT much of a minimalist!! Dining room: Master bedroom: Powder room: Living room:

It may be that the person installing the counters is worried about a good tight fit against all the walls where counters will run. If your walls are not flat and straight, the installers can cover a pretty good sized gap with that thick strip of countertop material laid a few inches up the wall ( the older style installations). But with good modern templating, you should expect a good fit even if your walls are a little bit off, then the tile can come right down to the counter and still meet with a small caulk joint at the change of plane. Perhaps you can ask them if they're worried about uneven walls, or you can take a yardstick to them yourself to see how they look. If it were my kitchen I'd certainly want the newer style installation.

I think we are moving in the direction to do the island, perimeter counters and backs splash (all the way up the wall) in the same White Santorini Quartzite. Any feedback on this? Im sensitive to adding too many different materials into the mix. Is this too much of one thing?

Thank you everyone who responded so far. I really appreciate it. I would really appreciate If anyone can also share some good subway tile examples that may go well in my kitchen. Also, I was thinking about getting a single quartz stone just to avoid the too many grout lines (May be white with some brown/grey vein). Do you think it will look good?