Hollysprings- was wondering about that... If there was a color change or not. Thanks to both of you for information. I I have no clue what's going to end up in this kitchen! I get a lot of light in my kitchen so at certain angles and in certain spots I'm sure the etching would show on and off, depending on how the light hits it. Reading more on soapstone and going to visit a place this week that has a decent amount of it in stock. I really like the marble look, though and have run the gamut.... Marble "look alikes" in quartzite, marble, soapstone, the manufactured stuff (gets too pricey, though...) ugh. Went through this with the cooktop, literally changed my mind every other day, replacing electric cooktop.... Induction vs. gas and depending on what went through my head when I woke up each day, the choice kept changing! Settled on induction, very happy, now to install the thing once the countertops are decided! One big domino game....

I am having a lot of anxiety over this area and am really hoping for some guidance from all the experienced and gifted posters out there - please! We decided on absolute black honed for the counter - now need to decide the thickness. This dining room butler's pantry in the expanded dining room was suppose to appear like 2 independent furniture pieces. KD's goal was nothing like a kitchenette (or the adjacent kitchen) so he did not want 10 feet of a counter - hence the brown "china cabinet" piece steps back from the black "buffet counter" BUT he also planned for the counter heights to be different. The china cabinet has a thick (almost 4") of a wood slab between base and uppers. And he planned for 2 cm for the buffet. I know it is hard from these pictures (I'll try to get by there to get better ones today) but if we use 2 cm granite as recommended by the KD there will be only like 3/4 of an inch difference. If we use 3cm it could be shimmed up slightly to line up with the base of the routed edge on the dining room piece and seem in line. I don't want the 2cm to look like a mistake - a just miss BUT if the design with the step back already commits us to "mismatch" pieces I don't want to do it half way. HELP. I am at the end of a long line of too many decisions and just want this done and moving forward. Any help, suggestions, questions etc. would be GREATLY appreciated.

YES! You can mix counter top materials in the came kitchen. I don't have anything against mixing counter top materials in any kitchen. Countertop selection should be a mixture if servicability. asthetics in design/color, and quality. Mixing high grade butcher block and plastic laminates is never satisfactory, but your suggestions of Ceasarstone, Silestone Quarts, Corian, Granite or Marble mix very well with Butcher Block. Servicability comes in second. Butcher Block is a good choice surrounding the cooktop as it will handle a hot pan inadvertinly set down where Corian will damage easily. Corian is a thermal plastic material and will melt and scorch from the intense heat. All of these materials are ideal for use around wet sink and prep areas as they do not absorb water causing discoloration, rotting and the dreaded mold of numerous varieties you don't want to tangle with. Wood tops, (butcher block), can be sealed successfully against moisture intrusion, but must be maintained judiciously. Around the cooktop however thorough cleaning and reoiling the surface with a food grade oil will keep it beautiful for years. Bartop finishes can be a pain to maintain as they can be scratched easier than you think, and repairing chips and gouges in the surface can be disappointing. I hope I haven't put anybody to sleep with this, but like most comments here to your original question this only my opinion. The backsplash should be kept consistant on both sides of the kitchen. That said, having a tile mural centered over the cooktop works very well. Make sure any grout between the tiles is sealed with future sealing maintainance each year or after any severe cleaning. Consider having a window with a country or ocean scene painted and sealed against grease & dirt over the cooktop for added flavor.

for the handles, may I suggest something to pick up on the hues in the flooring? A little more copper toned. you have light cabs, light floors. I think throwing in a dark ORB w/o actual copper highlights would be too much of a contrast. IMO. cypress park Sandra, I like the porcelain one better than the other one. Does the backsplash have to be done immediately? If the tones in the porcelain tile you picked clash w/the ivory tones in the counter, it could be a problem. However, I did find some copper toned ones that should be avail. these are porcelain/SS, and treated so as not to stain or tarnish. I LOVE these for your kitchen. timeless and gorgeous. They are probably not super cheap, but it would be worth it for me. http://www.miusartmosaics.com/arabesque-lantern-beacon-copper-tile-in these would also work. the site is here: maybe they have them in stock.http://www.westsidetile.com/arabesque-tiles/ i like this one too. notice the copper faucet. beautiful w/the glass mosaic. if you got the cream countertop, this would look amazing w/your floors. this last one is a copper colored slate/quartzite.