buffalotina - sorry for the late reply but I have been focused on my landscaping now that the addition is done. My cabinets are frameless & that is one of the reasons I chose them. swickbb - Thanks...my kitchen seems so much warmer than the pics I posted now that I have accessorized a little. I still don't love my marble...but I found a company who did repair work on my new travertine floor & they suggested that they could re-hone the marble counters to make them a little less shiny so the etching doesn't show as much. I haven't done it yet because I still have other work to do on the house (like new built-ins & fireplace in the LR) before I start re-doing the new things. Plus they are getting so much abuse by my husband I am waiting to see if all the etching blends together into one big "patina" look

OK, the low down from doing a little research. Mind you I am not an expert with working with marble, but I do believe the info I'm giving you is correct. First off when you chemically hone marble it will act differently depending on the makeup of the stone. So make sure the fabricator knows what he is working with because I believe different marbles will turn out completely different. This will put more texture on the stone rather than a mechanical hone which leaves the finish silky and flat. Which leads me to the mechanical hone. This is the method most used in the industry, unless going for a certain 'look'. In my opinion mechanical is the better option if you want that smooth flat or matte look. Different shops have different techniques for honing so there is no right way as long as the finished product is what you want. So make sure you get a sample of their work before you sign the dotted line. For a fabricator this process is not difficult but takes some finesse to get the perfect sheen and a little time so you may be charged a bit more if the slabs you picked are not honed.

kksmama, Taj Mahal is one of the most trouble-free stones that you can get, so they've made an excellent choice. It's not porous so it's unlikely to stain - and that's the worry with other quartzites. As for hot pans, the trouble isn't because the minerals in the stone can't handle heat, it's because all slabs are relatively thin, and the 'thermal shock' of a hot pan can cause the stone to expand, but just in that one small spot. The stress over the small area can create a crack. It's unlikely - but not impossible. A couple years ago I did lots of tests putting a smoking-hot cast iron skillet on various slabs and none of the 2 cm slabs cracked. But a thinner one did - it was quartz though, not natural stone. Nonetheless, even with Taj Mahal I would use trivets. I'm so glad your stone is working out for you and I know exactly what you mean about the satisfaction of having done your homework. Good for you!

Hi cv2014, I still love the look of our Semihandmade walnut, to me it's very warm. We briefly looked into having Semihandmade make panels for the side and the back of the island, but we wanted a more substantial edge and it just seemed like we'd have better luck getting it to all work out if we hired a finish carpenter to do the job. We're very happy with how it turned out. You can go to almost any good lumber store and purchase a full sheet of walnut veneer for not a lot of $$s. Depending on where it's used, it could be ok if it doesn't match perfectly with the Semihandmade walnut. The corner cabinet has a filler piece, I think it was around 4 inches, that gives enough clearance so that the cabinet door can open without worrying about having it hit the door to the right. In my case I think I was also concerned about clearance so it wouldn't hit the oven handle as well. That was solved by making the pull-out next to the over slightly wider than originally planned. These are the older Ikea cabinet style, so I'm not sure if the new style has the same kind of corner cabinet or not. Good luck with your planning!