We have been using our Corian countertops for 10 months and we love them. They are not hard and sterile feeling like Granite. Neither DH or I like granite. If you want SHINY, Corian is not for you. But ours certainly are NOT dull - they have a really nice sheen to them and it's exactly what we wanted. We have "maui" which is a "medium" color, I would say. It's speckled... black/gray/brown-ish, with some speckles of white. It blends beautifully with our praline stained cabs, stainless appliances, beige tumbled marble backsplash, and white trimwork. We have 2 small kids and minimal scratching. I do not baby them at all, just wipe with a damp sponge. I use "Hope's" brand countertop cleaner/polish on them maybe once every two weeks. If we decide at some point that there are "too" many scratches? they can be refinished. For me, I do not care for the look of the very light and very dark Corian. I think the very light / white corians look "plasticy". And I think the very dark ones look like they're pretending to be granite when they're not. I love the medium colors and tones though - they hold their own and there are SO many options to choose from. Good luck :)

Pay the restocking fee if they'll offer that. I know the tile wasn't special order, but they still have to handle it and ship it back to the main warehouse. I once got some tile and half of it had been already installed There was dried up mastic on the back of them. they incur liability with every return. Restock fees cover the time and loss of damaged goods. If they had a no return policy on this invoice, then you should just go buy what you like and sell the dark stuff on Craigslist. The contractor being at the store with you when you selected the tile has nothing to do with the stores refunds and returns. Many times I will join a client to help them select tile and trim just to help them out. I don't get paid extra to do that, I just want to be helpful. dan, Corlett is a longtime pro here and doesn't mince his words. He means well. :)

If you cut it by 50%, it will be a new color. One that you have no idea what it will look like until you buy the can and have it mixed. And now you own a can of paint whether you like the color or not. Cutting formulas is an exercise in futility. You've mentally decided to move on to a new color by thinking 50% could work, so just revisit the chips and choose a new color. What you don't have the advantage of is color constancy. You're not living with the color/color samples during the hours when you like what it looks like. Color constancy is a function of our vision system. Without it, humans simply would not survive. Less dramatic is what happens in our house. Bananas are a good example. Everyone has an established perception of banana yellow. That perception doesn't change from the bananas sitting on a bright southern-facing kitchen counter to the bananas sitting on a northern-facing dim dining room. Even tho the two colors of yellow would indeed appear quite different, we don't notice because of an adapted sense of color constancy for the color of yellow that bananas are supposed to be. The same happens in your house when you live with color. After a room is painted, it takes about two weeks to adapt. An average of color constancy develops and eventually you don't even notice the color shifts. That's why people will sometimes say they've learned to live with a color. And sometimes people really don't like the color they end up with. In which case, it's important to repaint and not live with it. To avoid that happening and since you don't have the advantage of living in the same space you're coloring, a decent rule of thumb is if you like a color under daylight (around noon, not direct sun), incandescent, and fluorescent illumination, odds are good you will be happy with the color once it's up.

Not too much. Your house will end up looking bigger. I think the roof is neutral enough that you have the luxury of going with your gut, going with the color that speaks to you.