Hi again, Today I happened upon a slab of brushed absolute black at the granite place. It was gray, instead of the usual black. I have a honed sample that is also black. But I guess with "brushed" it comes out gray. I like it a lot. It looks like concrete (which I priced and was too much in my area). But then my excitement faded when the granite guy told me that it would have to be sealed to prevent oil from staining it. And it would look black when sealed! Do any of you have brushed AB? Is there someway to keep the gray look and protect it from oil stains? I love to fry, and it will be around the cooktop . . . Limommy - the Neolith place did not have a calacatta sample, or have it there to look at. I too wonder if it would feel like stone or not.

What a wonderful pantry! Someone who loves your 1926 bungalow will also love the wooden counter. I would sand a bit to remove the current finish and then oil it with 4-6 coats of polymerized tung oil.

I appreciate how much you have going on with your pregnancy. And I look forward with the rest of the GW community to celebrating the big arrival. That said, it seems a shame to be signing up for kitchen Reno elements that you don't love (or at least like mightily). If the surface feels flimsy in the showroom, I am guessing it will not fare better in your home under hard daily use. Keep looking.... There are Plenty of alternatives like the Corian witch hazel that someone selected. There was a post recently on that with photos. Good luck and good shopping.

"I don't know how much variance there normally is on the sink install- should it be completely flush all around, or are there slight imperfections? There's really just one corner that is completely flush, the rest is "mostly" flush. Should I press to have this fixed, I don't know if it's possibly to fix it with the sink installed? I just did an oval undermount vanity cutout by hand and I'm sure there are "slight" imperfections. If the hole was cut with a CNC machine, there will be none, but the reveal is up to the homeowner discretion. The sink can be reinstalled by abandoning the fixed mechanical fasteners they've probably used and installing it with a Hercules Universal Sink Harness (Braxton Bragg). "Same with the side- do you normally custom- cut the granite to your space or just leave slight variances and cover it with caulk?" The reveal should be the same all the way around. There should be no "covering it with caulk". "Are all the bullnoses made in the same way- will I have the same problem with the granite sticking out too far with a different piece of granite, or did I just get a remnant that doesn't work well with my space?" No, you got an idiot templater. You could have them rip off the right end, but that may knock your sink off center. They could rip off the overhanging left end, reprofile and polish the edge which would not affect the sink center. "Should the granite have been sealed again, I don't think they did any kind of sealer at installation." Insist they bring a quality sealer and seal it in front of you. It will take a minute and a half and .50 worth of sealer. "I'm not wanting to be a difficult customer, not sure if I should insist on starting over or just live with it." You aren't being difficult. I would die of embarrassment if someone posted a picture of my job overhanging a wall like that. Have they no pride?