Going to a slab yard (especially a big one) is like going to a candy store. There are just too many things to look at and it ends up being a frustration because, if you do not have a game plan, you will end up leaving just as confused and undecided as you were before you even went! With the wide array of choices, it is better that you narrow down what you are looking for before you even put foot in the yard. I will try to give a few pointers. Obviously each situation (and everybody's taste) is different, so a whole slew of undefinable factors will impact on your choice, but you could start with these: 1. How much natural light is in your kitchen? If you are limited to a single window or low light levels, going too dark with the stone will leave your kitchen feeling like a dungeon. 2. Light wood or light painted cabinets will bear darker stones much better than darker cabinets would. 3. If the stone and the cabinets are too close in tone, there would be too little distinction between the two, so aim for contrast. 4. Do you plan on living in this house for a long time or are your plans to sell pretty soon? Wild exotic stones could be a damper on prospective buyers, so going with a more conservative stone would be prudent if you plan to sell in the near future. 5. Narrow down your list of colors. (You mentioned you do not like browns/tans. That eliminated a whole slew of stones.) Start by looking at the colors you like, in the order of preference. 6. If you have unusually large counters and you prefer to have them done seamless (consult with your fabricator first!) Look at colors where the slab sizes would allow for your design. Like I said - many more criteria could be used to narrow down your choices, but have a plan and stick to it, else you might end up frustrated and no closer to a choice than before the expedition. Have fun!

I agree with the others, but I'm not quite as emphatic, having just finished a large, pressed-for-time renovation. It was hard--very hard--and we lived in the house (with a child) while it was going on, which made it even harder. Being able to still live in another place while you renovate is an advantage. How long have you lived in Seattle? Have you lived here long enough to fully appreciate how dark and gray it is for so very, very long? I ask because I've seen people move here from other areas and buy houses that they end up hating because there's not enough light. In undertaking a large renovation here (Seattle), I think it's important to be very sure that the house has enough light for you. We ended up adding a couple of windows and some skylights when we did our renovation, and that was as a direct result of having lived here for a while and realizing that there were certain areas of our house where we were desperate for more light. It's hard to know these things without having lived in the house. If you do decided to go ahead, please think carefully about how much natural light you get there. Don't decide based on the light in there over the next few days when it's supposed to be sunnier! In this climate, I really think that fewer uppers and more windows (even with a brick exterior) can help make a kitchen more enjoyable. I do agree with the others that not having lived in the house makes a rushed renovation even harder. We did ours in a similar kind of rush to what you're planning. However, we had lived here for years first, and we knew what issues we had to fix. We'd talked about incorporating two spaces into the kitchen for years. All that casual talk for years ahead of time helped make our very rushed decisions much easier. I can't imagine trying to make all those decisions without having had the basic ideas already in mind from before. If you do decide to go ahead, please post your layouts here and let people go over them. There is a huge amount of wisdom here, and that's something you have on your side--you've found GW! Take advantage of the experience and knowledge you'll get here. It's very helpful to people here if you post both your current kitchen layout and a legible floorplan of your entire first floor. Good luck!

Granite in a kitchen in a house valued at $100,000? NOPE, that's a waste of money. You won't begin to recoup what you spend for it. And everyone is changing out their tile countertops, at least from what I see on this site. (It's that grout, who wants to clean the cooking dreck out of the grout?) I would consider NOT buying a house with tiled countertops in the kitchen, all other things being equal. Some people really prefer stained cabinets over painted. I can like the look of either, but unless you get a true pro to do the job ($$$), it's going to look cheapened. Those cabinets look fine to me, and would not dissuade me from making an offer. It's the curb appeal (driveway) you may want to be focusing on. Oh, and see if you can bleach the floor tile grout in the shower as white as possible - or see if there is a way to make it all look like it's supposed to be one light sand or gray color of grout...

Check out this company https://www.amisco.com/en_us/. I purchased swivel stools and selected the seat fabric and frame color. The product is well made. Below is a picture of the stool with a back and one without back which is useful when I working at the island. Fabric is a leather looking vinyl that is easy to keep clean. I like the swivel for easy entry and exit of the stool. I also prefer the lower back so when standing at the island I don’t have to remove the stools. Good luck in your search.