Love your new kitchen! Those grey cabinets with white make it really light and a farmhouse sink is one of my favorites! I have found that IKEA really isn't that bad for some things and it really can save you some money. As for the costs there is a free Home Renovation Estimator that can help anyone estimate home renovation costs.

We've had MSI Arctic White for over 18mos now. I love it. Haven't had any scuffing, scratching, or staining issues. Damp paper towel takes most everything off. I use Clorox Wipes for coffee rings or berry "ghosting" and give it a good general wipe down 2x per week. We looked at a lot of the quartz "marble" looking options, but someone made a comment that the veins either look fake or resemble (leg) spider veins. After hearing that, I can't "unsee" it! ha! The plain white has been a perfect backdrop for adding color and texture elsewhere (grout, wood cutting boards, walls, etc.). I also find that I like seeing exactly how dirty the counter top is (so I can wipe it off)!

Yes, I echo the real reviews above about Compac. We made the huge mistake of choosing this product. Looks over quality. We had the countertop installed in a NYC condo where only two adults live part-time and kitchen is used occasionally. The main slab where the sink is installed started chipping from the beginning and just kept on chipping on the edges everywhere with just the slightest contact with dishes. I was stunned. We have a second home with granite from the 1990s that was heavily used by families over the years and not a single ding, chip anywhere. The amount of chipping is just not normal. I have lived in many places with various countertop materials and never had any issues like this. The installer and Compac would not stand behind the product and said chips are your own fault. So when you see them respond in these threads, in our case, I can attest, it is simply pretending online to want to help. We made this mistake. I caution you not to make the same mistake. It is a very soft, chip prone product. Go with something harder. These are some big chips. Tried to fill, but Compac keeps on chipping.

Our painter has done many homes' cabinets. They use a semi-gloss and it looks great. Just not sure how long-lasting it will be. (We will probably sell in 5 years.). The veining on the Botanica is pretty light. The older version of it - when it was made in China - was much darker.