Thank you gsciencechick for the information on Lowe's even willing to cut the tiles for me if I mark them since that could be an option for me after my busy season since there is a tile another member liked that is reasonably priced and special order that I would like to buy a few pieces as a sample to see if it would look nice in my kitchen. The blue pearl granite you used that includes the washer cabinet buildup and the plumbing connection sounds reasonable but you are right that you live in a more reasonable cost State of NC. I will have to look into this. I love hidden hinges and that is what I want if possible if not I will live with new hinges that are seen. Congratulations on three happy years of marriage! I am happy for you. I hope one day to meet my soul-mate or someone that I would want to spend the rest of my life together with and who would love fixing up our home together. Of course if he is handy, that would help.

I have a small galley-type kitchen...The house is old...I replaced with white kitchenaid dishwasher yrs ago and a white maytag with black top stove. Our frig is old and so this was the next appliance to replace. It was white also. However, I hated this big white side-by-side Sears Frig. I didn't want to buy stainless steel...thought it would stick out like a big bullet in my galley kitchen. Didn't want white either...too blah and hard to clean. So, I bought a pretty black stainless steel (sorta muted black on front) Whirlpool french door-type frig...I LOVE IT..it's the kind that doesn't show fingerprints...So, now....I wonder what color to paint my old oak cabinets with this old, but nice beigy, salmon color corian countertop...Anybody want to take a stab at this???? I can't replace the white other appliances...they are too new...but the black top stove does look nice with the frig...the dishwasher is across the aisle from them in white...

Black stainless steel is simply regular stainless steel with a thin coating of paint. At some point, you inevitably will damage that coating. While stainless steel can be buffed out to remove scratches, this is impossible with coated steel. And even worse, rather than having a minor blemish in the grain, now you have a highly-visible difference in color.

I think you can definitely mix them. However, I wouldn't mix them on the same wall. For example, if your fridge and your range are on one wall in black stainless, you could add a regular stainless DW and microwave in the island. If you're going this route, carry the mixed metal idea through to your faucets, hardware, and lighting, too. Lots of great photos on this site with mixed metal finishes in kitchens. All that said, I wouldn't do this if you're planning to sell the house in a few years. If it's a look you love and you will be in your home for many years to come, go for it.