If you mean the one with the marble white island and blue backsplash. I think it is from House Beautiful but keep in mind it was a google image found from a kitchen blog. Sorry wish I could help more. ~boxer Here are a few links with similar stools. http://smartshopbuy.com/HomeDecorations/spanish-horse.htm http://furnituretree.com/FurnitureProducts.aspx?search=Bar%20Stool%20Set http://www.darvin.com/Item.aspx?ItemID=-1839416581&ItemNum=314-273%2B272%2B4x542 http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Briarwood_Rounded-Back_Swivel_Bar_Stool/ http://affordablefurnitureblog.com/?paged=34

Thank you Chris! Are you sure? I've never done anything like that and was just blending based on color intensity but I'm sure someone more artistic would do something more interesting! Thanks, Dianalo! Question for you about those hinges: would you do the lower cab hinges in butterfly style too, or would you use the hidden/concealed kind so as not to try to compete too much w/ the upper cabs? I know you can't see my lower cab doors yet but the problem is that they're basic shaker style w/ one panel so are similar yet also quite different from the upper cabs. So I thought changing the hardware will give it a deliberately different look without competing too much (?). The lower cabs will have polished nickel bin pulls and latches. I'll keep the uppers and the rest of the room's hardware black because it's too much to deal w/ at this time... but if I use butterfly hinges on the lower cabs too, will that look too busy do you think? I love the laminate and chrome banding look! Do you remember that link someone shared a couple of months ago that showed some famous person's beach house (or some vacation cottage of some sort) that used that look? Everyone raved about it and I was drooling. I'd love to see your inspiration pics or any progress you've made! The previous owner of this house gave me an old black and white photo of this kitchen long ago and it had what appears to be ORIGINAL (1913) laminate countertops w/ same chrome banding! The laminate (or whatever you call the product) was - she said - a pink marble-like pattern that extended all the way up the backsplash. I wish I could have seen it in color! I love sneaking pinks or tan-pinks into kitchens when possible (even if in towels and mugs, etc.) I even thought of painting my mudroom a salmon-ish pink!! Sorry for ranting!

My 6 month old Venetian gray tile countertops are stained. I decided on a carrara-type after reading this thread, so o just thought I should update it with my experience. My kitchen is in heavy use, admittedly, as I have 3 small kids and I cook a lot. Over the past 6 months about 10 orange stains have appeared. I still have not figured out where they came from. There is also a small etched spot where I absent mindedly set down a can of tomatoes and it had a drip, as well as a grayish grease spot from a dab of butter. These are negligable. The orange is quite noticeable and I am yet to discover what has caused any of them. I try to baby the counter top and protect it from fruits, veggies, juices, and oils. I keep a big glass cutting board out to use for these items. I try to wipe it up if I see anything spill or drip on the marble. Certainly anything i missed would be wiped up later the same day. I have never found a piece of food or a spill that caused an orange stain, they seem to appear out of nowhere and then they get darker. I have used a spray on sealer which is apparently worthless.

Pip, I don't have any closeups of my countertops, but had to post and tell you that we have Costa Esmeralda granite, and it too is rather light-colored and swirly. When the granite was first installed, the kitchen was bare, didn't even have the new floor done, nothing else was done... DH and DS (who ironically had shown little to no interest in the kitchen remodel to this point) were both quick to exclaim, "Oh, wow, somebody messed up on that granite! Look at that seam along the edge! That's awful!" Secretly I too was kind of feeling that way. But swallowing that feeling, I explained to them that this edge was more in keeping with the overall kitchen design than the bullnosed edges on the granite we'd had put in our 3 bathrooms two years prior. Of course, inside I was still thinking to myself, "Ohmygosh, WHAT have I done?!?!" Now, 2 years later, it seems invisible! Not because we have gotten used to it, but because once everything else is in place, not just the tile, floor, paint, etc., but dishes, and towels, etc., the seam seems to mysteriously evaporate. I can look at my counter right now and see it clear as day, but you don't "see" it ever somehow.... Anyway- hope this helps!