I do not know how the oil rubbed bronze finish will be affected. Our has the dark brown patina finish as you can see but the outside of the sink will probably never change in color because no water or other juices touch it. The inside of our sink can get black rings if we leave dishes or pots and pans in it overnight where it is wet or if there were food juices in the sink. But, that goes away after 2-3 days. We love the sink and it is soooo easy to keep clean. Basically rinse it out or put dish soap in it. You can also basically 'seal' the sink with wax...that would also limit the 'patina-ing' of your sink. Good luck and if you have any questions, let me know. And for louisianaPurchase--the antiqued countertop is very easy to keep clean. Fingerprints don't show up anywhere near as much as I thought. In fact, hardly at all unless someone has very greasy fingers. It is just a quick wipedown...the antiqued quality has probably made all the difference with that.

Ditto----and I love the pics above. Don't get why there's an argument at this point. Now, maybe a discussion about what kind of "white" goes with what granites and so forth, so since you've already painted your cabinets, there could be some granites that go better than others, knowing all the variations of "white," (seems pretty likely there will be one to go with antique white!) and finding the right brown-black for your cabinets, based on nuances of color, cost, stone qualities, and also on things like your floors, dishes, or favorite accent colors; or even being open to being surprised by something you come across and hadn't considered how it might look and so head off in a new direction based on what looks great-- but seems pointless to insist you "need" black. That appears to be someone else's kitchen.

I know you requested black, but I'd like to also suggest Antique Brown (not to be confused with Labrador Antique!!) It's so dark, DH still says our countertops are black! But when you see it next to a black cooktop you can tell it's warmer than straight black. It's very very deep and gives a warmer look than straight black. It's kind of a solid look but with soft movement and some sparkles in certain spots (not all over). It's not super common and it is a pricier granite. It's very pretty. Photos don't do this granite justice. It's almost like the movement is under the surface b/c it's subtle, varied, and so pretty! Online it looks more spotty than it really is. We get tons of compliments and questions about it b/c it's not very common. Here are some photos of ours that are in our current house: Claxx66 posted a photo w/ white cabinets in '08 here on GW: Random online photos: Up close:

I thought I might post some images that you can see different combinations with grayand light stains. Last week while at the supermarket (waiting in line) I saw some pictures in a magazine (I think Martha Stewart, but not sure) gustavian gray peices with light stained woods. Your ideas of putting the white counters tops with a gray floor and a stained gray or natural wood sounds yummy. Maybe these images can help you imagine ideas for your own space. ~boxerpups SS blue images Gray Kitchen Washington Post Magazine Apteker Kitchen Wayland Bleach Wood Kitchens Steven Gambrel Designs Artichoke Ltd Kitchen Design of UK Newcast Gray Trikeenan Tile Backsplash Shaker Euro