Hi Everyone! Thanks again for all your input and support! This board has been tremendously helpful for all its infinite wisdom and advice that it provides. So helpful to get a sanity check from people who've been through this process and who work in the field to set my expectations straight (thank you oldryder and Jospeh Corlett!). mayflowers-- no, they did not use a seam setter to pull the slabs together. I've seen pics of your seam and am envious. I didn't even know about seam setters until after the counters went in and I started looking up old posts about seams on this board. In this case, I just went with the fabricator that my contractor recommended. If I ever find myself doing another kitchen renovation, I will be sure to research more into the techniques used to join the seams. I know my seam is still visible, but I'm at peace with it (either that or i'm just so done and over my remodel that I want to move on-- ha!).

Bri: Your seam should be centered in the sink. It would be much less conspicuous. Fabricators cut for yield when they can get away with it as it makes them more money; your guys took a shot and lost. Post a dimensioned drawing of your layout please. If they had to add the end piece, at least they could have used a Seam Phantom and adhesive manufacturer recommended color adhesive. Had they done so, your seam would be much more inconspicuous. Their guy was color blind or used clear adhesive which appears as the medium gray you show or both. Whites are notoriously difficult to seam inconspicuously with the correct color match adhesive. Do not let them tell you they can't/won't seam at the sink. When your sink is strapped, not clipped, in place, it's one of the strongest areas of your top. Do not let them "buff" the seam. Buffing won't change the adhesive color or the thickness of the seam, however, it can create a noticeable dip and a mismatched finish. Matching factory finish on decks is in the very advanced class and judging by the work on your job, they don't have anyone at that level. That seam placement is not to industry standards; you are not at fault in any way.

Place a straightedge over the seam please. I'll bet it rocks. If it does, that means the pieces are out of plane to each other and that the bottom of the seam edges are touching first, keeping the top from ever meeting inconspicuously and creating the wide seam. Let's see a picture of the front edge seam close up please. If the seam is high, that's going to wear unevenly and look bad over the years. A do-over may be possible depending on your layout, but that's a real PIA. I'd cut it apart, dress the cut edge with a Seam Phantom, put the tops in plane, and pull them together with Gorilla Grips. Nice color match on the adhesive.

I assume you are boxing in the end of the bar, so maybe you could make the faux beam cover the triangle portion by that end with molding at the bottom. Because Yes to getting the angle cut piece, as it would be a more "normal" place for a seam to be and is in a much better area to be less noticeable.