I predict that appliance finishes will become the next great province of corporate brand exposure. It will start small, a little "Ben and Jerry's" logo near the freezer handle, perhaps. Or a "Jimmy Dean" etched into the meat drawer. Then it will grow. Soon, our appliances will be festooned with advertising thicker than a NASCAR Champion's fender. There will emerge interesting and profitable cross marketing opportunities as pharmaceutical companies discover how closely our desire to feed ourselves is coupled to our desire for sex. Then every time we reach for a slice of cheese and a Pepsi we'll hear the "Viva Viagra" chorus or the annoying jangles of the "Cialis Daily" bathtub melody reminding us to take our pills.

I went looking for images of those elements. Ribbed glass panels in cabinet doors is easy enough. Here's one in a bathroom vanity: Ribbed glass (or ''seeded'' glass) is also often found in period light fixtures: As for marquetry countertops, if you asked most kitchen cabinet makers for such, I imagine they would gape blankly at the gabbling woman. But there are plenty of companies doing stock and custom hardwood marquetry inlays using CNC laser cutters. Here's the thing - they are doing it in floors. Google ''hardwood floor inlay'' and see. Yes, many of the rosettes are infeasible for a 26'' counter, but look for the ''border'' designs - or create your own. Assemble a 26'' wide section of inlaid ''floor'' on a 3/4'' plywood substrate, encase it in Waterlox, and I do believe you'd have yourself a marquetry countertop. Another option - perhaps cheaper - is stenciling on hardwood, of which this is an example. And so is this What else? Beveled glass is readily available, as is chrome countertop edging, and any furniture or auto upholstery shop can cover a panel of 1/8'' plywood in soft butterscotch leather framed in silver studs (maybe not actual silver, but close enough). I don't know exactly what version of Art Deco you are headed for, or if you even like butterscotch, but the point is, you are not doing yet another white kitchen, you're doing something that isn't being done by the mainstream, so the ordinary kitchen sources are not making this stuff. Sure, there is cool Art Deco hardware around, but what passes for ''Art Deco'' kitchen cabinetry in the online catalogs is . . . disappointing. You are going to have to make it, or at least source it, yourself - and I think if you're comfortable outside the painted lines, you can. You'll find yourself hiring a floor guy to work on a countertop, hunting down the local hot rod upholstery shops, telling your cabinet maker to fit bathroom vanity faces to kitchen cabinet boxes - they'll still look at you like you're crazy, but you'll know you're not. Go for it, girl!

Well, I left Houston with one husband, but I swear another one got in the car at a rest stop somewhere along the 15 hour drive to SC. I told DH that I got suggestions to ditch the slate and use honed white marble instead and he said, "That's sounds like a great idea." This is from the man who was totally adverse to marble in the kitchen because of the upkeep. (Shaking my head) The local slab yard carries Alabama White which we got to see. It may not be Calcutta gold, but it is a very creamy white and the material cost of the marble with honing is about the same as the slate so we're in good shape. I agree that white marble with the Marinus it would be a gorgeous combination. Here's a picture of the AL White: The other "magical" thing that happened was when we visited the tile supplier. I had been fretting because when I saw the allowance for the subway tile for the backsplash, it was so low that I thought they were quoting a mediocre product. OK, so I was very naive about the builder's discount. When the salesman brought out the display board of what he had based the quote on, I let out a gasp and exclaimed, "OMG! That's exactly what I wanted." He was showing me Horus Art tile in Tiffany Crackle. Can it get better than that? Well, not for me it couldn't. The bad news about the Marinus is that the last slabs at the SC were tagged. But they have an even bigger warehouse in Elberton, GA (2 hour drive from the Upstate where we're building) and Elberton is, apparently, the "Granite Capital of the World". Also, in spring, they begin to get in more shipments of granite & we won't be needing it until this summer or early fall. The guy from the fabrication company said that they are very careful to make sure the granite flows across the entire length of a run. I can only make so many trips from Houston to SC, but I think I will make a point of being there when they template. I keep mentioning budget because we're trying to be careful about the allowances by not going overboard while still getting what we want. Azul Aran would really be lovely, but it is $20/sf more than the Marinus & the Marinus really grabbed us. The cost of the stone is averaging $50/sf for what we have chosen and we only pay for the material they use. Installations costs are another $10/sf with $200 per large undermount sink hole. This is more than what we paid in Houston for our kitchen "refresh" last summer, but that was just an entry level stone. Obviously, I'm going to obsess over the hardware, but the Highland Ridge is a good starting point for our XWK (Transitional White Kitchen). I think we will balance that with faucets that are a little more traditional & still have our stainless steel appliances & sink. Right now, we're looking at Price Pfister Marielle and doing DH's sink in one configuration & mine in the other. The gal at the plumbing supply place thought it would be neat to have the faucets from the same famiy but not matching. We did the Marielle pullout (3rd configuration) for our refresh because I got it very, very cheap on eBay & have been very pleased with it. What we have is the brushed stainless steel, so we may switch to that if we want less "shine": Anyway, thanks for the great idea of going with marble rather than the slate. I think we will be using slate for our fireplace surround and the powder room floor, so I'll be getting my slate. Thanks for the suggestions & support - Jo Ann

A few more pics as things get finalized... The countertop arrives! My husband Russell cutting the sink opening. Notice how he has the blood pressure, heartburn, and arthritis medicine handy. LOL Here is a shot of the seamless corner and beveled edge. Close-up of Butterum Granite (Formica) Another one The breakfast room side of the kitchen getting into shape. It is separated by a half wall on the left where the refrigerator is in the kitchen. It also shares one long common wall (with arch openings) with the kitchen and our den which I am also painting in "Praline". Here I got a new curtain with button accents $24 on clearance at JC Penney, oil rubbed bronze curtain pole $18, and Russell spray painted our old light fixture to match. Another shot Thanks everybody for your comments!