Okay. Update on removing countertop(s). We took the first (of 2) countertops off. Abbisgram, you were correct, and there were only a few screws attaching the top. All came out easily except one which was impossible to get to without disassembling the whole cabinet, so we got out the sawzall and took care of that one. Decided for several reasons not to special order countertops. We bought a sheet of 3/4" plywood (4x8), had it cut in half lengthwise, and that will do all the new countertops. Got the first one on and will need to put the tiles and edging on. Regarding the comment from the guy at Lowes: He was correct in the sense that the cabinet was very flimsy; however, it didn't 'fall apart'. The front (where the doors are attached) is pretty standard, however the sides of the cabinet are 1/8" (at most) luan, and there is no back piece at all, just a 1x2 strip fastened to the bottom of the (old) countertop, then screwed to the wall. Thankfully, the shelf inside the cabinet seemed to help keep it all together til we got the new top on it. Once the new plywood was on though, it is as sturdy as it was before ... lol. Not sure if I mentioned that this is not our full-time home, it's a mobile home that we purchased in a resort town, so we are not there to work on it every day. Hoping to go back next week and remove/replace the 2nd countertop, then cover them. Bottom line is that it wasn't nearly as scary as the Lowe's guy made it sound. And thanks, abbisgram, for the encouragement. :) As a side note, the finished countertops will end up costing under $100 for approx. 13-14 feet of countertops. I'm not the best at taking pictures, but will try to post some when we finish. This post was edited by danandcarol on Sat, Sep 27, 14 at 22:44

I like the white with them, and that leaves your accessories open to all kinds of color choices. If you want color, yellow, pear to lime green, blue -- actually, there are probably shades of just about any color that could work with grey. Is there a color you like to have around you or create the mood you want for your kitchen? If not, why not do a white that reflects the undertones and then get the other elements in place. You may love the calmness of it -- like the IKEA photo and probably the display, but if not, paint is easy enough to change if you find that is too plain.

I can't wait to see what you do! We're almost complete with our kitchen reno and we bought a Bluestar 36" Platinum, have a 36" Monsoon Vent-A-Hood (no problems with heat so far, fair bit of cooking, but this week will tell the tale!), and soapstone counters. Bluestar Platinum: the 25K burner was a nice-to-have. We liked getting the removable griddle/grill insert as DH is a pancake maker. I haven't done any steaks indoors on it yet, but the time is coming this winter. DH is also an engineer and really liked the tight tolerances of all fittings. We looked at both the Platinum and RNB at the showroom and the Platinum felt engineered like a high end sports car. No complaints here. And I'll be honest, I plain liked the look better. And since this is the one and only complete kitchen customization of my life (no plans to move, universe please be kind to us!), we chose the Platinum. Soapstone: we are fortunate that Dorado Soapstone is in Denver, CO, about an hour away. I went down and picked out my slabs, which was fantastic. As others have said, there are different hardness factors, so don't let arguments about that convince you without doing some HW. In my earlier life, I spent a lot of time in labs. There are reasons it has been a prime material for them for so long: takes heat just fine (I remember seeing a Bunsen burner flame falling directly on the counter, no issues); won't etch (bring on your lemon juice, vinegar, red wine!), and is naturally germ-resistant since it's nonporous (hot water with a little soap is really all you need!). We've had soapstone tile in a teenager's bathroom for about 8-9 years now--it was waxed or oiled (can't remember which) once upon installation and we haven't done a thing other than clean it. In the new kitchen, I've re-oiled the island countertop a couple of times, mostly just for my own "new kitchen" love, but it's really no big deal. A little mineral oil on a rag--not really different than wiping down my countertops. I'm going to put up my Before and After shots soon with more details soon, if you're interested. I learned so much from browsing this site, I'd like to give back. Wishing you all the best as you decide!!

Sorry TCB - just realized you are the OP :) - and just re read that you plan to change the hardware....are you doing this everywhere in the home? Will the ORB be on all door hardware throughout the home? I'd strongly suggest focusing on the tile (white with matching grout or subtlety darker grout like a bone white). Then do the hardware and select paint LAST. Thank you for the paint tone pictures with your floor - could you retake the shots with the paint samples propped vertically against the wall by the tile floor. Look at all samples as you will see them in real life because the light hits them different so anything vertical (like paint) should be evaluated vertically.