Hi Phyllis, Glad to comment on this. My tiles looked like this too - any tiles that were pure white stayed white, while any with even a bit of grey veining went really dark. That contrast while wet made me REALLY nervous. But after some time, they all looked beautiful again. One further comment - I hand picked each and every tile hoping for a beautiful installation. It sounds like you may have taken that extra effort too. I would do what you are doing - just watch each day and I expect you'll find the tiles getting lighter and lighter. Once your fears have calmed, just start in again and you'll be rewarded with a wonderful backsplash!!

never_ending, yes, upper cabinets are easy to make. There are reasons for this. Several reasons that all combine to make it worthwhile. -- The thing you can have is 1 big box as an upper cabinet (therefore continuous, long, shelves inside the 1 cabinet). The front cover could be *either* 2 or 3 sets of panels that open with Blum Aventos HF hinges, *or* several narrow (vertical) doors that hinge on a front frame. In either case, you have continuous shelves. At first glance it looks like wall "cabinets" but, it's a single entity, not a series of boxes stuck together. So the shelves are uninterrupted by cabinet sides. When you open door 2, you can reach things in sections 1 or 3 as well. Storing things is easier too since your things don't bump up against barriers. -- 1 big box is easy. Here is one of the several reasons why wall cabinets are easier to make than floor cabinets. A wall thingie has to look good (straight and level), and be well screwed to studs. Looking good is less demanding than being truly level to a fine "tolerance". A run of floor-standing boxes has to be far better aligned: it supports a level countertop. So, a 1/8" misalignment becomes a serious problem, even if the floor is perfect, rigid, flat. A floor-standing box has to hold up to max. physical stress AND could have an unstable (squishy, spongy) floor under some of its legs. So, it can be a chore. Or more. But a wall thingie doesn't have to be square or level, to the Nth degree. Executive Summary: wall cabs are a few panels joined at 90 degree angle. They hang on the wall. The cabinetmaker doesn't need to work to the same degree of "perfection" as for the cabinets that stand on the floor and become a base for countertops. I second the notion that "you may be able to go IKEA bottoms and custom uppers without breaking the bank." -- Open shelving is not as easy to make as 1 big box. Because each shelf has to get its entire support from the wall studs. With 1 big box, shelves are supported by the two sides of the big box. (Between the two sides at the ends of the long shelves, the shelves do need some support too) ((and this is "easy" or easier to arrange than for individual open shelves)) -- "They are spacious and operate so smoothly with the soft close feature." sample budget: $1500 Ikea cabs (floor-standing) $2000 any "front" from Scherr's, ikea or anywhere $1000 installation DIY along with a handyman helper who has a level

The cost to refinish marble countertops will be based on size,condition of stone(how severe is the scracthing, etching and or staining,cracks,chips,etc)type of stone(darker stones and some limestones can be tricky to refinish)time and materials. Special pricing if we change the finish from polished to honed(easier and reasonably priced) or honed to polished(which is impossible to do to granite on site- very-difficult to do on marble(can be pricey). Our pricing on an average kitchen(60-80sqft) with normal wear and etching will start at around $650.00 and up. Larger kitchens with multiple islands and multiple countertops and other areas over 100 sq ft can that can be done in a day will start $900.00 and up. Pricing will vary region to region. Stone refinishing is one of those trades where experience is very important. I have been doing this since 2003 and still learn something everyday. While some stones are easier to work on others can be a serious undertaking. Not to mention the possibility of damaging fixtures back splashes,cabinets etc. Other issues could be dust or water containment and proper masking techniques so appliances,wallpaper,furniture and fabrics are protected . So While I am sure that a very handy person could do or try to refinish the stone there is the question of purchasing and using the proper equipment. I think in the long run it is cheaper to hire a bona -fide refinisher with references. Stu Rosen www.mbstonecare.com www.stoneshine.com

Thank you, everyone, for this post. I read all of it. My kitchen is still in the state of being renovated but mostly finished. I did my homework on granite before I okay'ed it (Joseph..I about fell out of my seat when I read your message about the "man of the house". That has been my issue with my guy giving the ok 😂). Anywho...I'm having both problems here. Parts of my counter are darker where items have been sitting and vice-versa. I didn't take the granite guys word on anything except to seal it monthly (they were the subcontractors for the local kitchen remodel company). The company my guy hired SUCKS!! I've had to fix many F-ups of theirs and F-ups on the granite, too. I went ahead and bought a kit (StonePro) to resurface my granite. This is the second time I'm doing it when I ran across the dark spot. I am thinking it was the original sealant as it is kinda far back and I'm kinda short so I may have not gotten it properly the first time. My random orbital kinda gets "stuck" where the dark place is. I'm going to go over it again and if that doesn't work...I have 20 and 30 vol. developers I'll give a whirl. 🤞