Thanks so much Pillog for the feedback and the philosophy. Saying to DH last night, wouldn't it be nice if the world worked more like the gardenweb? :-) Everybody helping everybody else... I really like Eliz's kitchen, because it seems countryish, and at the same time, sophisticated and somewhat eclectic. The cabinet choice is similar to mine; the soapstone was my first choice but thought the green granite a practical substitute; and it looked like the colors would work well in my house. However, there's alot going on in her kitchen that would be difficult and/or impossible to acheive in mine and you articulated many of these things very well. Though a white kitchen is what I envisioned being "authentic" in my 1936 home, I guess my biggest fear was that the white (even cream) wouldn't flow with the colors in the rest of my house. Thankfully, you've eased my mind about that. However, when you say my stone is medium to medium dark, are you looking at the actual samples I have shown? The two on top are the granite, and the one below soapstone that was oiled, sanded, and left kind of a mixed bag. To me and DH, the soapstone seems pretty close in color to the blackish green granite samples. If my granite is darker that you seem to see it, I assume it goes with creamy white? If so, creamy white it is and on to obsess about other choices! Grazie!

I'm just an end user and not a pro like those who have posted previously seem to be. I agree that 1.5 to 2 is too thin and NOT because difficulties in refinishing it but because I doubt that any engineered wood with that thin a wear layer is also going to have a durable finish and may not be acceptable in other ways - i.e. the actual wood used might be particularly unattractive in terms of grains or whatever. However, in the end, it's really about how what you might do in the future. For me I would NEVER refinish any floor so the wear layer was far less important to me than the durability of the finish and so I opted for a floor with a well reviewed aluminum oxide layer. I am doing a full remodel so I had the option of selecting factory finished wood if I wanted but I didn't want to deal with the aggravation and time necessary. I installed site finished floors originally and I NEVER want to go through that ordeal again. If I refinished a floor I would have to move EVERYTHING out and then move myself out for several days - and they claim that it's a neater process now (ha ha ) but I found sawdust for years after lurking in closets and crevices. Although price isn't necessarily always an accurate barometer of quality, is the price for this thin wear layer floors substantially below the price for floors with moderately thick wear layers? As I wrote, I wasn't that concerned with wear layer because I never intend to refinish them and if need be I will replace with factory finished again because it's a much simpler process for me since furniture can just be moved from area to area as it is being installed versus being totally moved out. However, the price I paid was higher than the cheaper floors available which did have the thin wear layers and I suspected other potential issues as well and the samples just didn't look as nice to me as the next level up.

I am already there, BF! I have several Navajo rugs hung on the walls in various rooms through the house. I used to tell people that I had a rug fetish, but that sounded kinda creepy... but I DO! I just have a great big affinity for woven pieces that go on the floor and can seriously obsess over them. I know I'm in good company in that regard, though!

The issues with most European White Oak comes from the FINISH or the stain and not the wood itself. A MATTE finish = people complain about HAZING or cloudiness of the floor AND they complain about 'foot prints'. These are FINISH or GLOSS complaints and not 'wood' issues. People who purchase the WIDE planks will complain about the COST to install them (wide plank = MUST have glue or glue assist install). And then they complain that the wood 'splits' because it is so wide. The splitting is NOT a wood issue, it is a HUMIDITY issue (any wood will split if you don't have the right humidity). Wire brushed finishes are A B!TCH to maintain! They get dirt into the little grooves and that dirt NEVER comes out. And they stain if oil hits them. Again the GROOVES grab the oil and get it to sink INTO THE WOOD faster. Again this is NOT a wood issue but a finish issue. People who purchase oiled floors (UV cured or not...doesn't matter) have ALL the complaints above. Again this is a FINISH issue and not a WOOD issue. Now IMAGINE adding ALL of these things together in ONE plank. It's common to find WIDE plank European Oak that is a FUMED and OILED finish in a house that does NOT have humidity control. Wow! That's an issue waiting to happen. Lots of human complaints about the total package...not realizing it isn't the WOOD. It is the FINISH they chose.... What product are you LOOKING at? Check to see if they are 'wide plank' or 'matte' finish or 'Oiled' floors. Then check to see if they are fumed or whitish in colour. And now check to ensure your home has the RIGHT humidity control for the plank you are looking at.