I'm still interested, and I love it! The only thing I question is the ORB hardware. I would wait until you get it all in and then experiment with ORB and satin nickel. I like ORB (I used it for all my light fixtures and drapery rods), but I think I would like satin nickel better with your cabinets and marble. When choosing a backsplash tile, see if you can get a sample of the current stock of a tile before ordering it. Marbles vary a lot so that may save some disappointment. If you choose calacatta I think a larger tile (like 2" x 4") shows the dramatic veining a little better than mini bricks or a small square mosaic, although I like them all. Will you have the same paint color in the kitchen and the room with the fireplace? I'm not sure if I'd like a yellow around the fireplace, but it looks nice with all your kitchen stuff. Maybe try something like SW amazing gray.

katieleabrown86 - thank you for the photo - the blue island looks lovely - and I really like your chevron backsplash. alley2007 - i wish i had just one main prep area and could isolate the marble. unfortunately - the island gets heavy use all day (lunches/breakfast/baking/laundry folding (don't judge!), etc.) and the perimeters is where I do all the chopping / slicing/ dinner prep. I had a wakeup call this morning when I came down and my husband so graciously made coffee for the day. Unfortunately he didn't see (or care) that the coffee pot also overflowed/spilled all over the countertop - under the coffee pot, and about 8 inches to the side of it and a few inches before. I wish I could say that was a one time thing --- but I have had to clean that up many times before since he never "sees" the disaster. I think that was a not so subtle message that I might be asking for trouble with the marble. :( My tailspin continues…..

I agree and think that a dark gray or black granite would look beautiful! While any solid black surface will show more dust, smudges, and fingerprints, you could always opt for a darker stone with a little bit of pattern to conceal the occasional mark. Leathered finish granites also tend to hide marks better than a honed or polished surface will. Some granites that you may like are Jet Mist, Angola Black Leathered, American Black, Soapstone (although Soapstone is prone to scratching), Impala Black, or Silver Pearl Leathered. Below is a photo of Silver Pearl Leathered granite countertops with a backsplash similar to yours--just gorgeous!

As Anglophilia has, I can attest to the wonderful durability of Corian. My current kitchen has 30+ year old Corian and the kitchen being remodeled in the new house had Corian of about the same age and it looked great. With the remodel, however, I will most likely not go with Corian because I'm simply tired of it. Am leaning towards quartz or granite. Jennifer Hogan's post above has a wonderful comparison based on actual experience. Regarding baking buttery dough, Julia Child, on her original show on PBS, mentioned she had a piece of marble cut to fit her fridge. She placed it there to cool and then used it as a pastry board for rolling out dough. This was back in the day when pretty much the only choice was Formica or some other brand of laminate for a counter top. Also, get what you like and don't worry about when it will become dated. Don't fool yourself - whatever you pick WILL look dated in 20 years and maybe sooner. However, what comes around goes around. Even boomerang Formica has come back in style.