Based on recommendation from a friend in VA that did a complete remodel of his house, we purchased our sinks and faucets through faucet.com and I have to say that the customer service was outstanding and we saved hundreds of dollars even while paying for overnight shipping, while the local places were talking a week or two until delivery. We did have a problem with one Moen faucet, faucet.com responded immediately and forwarded us to Moen because it was a manufacturers warranty, looking up the model number for me so that when I talked to Moen I'd have the correct info. Moen gave us great instructions over the phone how to fix in once the part arrived. They even offered to overnight the part, but for us it wasn't necessary since we have another sink in the kitchen. I'm seriously considering buying lighting from them as well.

Welcome SouthOrangeNJ! Stainless steel sinks go with anything...you don't generally try to match your sink to your appliances. I prefer SS as I grew up with cast iron sinks and hated how they stained easily and cracked if you dropped something heavy in them. I have not used silgranit so I do not have an opinion on them. Yes, SS steel will scratch, but over time it develops a patina so that it all blends in. It helps if you get brushed or satin stainless rather than polished. If you prefer sligranit, they go with quartz as well as granite....I would recommend, however, that you try to get one that blends in with your counter rather than one that contrasts...but that's up to you and your preferences. If you're trying to restore your home to the early 1900s, I recommend researching sinks used during that era. Otherwise, I'd go with what you want and what will work best for you & your budget. [If you decide to go with SS...check out Ticor Sinks at Galaxy Tool Supply for very reasonably priced sinks. Most come in 16 gauge SS (stronger than 18 or 20 gauge). They also have a store on eBay.] Faucets...I much prefer a sprayer integrated into the faucet itself! For one thing, you can "lock" it in spray mode rather than having to hold the lever down on a separate side spray...maybe there is a side spray that locks, but I have never seen one. I grew up with a side spray and while it's better than no spray, I think the pull down or pull out faucets are better. There's one less hose to start leaking. There's one less hole in your countertop (for both looks & cleaning around). I also find the spray function works better in pull down/out than the side spray. Pull down/out faucets are also more versatile than standard faucets. You can have a pot on the counter and fill it there rather than having to put it in the sink...which is nice if you have a sink full of other things or if you have a particularly large pot to fill. UC lights...How's the rest of the lighting in your kitchen? Do you cast shadows on the counter when you're working at it? Is the kitchen dark? I find the UC lighting very useful. We have puck lights that are plugged in inside the very top of our 36" cabinets. I don't know much about their installation as an electrician installed ours. You might check on the Lighting Forum. Garbage Disposals...I lived without one for almost 13 years and was unhappy the entire time...if you can afford one, I would definitely go for it. I'm not sure how easy they are to install after the fact as you have to have power run under the sink. If you do get one, do not get a Badger! They are the builder-grade that frequently break down. I recommend a batch feed for safety reasons, if you can use one (we could not since at the time I couldn't find one for septic systems). BTW...if you install a non-batch feed GD, consider an air switch to turn it on/off rather than a standard switch. They're safer, less intrusive, and (IMHO) more convenient. HTH! Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!

Wow; sounds like it really worked out for you! Thanks for taking the time to explain and post the links.

Hi a2gemini. Sorry for the late reply. I am sure that the brochures you are looking at are exactly the ones I saw which prompted my question in the first place. I only saw one, I think, and that tall faucet is not centered and it's placement got me to thinking it was put there so that the water from it would hit the hole in the sink. I decided to center my faucet. My husband said the hole was drilled but the island was covered securely when I was last at the site, so I left well enough alone and decided not to dig it open to look. I will look at it this week and scream if they messed it up. I think my faucet has a 8"+ projection, if I am remembering correctly. The ledge is 7" wide, so if rotated to the side my fauce would over-extend the sink... I wanted the soap dispenser on the right, but with the ledge I feel it's better on the left because I don't want it in the way of the basket. If my air-switch is still a go, then it will be on the right. I have no info for you on whether my decisions were good ones or not, but I will be happy to report when I finally get back home and have started using it. That won't be for at least 5 or 6 weeks though (ouch! nearly 1 year out of my home...), so if you have not gotten to this point by then, feel free to ask my opinion then. Hopefully I will be moved in and using my sink by then. Good luck!