Hey, barncatz: Every word of consolation and support helps. I'm trying not to rush the BS decision, but I know I'll feel much better about the countertop experience once I'm not staring at these sliver add-ons. One of my very early inspirations was Majra's kitchen. She, just like pipdog, used the mosaics for a lovely effect. And this is why I spent so much time last year looking at mosaics. But the mosaics seem a bit too busy (for me) up close. The rest of my kitchen is a work in progress. Lotsa 9-1/2' walls that will need to be painted again (probably a cool white -- the next challenge!), and a ton of natural light coming in. Baseboards, pantry door and trim are all semi-gloss white, and ceiling is white. Kitchen is open to the family room: taupe walls with a white fireplace/mantel -- white trim throughout the entire house. pippiep: Matching grout it is, then! One decision down. :) I've marked out the areas that will require BS tile. As you can see, it's not very expansive, and each one not very large. So, I need to find the correct scale/dimension tile that will look right in these spaces. I think using larger (3x6) tiles in a herringbone pattern will leave me with a bunch of chopped up squares in the bartop and cutout window areas. At least with the newest elongated hex pattern, most of the hexes will be retained.

I can’t see the picture, but if what you really want is to look exactly like Carrara marble, then Carrara it is. No matter how much the quartz companies try to emulate marble, it’s not marble. (Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of beautiful quartz patterns, but they won’t fool a marble lover.) And quartzite is quartzite, it really doesn’t look like marble. The closest you might come is Super White quartzite (which isn’t actually quartzite but dolomitic marble), it etches like marble, so if what you really want is Carrara you might as well go for it. We chose Opus White quartzite and I love love love it, but it is darker grey and nothing like marble IMO.

Jennifer . We are installing silestone el statutorio to a new kitchen . Can i ask what color are your cabinets , as we have to choose a white for the cabinets to be 2 packed and having trouble picking a white to go with the benches . Thanks

" I'm inexperienced with concrete work." For several reasons,that suprises me. 90% of the time there will be differences in color and texture between old and new concrete. Grinding remove's the thin layer of high % portland and fine sand consequently making concrete subject to water intrusion,freezing and spalling. Just below that is much larger aggregates (the one's pushed in while jitterbugging). At this point you not only have a different color, you have what's known as exposed aggregate which is pretty but doesn't match. I have better solutions than grinding but it seem's you and I march to different drummers so I fear communications would be difficult.