icheer, my cousin has marble countertops made with tiles usually used for floors. Her brother is a tile setter. The one thing they did differently with the marble is put it real close together. You really can't see the seams unless you get your nose right up there. I don't think they used grout because of that. I am out of town and so is my cousin so can't get anymore details for you. My daughter also has marble tiled floors and it is the same, the seams are so small there isn't any grout. So you might want to check this out because it might be different for marble.

I'm sure you can outshine a toilet with just a smile. :P (but seriously, when I couldn't get a cast iron vanity top to fit I decided to go with Corian but everywhere I saw it displayed and in samples, it had a nice satiny matte finish. If it shines up, it oughta be displayed that way.)

Renee you must be overwhelmed with all of these comments. Your countertops are GORGEOUS, so I do hope you keep them. Sophie's suggestion to stain the floors is well worth looking into. For what it is worth my suggestion for your backsplash is to go with a simple solid tile in a lighter color that coordinates with the countertop. I would suggest you not go too small with the tile- 3x6 to 4x12 would be a good size to stick with. You want to avoid too much movement in the backsplash as the counter (and the floor) have quite a bit of movement and you do not want them competing. Let the countertop be the star of the show. Good luck and let us know how it all ends up for you.

Even though I didn't want wood floors in the kitchen, I finally decided to go with them because I just couldn't find the ideal tile. I hope your remodel goes smoother than mine did! Good luck.