Thank you x6. This is exactly the feedback I was hoping for. Counter backsplash before the rest of the wall art was imprinted on my brain from the old laminate days...but no 4" counter trim is not something I'm use to seeing. The design logic of it looking like an afterthought, and wrecking the visual feel I'm after said it perfectly. And, it is nice to know, in the end, to not take it too seriously as tastes and style change over time...a good reminder. Yes, this metal art is fun!

Thanks---we do indeed have Bungalow Kitchens, which I think is the source of some of my tile envy. :) For those who have used epoxy grout, what kinds of challenges, if any, have you encountered with the install? We'd been told to find an expert installer (which makes sense anyway for a level counter) but I'm not even sure how to go about doing this. We do have a very large tile distributor in town and can certainly take a trip there to find out a bit more, but just a little wary of this. I've also been told that where we live, going with a more experienced installer will pretty much make the cost a wash versus stone, for whatever that's worth. We have granite now and like its performance (but hate its looks---the PO put a very low-end granite in with, apparently, a very poor install so there are seams everywhere; we also don't like its looks given that we're trying to keep the kitchen vaguely period-appropriate). We have also contemplated mixing counter surfaces---the counter on the right by the refrigerator is intended to be a baking counter, so it would be easy to do that one with a different material. Top candidates if we don't go with tile are wood (lots of concerns there with water in particular, though), soapstone, or a green solid surface material of some variety (keep looking but can't seem to find one with a track record we're happy with, though). So, no clear winners...*sigh*

I have had Braziallian slate counters for 3 years. LOVE them. LOVE them. LOVE them. I REALLY wanted them for the new house, but our budget is going crazy. DH has talked me into doing honed absolute black granite instead. We're saving about $1000 on a large kitchen. And the slab is bigger, so I don't have to have a seam. Also, I intend to be a lot harder on the granite than I am with the slate. Yes, my slate counters scratch easily. I cringe when someone drags something across the counter. But they come out so easily. I've been told to use a wet, very fine grit sand paper. And I think I did that once when the counters were new. But I've had scratches that disappeared on their own before I got around to fixing them. If the material is soft enough to scratch, it doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be easy to fix. I've never had soapstone counters, but I grew up in native communities that used it for sculptures. It's SOOOO much more scratch prone. I'm told it's different stuff that's used on counters. But I imagine it's still at least as soft as the slate, if not softer.

Dana - so glad to hear your porcelain is holding up so great!! That’s very encouraging. After 2+ years of planning / designing and researching all things kitchen and countertops, we started construction in July and we are finally about to see it all come together! Our cabinets arrive from Amish Indiana on Monday and I met with our fabricator on Friday (and saw my 4 gorgeous Antolini slabs) who said it will only be 2-3 weeks to cut them after we discuss where the pattern/ veining should be seen. I absolutely cannot wait!!! In a fun and unexpected twist, my fabricator also had some porcelain remnants that matched the countertops so well that we are using these for a quick fireplace surround update too. I hope to post photos in about a month? Maybe they will inspire someone else to also try porcelain w/ a vetted and experienced fabricator.