Thank you for all your comments. We have been looking at the black granite composite made by Franke but is triple the price of Blanco. Was concerned the black composite would scratch etc. will probably go two stainless steel, because as previous poster mentioned the blacks are never the same. Sure I will be back for more help or advise.

This is a kitchen going into a dog kennel building so I'm not too worried about resale. My dogs are raw fed and so I spend quite a bit of time prepping food, washing bowls, etc. I'm only 5'6" but I've been doing these tasks in our house... in our current kitchen which has counters at 35 1/2"... and my back is constantly killing me after I get done. I've purchased a long stainless steel counter top for the kennel (with built in sinks) but plan on the cabinets underneath being custom built. Just can't figure out what height. I was wondering... if I'm sitting at a table (which is comfortable for me to work at for hours on end) and I measure where the table top "hits" on my body and then stand and measure the distance to the floor, it's about 41". I'm wondering if that is an indication as to where my counters in the kennel should be! Seems awfully high! I may need to take the counter top I've bought and put it on some saw horses and varying heights and work on it to see what is best before I make the call!

This project required a small renovation, where my clients wanted to create something simple and light, without costing a fortune. In the guest bathroom we were able to leave the plumbing as is and worked on replacing the WC, Shower and Vanity. In the laundry the area in the room behind the counter, storage area was pushed back allowing for a larger space within the narrow room. A new door was put in and a new window. Before: After: This extension of space allowed for the guest bathroom to be extended out as well to allow for a larger vanity and all round larger and more accommodating space. The counter top in the laundry is bamboo, the simple black tiles above and perhaps later down the clients will put up cupboards and shelving as suggested. Before: After: The light grey ceramic tiles on the floor replaced the dark ones that made the space feel small and cramped. The white on the walls and new lighting give a totally different feel to the room and makes it a far more welcoming space to work in. Check entire project here!

Hi all, I'm currently going through kitchen design colours and we want to stick with a modern country theme. So far we have chosen alpine white shaker cupboard/drawer fronts. Initially we were thinking of a faux wood countertop but I'm worried that it is too much of a trend and will date eventually. Your thoughts?