My backsplash is 2x4 Crema Marfil tumbled marble. It comes in 12x12 sheets.

We put an "enhancer" on it to bring out the warmer tones. It is not really a white tile...much more creamy beige and the color varies from tile to tile.

The tile looks much whiter with the undercabinet lighting on. Here is a picture without any lighting. This photo looks a tad darker than it looks in person, but you can see the variation better.

The Crema Marfil also comes in a polished 2x4 as well. It has more shine to it and the edges are square (not tumbled). Although it is not matte, it is not nearly as shiny as a glazed tile.

Ok, all that said and I really don't think it is right for you! Ha ha. The Rixi tiles are gorgeous! I love them! You have soapstone counters, right? I think the Crema Marfil is too busy for your counters. Go Rixi! :)

Here is a case of the blind leading the blind:
"Someone recently posed a question about xenon under cab lights getting hot. I was at a lighting store today and asked about it. I was told there are "low voltage" lights and "line voltage" lights. It is the line voltage lights that can get pretty hot, whereas the low voltage lights get slightly warm at best.

And now we have a batch of people reading it without posting any response that shows any critical thinking.

The sales person who you spoke to and who said something offhand will have to backtrack a bit.

Watts are the power consumed.
All power turns into heat or light.
The light produced also creates heat where it lands.
How many watts? This is the question.
Power consumed by LED and fluorescent is less heat and more light.
Power consumed by ALL the others is more heat and less light.
To equalize light output, they consume LOTS more Watts.
Xenon, Halogen, etc: these are all incandescent.

To learn more, and maybe try refuting some of what I have written here, learn about Lumen, which measures light generated.

All Watts get turned into Lumen and heat.
Xenon consume Watts which produce mostly heat, and some light too.

If ANY bulb "only feels warm" it may be because the housing lets air move around it and carry warm air away from it. It's still a waste of money; it's mostly heat, for the Watts consumed. Then, you have to pay more again, for more air conditioning, to remove the heat...

So, the housing may help to remove heat. BUT it's not a factor depending on whether it's low voltage or line voltage. The blind lead the blind. Anyone says anything and it gets reported.

--

Felix Unger signed FU at the bottom of a note to his Odd Fellow roommate, and the playwright Neil Simon did not see the joke in this when he wrote it. It later became apparent to him when he saw audience reaction.

.

We had a very tight budget. We did the tear down of the counters and cabinet. There was no budget for high end appliances, etc.

Before:

Here is what we did:

Kemper Cabinets:
Door-Provence
Color-Amaretto Creme

Counters: Cambria Canterbury. I am in love, the photos do not do them justice, they are beautiful. There is a bit of copper flecks which adds a bit of excitement.

Knobs: Hickory Hardware-Ithaca Venetian Bronze. Purchased online at Knobs for Less. I love these. I wanted something different, they are just beautiful.

Faucet: Delta 9178-DST Brilliance Stainless. Purchased online at Faucet Direct.com. I wanted a faucet with a magnetic hose so It wouldn't hang loose over time.

Garbage disposal: InSinkErator Evolution Essential. Purchased online at Faucet Depot.

Appliances: Samsung

Here is my favorite kitchen plant: String of Pearls.

We are still waiting to make an under the cabinet lighting choice.
I want to keep the paint color as it is, Sherwin Williams Croissant.

Still need to choose a backsplash. I like the idea of pressed tin. I found a few I like http://www.thetinman.com/finishes_faux.htm. I prefer the faux finishes, feel free to give me your opinion, I could really use it.

Kitchen table, any ideas would be helpful. I am a fan of Amish made. Should the stain match the floor, or go a bit darker? I don't want a cream color, I think the cabinets are enough.

We still need to choose a light for over the sink and blinds I think I want to do a wood blind.
Feel free to give me your ideas or opinions.

I prefer horizontal.

I generally plan two positions: a low position for appliances that do not move off the counter and are plugged in all the time: the toaster oven, microwave (if on the countertop) and anything else that is plugged in pretty much 24/7 gets a low outlet so the cord is also hidden.

Then I plan a high position which is hidden up under the cabinets behind the under cabinet lighting apron. This is for plug ins that are used occasionally, so I am not looking at a bunch of outlets. (The mixer, coffee grinder, can opener etc.) I don't do all high and hidden because I don't want to see a cord hanging down to something that stays plugged in 24/7.

I have one visible outlet in my kitchen because a high position made no sense, so it got put in the lower position, horizontally. And, it would be a good position for a toaster or something that could stay plugged in in front of it.

If the backsplash is getting tiled, I figure out exactly where the tile is laying out and the outlet gets put in so that it falls within a whole tile or at at groutline and does not interrupt any pattern in the backsplash. This may involve figuring out the horizontal location of the course of the tile and having nailers put into the wall so the junction boxes can be juggled around to end up in the exact location. Is this a PITA? yes, its a lot of work. Do electricians get annoyed with me? Yes, (the one I use for my own stuff, no, they are the same way, but clients' own electricians think I am mentally ill untill they see how it turns out).

For an island you may want to consider something really discrete like Sillites.

The tile in this kitchen isn't quite done in this photo but check out how the receptacles fall within the tile. They did not want high outlets or plugmold. My electrician will not install plugmold (I think this is a regional thing)

Put the blues shades on this one by Volume International Light

There is the blue ceramic chandelier look by Jeffery Teller

And this Crystal one by Kichler in the Marcalina collection (the one I posted before was the Barcelona by Kichler, but it only comes in the Tannery Bronze color.)

Lishaana from GW

Then there is this one, which is Glycera's with the Blue Luise granite.

Is this the one you mean? I have to add that her granite backsplash is beyond AMAZING!

I also like the suggestion of leaving the bases as peninsula to serve as divider/serving area/place to set things when moving meals and dishes from kitchen to dining, and vice-versa.

The corner cabinet in the upper plan is not angled, but in the others it is...I'm hoping the upper plan is correct. My view: Angled corner cabinets rob floor space, reduce counter length on both walls, create a deep counter corner, and although technically offer more space inside, the opening is smaller so things are more difficult to access. Also, as Tracie.erin pointed out, it'd make it very difficult to reach that upper closest to the window wall.

Best wishes...Looks like you're going to have a wonderfully functional kitchen.

1 The factory fails to pre drill a hole to make it easy to get it to line up right. You end up making a bunch of measurements to get it right and do it yourself. Can be frustrating if you only put them together 1 time. There is a learning curve to getting it right.
2. The painted white cabinets all had peeling paint on the plywood boxes. I do not know if that has been resolved. I have not assembled a painted white box from them in about 6 months. They looked similar to clay that shrinks and cracks after getting very wet and drying up.
3. The drawer glides of the 100 or so cabinets I have personally put together are not as smooth in the ball bearing mechanism as JSI.

If you are in the North East the dealer can order them assembled for you for. Dealers recieve a 5% discount if they order the cabinets in the box unassembled. If you live close enough to the Warehouse of Fabuwood where your dealer gets them delivered by a Fabuwood truck then they can be ordered assembled. I would go that route. Now make sure you compare possible prices each way and that you are not being ripped off by large mark up. The going rate for cabients being assembled by companies that ship out that way is $15-$18 being charged to the dealers with accounts to these companies.

JSI has great finishes. I do not have an acount currently with them. I still get all the emails from them for promotions and orders of my last partnership. The business was mine orignialy and foolishly I gave up ownership in exchange for capital for investment. I realized I handed over the keys to a person who would close up the books and all I could do was walk away or deal with it. Lost everything I had worked for to date! AHHH! Anyhow I am not interested in adding them untill I am more invested in displays of some American companies I want. I will add JSI in the coming months again. Back to the point. I never liked the Arlington Antique White. It was way to pink like a salmon color. It is supposed to have been adjusted to a more antique tanish white color. It that is the case it should be an imporvement. I also felt the glazing was weak as well. I was able to smear it by accident a few times durring handling them in the past.

JSI's finish other then that is very consistent. The Georgetown door styles is by far their most popular. The sturbridge is a reverse raised panel that is a great shaker door style. Fabuwood V groves the intersection of the stiles of the shaker doors and I think that is cheesy. Just my personal taste.I also do not care for the brandy color it is not a rich looking red to me.

Fabuwood is a glue and staple cabinet that anyone who knows how to operate a compressed air staple gun can assemble. The drawer header is the only thing that is a pain. If you put a dovetail drawer together yourself few people tell you to squeeze it together with a bar clamp or something similar. That is the way to do it right. Many people pound them together with a rubber mallet. A clamp is much easier and the joint will remain clean and crisp. Beating them together will tend to create areas of wood that do not fit and you get a splinter effect. All of JSI drawer boxes are factory assembled in China. They are perfectly crisp and clean. I would say the polyurethane or like finish on the drawerbox of a JSI drawer is much better then most of the RTA cabinets available.

Fabuwood has 2 series of cabinets the better series with the more expensive door styles uses plywood rails that go down the sides of the plywood box of the cabinet. That stiffens the box against the plywood trying to warp. JSI uses plastic corner blocks instead which is not as good also used by the cheaper doorstyles by Fabuwood.

Fabuwood has matching woodhoods the only company I know of in the RTA market that offers those. That is a big plus if you want a high end look on a low end budget. They are not Stanici if any of you are familar with those but it is a step up from your typical RTA.

Fabuwood also has more pantry cabinet widths and depths then most other RTA cabinets. I do not have my book here but I am pretty sure that they have some 12" deep pantrys and 12 or 15" witdths. I think they also have a 30 or 36" width. Most RTA companys only offer 18 and 24.

JSI pantrys come in 2 boxes for all sizes. This means you set one box on the other to create the whole cabinet. I hate that. You have a horizontal joint you have to trim if the side is exposed. I would definelty order a plywood panel to skin the side of all JSI pantry and oven cabinets. The oven cabinet is sold in 84" to get a 96 you have to set a 12" box on the top. Cheesy to me. They are the only RTA company I know of that decided to import their tall cabinets this way.

The roll out trays of Fabuwood cabinets are adjustable in height. It is a pretty simple way they do it. I had a hard time figuring it out the first time and had to call to ask how to do it. I think this is more functional then the JSI method where you have to screw the rails into the side of the cabinet to install it. If you move it you have holes to fix. JSI roll out trays are shipped pre assembled. Fabuwood you have to put them together yourself.

Lastly you can find the plastic cam lock systems inside the cabinets of JSI. This means a know it all jerk you are all ready annoyed durring your Christmas party can figure out you have RTA cabinets in your kitchen and complain that you got poor quality things. With a Fabuwood cabinet this is not possible to figure out for sure.

The builder series of Fabuwood cabinets allow upgrade to soft close on the drawers. The drawers are also solid wood dovetail in the builder series of door styles which is a rare. You will not find that on most american products that are close to chinese price point. Although truthfully the dealer cost to upgrade to soft close rails is $30 that makes them more expensive on the base cabinets then some other RTA cabinets which would be full overlay instead of standard or what is referred to as 1/2" meaning the door when shut is 1" wider then the opening behind it as it overlays the face frame by 1/2" on each side. A full overlay door typically overlays the face frame by 1 1/4".

When you look seriously at RTA cabinets you need to find out which cabinet lines offer the sized cabinets you are looking for. Some offer wine racks some do not some have the width pantry you want some do not. Some have soft close some do not. Some have plate racks some have light rail molding some do not. Some have full depth base shelves some 3/4 depth (Fabuwood) some have 1/2 depth (JSI) Some soft close rails allow for adjustment to ensure the drawer is paralel with the face frame behind. So if the cabinet is racked durring install for some reason you can adjust the drawer so you can not tell. Some of the soft close drawers release by handle underneath (Fabuwood) some the rails are screwed to the drawer and take more time to remove from a cabinet(JSI) Some use a full 1/2" thick back panel. Other use a 1/8" back with a picture frame plywood structure that makes the border of the cabinet 1/2" thick and the center section only 1/8.

If you want to be educated and you are sold on the best price. Order a door sample. If you still are happy order a cabinet you need in base and wall and put them together. If you still feel good about it order everything and you will be happy.

Everyone will tell you there are different things that make the quality of the cabinet better or worse. Beyond the captain obvious items most dealers do not have the technical data to back up claims of which is superior to what. It is not common knowledge where the wood comes from and what species it truly is. No dealer knows in great detail what grade the plywood is in veneer qualites and methods of adhesive to each layer. Most dealers including myslef could not tell what chemical type is used for finishing the cabinets in domestic made or RTA. That is hard to find out for every cabinet you may be considering.

Also JSI is weak in my opinion in accesory trim. They do not offer angled fluted fillers. Or fluted fillers 96" long I forget the maximum length but it seems like it is 60 something. Never understood that one. If I remeber corretly JSI has the interior finished to match the exterior of all but the Arlington cabinet. Fabuwood I believe is natural interior finish.

This is just a comparison of 2 product lines. I have accounts with 11 RTA compaines and know of several more. This could go on forever. Each has different ways of importing the cabinets and what is available and what is not. It is very tricky if you do not have the help of someone to sort it out with you.

Below I linked a blog post I did with style boards for a Tuscan kitchen. Actually, the boards include creamy perimeter cabs and a dark wood island...plus...hand scraped floors!

Also, check out the FinishedKitchensBlog...I think there are some grape/Italian styled kitchens on there. Many people choose to really bring in something decorative/thematic with accent backsplash tile.

Good luck and keep us posted!

the fridge/freezer wall. i'm loving it. the fridge on the left (closest to range and breakfast room). hidden inside the center doors: open shelving and two large appliance garages for micro, coffee maker, etc... on the right, the freezer.

the range wall

the prep sink ...i LOVE the faucet!

we should have it finished up in the next couple of weeks. i'll have better pics then, along with the hardware which i am in LOVE with!

My pulls and knobs were from Amerock and they were pretty basic. By the time I got around to buying the hardware I had already blown all my "fun money" for anything fancy.

Here's a wider angle of my kitchen that shows a little more white woodwork against the cream if that is helpful.I am just not much a photographer so the colors all seem to be a bit washed out.

We still haven't decided on a back splash yet but I think that might be an opportunity to pull the white and cream tones together if I can find the right tile.

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your project as it progresses.