Thanks Beth Hanson. I saw this granite a few different places with two names, one was Blue Flower and the other was Enchanted Forest. I believe it has a bit more color to it than Bianco Antico - there's a lot of grey, white and blue with tiny touches here and there of green and yellow - but you have to look close for those. I didn't want anything with the common yellowy-brown; this granite was perfect for me because the brown is a deep subtle color.

I really like the stacked stone that's used on the accent wall and backsplash. I've seen it used before and it has been in my ideabook for quite some time, but wouldn't dust build up on it? How are you supposed to dust it? Would something like a Swiffer catch on it and leave fibers? Maybe you could vacuum it with a brush attachment. Does anyone have any experience with this?

OMG...if I can't have your kitchen, could you come and make mine look like yours? It is stunning...I love every inch of it, that brick wall, the Irish tiles, the dark cabinets...taking my breath away. Enjoy yourselves in my Dream Kitchen!!! Cheers!

Dear "aoglesby999"...our backsplash is stacked stone and I went and double-checked, but I see no dust clinging at all. I have noticed little, tiny grease splashes behind the cooktop but they are so tiny and you truly do not notice them. I absolutely LOVE my stack stone and would never say I didn't. (Hint: Hubby vacuumed them with the brush attachment & hose and that worked just fine.)

aoglesby999, dust, spider webs, grease spots -- all of those were reasons why I wasn't sure this was right for me, but hubby convinced me and I do love it. As chrissiekirk said, you can actually vacuum it, and then I wipe as best I can with a damp cloth. The stone is sealed and my contractor said not to worry about grease, but I tend to cook the items that will spatter over on the island in an electric skillet rather than the stove stop, just to be sure. We plan to re-seal it every year.

Can you tell me the manufacturer and color of the stacked stone? Love your kitchen!

retiredred2, the stacked stone was manufactured in southern California by Coronado. The type is Pro-Ledge and the color is Cape Cod Grey. Be aware that the stone looks darker when first installed because it's damp; once it dries out it matches the sample. But there is a finish you can put on it to give it that 'wet/dark look' if you want. (This link doesn't show our color: http://www.coronado.com/Pro-LedgeDesigner)

Thank you so much for your quick reply. I'm hoping to redo a fireplace front and having a difficult time locating stone I like. I'm in So Utah so I may be able to locate it, at least in Las Vegas. Thinking your selection might do the trick!

Dear bwmsuccess: I just love how you got we Houzzers involved in your remodel and especially how you were very involved with our questions and comments...not many post-ers do that so it is greatly appreciated and it made it a lot more fun and personal! Cheers!

I second chrissiekirk's comment!

The floor is a nice upgrade. I'm looking for a light colored floor. What did you use? It looks great.

chrissiekirk, retiedred2, I spent months scouring Houzz photos, made Idea Books, viewed 'Before and Afters', and I can't tell you the number of times I went to Lowes, Home Depot, the granite yards (6 in one day!) and everywhere in between to see and touch the materials in person.

I just enjoyed the efforts everyone on Houzz took to share their pictures and info and wanted to do the same for others! If I can save just one person from an extra walk through a granite yard then it's worth it, lol. I really enjoy seeing what everyone does, with the huge variety of projects (tiny rooms to grand mansions) and the styles and tastes are all so different.

vvbbonn, the floor tile is 12x24 Glazed Porcelain from Lowe's; it's called Cityside. Ours came 8-tiles to a box. Here's the link: http://www.lowes.com/pd_591548-24094-63CS15_0_#img

bwmsuccess, I found two local distributors for the Pro-Ledge so I'll check it out this week. Here's hoping it's just what I need for my fireplace ;-)

Fabulous design!!!. I love dark cabinets, flooring, accent wall. I work for Lowes, but my store doesn't have that flooring. It's at a nearby store, will have to check it out!

Wow! The before-and-after photos are amazing! Fantastic work!

Gorgeous! Great job! Love it!

This is one of the best before and after's I've seen. Where did you find the Irish tile?

Fiona Costello, we knew we needed to break up the monotony of the stacked stone but couldn't find any medallions we liked. We wanted something Irish since my hubby's family is from County Mayo, and while I found some beautiful ones online, they were in Canada and would take 8 weeks to complete. Then I searched locally and lo and behold, an artist lives just up the street from me. We gave our ideas to Ric Rice, who designed and made the tiles. We wanted a bit more color in them, but now that they are installed we are very pleased with them. I found the dark border at Lowes, and it really sets them off well. Ric also did the etched glass with shamrocks on our bar doors. Here's a page I found for Ric: http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-ric-rice.html?tab=artwork

Like a new home:) wonderful job!

What a change!

Beautiful! Did you move your basement stairs or is that just a pantry?

The dark door is a coat closet, and the white door was the old walk-in pantry that we removed and replaced with the bar area. No basement. :)

BEautiful, especially the faux stone wall...

bwmsuccess My family is from County Mayo as well! That website, finartamerica.com, is fantastic! You definitely have a unique piece that every Irish home needs :)

Nicely done!

Beautiful job. Where did you get the stencil of the tree on one wall?

Good job.

dallara14, everyone's tastes are a bit different. The stenciled wall was in the dining area when we bought the house; that's our 'before' picture. The 'after' picture of the same area is just under the one you mentioned. :) We covered the painted wall with stacked stone.

scribbles718, the renovation took much longer than we thought it would - which seems to be the norm! We thought it would take about 2 1/2 months because another home we worked on only took 2 months. But this was more involved, plus there were delays with the cabinets and granite - and we added some work such as the coffered ceiling in the living room. The entire job, from gut to finish, was about 5 months. Agonizing as you go through it, but worth it now.

Like! What an amazing transformation! Five months of pain = decades of great times in this new kitchen space!

Love the layout. Beautiful job!

Good work!

It looks so elegant and classy.

Beautiful transformation!

Great work!

I'm looking for info on Cityside tile. The Lowes site has only a handful of reviews, and one reviewer says her Cityside gray tile floor shows dirt very readily and is difficult to clean. She even has to scrub it "Cinderella style," which is not what I want to be doing after our remodel! I'm really drawn to the look, but if they're not low maintenance, they're not the tile for me. Thanks so much.

Kuhudd, we have lived with our tile for more than a year now and I still love it. The only time I clean it "Cinderalla style" is when I want to clean the grout thoroughly. It's very easy and quick to wipe down. That being said, I don't have kids or pets trashing it daily, but even after my grandson visits it's not bad, and again, very easy to clean with a basic mop or damp cloth. Our contractor DID put a seal on it, maybe that's the difference? But it hasn't stained or anything, I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

Thank you for the reply--that's really helpful. Interesting about the sealant, too--I assume both grout and tile got the treatment. Hmm, guess Cityside is back on the short list again. Glad you are enjoying your beautiful and functional place. Also nice to read and hear from someone who actually made it through their remodel with sanity intact; maybe there's hope...

AMAZING- well done!

Beautiful transformation! Love the cabinetry and the rock walls!