Most people would die for just a kitchen as big as this island. We switched the cabinetry materials and used a stained wood instead of continuing the painted white which was used around the perimeter of the kitchen. It offered some grounding and was made to look like a freestanding piece of furniture. At the end we put an undercounter microwave and to the right of the sink we used a paneled, integrated dishwasher so that we could maintain the furniture look. Although you can't see it from this view, there are two built-in refrigerator drawers on the other side of the island at the far end. This made snack access handy for our clients' children. The Seafoam Green granite with it's sage green and tobacco brown flecks blended beautifully with the wood and the white apron sink. You can watch the transformation of this kitchen unfold on our website at: http://www.hearthstonedesignllc.com/portfolio/corey/corey.html This project was a semi-finalist in the Best Kitchen category of the 2010 Portland Interior Design Society Distinct Style Award competition ( http://idsportland.org/distinct-style-awards)