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Stoneshop I would pull a color or shade from your floor tile for your countertop. Possibly a light grey, dark charcoal, or even a grey/beige. I would get a stainless steel sink. They are wonderful & very durable. Try to get a 16-gauge if possible. I'm sure that your kitchen will turn out great!

keljones63 I would do Kashmir White granite - its a light beige/grey color (although you can get it lighter or darker depending on the slab) and it has specks of wine color in it which would be gorgeous with your Bordeaux cherry wood cabinets. Your windows seem small so its important to have some lighter colors on the walls and counters. Check out examples of kashmir white at http://www.houzz.com/kashmir-white Also, I too would recommend stainless sink w/ faucets/hardware to match in a brush chrome or nickel finish.
Good Luck!

keljones63 okay, take a look at the following link - seems someone else has already done this...http://www.houzz.com/discussions/275002/What-color-grout-for-stainless-steel-backsplash- seems very similar to your choices... good luck

Sunday I got Kashmir white and love it, I got a Blanco sink with the color of "Truffle", love it so much!

mhogle2 i just put Bianco Antico granite in my kitchen and I love it.

nevadan Why use a laminate counter top. So dated. Try something else.

Simply Design by Rachel LLC Yes granite is beautiful, but sometimes laminate is the budget! The laminate companies have made some amazing new colors. Try Wilsonart 1814K-35 Deepstar Bronze or 1865K-55 Salentina Grigio. I'm pretty sure you can get on their website and get samples. Hope that helps!

imlaurel Love the floor tiles. Are they hard tile or vinyl?

newhomeowner49684 Thanks for the responses!
We are doing laminate bc its our first house and we dont plan to be in it for more than 5 years.
the tiles are hard tile. We got them from home depot

decoenthusiaste How does laminate do when it comes to resale value? Anyone?

Simply Design by Rachel LLC resale depends on the neighborhood. If everyone in your homes price range has laminate, then it shouldn't matter. you don't want to invest to much if it's not going to benefit you when you sell.
Although when you do sell, the granite can give your home that WOW factor to help yours sell faster!