We are in the process of revamping our kitchen and need advice.

Jody L
by Jody L
We have chosen Black Galaxy Copper granite for the counter tops with a glass copper backsplash. We are switching appliances to brushed stainless with black accents. Cabinets are white and undecided if they will work. This is a Galley kitchen. The issue we are struggling with is the sink. I absolutely love stainless. My husband in a fan of composite granite, black which I know nothing about cleaning.. The fear is that the stainless will not look right with the rest of the kitchen and what color faucet does that leave us to choose from. The sink will be undermounted. What are your thoughts? This is a huge sticking point. HELP!
  26 answers
  • Tradition Wood Works Tradition Wood Works on Feb 20, 2012
    Not sure what sink you are looking at but we are big fans of Karran, we've installed over 2 doz without issue, including the solid surface and stainless. They do have a quartz composite that comes in 4 colors, black and mocha being 2 that might go nice with your counter choice. Incredibly durable, well made and have outstanding warranties. www.karran.com
  • How about some pics? I can't picture that with white cabinets....but it might look great. Had you thought about a copper sink to tie it in with the backsplash? You might want to get a price to paint or faux finish the cabinets if replacing is outside the budget. We have some great designers posting here who can help as well. Sometimes it's worth paying a consultation fee to a designer who has done what you are doing many times! I'm not a huge fan of black sinks...the stainless will look fine with the appliance and it's undermount so you won't notice it all that much anyway. What kind of hardware do you have on the cabinets...or are you changing those as well? You can match the faucet back to those.....
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Feb 21, 2012
    I'm planning on using a black granite sink in my kitchen....but here my granite is a black and white mix...(white wave). I think a black sink with black galaxy would be a bit too dark...there fore my vote is with the SS. just get one that is heavy gauge.
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on Feb 21, 2012
    Sounds like a stunning plan! Stainless steel is the most popular choice by a long shot. Overall all the pros can cons lean in the favor of s/s with maintenance (which is often the sensitivity of most buyers) Like, HandyANDY said, it will be under mount, so it really will not contribute to the overall balance of the room. And yes, it will match your appliances, so it is not like you are brining in another finish/material. As for the faucet, you have some freedom here ... copper would be a unique choice to add a bit of pizzazz, but satin nickel would work just as well. Antique copper or regular copper door hardware would look stunning too I think (based on the picture in my head!) The bigger question here is "how many bells and whistles" do you want to SEE. Think about the focal point of the room - what is going to draw your attention when you enter the room? What do you WANT to draw attention to? My recommendation? Dont try to make every element be a statement .. less is more! If you get carried away with too many things, it will be confusing to the eye and overwhelm the visual appeal (IMO!) The biggest complaint I have heard about black sinks is seeing soap spots, but on the other hand s/s has water spots. Overall, most find s/s much easier to maintain .. especially if you use Bon Ami cleanser :) I do not advise copper sinks in a kitchen.. carrying for them is quite a chore. Beautiful, but not practical.
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on Feb 21, 2012
    If you could find a tile for the backsplash that had SOME white tiles it would help balance .. and blend these areas with the white cabinets. Or... a white field tile and insert a border or accents of copper and/or black tiles.
  • Melissa G Melissa G on Feb 21, 2012
    We have a stainless steel set-in sink with black granite countertops, and I love it. I too love stainless steel sinks and I find our sink looks good with the granite, even with it being set-in. We have a chrome-look faucet and I don't think it clashes at all. I barely notice it. A word of advice from me -- make sure your floors match the granite you have chosen. We had black floors and when we switched to the granite countertop, we found the two black shades clashed (the black granite has shades of green). I really wish I had thought of that before. Now we need to re-do our floors.
  • Jody L Jody L on Feb 22, 2012
    The hardware is a rubbed bronze with small copper accents and the handle is clear glass. I chose these because the kitchen pantry has antique glass doorknobs and I have revamped an antique cabinet that is now flat black which will also have the same type knobs as the pantry doors. I also tiled the inside back of this cabinet with a black and white tile trying to pull my white cabinets and black granite all together. The countertop will end at the back wall. They'll be no "ledge" so my fear is a stainless or brushed nickel faucet against a copper backsplash just won't go well. I will post before pics
  • Jody: Pictures would be extremely helpful in giving advice, but so far it sounds like you have gotten some really sound advice. BeckySue incorporated most of what we were thinking! Remember that there is no rule that the faucet has to match the sink; it's common but not a design requirement. The really outstanding designs are the ones that use combinations that you wouldn't necessarily think go well together! A neutral tile medallion behind your sink could solve your problem if you want to use a stainless steel sink & brushed nickel faucet. Or you could also think about using an unusual black finish faucet as an accent to the sink & backsplash. Just an example: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FhlbLlggvF8/ShVlVUSObTI/AAAAAAAAA98/6nVKCFSPTug/s400/bridge-kitchen-style-faucet.jpg Or even wall mounted faucet!
  • Jody L Jody L on Feb 22, 2012
    Before Kitchen pics
  • Another option you can look at is the Silgranit sink by Blanco. Over the years we have used this sink in a number of kitchen remodels. It comes in a variety of colors and has proven to be extremely durable. It is comparably priced to a quality SS sink. It is a composite sink which you can view at this link. http://www.blancoamerica.com/c3/blanco_usa/_www/en/pub/products/product_portfolio/portfolio_silgranit_sinks.cfm
  • Nice advice AK....Jody if you are hiring this work out you might want to get pricing from AK. You'll see their work all over Hometalk.com and they have an awesome reputation for quality work in our market. Has anyone used the Ann Sloan paints on kitchen cabinets...results?
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on Feb 23, 2012
    Do you have a photo of the counter tops? If you were keeping the white cabinets, I could see maybe using some white field tile and insert that copper mosaic in sections or as a running border too. Its beautiful!
  • (A quick thanks to HandyANDY! Appreciate the recommendation from a fellow professional!)
  • Jody L Jody L on Feb 23, 2012
    I do not but, it is Black Galaxy Copper. Could you possibly show me what you are referring to as far as the backsplash? Thank you for your thoughts:)
  • Jody L Jody L on Feb 26, 2012
    Thanks for the info on Blanco sinks. Purchased a 40/60 grey. On to the faucet. Looking for a black matte faucet. Any preferences out there?
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Feb 27, 2012
    http://www.signaturehardware.com/style129#0~S~A~F0~Z0 I used signature hardware for a number of projects
  • Melissa G Melissa G on Mar 03, 2012
    We have Pegasus faucets. They're expensive but good quality.
  • Jody L Jody L on Mar 04, 2012
    Went with DANZE faucet. Problems solved thank goodness! Thanks for all the input. LOVE this site and will use it again!
  • Designs by BSB Designs by BSB on Mar 04, 2012
    Danze.. love their style, congrats!
  • Jody L Jody L on Mar 04, 2012
    Also ditched the copper backsplash. Going with black and white with copper inserts here and there.
  • Jody L Jody L on Mar 28, 2012
    The facts about granite please.....we had the black galaxy granite installed. About a week later (as the lovely pollen settled) we noticed two scratches, one about 8 in, the other 3. Perfect likes as if it had been scored and marked. You could feel them with fingernails. I'm not naming the install so as to not compromise anyone. In the attempt to repair the 8 in, they tried to buff it out??? The tool became so hot (ran for over 45 mins) it smoked. Water was added to this process along with the pad coming off the tool and it banging the counter. The smaller on they filled. Now.......we have a crack very close to the longer scratch. It wraps around the beveled edge and can be felt and very clearly seen. Can a crack be repaired? Will it spread from use & time? I am soooo dissappointed.
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Mar 29, 2012
    When I polish I use a variable speed tool that is rated for continuous duty...the lower speed is key to keeping the heat down...not so much in the tool itself but also in the granite surface being polished... you can "polish" stone in such a way that the surface becomes very hot...so hot in fact that if water is added it can boil away. Depending on the surface I'm working on I use two type of "polishing pads" for edges I use my "dry" set and for flat work my wet set...Here they should have been using a wet process, at a slower speed. The slow speed stays cool which is also assisted by the "wet" its a messy process but much better. In slow polishing there is no chance of the pad flying off. the crack my have formed by excess heat, a penetrating application of a thin CA glue may stabilize it.
  • Jody L Jody L on Mar 29, 2012
    After a sleepless night.....Good news! They are replacing the counter!!!!!!! Will post Kudo's and pics once this project is completed properly. I certainly didn't pay for a repaired counter and was dreading that thought.
  • There are always risks with granite...it's a stone and it does crack and may well have had a fracture in it prior to the install. That's why it is so important to go with reputable firms. Glad they are standing behind it
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Mar 30, 2012
    glad to hear...keep us in the loop on how counter 2 turns out
  • Becky Greenwald Becky Greenwald on Mar 15, 2015
    Stainless is the ONLY way to go!