Second attempt was with Windex and same paper towel, which cleaned the two honed surfaces up pretty well. The lighter Raw Concrete seems to have been easier than the Sleek Concrete. And finally, to get rid of that pot scratch I used a non-scratching Scotch brite pad (what we usually use on dishes) with some diluted Soft Scrub. This one took a little more elbow grease but I'm satisfied with the results. My opinion is that comparing the two surfaces (honed vs. glossy) there is a marked difference. That being said, I currently have tile from 1978 and grout lines that are so deep and narrow I have to scrub them out with a toothbrush. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. We decided to go with the Raw Concrete after all, and like others have said, just expect that it'll take a little more work and show a few more stains. But then again, isn't that the whole point of concrete? That it looks industrial? I hope this has helped someone. If anyone is interested I'll try to post some more photos and real life feedback in a couple of weeks once ours is installed.

Several decades ago, I grew up in a house with cork tiles in kitchen and sunroom - and I was a convert from then. Cork is warm to look at and to walk on, and is very forgiving when you drop things on it. Since then Ive had houses with tiles in both bathroom and kitchen (not my choice), and more than half an hour standing doing kitchen/meal prep, used to give me aching legs. I could never figure out why tiles were so desirable by all and sundry, until I found their advantages in a hot climate in summer - cool underfoot. But when I bought my recent house I was intent on putting cork down, but found I had vinyl wood-look planking in the kitchen - I have learned to love it, as it is : comfortable to walk/stand on (must have a good underlay?), things don't smash when I drop them, and so easy to clean - I really love it now, and with a couple of polyprop non-slip mats from Briscoes for extra underfoot comfort, I'm sold... Hope you solve your dilemma soon... :-D

all the colours and textures seem to become fashionable again but what is the purpose of the tall cabinets next to the fridge??.. i suggest that when building for sale or rental it's better to have a standard colour scheme and kitchen arrangements and keep personal taste for our own homes

Hi Anna, usually flat laminate doors are cheaper than a shaker 2 pac door because 2 pac means it's been sprayed with 2 coats of paint/lacquer but maybe your cabinet maker has the shaker doors in stock in certain colours and that's why it's cheaper and he might need to do a special order for the laminate plain doors for you. You would need to ask those questions to your cabinet maker to find out more information about prices and lead times for both options. I'd recommend you ask for a quote for both options if you haven't already.