Hi Tina, Granites are non-pourous and really easy to maintain. When they are installed you should wipe them over with a liquid sealer; something like Rainstop and this will just give it an added protection, but you should not be concerned about staining (not sure where you heard this because it really is not a problem with Granite). The sealing process can be done once a year and it really is as easy as wiping your tops over with Rainstop, which is a thin liquid consistency like Terps, leaving it to dry for around 15 minutes and then wiping this over again with a dry clean cloth; it's that simple. Hope this information helps, regards Malcolm.

I have been looking into composite granite sinks but not sure which brand is best. Options are Abey Schock (some reviews say they crack), Blanco, Oliveri or Franke. Does anyone have experience with these brands?

Hi Jay j, I still stand by this so if you are reading reviews with people reporting their own negative experiences (not hear-say), make sure they are also specifying a brand and model to check they are talking about reconstituted stone (granite) sinks and not Acrylic. Knowing the brand they are reviewing you can check from the manufacturer what they are made from as well as check the manufacturers warranty and their own assurances given about performance. When you go through reviews, it is a good idea to make sure that people are actually talking about Granite Sinks, which are made of the same type of material as Reconstituted Stone benchtops are made of, and they are not talking about coloured Solid Surface sinks made from Acrylic which do have these problems listed. Some people confuse the two. Modern Granite Sinks do not tend to have the staining, chipping, and cracking problems that are inherent with Acrylic Sinks. Some people mistakenly think the Acrylic sinks that were popular in the 1980s and 90s, plus still used in today Acrylic Solid Surface benchtops are the same material as today’s Granite sinks; but they are totally different. Hope this still helps. Regards, Malcolm

Don't go with white. While it is easy to replace door fronts and drawer fronts you won't be able to replace the tall vertical panels adjacent to the fridge recess and the microwave recess without pulling out half of your cabinetwork. If you went with a white you wouldn't be able to match the same white as these vertical panels, and the new white would look off next to the old white or vice versa! I'm afraid there is no easy solution that will make the new doors blend in with the old vertical panels, so I would go with a bold contrast colour block that looks good with the white vertical panels, as well as the black granite. Perhaps consider a Piet Mondrian inspired kitchen facelift, by introducing some black edging to the vertical cabinets and a careful composition of blocks of primary colours? Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits