QD, come by the house when you have time. You'd be amazed at the change to the kitchen. I took it down to dirt, and replace everything - floor joists, walls, cabinets - everything. Cut the wall and put in a bar also.
Doing the main bathroom the same way right now. We are putting the tile in this weekend. Huge amount of work, but you might like some of the ideas that we are doing.
Bring a truck, and I have 2 extra sheets of the "green" moisture repelent sheetrock that you can take with you to redo that spot in your kitchen. Just cut out the old spot, and put in a piece to replace it.

Hiding the seam is the key on the granite countertops. Glad you got a good granite guy - especially with the lighter colored granite, that's more difficult.

I've got a travertine backsplash guy if you need one.