Donnie,
Looks nice. I was just thinking yesterday while chillin' and gillin' about the black-figured wood base of the Torii. While the modern wood base looks very nice, especially in cherry, the figured wood base is more aesthetically interesting to my eye but the black, well, not so much. I remembered a thread you started about it, and checking in today, I see you have asked and answered your own questions.
Let us know if you still get the "lightbulbs in a casket" comment for your friends.

Let's see now: Granite? Check. Pearly white + curly maple? Check. Automotive? Check. How might that look?
(Sorry, not Decware products so used for illustrative purposes only):
