Lori, the countertop is carrara marble, honed. I love it, but was aware that I would have to be relaxed about rings, stains, nicks and dents. I keep a bottle of peroxide and cotton balls under the sink and try not to look at my island around 6pm when the sun comes in! :)

Thanks, Patty! I love honed marble, too. My husband likes to keep things looking "new" so I don't think we'll go with marble. I'm putting a few test pieces through testing after treating w sealant. What sealant & cleaner do you use in addition to spot treating w peroxide? Could you send a photo of a few of the "character spots" that display now?

what are your perimeter countertops made of? thanks!

hi! The perimeter is honed granite. SO glad we did that. Very reminiscent of soapstone-
but, hides a lot of stains and scratches.

Is the island stained or painted black?