Well, I'm a huge fan of quartzite. I had a quartzite island installed earlier this year. I love light quartzites, but I chose a dark quartzite to work with my natural cherry cabinets. I think you could go either way (color wise) with quartzite and it will be beautiful, but no need to go with a granite if you like quartzite. Here is a picture of my quartzite and I left the maple cutting board on the counter so you could see how a dark quartzite would look with natural maple. I paid an extra $600 to have my quartzite slab leathered and I simply love the leathered finish!

Just because it's hard to tell from the close up, the darker quartzite takes on kind of a smokey charcoal color from a distance. It's really beautiful but I've never met a quartzite I didn't love.

So here is the cabinet/counter look you'd get if you used dark quartzite. This counter could be also be soapstone, but it looks very much like my leathered quartzite. I looked for an example with light quartzite but it seemed all the cabinet colors were either dark (like walnut) or white. I wasn't able to find a maple cabinet with light quartzite but I think it would be beautiful.
[houzz=]

thanks, ann. I've been searching for pictures, too

I have quartz composite counters and maple floors and cabinets. does that help? I wanted light too. I have a small kitchen and I wanted it to be peaceful and light, no drama :)

These cabinets are natural cherry but just for a visual with light counters
http://houzz.com/photos/815641

here's a photo of work in progress but maybe it will help.

Here's a photo of my own kitchen in Seattle. Cabinets are light, Alaskan yellow cedar (similar in color to maple), and counters are dark, Belgian blue limestone and black walnut.

That's beautiful Finne! I do think I'd go dark if it were me. It still has a very calm feel to it with the light cabinets, but the contrast of the dark countertop with the maple is lovely. I think I noticed a comment about the bathroom picture I posted that it had a Zen feel/look.

thanks for all your help