Where are you? That will dictate which soapstone varieties you can see. I fell in love with an "Amazon" which is almost black with jade green veins & splashes. Not what I originally envisioned, but I had to have it and it works. I find the soapstone easy to maintain, very friendly and wonderful for kneading and rolling dough. Could not be happier. The supplier is in Carlbad with a showroom in Anaheim and the fabricator was excellent.

My kitchen has been finished for about a month and I am worried about the long term maintenance of using soapstone. It looks pretty and I love the feel of it but mine is a softer variety and scratches and chips very easily. I have not oiled mine yet...I was waiting for all the construction to be over! I've included a picture. Notice the mats around the sink (they protect the edges from chipping but are not very attractive !). I know other people love their soapstone but I like things to look new and in good shape. Good luck with your search and decision !

dretutz, thanks for your reply! I am in Huntsville, AL. We have a couple of distributors here (Triton Stone and OHM). The others that are close are in Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta areas. I am so happy to hear you are enjoying your soapstone! I have heard there are granite copycats but I don't think they are nearly as pretty. Have had a couple of photos sent to me by distributors that are close but really can't tell much from them. I will try to post these...I have never been on a forum before so don't know how successful I will be.

coll4, thanks for the input and photos! Very pretty even without oil! I understand about the maintenance aspect. I have heard there is a special wax you can buy that cuts way down on the maintenance but that was input from someone that sells the product. I also love your wall paint color and drum light over the table...can you give me any details about these? Thanks for your input!

I have Santa Rita Venata and mine is more gray (looks black when oiled/waxed). It is very busy with lots of white/cream/green seaglassy veins. I LOVE it, BUT--it is soft. It scratches, dings, chips--you name it. I sanded a new ding out (bottle of paprika fell on the counter and broke) just this morning. You can't see it so much, but you can feel it.

We knew it would do this going in, and have an old house that is dinged and chipped all over anyway, so we don't care so much. If this would bother you, don't get it, or look for a harder variety.

I have used the Holland Bowl Mill Bee's Oil (wax) on my stone and it does darken it longer than oil, but it is a workout!

Here are pics of my counters (haven't oiled them in a while):

Spacefisher, Thank you. The wall paint color is Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan and the drum light is from Restoration Hardware (we are looking for a new table and chairs!)

I'm in Mobile and we have been working on a bathroom.
Try A & S Marble and Granite. They are in B'ham (Pelham) Atlanta area and Loxley. they do a lot of business at the beach.
I was looking at granite at their B'ham warehouse over Christmas and they had some lovely soapstone then. They are quite helpful and knowledgeable, but they distribute, they won't quote prices.

I will try a link, but here is the website.
http://www.asmarble.com/

Here is a link that might be useful: A & S Marble

coll4 - hate to hijack this post but wondering about your light above the table - it's exactly what I am looking for. Can you share the details? thanks.

LOL, 10K Diamond! I asked the same question! See coll4 response above.

Wow, honeychurch! Gorgeous as well as coll4's! Love the vein size and spacing! Yes, I think there is going to have to be a trade-off between look and softness. Just loving the way soapstone looks! Thanks!

Thanks so much for the info! I will check out A&S. The distributors here will not quote prices either. It is difficult because my eye always goes directly to the most expensive items of any kind! I can spot cashmere and silk a mile away in the department stores but look at TJ Maxx, etc. to buy!

Thanks for the details on the paint and light! I will be checking them out!