They both go well with the cabinet and backsplash color. The question is if you like smaller, more consistent pattern or if you prefer a larger more inconsistent pattern (i.e. "movement") in your counters. Some people naturally embrace one or the other in their home furnishings -- neither is wrong.

My *guess* on your preference/comfort level is the one on the right because you went with a uniform color for your backsplash tile.

I personally like the smaller one on the right better because I don't care for the golden flecks in the one on the left -- but that is a matter of personal taste.

I personally would choose the one on the left. The darker splashes pick up the color in the handles and give the whole look a richer appearance. To me the one on the right is too much like your back splash. I like that bit of drama with the one on the left.

They both seem to have too much gray in them. I'd go with something warmer and richer.

Okay, IMHO, I think you are falling into the trap of "if it's all neutral, then it must all go together".

To me, the tone of the granite clashes with the warmer tones in your b/s.

Agree with k9arlene & mtndredux.

SORRY

My pattern preference is the one on the left, definitely. But I have to agree with the others concerning the warm/cool tones. I love your cabinet color/stain, btw! Could I ask where you got them & what the finish color is called?

On my screen the two samples appear warm in color. I like them both. I would check on the entire slab to see what you really like. Its hard to know just how busy or not busy a granite is by just looking at a small sample piece. They both look lovely to me.

I would lay the granite samples flat on the countertop and then take another look. It's been my experience that granite looks different when it's horizontal than when it's vertical.

I agree about the tones being off, and the right one is too plain for me, and the spots on the left one bother me...I'd be wanting to clean it off all the time....

i don't think we can determine the tones accurately on our monitors...
to me, it looks like there are both warms and cools in the granite--- i'm not sure about the off white backsplash--- it almost seems like it has a pinkish cast to i, but i don't know if i'm seeing the color correctly...

the granite on the right is too plain for me--plain cabinets, plain backspash, plain counter- i personally would want more color or pattern. but, the one on the left is too splotchy for me-- i like it better than the one on the right , but i'm not sure i would choose that one either..
i'd probably go with an overall darker granite--- darker with some(or alot of) light rather than light with just alittle dark.

Sorry but I don't know the cabinet name. The house is 20 yrs old and we didn't pick out any of the stuff. I think they call it pickled maple but I'm not sure :)

I too would go with a dark brown granite of a satin black. The contrast with the lighter cabinets would be beautiful, and a darker granite would coordinate so nicely with your bronze hardware.

I think the tile on the right is to bland, and the one of the leftâ¦the spotting would bother me. But again, all this is a matter of personal taste.

Here are a few more pics in good daylight

A view in daytime

And by a window :)

And here are the floors in the room

Oh wow, with those floors, definitely go with a more solid, darker color for the counters. Dark brown or black. Definitely.

Now that we have your thoroughly confused....I think both look fine with your cabs ...but, on my monitor your BS looks to have a pinkish cast and that is throwing me off because the granites have more golden/tan tones.....might just be my monitor...

I think if you are set on these two, the ony question is calm/quiet vs. more pattern/movement. Your floor has a lot of pattern, so I might be tempted to go with the quieter one on the right.

Agree with Joanie. While I think a dark granite with little veining or other markings would be best, if you are set on the two above, I think the one on the right is a smarter choice because of how busy your floor is.

Since your appliances have lots of black on them and your drawer/cabinet pulls are black, I think a black granite would work well and add some much needed contrast in the sea of beige you have going on.

Not to drive you crazy, but have you thought about replacing the bs?

I tend to agree with those who see a warm/cool aspect to the two surfaces and how a darker counter would work well with all the other neutral surfaces.

Can you tell us why you chose those two granites, only and specifically? Are you open to other choices or is it really between just the two of them?

Replace the backsplash, Mtn? Really? She just wants advice on her granite. Much easier to change than the backsplash, which looks new to me and beautiful.

Zk, I like the one on the left better. Remember, all of our monitors don't see what you see IRL. Looking at one small sample doesn't do the colors justice, I'm sure. But I bet once it's all installed it will match perfectly.

Do you have undercounter lighting? My backsplash is similar, and the granite is busier, but once those lights are on it all has a nice warm glow.

Really hard to say based on how the colors appear on the monitor. based on that, the left one looks like it might work better colorwise, but I really like the idea of a more solid darker granite. The two samples look so much like the floor.
If there's gray in the floor (I seem to see it), maybe a honed steel gray or other dark honed granite.
BTW, I like the backsplash and bet it's going to be back pretty soon. IKEA is already using plain white 4x4 tiles for BS.

By themselves, I much prefer the granite on the right. No one can ever accuse me of not embracing a neutral palette. :) Also I don't care for granites with a lot of dots. That being said, I think the one on the left is warmer and goes better with your cabinets and b/s. Not sure though about your floor.

I like 4x4 tiles. If I were redoing my b/s (subways), I think I'd go for 4x4s with some on the diagonal as yours is. My showers are like that and they still look good.

I'd like something similar to the granite on the right with a bit more warmth, but if not, I'd still pick it.

Yes, really, I thought it was worth mentioning. Replacing a backsplash is not a huge job, relative to the cost of granite. I mention it because, if the OP really loves the granite, she might consider changing the b/s.

Which reminds me, is it easy to remove what's there and install the new granite without implicating the b/s? In my old kitchen i disliked the granite from day one (it was a little over 10yrs ago, I wanted white marble and everyone said noooooo), so I bought extra b/s tile in case I ended up changing out the granite.

Honestly I was originally going to go with a black, but thought that darker colored countertops were dated and out these days and would make the kitchen too dark. I love light and airy.

Do you all think that something like this would look better?

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/71987294014009145/

I don't want to replace the backsplash because it seems like a waste of money to replace a backsplash that is still in perfectly good condition when we have so many other things that are in more urgent need of replacement around here :)

Yes, that would be beautiful in your kitchen. Great with the black appliances and your cabinet hardware. The cabinets and floor and backsplarh are light enough that the black is completely do-able.

Might want to also consider a matte black too. It's very sophisticated and will never go out of style.

This post was edited by Tibbrix on Tue, Feb 11, 14 at 17:29

What about a solid white quartz, just to throw you one more curveball?

I, too, would go dark. Love matte black. Can't go wrong.

I think black would be best because of the busyness of the floor.

i like the matte black idea. Also consider a solid dark grey quartz, to pick up a grey in your flooring, might be a nice contrast with your black appliances and not so much black in the room? have you picked out lighting and faucet finishes? if you go with grey countertops, consider stainless faucets and/or similar lighting finishes to tie it all together....you could pick up the orb hardware in accessories for the countertops, ie wire fruitbasket

I like the matte black that Tibbrix posted. Here's a pic of a solid gray.

I have absolute black. Never, never, never, never again. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous for the first 15 minutes after absolutely cleaning to perfection but it soon goes south. Hard, hard, hard to keep clean. Always looks dusty. Matte may be better but please let me discourage absolute black. My island has the granite you present on the left. I wish my whole kitchen was like that, always looks clean.

or a dark brown... i had chosen a slab of an antiqued (similar to leathered) brown (grizzly?? can't remember what it's name was) for our master bath which was a dark brownish, blackish, charcoal--- really a beautiful granite which unfortunately cracked when they were cutting faucet holes and i couldn't get another slab of it... i was drawn to the 'antiqued' finish tho because you don't have the same issues that you have with a glossy dark granite... but i replaced it with a dark shiny granite--- requires more wiping, but wouldn't be a deal breaker for me...

busybee, my RE broker has a gorgeous dark brown granite on her island (matte black on her counters). It is sooooo beautiful. My first comment here was to suggest a chocolate brown granite or black. My favorite color right now is chocolate brown. It just works with everything and is so rich and elegantâ¦love it. I think zkatieus's kitchen would be stunning with dark brown granite counters, granite with a subtle veining through it, maybe gold flecks.

The solid gray in the pic romy put up is really cool. I suspect chosen to compliment the stainless appliances. My only concern with that is that it looks like something that could possibly be dated fairly quickly, i.e.: it adheres to a current "Industrial" style. I'm a firm believer in going conservative with things that cost a fortune to redo. Conservatives keeps its lines, colors, etc., forever, by and large.

patricia43, Thanks for your advice! I was reading some old threads about how awful it can be to keep black granite clean and it really kind of scared me away. I appreciate your input :)

I do think dark brown or black would be gorgeous! I am just so low maintenance and really hate the idea of having to constantly having to wipe down my counters. I've always had laminate and love how easy it is.

A dark brown will look nice with your blue wallpaper too.

I have leathered marron cohiba (aka antique brown) in my kitchen and I love it. It is super easy to clean, and never shows fingerprints or smudges. It is a dark charcoal with chocolate tones and every so often there is a tiny coppery or blue or red glint if the light catches it just right. It would look gorgeous with your cabinets, IMHO.

on white cabinets, but a good picture of the color and texture of the granite:

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Bellevue Kitchen & Bath Designers Todd Brickman designs

I am not a huge fan of granite period, but the stuff Jreuter posted is very nice!

PS Totally get you on the b/s, just pointing out that the granite is usually more costly then b/s so I would not let a b/s dictate my granite unless i loved it.

agree with mtndredux. there are now so many great composites out there for kitchen counters.

Btw, I would keep in mind, when picking a counter, that you have a very busy floor and busy wallpaper. I do think, therefore, that a counter with "stuff" throughout might not look too good and that a matte, solid color, but maybe with some means of texture, might be a smarter way to go. But in that case, you might have a harder time hiding fingerprints, etc.

However, it's lot cheeper to wipe off bread crumbs than to replace countertops that don't look very good.

Also the granite called tan brown is budget friendly and would look very nice on your cabinets.

Tan Brown Granite

[Mediterranean Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mediterranean-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2109) by Langley Interior Designers & Decorators Debra Campbell Design