I don't like the Azul Macaubus for you for some reason. I think the crazy blue doesn't read sleek and modern with all the color and busy pattern. I like the white better, but I'm trying to picture it with your walnut grain. Do you have a sample door to show us?

I wish I had a sample door, but we have not reached that point with the cabinet makers yet. I expect they will look similar to my inspiration photos -- flame pattern with vertical orientation.

I prefer the white...really lovely. You may tire of the blue and it limits your surrounding color palate. I think the lesson of keep the permanent, expensive components (like furniture or carpet or granite and cabinets) neutral and bring in color with paint and accessories which are easily and inexpensively changeable is a good one. I put in a deep blue carpet (like in your azul) in our LR/DR 20 years ago...looked lovely with our formal white upholstered pieces, but a few years later when we decided to make it a family room the carpet was still new and it was hard to decorate around with more casual furniture and never looked right. Stick with the white...it is a beautiful backdrop for the beautiful walnut cabinets...they will BOTH be the stars of your kitchen!

I love the white macabus.

I agree with Breezy the blue is not sleek and might even
turn into crazy. Blue is gorgeous just not for your
inspiration ideas.

~boxer

I too love the white macabus. beautiful!

Could you tell me where you found your second inspiration photo?

Thanks!!
Amy

Another vote here for the White Macubas (although I'm biased since we used it too). Are your cabinets sleek and modern or more traditional?

I was ready to vote for the white just based on the price, but seeing the pictures I think the white is better with the walnut.

Your inspiration pics do not display a showcase island surrounded by different materials. They illustrated coordinated use of the same material throughout the kitchen, with the island having the biggest impact because it is the largest expanse of the material.

If you want this look, go with the Macaubus everywhere but use smaller elements around the perimeter.

Hands down White Macubus. Gorgeous! Love the linear white and gray. I absolutely agree with marcolo that the inspirations certainly don't reflect a showcase island surrounded by different materials. I love your inspirations and I think the White Macubus works well with them. While pretty, I wouldn't choose the Azul Maucabus, especially if I had to use different materials. I agree the white works better with the walnut.

Majority rules - I just don't see the blue with the kitchen but whatever you like is most important!

It seems like the white is the popular choice. I know it is probably the better option. The blue stopped us both in our tracks. I would like to hang that blue slab on a wall as art if I could afford it, lol.

I should probably specify that the inspiration photos were chosen for the cabinet style. I gave those pictures to my custom cabinet makers. I do like the way the white counters look with the walnut, but there are other elements of those kitchens I don't care for as much, like the lack of contrast between the cabinets and floors.

The house is a 1960 California ranch with some modern elements, but we also have some more traditional furnishings from our last home. I want the kitchen to feel modern and clean lined, but not cold and stark. The cabinets will have walnut slab doors and drawers fronts with 2" wide vertical "trim" pieces around major elements like the fridge and freezer columns and oven stack, and at the ends of cabinet runs.

I have always wanted to incorporate a soft grayish blue in the kitchen in some way, whether through paint or BS tile or something. Early in the process, I fell in love with a marble that was white with soft blue and gray veining, but marble will not work for us.

Amy, I wish I could tell you where I found that second inspiration photo. I thought I might have saved the website, but I can't find it in my favorites list. I remember it is a designer's own kitchen, and I wish I remembered her name so I could give her credit.

The blue is so unusual that it looks dyed to me. I keep seeing those blue geodes they sell at rock and gem shows. I'm usually a big proponent of more color, but in this case I'd give it some serious thought.
Renee

Well, "soft grayish blue" that Azul ain't. ;)

I remember you posting counter choices a while back, too. Sorry you're struggling so much! The White really is lovely, but you hesitate....

I liked that 2nd picture so much that I went off to try to find its original.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here it is

Another vote for white here, although I can see why the Azul stopped you in your tracks. Beautiful slabs. The white slabs would be great show pieces too.

Thanks for finding that annkathryn. I too really love that second inspiration picture.

It is interesting to me that white is almost the universal choice in this thread. I do like the white slabs a lot, and I will find another way to inject color into the kitchen.

Breezy, I think some of my hesitation was that I posted different White Macaubus slabs as a possible choice before and most poeple said they were a bad choice with the walnut shaker doors I was considering at the time since the stone slabs had such strong horizontal lines and the cabinets had both horizontal and vertical grain. I was not sure what the reaction would be to mixing the vertical grain wood slab doors with the horizontal lined stoned, but it seems like no one is bothered by the mix this time, which is cool.

Annkathryn, thanks for finding that website. Her home is really lovely to look at.

Drbeanie, your island slab is gorgeous! I agree with you about not being able to mix different blues with that slab. If we used the azul for the island, I would make the rest of the kitchen very neutral.

i love white macaubas. i am trying to justify buying it in advance to DH to make sure we have it for our kitchen. the blue slab is a real wow statement. it may be the lighting, but the blue slabs have a more clean white background to me, where the white macaubas is more grey/tan than white. i guess it depends which look you are going for your counters, something sharper and high contrast, or something more muted.

That blue is stunning, but the white is more versatile.

OMGosh! The azul macaubus is my DREAM granite!!! I love it the best of anything ever! The slab you found is absolutely gorgeous! I considered it for my island, but we have blue pearl perimeter and it doesn't go at all. So my Plan B dream is to do our master bath with it - I think I'd love the whole shower with it!

That didn't answer your question at all, but I just had to tell you of my love for the azul :) There was a GWer who did her perimeter and island in azul. She had darker cabinets - I can't remember though, they might have been cherry. My finding GW was the result of searching for azul and her kitchen came up. I'm trying to search for the thread to show you. Ugg, I'm having no luck.

Here is part of her kitchen that I found searching images on the web - maybe somebody remembers her or knows where more pictures are:

and one more:

I found this photo today and thought of you. The blue looks great with walnut.

[modern kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by other metros kitchen and bath fixtures Kohler
Renee

I also love the white macaubus, I ordered the same quartzite for my kitchen, due for installation in about 3 weeks. Oddly enough I also had a blue countertop in my previous home, it was corian a Mediterranean blue with big whit specs (prettier then it sounds). Apparently the new owner didn't share my appreciation for a blue countertop and ripped it right out. If you plan on staying there for a long time, get what makes you happy, if resale is a consideration, I'd go with the white, although I'm partial to the white of course! Have you considered perhaps an unattached island only in the blue or a blue backsplash to pull that beautiful color in? If there was one thing I learned from hunting for the perfect piece of granite for nearly 4 months was that a piece of granite can look absolutely beautiful but perhaps not in a (or my) kitchen, hence my decision for not purchasing wild sea green, a beautiful stone that gave me the warm fuzzier until I saw it online in a kitchen, I knew I'd grow tired of it quickly. Plus the macaubus stones I know are at from inexpensive so choose carefully! On a side to, I need help determining if a light colored wood floor will be too weak with white macaubus or if a darker wood would be a better contrast or if it's not even relevant(?). That will be for a separate post! Oh and i think walnut cabinets would be good with whote macaubus. Good luck!