I always find it funny when builders say "here are the X number of countertops you can choose from." The truth of the matter (in my market, anyway) is that there is a wide range of stone available to the builder within a certain price category, unless they are using pre-fab stone or do their own fabricating. Do you have a granite/marble wholesaler in your area?

They probably will not tell you the price of the stone, but you can tell them you are considering NVG but want to look at other stones around the same price.

I have worked with many builders as a Realtor. Some of my clients wanted a different option than the builder presented. Also, if you want a more expensive stone, you can ask for a credit for the NVG and pay the difference. You usually have more options, it just depends on how easy the builder is to work with.

In our home we have glazed cabinets (probably more cream than antique white), and we have quartz countertops. I believe they are called Coffee Brown. I really like the consistency of the color. There's also little random specks of glass or something shimmery.

We've lived in the home for 5 years and the countertops are almost indestructible. There's no stain marks or scraches.