Our dining table is rosa beta or something very similar and we like it very much. It doesn't show dirt, fingerprints, etc. and the warm pinkish color is nice. We originally wanted the same for our kitchen but didn't like the color with natural cherry cabinets.

Thanks for your quick reply, Codymaxx : ) While I wait for others to weigh in, I'll post one more photo. We both like it, but haven't found a slab yet! Some call it Delicatus, like Option 1, but it looks quite different to me. That's the beauty...and the curse...of granite! It's a real treasure hunt. Can't imagine someone selecting a granite without seeing the actual slab, as they can be two totally different looks!

Anyway, here is the other photo...the one I like, but can't find a slab like it!

I like option 1 as it is subtle. Good luck!

I like option 1, however, with the white cabinets and option 1 your kitchen may turn out to be very, very white and may come across as quite cold.

Option 2, as mentioned, looks like it may have some pinkish tones to it (rosa = pinkish) and while it will warm up the space you might need to be prepared for that. Depending on the slab that you pick you might be able to mitigate that issue by picking one with less pinkishness to it. Option 2 will probably be more busy as well.

So, as you say, you need to pick it but from here people can point out the different outcomes of your choice.

Could your 3rd option be Giallo ornamentale?.

I like the first granite. With the second choice you
will have less flexibility. I agree the first choice means
more white but you can always add wall color, accents
and even backsplash tile to add interest and diveristy.

What will your wall colors be? Since your floor are tile
but look like wood I still stand by my first choice.

I like option 1 of the ones you've shown. But frankly, I am concerned, because when you pick a granite for your kitchen, you should LOVE it. It should "speak" to you. It should be calling out your name as you gaze at the slab at the yard. You should have the feeling that you can't stop looking at it. Those of us with granite counters we love have experienced these feelings.

Perhaps you need to go to more granite yards. Don't just settle on one cause you are tired of looking, or because you just want to be done. You will have to live with this granite for a long while.

Option one gets my vote! I think it looks beautiful and will also allow more flexibility as boxer pups pointed out.

I agree that the third is a Giallo Ornamental. Of course only the two of you can actually decide, and I think they will look equally nice with your white cabinets.
I always like to advise that you take this one step further and think about the backsplash. How do you envision it? This might help you pick one granite over the other.
For example, I can see the Rosa with a "rosa" colored tile. Or it could go with a very light grey.
A word of caution about the Giallo. Sometimes they can read very brown and this would not be the best choice with very white cabinets.

I LOVE that third one... Option 1 looks a bit green to me.

Nancy

Option 1....but keep looking if you're not sold on it....I visited about 6 yards and when I saw "the one" I knew it!

Thanks folks..... This is so hard! It is Option 2 that DH likes best, and he wants to be done with it.... He likes it better than the more expensive slab (s) so for him, it is a no-brainer. The guy at the granite yard liked it alot, too, saying it provided contrast and was less porous than lighter granites.

I agree it "goes" very well with the floor (and the neutral paint, sample of which is shown on the small piece of white matt board)...and it has tones that would tie in well with the stainless steel appliances. I just wish I could find a stone like the third photo (which is supposedly the same as Option 1....????) To me they look different, possibly because of lighting.

I really appreciate your comments...and welcome more! I agree that I should not "settle", but if my options are these 2 (due to timing, husband's feelings, etc.) I want to be sure to get the one that would work best.

If it makes a difference, it is a small galley kitchen that will soon be open to the dining area and family room. Therefore, the countertops will be visible from all our living space.

Do you think a small kitchen open to rest of condo would mean the darker and somewhat busier (but more consistent) stone would be better, or should I go for a subtle, monochromatic look of Option 1????

My vote is for 3,1,2...In the Rosa Beta (#2) I really see a lot of pink. You'll have to be careful picking the wall color..I see you like the tan for that. A lot of beiges can have a pink undertone.
Sounds like you really like #3...I'd stay on the hunt 'till I found it.

My neighbor just ordered a granite that looks exactly like the 3rd one posted and it was called giallo ornamental. It would look gret with white cabinets and your floor. I think it would provide more warmth than option1. I think option 2 blends too much with your floors and paint color. It looks okay but doesn't have any "wow" factor.

I love # 1. The small piece is ornamental. If that is what you are looking for we have alot of beautiful slabs here in NC. I am looking for granite too and will be visiting 6 granite yards in Raleigh on Monday. You are right, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. I am sure whatever you pick will be beautiful. Good luck!

I like option 1 because it is more subtle and when I pick things in this range I am happier with the decision for long periods. You can add color in other things in your kitchen. So again I vote for the monochromatic look. It helped me to look at pictures in magazines as well and when I continually gravitate to the same look I knew it would be the look I should go towards. Good luck! Have fun choosing!

Update: Well, I took your advice, and kept looking. I think I wore DH out, because he finally just said I could go and he'd be ok w/ whatever I selected. Freedom...yet a big responsibility so I need to get it "right"!

So, the other day, I decided to dedicate a whole day to visiting other granite yards within an hour's drive from here. I walked into the first place, and saw a slab I'd never seen before. It is so different from the Giallo Ornamentals and Delicatus slabs I'd been "focusing" on, but I think it is THE one! It isn't quite as blue as it looks in the picture, but it definitely compliments the blue fabric on the dining room chair seats. (When I saw it, I realized that having gray/blue in the stone could work really well because we are opening up the kitchen to the dining room and our dining room.) It also has some taupe/neutral shades that work with the plank tile floor. What do you think?!

I LOVE it! Beautiful!

Love it... so so so much more then the other choices. This one is perfect!

I love it too -- much prettier than your earlier choices.

Thanks so much.... I agree that it should tie everything together nicely and I am so happy I kept on looking til I could get pretty excited about it. I'll go back on Monday and see it again and get price confirmation. Then it's on to decisions like cabinet paint color (white, off-white or another color...at least on the base cabinets???) and what type of backsplash would go with the granite.

Suggestions on color and backsplash would be welcomed, as I need to let my cabinet builder know about the cabinet color by mid-week at the latest. I have more time for the backsplash decision, but if you have any inspiring thoughts, let me know how/where to begin for a beachy backsplash that would go well w/ the grayish blueish beigey granite and floor! Thank you....

I was worried as I read through this thread because the original #2 choice was the default granite back in the 80s- 90s. It was why I could not understand the fuss about granite. It is such a time specific look to my eye. As a real estate agent, I get to see a lot of kitchens and materials and I have not seen a new or updated kitchen with it in over 10 years. It was overdone and often done with the shiniest white cabs, and had the poster of the woman with the severe black haircut from the early 90s....(see below)... and had the seafoam, mauve and peach color scheme with it or black, white and red. It reminds me of that time so much!

In any case, your new choice is so much nicer!

Here is a link that might be useful:

Dianalo...you are so funny! BUT I am soooo glad to have you confirm my thoughts on that one (Rosa Beta) I'd never seen it before, but I just didn't like it even though the colors were ok w/ our floor, paint, etc. Wait til I tell DH about your experiences and "take" on it! Thankfully, he likes the gray/blue toned slab (Kashmir White) too (or he's just too tired of my obsessing to care what I pick out anymore!???)

Thanks for giving us some "history" (complete with the "artwork") LOL......