What about continuing the soapstone? It won't stain, so the kids's projects won't hurt it. If you use it for laying out a buffet, just know that the food will cool quicker on SS, but that's true for any stone/granite/marble, from what I hear. Is your island the same color as the perimeter or is it a contrast? Our perimeter is white with SS, and our island is a medium stain with soapstone. Everyone loves the contrasting cabinets with the same SS counters, which ties it all together. I wish our island was as long as yours! (Ours is only 54' long). Will it be hard to clean the island from one side if it's 4' wide? Will you have stools on one side is that why it's so wide? Or is that just the normal width? Ours is narrow at only 24" our of necessity, so maybe I just don't know what's normal.

Love, love, love a wood counter with what you are planning some warm medium/dark wood. It adds warmth to the white cabinets and dark counters. See the link below for a beautiful kitchen from finished kitchen blog with an island with a cherry island top, but maybe the wood might not be so good with the sink (though I am sure many have and love, I am sure you could read up on that)? If you like the marble look you can try a white quartzite (do a search on garden web to see examples.)

Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen with wood topped island

I had thought about going with soapstone for all of it, but I like the contrasting countertops. I want all to be white cabinets. I haven't seen many do a stainless countertop. How would that be? I did price a wood countertop and it was going to be a bit pricey ($4200) so I thought I would see what other choices I had. I was also a bit worried about wood and the prep sink and lots of kid projects. I would love a white quartz, but am too worried a light color won't hold up with all that we want to do on the island (party buffet, daily eating (there will be space for 5-6), and lots of art/baking projects... So, how about stainless?! I saw on a home tv show, a woman put one in and she said it cost $280 from someone who wraps things in stainless for restaurants. But, then I saw that is can cost $100 - $200 pr sq ft, and for that price it would be crazy!

I suspect that stainless wouldn't be as functional for the uses you describe.

Baking - Any stone is nicer because you can roll right on it.

Art project/school projects - I picture papers always sliding off the stainless because I assume it's a smooth, slippery surface.

Buffet - Will dish es tend to slide around if they aren't placed on hot plates, towel, etc for the above reason?

Sitting at the island - Personally I'd rather be sitting at a stone or even man made surface for comfort. Also, again . . . I picture my plates or glasses sliding around.

Do stainless counters scratch, especially with multi uses?

Maybe someone that has stainless can chime in and confirm or disagree with my suspicions.

You could go with a white quartz and you wouldn't have any issues. Quartz is indestructible.

oh, good points Judydel. I thought I had read somewhere though that stainless wasn't cold to the touch like it would seem. Also, is it really more slippery than polished granite or marble? I don't mind the "patina" of scratches it may develop, but I need something that I won't mind the kids using black magic markers on etc...
traditionalhome: I wish white quartz was the answer, but I have read that the whites especially will stain?
Is there any surface that will really live up to kids and water well? It makes me think I should go light on the perimeter counters and soapstone on the island maybe?!

Stainless will scratch and it is cool/cold to the touch. After a while, the scratches just become part of the patina.

What about copper? Have you seen Circuspeanut's? They're awesome.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Wow, the copper is gorgeous! I have my heart set on the white/black/grays color scheme... I think I am leaning towards doing soapstone for the island and changing the perimeter to a white granite/quartz/marble... I don't think the perimeter counters will get the abuse the island will!

I suggest picking a hard soapstone, i.e. Julia. Softer varieties may not be as durable as you'd like for kids, etc. But the nice thing is, none of the soapstone varieties stain! So markers aren't a problem.

I like either all soapstone or going with the last plan, using it for the island with the quartz for the perimeter.

hth

I'm not sure you want the look of stainless for your island in your particular vision, but there are certainly some misconceptions about stainless being discussed here. I have it and disagree that you can't roll dough right on it and kind of amuses me that people think things would slide off. Not sure why that would happen any more than any other smooth counter, especially polished stone.

Stainless won't scratch with multi-use...It scratches with ANY use. ;-) As Covingtoncat said, the scratches blend together, and make it look better, IMO.

Of anything you're talking about I think it'd be the easiest to clean in regard to black markers. Even soapstone would show those, I think, as it's not usually dark 'marker black.'

I'm going to agree with rhome410 regarding stainless. I worked back-of-house in restaurants for years and always loved using the StSt counters. They are not particularly cold, patina nicely and are extremely easy to clean. Marker would more than likely come out with a brisk wipe with glass cleaner, if not, Wenol metal polish cleans StSt and makes it shiny, shiny, shiny (it smells to high heavens, though)! Papers might fly off of the counter if you just Wenol'd it, but all you'd have to do to take the slickness off would be to have the kids rub their hands all over it :)

An important thing to note for safety when using a cutting board on StSt counters (or any counter,really) is to lay a clean towel on the surface and then place the cutting board on top of that. This keeps the plastic/wood/metal/glass cutting board from sliding on your counter surface.

Good luck with whatever choice you make!