Soapstone combined with what else?

18 years ago

My hopes have been dashed. This week I was hoping that we would be able to get soapstone countertops, but it is looking as if this is beyond our budget. What about combining soapstone with some other surface? We could put it on the island, as sort of the show piece of the kitchen(it will have a prep sink in it, right across from the cooktop). But what would look good on the perimeter counters? I have a lot of counters as you will see from the layout below. The cross hatched areas will be granite/soapstone. Main sink will be clean-up area and counter beside pantry will be "bar." Baking center will be the L-shaped counter between ovens and REF. Area to left of cooktop will be breakfast prep area: toaster, coffee pot, etc, with MW in a bank of cabs that go from the floor to the top.

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momali3
Original Author

18 years ago

I do love all the ideas! I adore butcher block and had thought about that. Perhaps I could put the SS on the counters where the two sinks are and BB on the others. The copper counters sound gorgeous, but aren't they horribly pricey, even more expensive than all soapstone would be? Actually, the stone yard person has given me some hope that perhaps, after all, we can afford to do the entire kitchen with SS. She's been conferring with our fabricator, but I'm puzzled about why Fab. hasn't called me. I'll check in with her after the weekend.... In case this doesn't work out, what about quartz, engineered stone? That Zodiaq Bianco Carrera looks good in the thumbnails tho I've never seen it in person on a counter. Anyone recall if anyone has used it. I might do a search and see.

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Comments (11)

laxsupermom
18 years ago
Soapstone looks great with butcherblock. Both are natural, matte, earthy materials. You can get very inexpensive butcherblock from IKEA or Lumber Liquidators. As a bonus the beeswax/mineral oil that you use on your soapstone is also the perfect treatment for butcherblock.
User
18 years ago
I was also going to suggest wood. My soapstone fabricator is often contracted to do both in the same kitchen. He actually was a woodworker for decades before specializing in ss these past 8-10 yrs.

I know he was looking to update his website, but I think there are currently pics of the ss/wood combination on his site which, if I remember correctly, is thesoapstoneworks.com
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velodoug
18 years ago
Another vote for wood. We have soapstone on the wet (sink) side of our galley kitchen and butcherblock on the dry (range) side. The only other material I've seen that looked good with soapstone was zinc, but it's _very_ expensive.
pecanpie
18 years ago
Marble can be surprisingly affordable and would be a lovely counterpoint to a soapstone island.

We have mariana (black, minimally veined) soapstone perimeter counters and Marron Castor on the island. It is a very finely grained red/black/brown with dashes of topaz and reads as a solid in the general look so it doesn't fight the interest in the soapstone. Any similar stone would highlight your soapstone on the island.

Remember soapstone slabs tend to run small so mind the size of your island.
Circus Peanut
18 years ago
For what it's worth, I've got copper counters and am hoping to add soapstone sometime down the line when I can afford it - I really like the dark green with the dark reddish warmth of the copper.
ci_lantro
18 years ago
Zinc would be lovely with soapstone and is affordable if you're up to DIY.
alice462
18 years ago
Found this thread as I am researching. We are doing soapstone perimeter counters and are now wrestling with what to put on our island (45"x119") that will have 6 burner gas cooktop in it as well as seating at one end.

The perimeter cabinets will be painted a grey blue with some distressing. This island will be a dark stained alder. Would like to do a light countertop and are considering marble, but would love feedback about having that next to the cooktop. Have also looked at lots of pics here of white granite or quartzite. Have searched FKB and the forum and see lots of pics with marble as backsplash w/soapstone, but have not been as successful finding soapstone and marble in the same kitchen as countertop. If you have this, would love to see pics!

We are doing soapstone b/c we love the patina of it and are not worried so much about marble etching as that is just part of the process for us. Have also considered wood on the island, but less sure about that next to a cooktop. Have a lowered baking area on the perimeter that is across the aisle from one end of the island and think that marble might work on that area.

Would greatly appreciate any thoughts/ideas/feedback that you can offer.
pecanpie
18 years ago
Honed marble would be stunning with the grey-blue cabs. I could visualize that immediately. OOoh!

I hope I'm not coming across as a kitchen snob, but if you're using soapstone, why not stay with a natural stone (or even wood) rather than quartzite?
kelleg69
18 years ago
I think quartzite is a stone. Quartz is an engineered product made from quartz and resin (I think). They are different.

As for Zodiaq Bianco Carrera, I have seen it and it doesn't look that natural to me. I would suggest it more with a kitchen that was more modern and didn't necessarily want to look natural. I am not sure what to tell you on the SS. I would think wood would be the best thing to mix or marble.
alice462
18 years ago
pecanpie - quartzite is a natural stone, but easily confused with the man made quartz. Even the stone places that I have talked to kind of scratch their head when I ask about it and usually think I am referring to quartz. Thanks for the encouragement -- this kitchen is definitely "the road less traveled" in scheme and design, I hope it all comes together.

kelleg - thanks, I will continue to ponder this one and do more research.

I am hoping that anyone who has mixed soapstone and marble as countertops might see this and offer a picture, please??