You could look at a marble, if that appeasl to you. I agree butcher block sounds good -- but for two small areas like that, would it make that much difference to use the same soapstone?

Well, I'm not sure what would look good and save money.

I don't think laminate would look right with soapstone. Butcherblock would be my suggestion, but that's already been vetoed.

Maybe one of the less expensive granites in a light color? I think a black granite would look like you tried to match and missed.

Maybe a tile countertop?

Stainless steel or copper could look very good, but I don't think you'd be saving any money.

Marble could be lovely, but again I'm not sure you'd be saving any money. . . .

Good luck!
Catherine

My marble was less than my granite -- even after paying to have it honed. It also seems to have less trouble with staining (none in mine) that some of the lighter granites. In theory, they should all be protected from stains if sealed well.

Hve you gone to look at remnants at stoneyeards or rabricators. You could cal around and tell them what you are trying to work with and see if they have something left over from another job or maybe even one thay have in the works. They sometimes have very large kitchens, commercial jobs or whole house orders that could leave them with a couple of remnants large enough for what you need. Otherwise, the stone costs for all but the most exotoc stones don't impact your cost as much as the fabrication. The least expensive granite might save you a whopping $200 over a mid grade.

I don't like tile countertops, but that would be a way to get something less expensive that might be okay with the soapstone -- maybe picking up on the green or gold in the soapstone.

What are the other elements in your kitchen -- sabinets, finishes, styles?

I would not use a black countertop either. It would look too much like you're trying to match the island but didn't get it quite right.

I have soapstone on my perimeter countertops and White America quartzite (looks like carrara marble but behaves like granite) on my island. This combination looks stunning, but I have a large kitchen and I thought all soapstone would be too much. I reluctantly eliminated butcherblock because the island was going to be a wet area.

I agree that soapstone would look best, especially for a small kitchen--other surfaces might look choppy. Could you go back to your fabricator and see if he has some "remnants" that might work for you? Sometimes they feel sorry for you and actually cut you a break!

I agree with lascatx about looking at the granite yards for remnants. We have one near us that always has small pieces the size you need. Take a look at mdmc's kitchen in the FKB. Her granite looks lovely with white cabs.

But if you can find a way to swing it, I'd definitely do those small areas in soapstone, too. Disclaimer: I am a "stoner" so I'm a bit biased. ; )

Are you and your DH DIYers? Soapstone is not that hard to work with (research threads), so another possibility is to buy matching soapstone and cut it yourself. Even if your island has a fancy edge treatment, a simple pencil edge would go perfectly fine with it. Usually more than half the cost of stone countertops is the fabrication.

If this is not possible, get written estimates from several places on acceptable alternatives and compare the actual costs. The difference may not be as dramatic as you think, and perhaps you could cut back on something else or postpone another purchase. The countertops are a major part of the functionality and aesthetics of your kitchen and IMHO not a place to compromise.

A while ago, my DH and I were locking horns over a household purchase. While the one he wanted was functional, I had my own non-tangible reasons for wanting my choice. We rarely argue over money, but in this case, I told him I wanted him to consider the difference in cost between the two items to be my birthday present, and he grudgingly agreed. He figured it was a win-win proposition because he was now off the hook for a birthday present and I was getting something I really, really wanted. This was 27 years ago and I still remember.

There are no soapstone remnants in Atlanta-I wish. It is hard enough to find it in the first place. I am paying 105 for my soapstone with an eased edge. I save 1000 dollars by getting granite over soapstone for the perimeter. I can use remnants of granite but I still have to pick a color. Maybe I can get my husband to revisit the butcher block. I'll also look up the White America quartzite. 1000 dollars isnÂt much for many of the remodels I see on GW but basically I get soapstone on the island or not at all and I canÂt live with "not at all".

Hi,
I think a quartzite or marble would coordinate best. I think you want something with a vein type effect rather than speckled.
We are going with Bardiglio Nuvolato Apuano for our marble counters and that might work well with soapstone if you are not into whiter marbles (I love them too). We are using a whiter marble counter on the perimeter which is not a work area and going with the darker Bardiglio for the work spaces.
The whiter quartzites are really nice as well. There was a thread titled here including those that really showed some good examples a while back.
HTH

Here is a link that might be useful:

Of the photos I've seen posted on here, I agree that white/grey marble or granite would be a wonderful contrast to soapstone. Since your cabs are white, maybe one that has more grey in it. You may well be able to find these as remnants and save a bit on them.

I have soapstone on my perimeter counters and honed carrara on my island. I would have gone all soapstone but we couldn't find a single slab big enough, so we went with carrara and we're very happy we did.
{{!gwi}}

The carrara marble and soapstone are beautiful together. I got a quote for Carrara (some spell it carrera, which is correct?) at 39 a sf using remnants. Of course on the other hand I NOW have my husband convinced that butcher-block would be ok too. I am trying to decide between the two. My cabinets are painted white. I have a lot of wrought iron in my home, pulls, lighting, drapery rods etc. I also have a lot of primitive antique furniture. My floors will be wide plank in a walnut color. Would marble or the butcher-block look better? In addition to the black-and-white theme I have accents of red and yellow-gold. My husband is mostly just upset that I wonÂt make up my mind. I really love the marble-it was the first thing I wanted until I found soapstone. I donÂt mind a patina at all. Shiny perfection does not belong in my house but I guess I am a teensy bit worried about "trashing" the marble.

FWIW, we do not baby the marble AT ALL. 2 kids (4 and 6) eat every meal there - OJ, ketchup, you name it. We love the look and feel of it. I don't think you could go wrong either way, marble or butcherblock. They are both beautiful.

I'm more comfortable with the marble and it staying nice than I would be butcher block. I know what my cutting boards look like over time. LOL

But look how nice Coleen's tile is with her soapstone and white cabinets! Sure it's on the wall where grout isn't that bad, but if you were willing to try wood, grout is a piece of cake! (The marble is awfully nice as well!)

If I were choosing between marble and butcher block- it would be marble hands down.

I've pretty much settled on soapstone for my perimeter cabinets. The stone I chose has a fair amount of veining and slight green undertones. (The stone yard just calls it gray soapstone from Brazil).
I am considering a soft green granite for my island- Costa Smerelda.
I, too, like the look of marble but I think granite would be a better choice for my family on a heavy use area like the island.
I also saw a slab of "White fantasy" quartz today which was lovely but it had a little too much gray in it for me.
Good luck with your decision.

coleen3201118, I love your kitchen, great contrast. Where can we see more pictures?

Thanks deb! I posted pics a few weeks ago - I don't know how to put the link to it, but the name of the post was something like "Pretty much done kitchen" - sorry I can't do the link!

Coleen, I found your kitchen! Thank you for the direction. All I can say is wow! This is pretty much exactly what I want. I spend hours checking out all the great kitchens @ the "Finished Kitchens" blog. (you really should be posted there) I find some great ideas @ "Finished Kitchens" but when I try to explain what I liked to my DH and all he sees is the big picture not the stone or the expance of open counters. Ya know what I mean? Then, low and behold I found one picture of your kitchen here and Eureka, he gets it! Thank you!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Coleen's Kitchen

I know some GW'ers might consider this unacceptable, but I thought I should mention it.

Ina Garten, "The Barefoot Contessa" from the Food Network, films her show from the kitchen of her home in the Hamptons. So many people have asked about that kitchen that she's described it on her website under Q&A's.

Guess what? Even though her island top is honed black granite, she used black laminate for her perimeter countertops. If it's good enough for Ina....

If you've blown the budget on the island, perhaps you could do laminate for the short term, and down the road replace it with soapstone or marble. Just another thought -

Either butcher block of marble would be fabulous --
Or a light granite with more veins than spots would also work well.

If you've got a sink in one of the areas in question, I'd choose either marble or granite. If not, I'd probably go for the butcherblock -- it's just so warm and earthy. And IMO, it also ages gracefully...

I too purchased the Beleza from Dorado Soapstone of Texas .... and my job turned out beautifully!

what about a wood counter other than butcher block (if it's not near the sink)?

if you search for pirula's posts you'll see a beautiful tung oil finished wood counter. Or check out this beauty from the crown point website....

Here is a link that might be useful: crown point kitchen