fantasy brown quartzite. looks nice.

I think a chef should have a nice butcher-block counter top oiled with food grade oil and let the knives just add patina.

@funkycamper: For function I would go with stainless steel! Butcher block is still in the running.

@isabel98: Fantasy Brown is beautiful; I'll have to check it out.

@cpartist: I originally wanted soapstone for perimeter, but price prohibitive for me. IMO too dark for the island as the only light I have comes in the kitchen window...no natural light in dining room.

I just realized the marble pic didn't post...I'll post it below.

Consider Spekva Iroko....such beautiful wood! We oil ours periodically and love it! This pic isn't ours, but looks similar...

I was going to say stainless steel or a different metal, zinc maybe? Would add to the look of your kitchen too

Gand because I'm a visual person, here are some examples.

This one is zinc

And the above is stainless steel

I find brown stone unattractive, and the image you posted of it, well, it'd be the first thing I ripped out. We have different taste, so I might not be able to help you, but I'd go with Quartz for your island as well, possibly in a creamy white to match your cabinets. You don't need another clown in your eclectic space. The artwork should remain the focus of your space, I think. Good luck.

Butcher block or soapstone would be nice. I know you said soapstone is dark, but if you don't oil it.....

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I think that brown slab would be difficult to match up with your Quartz. I would go with stainless or a plain white Quartz. Or, if you have a little $$ to spend, Taj Mahal quartzite would be gorgeous.

I'd go with wood, maybe bamboo?

About 2 months ago, I bought a really big bamboo chopping board for very little money at IKEA, and I totally love it. I use it for chopping every single day. Whenever I think, now it's ruined (with cuts, stains) , I just clean it with a scrubbing sponge and it looks brand new again. Initially, I used a beeswax butcher block oil but haven't reapplied it yet.

If you want easy upkeep, perhaps marble would not be right for you. I would pick a light quartz with just a little bit of soft gray/tan marbling to it. I saw some lovely stuff at a stoneyard the other day, but as I was looking for granite, I don't remember the name. Maybe have 1/3 of the island nearest the sink in butcher block and the rest in quartz. Your floors have quite a lot of variation, and with the diagonal pattern, it makes quite a visual statement. I would think that a more subtle counter would work better.

I think stainless. It wouldn't detract from your floors and would be very durable for hard use by a chef.

I don't know why SS or zinc didn't pop into my head but those are great choices to give you a good working countertop material. In fact, I'm putting zinc into my own kitchen just for that reason. I'm not planning on using it for heavy chopping duties as I don't want THAT much patina but I'll use it for light chopping.

I'd just do the same as the perimeter or a coordinating quartz for the island.

I was thinking carrara or calacatta marble, but then read that you want low maintenance. Since you're considering Fossil Brown marble, the inevitable patina/etching might not be an issue for you. Here's the fossil marble (rough sketch in Paint), and comparison to perimeter:

Click to enlarge

Oh I'd do butcher block in a heartbeat here! I think it'd warm the kitchen up, and it's so nice to just be able to chop things on your main prep counter without messing with chopping boards and all that. I always worry about wood counters with sinks in them, but you don't have a sink in your island!

Pretty pretty pretty:

http://www.armanifinewoodworking.com/end-grain-red-oak-butcher-block-countertop-customize-order-online/

I am also lazy, but I wouldn't mind wiping the counter down with oil twice a year. Mostly because all the days in between, I'd be saving several steps by being able to work directly on my counter. That pleases my laziness.

Or something like alabamamommy's island that combines material, with a big fat end grain butcher block on the end near the sink for prep, with stainless or even more of your quartz on the remainder.

Thanks everyone! Such wonderful ideas.

I'm surrounded by stainless steel all day and wanted a softer look for my home kitchen. I am not able to purchase my perimeter quartz (long story/horrible installation by contractor) and can't get it anyplace else at this point. I'm veering towards wood.

Jillius and MamaGoose..thank you for the mock ups, it's so much easier to visualize.

I'm not liking the Brown Fossil now..it looks too busy.

MamaGoose can you mock up this image for me, please??

The brown stone you posted leans too traditional while your space reads contemporary/modern. I would go with white quartz on the island. Maybe not pure white. Maybe with some type of spotting in it that picks up the color of your perimeter countertop.

How about Luce di Luna quartzite? The linear veins would look great with the contemporary lines of your cabinets and would go well with your perimeter Quartz.

Happy to help--here's a collage showing the stone at different points in the room. The slab looks a little washed out in the sunlight, so I'm not sure that it's a true representation of the color.

To me, the whole purpose of an island is to show off an absolutely spectacular piece of granite, where else do you get such a large unbroken surface? I would visit your local stoneyards (after having first checked reviews online to see who has the best-largest selection) I would ask them where the marbles and onexes are and then I would avoid that area entirely. You will fall in love with them and they really are not practical in the kitchen.... But some of the granites are absolutely spectacular and since you will need only one piece you will have a lot to choose from. You may even be able to find one at a reduced price in the remnant area because many people need multiple matching slabs for their project and that is not your situation.

You know, I'm with agk. Your kitchen looks classic/contemporary with clean fronts and square shapes, so I wouldn't go with a granite that has movement. I'd go with something simple, such as wood or soapstone.

Look at Scandinavian kitchens that combine clean white classic lines with wood to warm up.

scandinavian white kitchens

I have those exact pulls! I would go with stainless or butcher block. For a 40x 84 length they can do it easily within the width of a 60" roll with edges bent (rather than welded, except on the ends). I'm in Raleigh and was considering a stainless island and had it priced/ready to go, then changed my mind. My island was a dark stained alder and perimeter white, so I thought it may be too busy. The pricing for my island (55" x 102") with a prep sink made, and substrate included I believe was close to $1500. I priced with two different companies.

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. It's been a huge help in making up my mind. I've always thought I wanted something to soften the hard edges and granite/stone wasn't what I wanted...then I fell in love with the organic fossil marble. But, when Mama Goose mocked that up, I didn't like it. I am going to have to learn how to do this!

I'm headed towards a wooden top OR a tone/tone light quartz Cambria Snowdon White..like this below..my only concern with the wood is that my pecan dining room table is 6' away and I thought perhaps too many wood tops in a small area.

Last favor Mama Goose? Thanks very much!!!

Pecan has kind of various colors, right? What if you picked one of the medium or darker tones in your pecan table and stained the counter that?

I like namarie's suggestion of luce di luna/ white maucubus as well.

Choosing a countertop? Here is a great guide: Comparing
Countertops

There are so many beautiful woods and finishes to choose from. You should be able to find one to blend with your scheme, floors, and other woods. I love my black walnut island. It is a workhorse and looks fabulous nearly 1 1/2 years later. Ours is a DIY Craft-art and measures 52" x 96".

I adjusted the slab density slightly:

your kitchen is very nice however I feel like it needs that natural element whether it be wood or stone. another engineered stone just seems so well….fake. what about a honed black granite? there is titanium black granite honed would be very pretty

Calatta Gold marble:

Just sayin ...

Low maintenance with lots of cooking says to me stainless, wood, or soapstone. Zinc is awesome, but yit can't put hot items like it on stainless, plus you don't want that look.

The marble looks awesome, and I think wood would as well. Natural items would be beautiful in your kitchen. But really, so much would look good. What's "you" in the options you have?

I picked up an HGTV mag yesterday and saw an ad for Dekton by Cosentino. If you like the look of the Calacatta Gold marble, you might check out the Aura:

The quartz is just neutral.....it's fine... Maybe it is the right thing for you, if you are the thing that stands out in the kitchen. Otherwise it's just going to be a little on the boring side.

Have to say that Dekton does not feel like marble at all; rather, it's very rough, kind of creepy because you expect the smooth touch of marble. The slate like Dekton felt right.

Thanks everyone for your ideas....busy work week and not much time to respond. I'll answer back Monday....

Hey Scuzz....I'm with cluelessincolorado. You said your home is eclectic and the island is certainly large. Mix it up! Think about how you will use it; consider where you need what type of surface and use the existing tones to choose zones. Zinc or stainless would work well with the stainless/brushed nickel fittings- or- the kit could handle a little white- or - wood to warm it up. IF you do mix, use only two surfaces and make certain one is a solid (ie stainless & marble, white dekton & wood, the existing quartz color & zinc)

Beautiful job, BTW. In both layout and decor, it's a room I'd love working and just spending time in.