I have black marble tile on my baking counter, which also doubles as a buffet, and as a backsplash behind the sink. I have a carrara slab island, where I roll out dough.

A few years ago there was a member from Australia who put in black marble slab counters--she hasn't commented on GW in a long time, but I'll link a thread with pics of her black marble slabs. Two_devons_one_boxer's counters.

That's gorgeous! I've google searched obviously but wanted to see "real" people's kitchens. Half of the google search pictures I was getting were leading back to Chinese marble companies etc.

I bought two slabs and due to delays with the project they have been sitting at my fabricators for 6 months. Now that we are getting close I'm looking for other kitchens to inspire the project. It's a honed charcoal gray marble with some white veining.

You might search for fantasy brown. I think there have been pictures of that in kitchen countertops.

Marble etches white. Which makes etches less visible on white marbles and totally obvious on dark marbles. Sealing won't prevent etching. Can you live with whitish blotches on your dark marble?

It sounds as if you've thought about this awhile (at least 6 months ;), and I agree the white in the marble will help disguise the etching. My black marble is New St.Laurent, which is splotchy black and white with some gray and a tiny bit of orange. It's on a counter where I serve frequent buffets to my sloppy family, and we've had etches from salad dressing, baked beans (tomato sauce), yeast culture (my bad), and probably some other stuff I've forgotten. Since my marble is honed and hand polished, I just use a smooth sanding sponge to blend the etches. I can guarantee that I'm the only one who noticed the spots--I have to look at my counter from an angle to even see the mess.

Lots of thought went into Will2kz kitchen: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2670309/reveal-high-end-cooks-kitchen-cherry-miele-maple?n=40

I'm very happy with my dark counters with streaks of white, but they aren't marble http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2700169/reveal-kksmama-gets-her-own-sink-and-hood

Most soapstones are pretty dark and not shiny, so that should be similar to your honed marble. Someone was recently looking at honed or leathered via lactea, and others have used Virginia mist.

Thanks. I recently saw St. Laurent for the first time and it is gorgeous!

I'm not worried about the marble-only 2 neat people using the kitchen, and never any children in the house. I have a white marble dining table, it has etching, I don't mind.

Those black marble counters posted above are gorgeous! My kitchen will be modern-glossy European cabinets and Kohler Purist faucet, and I like the idea of a bit of wood to warm things up.

The picture I've found of soapstone are definitely the closest to mine, but it is usually used in farmhouse or country kitchens.

I think the combination of modern glossy cabinets with that marble will be devine!