@namarie Thank you. That was very helpful!

It's very nice. And, if you like it, get it! Granite is granite.

You love it!!! Get it.

Leathered granite is very popular here and it is extremely forgiving. Great for kids or messy grown ups. ;) I wish I had found a leathered slab for my 6x9 island, but also love the polished slab we selected. I think that's a really pretty slab and you should go for it!

That's a beautiful granite. I think leathered is very interesting and where I am is very popular right now. I don't see it as a problem in cooking - unless you are really into pastries and roll dough out on your countertop and it sticks. We put leathered into a home last year and there are 4 small children. The homeowners love it.

I just had brushed granite (I'm not exactly sure how that's different than leathered, if I understand it correctly the terms used aren't standardized in the industry so I think it's basically the same thing) anyways, I just had brushed granite countertops installed in my kitchen about a week ago. No, not long enough to live with them to officially determine their durability... however, we are a large family with 5 teenagers living at home, we homeschool (so that means the majority of our family is home for 3 meals plus snacks per day, all day, every day) and we've been without a functioning kitchen for 3 full weeks prior to their install (we gutted our former kitchen in stages so I'd have less down time during the remodel) and I've been cooking and cleaning up a storm since the day after the counters were installed (which was the day the range was installed).
I have nothing but love for these countertops. I mean... I ADORE them! They're my favorite counters I've ever had. I think they're gorgeous and I love the way they feel.

My hubby hasn't built the island yet, and he's going to put on walnut counters on that. (We will coat them in walterlox, we've done two bathroom counters that way already and feel confident that we will like it for the kitchen too) I know it will look very pretty when done... but now that my brushed granite is in, don't tell my hubby, but I'm a little bit sad we didn't do it for the island too. I really could've loved it on every kitchen surface. (I kind of wanted an island I won't have to baby... but my hubby wants that walnut counter and I'm the idiot who gave him the idea. LOL!!! I know I can work with it... but I sure do love this brushed granite more than I thought I would.)

my personal preference is a shiny squeaky clean surface in the kitchen..just because that is where food is prepared...on the other hand the leather is very sophisticated and chic...mostly I see it in the very contemporary non family oriented settings..this doesn't mean one is better than the other..just that one is more traditional...one more trendy...the stone slab you selected looks beautiful...and any stone of quality will enhance the re-sale value of your home...I do have to say keeping my counters shiny is sort of a pain...that may not be the case with the leather look...which sounds good to me if you have small children...which ever way you go I feel confident you will love stone over any other material...

You may want to ask the salesman why he tried to discourage your choice ...just to be sure there are no deterrents that may effect your choice...

I will admit that when I went shopping for my countertops, I used my oily fingers to rub every stone I was considering to see whether fingerprints would show or not. LOL! I probably looked like a nut case in the showroom... but I needed to know! LOL! My brushed granite didn't show prints. ;)

Btw, I like the slab you have pictured... it has a lot of nice movement in it. The type I selected doesn't really have that. I suggest that you have a good talk with them about where the seams are going to be and how they will try to match things up. We didn't heavily discuss that and I was a little surprised at where one of the seams ended up (the other was right where I expected) but thankfully because mine doesn't have veining it helps hide those seams more easily with its more mottled appearance. I think if it had been another slab I considered (that had heavy veins in it) that I could've been very disappointed with that unexpected seam.

I might also point out the slab you chose ..if split length wise..will present two quite different looks...any time stone is considered the layout should be considered in this way as well...if you are price conscious you may also want to consider the finished edge counter width product that saves a lot on installation and also stone cost...

Often salesmen and contractors have opinions that aren't matched by actual taste or knowledge. Don't put so much weight on what they say. They really aren't experts in aesthetics.

I have it. Love it. You dont need shiny stone in your kitchen with shiny new stainless appliances.

I have leathered granite and love it! We have 3 kids and it holds up well in our busy kitchen. One thing to remember when ordering - the standard edge finish is polished. We had to pay a little extra to have our edges leathered to match the top.

Leather finish is starting to be seen more often now anyways. I say, if you love it - go for it! i wouldn't worry about re-sale, the finish wouldn't affect it.

I love this look! Deciding on it now for my own kitchen.

Love this granite. I think it's a great choice.

If you love it, go for it!