Caesar Stone carries a product similar to that color called Concrete 2003. Caesar Stone will be more consistent in coloring and will not have the white swirls like the one in your photo.

Somebody has a soapstone-look counter in quartz that does have white veining, but I think that the concrete-look will give you more of a... concrete look. :)

There is a quartz called Calais Wave

You can find it at Opustone

http://www.opustone.com/products/search/calais#240/calais-wave

Formica Lunar Concrete solid surface or Limed Concrete.

Why not get a real concrete counter top? I have a concrete counter top that has small polished stones embedded in it that shows absolutely no dirt and has not cracked or shifted in 60 years! Maybe it is hard to find crafts people to install - I have no experience with that.

Look into Dekton

http://www.dekton.com/usa/countertops/

I was also going to recommend Dekton. Just picked up a sample today from Home Depot and I love the not-super-smooth surface.

thank you for the suggestions -- i will definitely pick up samples! i would love to get actual concrete - but am hesitant from a maintenance / upkeep / staining / cracking perspective. i live in a small nyc apt, so i use my kitchen counter as my prep space, kitchen table, desk, etc. i am open to any suggestions or ideas. thanks!

@ginipritchett - i also love the not-super-smooth look. what color samples did you pick up at home depot? i am going to order samples from dekton online!

Soapstone is a good option

I am wondering why you would want an unsmooth surface in a room where the cleaning is to make sure there are no surfases that hold bacteria IMO the smoother the better

Dekton is more expensive than quartz.

And you have to find a fabricator with experience in this type of material.

80%-90% of fabricators don't know how to work with Dekton.

Depending on your budget, better find an alternative material.

Soapstone

Relatively inexpensive, very durable, and easy to work with, Wilsonart laminate. You can order order 8"x10" samples from the link below. You can see what a full sheet looks like by clicking through, too.

http://www.wilsonart.com/search/keyword/concrete

Check out slate. Its got the look you want and non-porous. I'll look for a pic.

Thank you all for the suggestions. Does anyone know of a fabricator that sells soapstone in the NYC area? I'd like to get a couple of samples and see if that might work.

I'm in a similar position, michelle M, but on the West Coast. We were all set to go with concrete, until we realized how high maintenance it is. Rethink!

While at Home Depot, we discovered Dekton, and were intrigued. Check out the Vegha color, which has a sort of mottled concrete-y appearance.

We are 90% set on the Trilium color, which is more like rusted-out steel--a different look entirely, even more industrial than our original concrete look!

Our only reservation is the cracking and chipping issue, which is a concern...

I also like some of the Neolith colors, but from what I've read, Dekton seems either stronger or easier for fabricators to deal with (it's hard to tell).

Here's a picture of Avonite's new Ocean Breeze polyester solid surface. That's a 3" edge sample I made from drops from a job I'm working on. No, it isn't mitered, it's rabbeted. It costs $50.00 per square foot lying on the pallet in the shop; double that installed in your home.

Unlike concrete, Ocean Breeze is transparent and can therefore be backlit.

@ Melissa D on the west coast. We are definitely experiencing the same dilema! I do have the dekton samples and i like the senga - that is one of my choices. I am alao considering Pebble Honed by ceaserstone - which looked more concretey to me than the ones that were actually called concrete. And finally waiting on some soapstone samples. keep me posted - would love to see how your project works out!!

UPDATE: Thank you for all of the ideas. After much debate, I want to use soapstone (i would not oil). I've narrowed it down to these 2 finalists. I'm using white handless ikea voxtorp white cabinets. Which soapstone would look better? These are 2 pictures of the same 2 stone samples? one is more comsistent throughout. THe other has some light white veining. I'm going to do a thick 2 inch mitered edge. thoughts -which one would you vote for???

as a reminder, this is my inspiration.

I'd love you thoughts on which soapstone piece works better!

I like it a snick more blue than gray...so I vote for the second set. But my choice is based on colour and not veining. You will want to view the slabs you are purchasing. You will probably find the slab isn't like the sample. Choose the slab you like, not the sample.

Good advice -- I will definitely be going to select the slab. Unfortunately, these 2 samples are from 2 different companies; so I'd like to narrow it down and make one trip, not 2. Thank u again!

Hi Michelle, we hope you are satisfied with your selection. However we would like to tell you, perhaps for future uses, the versatility that Neolith can offer you. The main advantages that Neolith provides, compared with natural stone, granite or quartz are:

HYGIENIC - It does not give off any harmful substances and is totally suitable for contact with food. NSF Certifate.

RESISTANT TO BENDING - It has a high shear rate, making it resistant to heavy loads and pressure.

RESISTANT TO SCRATCHES - Its hard surface makes it resistant to scratches and abrasion.

EASY TO CLEAN - Resistant to any kind of chemical cleaning agent such as bleach or ammonia.

RESISTANT TO UV RAYS - Being 100% natural, its colors do not fade away when being exposed to sun light or other extreme weather conditions.

RESISTANT TO HIGHT TEMPERATURES - It does not burn in contact with fire nor does it emit smoke or toxic substances when subjected to high temperatures.

100% NATURAL - It does not give off any substances that are harmful to the environment.

RESISTANT TO ICE AND THAW - Neolith does not suffer any changes when exposed to low temperatures.

WATERPROOF - Waterproof and resistant to liquids, with an absorption level of almost zero.

100% RECYCLABLE - Up to 52% of any Neolith slab is composed of recycled raw materials.

For furniture and interior cladding, using 3 mm is recommended; for flooring (interior and exterior) and exterior applications (like ventilated façades), 6 mm is recommended; whereas 12 and 20 mm is reserved for more demanding product uses such as for kitchen worktops.

Here you have a small sample of our material in the Basalt Gray model, very similar to the one you have chosen. If you want to browse a little more, visit our website, Neolith Projects, any doubt just ask us. A greeting and we hope you enjoy your kitchen.

https://www.houzz.com/user/michellemay30 Do you have any updates on your choice of countertop? We started out from Soapstone - Minas, and Noir and then went to a local quarry for granite, then back to fancier granites, have recently discovered the caeserstone concrete but the staining or upkeep has me concerned. I have had a samples of Minas and Noir Soapstone in my kitchen and I feel that water drops, oils etc everything shows but its a kitchen worktop! So, I just wipe it down when I get a moment and its all good again. I too would keep it unoiled if I chose Soapstone.

Would love to hear how you got on. :D

https://www.houzz.com/user/transnationalq

@transnationalq.....My kitchen is just about finished and I did choose ipanema soapstone. It was installed last week - and I absolutely love it - very happy I went with it. I mitred the edge to be 2.5 inches thick. While is does not look exactly like concrete, it does have that light grey, chunky, lofty vibe that I was after. I did a lot of "tests" on the samples prior to purchase. I found that scratches or tough oil stains rubbed out relatively easily with a brillo pad. And yes, water shows, but then it evaporates.

I also considered caeserstone, which I believe would be more durable, but in the end I fell in love with the natural stone, and preferred it to the manmade look. I will post photos tomo of the *almost* final kitchen.

I added a couple of recent pix - not great lighting, but this is the gist of how it turned out!

michelle M The countertops look gorgeous! That soapstone is perfect blend of natural and modern! I've not seen this soapstone before. I will call the local dealers to ask about it. How much did you end up spending on them?

I got them at M Teixeira, which is a dealer that specializes in soapstone. They were fantastic.

Beautiful! You made the right choice.

How is your soapstone holding up? There is a thread on house, where someone purchased a stone like yours, and it ended up absorbing oils and looking blotchy. Also they got lots of dings...it scared me away from the stone -- but yours is really really beautiful. Would you mind letting me know?

Hi @remodelingincali-

i have had my soapstone for about a year and a half now. It does absorb oils, but it is easy to buff them out with a flat Brillo pad - just a few swipes and oil is gone. It looks a little darker around the sink - i guess from all of the water splashes; I could probably buff it out with a Brillo; but haven’t really tried in that area. There are definitely some dings in it– which I didn’t expect. If you chop something really hard or bang plates down or something it can chip or ding. That annoys me a little -but I still think it’s a beautiful stone. But won’t stay looking perfect. It definitely ages with time!!

No to soapstone. In my bathrooms u get water spots. and hair products with oil stain it. I recently had to use sandpaper to take out a stain. Most of my house is concrete or honed granite.

go for honed granite.

I live in NJ - stone throw from NYC-- have you looked into leathered granite-- maybe even some scrap pieces -- I have leathered and LOVE IT- there are soooo many granite shops in our area-- also have a concrete trough sink i bought through houzz which is dreamy