Love that stove! Do you want more red? If you got light tops for the perimeter, you could add some red in the backsplash. Generally, I prefer dark tops with maple.

Thanks! My husband doesn't want dark counters as we just had 10 years of them!

Light gray quartz will look great with maple too. I'm wondering if you're doing a backsplash.

Ha me too!!! No idea about the backsplash-thoughts??

save your money, choose none of the countertops (or if they make u choose something, choose a cheap laminate) and go pick out your own stone and fabricator. Builders make the most money on these homes by overcharging you for 'upgrades'. its a joke what they consider 'level III'!

you could get exactly what you want for about 5K total if you do it yourself.

I love that stone in the pic. what is that? (last picture)

Narcarado quartzite. Beautiful! I love it run all the way up as a backsplash.

thx suzy,,,I missed that! (btw suzyq,,,can you load pics into comments? i can't)

I love that quartzite. I'd save the money and do it yourself in that, after you move in. you can prob buy that slab yourself for 2k and get it fabricated for another 2-3K. It would be the perfect match to that gorgeous stove.

found it here in some different tones/veining. it's really pretty.

https://www.colonialmarble.net/products/nacarado-quartzite/

It is nacardo-and I'd love to do the back splash in it but only have enough budgeted for the island top. A bit of clarification-this is our house and we are remodeling and I feel a lot of pressure to get it right bc it took all of our appliances breaking (each of them) until my husband would finally agree to remodel. I just can't decide if I do the nacardo on the island what color would go best on the perimeter? Or should I just keep the island and perimeter the same bc I already have that reddish stove and two different color cabinets...and then what to do for the back splash? I have studied everything out there around me and feel stuck not knowing what to do...thanks so much all for helping!!

Personally, I am getting concerned that you are incorporating too many different materials and colors in your "permanent" surfaces. If you are going to use a "centerpiece" granite on the island, then keep the island base in the same material and color as the surrounding cabinetry. Even that seems a bit much to me. You already have the stove as your focal point. Allow the rest to fade into the background a bit more--and use/rotate accessories to find your bliss :) I think a light cream or grey quartz with subtle pattern or veining would look great for all the countertops. Then you can really play with the back splash if desired. (And change it out for a lot less in the future).

I know how you feel. I always blow the budget. But sometimes in the long run, it works out because I get to enjoy what I want and its more attractive for future buyers so it sells faster and for more. Not saying you'll get back what you spend though. If you could find the right granite, it would be half the cost of quartzite and cheaper than quartz.

Not as dramatic as the nacarado but it looks great with the maple cabs and your red stove would shine. Half the price!

I love this -any idea what kind of granite? Thank you all again so much -and i really am torn about the nacarado. I'm so worn out from being all over the place!l

I sure wish I could post these pics of this Fusion Quartzite. I found one called "Cristallo. fusion quartzite". it's beautiful white w/reddish veins. gorgeous w/your stove.

White Diamond Quartzite is another. Exuberant Brown Quartzite, and Fusion Dark quartzite,,,are all others that look amazing. if you can google the images, you can see them.

Wow! This looks so amazing to me, and I'm building a 1M+ custom.

Thank you for those suggestions - so is the consensus forget the nacarado on the island and get the same tops for both the island and the kitchen ? Next issue will be the backsplash...

Can you post the layout? I'm having a hard time envisioning where the island will be, and how much of a focal point it will actually be. I'm not seeing how it relates to the run of perimeter counters that are all that can be seen in the picture.

Can’t upload the floor plan and elevation for some reason but the island will be just beyond where the dog is standing

Got it...

The Island is still packed up...

The floor plan doesn’t show but there will also be a maple pantry cabinet across the wall to the right of the sliding glass door -floor to ceiling...we are also adding windows in the dining room which will add light to the rest of the kitchen and be seen through the cut out in the kitchen. Thank you all so much for taking the time to comment-it really means a lot to me as this is a good problem to have but a problem nonetheless!

So the island is more of a table in the breakfast area than an island. I think you need an inexpensive, quiet quartz for it all. I don't think you will ever see the top of the table where it's located. It's going to be partial dump zone, and covered with everything else you find on a kitchen table. There will be no opportunity to have a giant clear surface as a work of art.

If you still love the quartzite, eliminate the wood hood and use it behind an unobtrusive glass hood so the stone is an actual focal point for your cooking.

Green has a good point. Or, use the narcado throughout, including bringing it up as a backsplash.

I think you can still use two different stones if you want. the island is far enough away from the perimeter cabinets. If you use it just for the island, how much will you use? It seems like the top is on the smaller side? Or maybe I'm reading the layout incorrectly. If you buy a huge slab and only use a 3x5 portion of it, seems like a waste.

sure wish I could post pictures. don't know why you can! are you doing it from your phone? these Fusion Quartzites are stunning.

Hi thanks! I did do it from my phone-it wouldn’t work from my computer..the island is small but the price on the nacarado is pretty high...I priced it out for doing the whole backsplash and it’s like $3000 or so...my husband is adamant we stick to the budget for the counters (and everything else now bc we added work that we hadn’t planned on)...which is about $44/sq ft. I have found zero in that price range that I like...the quartz would be around $80/sq ft. and the nacarado $95 or so. I need like 70 sq feet total. Formica is out but it’s all I can seem to afford now!! I’m willing to go over budget somewhat but I also need to make sure I don’t goof this up bc it took us forever to get here! Seriously we were bungee cording our dishwasher to the window sills b4 this!

nikky,,,lol. wow. well then yes, do it right. Will you be living here for over 10 years? If yes, then get the countertop that makes you happy. If you have to settle for something you don't want, merely because of the budget, then you will never be truly happy w/that space. you will always say to yourself, "I wish I had gotten that other counter". so, perhaps cutting the budget from elsewhere, or something that can be put off for awhile would help? have you looked at other places? looked for remnants? Perhaps barter w/them. I know if you offer all cash to pay, they will be more likely to slash the pricing. Go in there w/the cash in hand and a price. Show them the cash and say, "this is all I can pay and I'll take it right now". Sometimes it works.

Good suggestion! Thanks! Yes we plan on being here for a while-and I agree on your points! I think I have rolls Royce dreams but a public transport budget!

Story of my life nikky. If I see something that I love, it will be the most expensive option every time. Its like a superpower.

or, take the laminate, live with that for 6 months, and save for the one you want. just hold off on doing any backsplash.

Thanks guys! I had no idea that this whole thing would be such a massive time consuming effort that could cause even more gray hair!

Thinking of this...typhoon Bordeaux....this one isn’t quite as yellow as the other ones I’ve seen. I’m skipping the nacardo though and all the counters will have this. Otherwise it’s still nacarado with maybe cambria Newport-but I’m worried it’s too many colors going on. Open to any thoughts/comments/suggestions!

That's a nice slab. you have one without a lot of the burgundy coloring. make sure you get that exact slab and they don't switch on you (take pics. I've heard of people getting other slabs!)

this is also typhoon bordeaux

that slab has a good amount of gray, so make sure it goes well w/cabs and flooring. bring a cabinet door and flooring scrap w/you to see how they look. Hopefully these pics will give you an idea of how it looks. it's a very busy granite so everything else will have to be toned down.

Thanks! This particular slab seems a bit less busy and she is promising me both slabs in the lot-I am a bit nervous about the business but when comparing to the London sky (attaching a photo) I like the typhoon Bordeaux better. Thank you thank you thank you for all the virtual hand holding!! :)

I think it's a good match! the other one. and it's in your price range?

It’s $2k above...but everything else I’ve loved is about $5k above...so I think this will be it...but then....pulls and backsplash!!! Omg. I need this to come to a conclusion! But I spend so much time looking at everything, analyzing everything-it’s almost like a disorder!

yay - so today I found ivory fantasy (astoria) and it looks great and exactly what we budgeted! Now the dilemma,,,which sink????

or this? truffle...

thanks!!!

i ordered the truffle...but having second thoughts bc of the contrast with the stove

you prob won't see it if it's under mount. why not an ivory or the granite color? that granite would be a very nice contrast and go w/the stove as well

https://www.houzz.com/products/32-granite-double-undermount-kitchen-sink-cafe-brown-prvw-vr~52384725

maybe I can call and switch it - it is undermount...thanks again Beth!!!