We have worked on a kitchen renovation project recently where the kitchen floor is scaped hardwood. The most important thing is whether the color / style of the countertop flows naturally with the kitchen cabinetry and the rest of the house. Old fashion or not is a rather subjective point of view.

The material we used for this project is Cambrian quartz and specifically, it's only 1cm thick to match with the sleek and contemporary look that the homeowners were looking for. http://www.houzz.com/projects/267304/Kitchen-project-in-Palo-Alto

Thank you Unravel Design. I couldn't get it to attach images on my cell phone. Here are some more images. First one is my current kitchen, the island will be where the black pipes are behind the ladder to the sheetrock - around 5' x 8', not small. Second one is the stone I selected from the local store (Corteccia 2cm from All Natural Stone) with my floor sample, paint chip for cabinet and ceaserstone for the surround (could use dark color cabinet and white ceaserstone as well). Third is an option that the builder suggested, with IceStone (some sparkles but not dramatic pattern) with Ash marble that I like as backsplash.
Since this is a new house, I could make the cabinetry flow with the stone that I pick. The only thing that I have picked now is the floor. I am current holding two book matched pieces of the stone - with the thought of doing a waterfall edge, which I'm not sure if it's possible with this stone. Deal to the veins, the builder suggested to use it on bath or fireplace instead.
As I mentioned before I would also consider doing a V pattern on the island, like this one:

Is it not a good idea to add a line on the island when usually you could cover it with one continuous piece of stone? I thought it might make the combo looking more contemporary vs. farmhouse casual.
Thanking for commenting.

Ultimately it comes down to personal taste. If you are going for a clean, contemporary look, one piece works well esp. if you want to have a waterfall countertop for the island. For example -