Here is the standard. Also, our kitchen being built and a similar one

Help please. We already paid $5000 to upgrade to granite.

If anything, I would do dark on the perimeter, and light on the island and white subway tile on the entire wall. And schoolhouse fixtures.

Upgrade the granite. You will regret going with builder's grade granite. There's a reason it's cheaper. Are you building a custom home or through a development? If you are going with a custom home, then it's probably a good idea to upgrade through your builder. Just make sure you know who they are using so that you can confirm that you will get a quality installation and help down the road when you need it. If you are building in a development, then I highly recommend getting the cheapest option on the counter through them and upgrading after everything is finished through a higher quality company. Sometimes upgrading through your builder can be more expensive than going outside their subcontract agreements. However, this all depends on who is building your home. The granite will be the single most noticeable feature of your kitchen. It's not a good area to settle for less.

What are you choices through the builder there must be others that are not upgrades?

I like the idea of victoria falls with the dark colored island and the black sao on the light colored perimeter cabinets. I love leathered, so I'd consider having all of it leathered - you can have any shiny granite or quartzite leathered for around $600/slab.

Contrast is right - don't match light to light below and dark to dark below as suggested by builder. Use the engineered gray and white quartz on the dark island and go as plain as possible on the back wall, with a honed finish plain black if that is the builders standard (you may have to ask for honed instead of polished but it should be no additional cost)

We are building through a developer. Too late to go back to a standard laminate. We have already paid $5000 to upgrade to a standard granite. The only standard that fits my black, white and gray color scheme is the black sao, there are afew other choices but they are all very spotted and I don't like that look. There are no whites. Also, there are a few standard solid white and grey quartz. The black forest leathered that is pictured is a level 4 upgrade and the Victoria Falls is a 5. I wanted super white but it is a level 8 (way too expensive).
My husband hates honed finish :(

Darker would be better if it in case is my kitchen.

white quartz would be my choice for sure. i don't like granite, but black for contrast on the island will look good inho

quartz is a superior product although i have read of white quartz yellowing. make sure you research the quartz you are getting and make sure of the guarantee.

granite is sooooooooooo yesterday. lol. anything that needs sealing shouldn't be preferred.

We are also about to do our kitchen with white shaker units. I'd have white quartz if we could afford to.

When we were at the showroom we were thinking of the black sao on the back wall (white cabinets) and the black forest leathered with a sealer on the island (dark cabinets) then I got home and got scared. Realized everything I have pinned is light. Worried that it will look too black. All appliances are stainless, lots of natural light and white walls. I was thinking of a white subway tile, or marble, or grey glass, or marble and glass pencil Backsplash.

My husband 's choice

That looks great!

I love the black forest leathered but not on the dark cabinet. What about all white cabinets (island too) with black forest on the island and black sao on the perimeter? - just a thought. Will the floor be wood?

Too late to change cabinets. Yes, the floor is wood. Picture above, the dark one on the board I LOVE the black forest but agree it may be too dark on the island. The hubby may be painting the island soon LOL

My choice

Do the black forest on the perimeter with white subway tile all the way up. do the Dreamy Marfil on the Island. not crazy about the back splash, a variation on a classic subway would be my choice. Or the same Dreamy Marfil (looks like carrara from here) tile, in a subway pattern.

I definitely think your choice is the right one, Angela. I'm afraid the island could look quite dark and a bit dreary with his choice and it that were true, it would detract greatly from the beauty of the special countertop on the island.

I like the black forest, it has interest and movement and fingerprints won't show on the leathered finish.

I like the Black Forest leathered for all of it. The pattern will be different throughout just due to the natural flow in the granite. Keep the backsplash a simple, bright design...I like the glass tiles your hubby chose, but I think the white subway tiles will looks great as well. I have light cabinetry on the perimeter and a very dark stained island with dark granite and it looks fine. The thing to remember is that you need a focal point (which will probably be the granite), and you don't want your kitchen to be too "busy" with multiple shapes, shades, and patterns. I found a few examples, although they're not exact, maybe this will help you decide. Good luck :)

We are going with the black forest leathered on everything. Thanks.

Hello, I wanted to add that my husband and I have a lovely patterned "cold spring" granite around the perimeter of our kitchen and find that the darker and very expensive granite that we put on our island seems to ground the kitchen. We have had countless comments on how lovely the combination of the lighter perimeter and having the black granite (sorry cannot remember the name of it) on the island looks. Have no fear to choose to do this.

Done!

Beautiful Angela! I love your decision! Can't wait for you to post the final/finished pics! Keep us updated!!

Great choice! Can't wait to see it all finished. I always feel so invested after following a houzz discussion for a couple days.

Thanks for your help. We did our walk through yesterday and I LOVE the black forest leathered granite we choose. I will post a picture of the completed kitchen when we move in next week.