They are both beautiful, but I lLOVE the first slab choice, but think that the second one suits your kitchen choices best.

I'm partial to Danby marble as I have it in my kitchen and love it. It looks beautiful with your cabinet and flooring. But it will etch, and the quartzite shouldn't (if it is indeed genuine quartzite). So that's a consideration.

I'm not familiar with "soapstone granite" does it go by any other name? It's hard to tell what it looks like from your photo. I have Jet Mist granite on the beverage bar in my kitchen and love that as well.

Both are pretty cool, indeed. I'd probably lean a bit more towards your second choice however.

I like the Imperial Danby. Not sure about the soapstone; I think they might look good together, but I am not a pro.

The Danby is my choice.

Jora - The Infinity definitely is a cool slab. I wonder if I would tire of the grey look after awhile, but it is awfully beautiful in person. I tend to agree that the Danby goes with my other selections better. If only they made the Infinity with just a bit more brown... Would you do all the same or two-tone with a dark perimeter?

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC - Here's a better picture of the American Soapstone Granite (not my slab but pretty representative). It has subtle veining, but is overall pretty dark. Would you do the Danby and Soapstone or Danby throughout? The two-tone is much more budget friendly, but I've never seen it done in person (and the photos I find don't really show it very well). I'm not sure whether the black would stand out or just fade into the background - would prefer the latter.

artemis_ma - all Danby or Danby & Soapstone Granite?

Elaine Ricci - I am definitely not a pro either. Have you seen two-tone in person? I wish I could!

Anyone have input on the floor choices? I like the bottom two, but pretty torn.

I like both, but Danby a bit more. And I like just one type countertop surface for the whole kitchen. However, the Quartzite is less prone to daily use issues than marble so think how you use your kitchen. If you’re very careful (and don’t mind being careful) Danby will be fine. Or, if you are carefree and don’t mind possibly etching or staining, stick with Danby. Quartzite requires less thought in this regard. They’re both beautiful imo.

I chose two different counter tops in my kitchen--Olympian White Danby and Virginia/Jet Mist mostly for practical reasons. I wasn't sure that the Danby marble wouldn't stain, so I used the dark granite on the beverage bar (coffee/tea/wine), and the Olympian Danby on the rest of the kitchen. My fear was not warranted--the Danby DOES NOT STAIN. I can't emphasize this enough. There are no discolorations from anything (wine, coffee, tea, berries, citrus, tomatoes).

There ARE etches however on the marble, which is a totally different issue. The etches are just something you learn to live with when you have marble in a kitchen. I'm careful when I cook, but that's just because I'm very neat. My husband, on the other hand, is very messy and not careful at all. So the areas where he works in are highly etched. It's just a fact of life with marble, and if you think you wouldn't be able to live with it, then get the quartzite.

If your kitchen is large, then it probably can handle the two different counter top materials. If it's small, I'd stick to one.

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC- It's a large kitchen - my perimeter counters are 19 feet and 9 feet. I am tempted to go the two-tone route based on budget alone, but I worry I will make our kitchen too dark. Would this overwhelm the kitchen? Do you feel like the dark section in your kitchen stands out or fades into the background?

I am comfortable with the etching that comes with marble - I think it's part of the character. I'm planning on honed so it's slightly less noticeable, but we are a family that uses our kitchen and I fully expect that there will be plenty.

4200 for the black granite? It's not genuine soapstone is it? (I mean it's either soapstone or granite, it can't be both)

some quartzite is more durable, but depending on the calcite content in your slab could determine if yours would etch or stain. see if you can do the scratch test or lemon juice test way down in the corner

only marble won't scratch glass (it will leave a powdery residue.)

i like the black and the Danby best.

i'm considering very similar choices for mine. I wanted to do the charcoal quartz soapstone and maybe this calacatta porcelain, or the gray quartz

Atlantic lava stone

Beth H. - I agree that the name is confusing, but that's what they call it around here. It is a granite, but they call it a soapstone granite because it has the "look" of soapstone - I thought it was the first time I saw it. I'm told the benefits of this are that it doesn't show fingerprints like honed absolute black does and the veining makes it a little softer.

The first and third light colored slabs are beautiful. Is that first light colored one the Calcutta porcelain? If so, it does a great job of looking like marble. I would have loved to go that route, but we don't have installers here who are comfortable with that material yet. From what I've read, it also doesn't have the heat issues that quartz does.

Have you found any good photos of the two-toned? I'm having a hard time visualizing. .

the porcelain is the one that looks just like a calacatta. it was 1700 and does require an experienced installer. needs to be done w/thinset.

that black looks like a virginia mist or jet mist black granite. 4200 seems very pricey for this granite. even w/the specialty finish

two tones are out there. try searching on houzz

Elen, I think your choices are stunning and you can't miss with any decision you make. Also, remember once installed, you won't have the same view of your slabs as you would when you purchase them. :)

Also, I vote for the two toned kitchen! :). Gives your eyes interest.

My vote is for the white infinity. Really like the marbling pattern.

I think that you already answered your own question regarding the 2 slabs. "if I would tire of the gray" and "if Infinity was a little more brown"....so there you go, listen to that :)

I like all three (especially the Infinity), but if it was my kitchen I would base my decision more on practicality than the look of the slab - in other words, no marble for me.

I like Danby but would worry about marble. I would also choose one countertop for the entire kitchen-two seems busy. I don’t think you can go wrong w any of them.

Beth H. - The particular installer for that Soapstone Granite prices the slab and all fabrication/installation together. That's the price for the slab and any fabrication, edges, and installation I want. I've done some price comparison and, at least where I'm located, it's beneficial for the customer if you choose a large slab and have a whole bunch of cuts to make and maybe less so if it's being used for something like a large island. Does that still seem high to you?

Ellen, if that's w/fabrication, that makes more sense. I just saw a nice soapstone slab at one of my local places and retail is $28 sq ft. (a slab is usually 50-65 sq ft) Install would add maybe 2K. depends how much cutting they have to do.

I like the first and second ones. But prefer shiny so first one. I too have wood color cabinets but silver cloud granite. Would of preferred more of a marble look like what you found in the infinity.

So, AO, you're saying that the Infinity Quartzite looks more like marble than the Danby marble?????

They look very similar but Danny more like marble. Just like shiny and that one is honed

A O - the Infinity is a quartzite, and the Imperial Danby is a marble.

They really are all beautiful and I would be happy to have any one of them. You’ve found some great picks. I will say that honed marble and soapstone are the two truly classic looks and thus are the least likely to be dated to a particular era. No one is every going to say ”that’s so 2019 “ :). Ditto, using all the same counter material is a timeless approach, mixing stones is not. it does sound like you have a big enough kitchen to have different materials, but i envision long sweeps of honed marble and think “wow!” I’m voting for the Danby.

We just finished our kitchen remodel using Eureka Danby in the main part of the kitchen and soapstone on the breakfast bar (with quartersawn oak cabinets and BM Eclipse cabinets -- picking up the brown and gray in the Danby). We love it. Think about running your counter surface up the wall as the backsplash to minimize the number of materials and focus on the ones you love.

Christine do you have a picture

Here is a photo that shows one side of the kitchen. We combined QS oak and SW Eclipse cabs to avoid a "sea of brown" with our wood floors. I chose the SW color specifically to complement the Eureka Danby slabs. Much easier to match the paint to the slabs than vice versa!

Here's the baking counter on the opposite side.

Christine, I love the design. How do you like your Danby, so far? I'm thinking I may want it if it isn't as bad as Carrara.

Honestly? Either would have served the purpose of lightening up the room (needed to balance the med/dark cabinets). I wanted a counter/backsplash that captured both colors of my cabinets. There are about six different types of Danby marble; some have both the gray and brown striations, some are gray only. The grays also vary significantly between blue and green. The Carrara didn't have the brown tones I wanted. I'm not sure what you mean by "not as bad as Carrara." It's sealed, of course, and we haven't had a problem with staining. We're still awaiting etching, which we know is just a matter of time. Our Danby is honed (which feels fantastic), so it won't be as obvious. This particular Danby cost significantly more than Carrara, but I wanted something unique, Once I saw it, nothing else compared. It's was like everyone says, when you find your slabs, you know it. They came with a price tag, but as you can tell from our pics, I really did not want the ubiquitous white kitchen.

Danby is known to be a'harder' marble than carrara or the others. It doesn't etch as easily as carrara, or stain. that's what I was asking if you've noticed that.

We haven't had etching yet (5 months, but who's counting?), but I expect we will. Maybe not as quickly, but it's a chemical reaction, so I think it goes with the territory eventually.

Christine, your kitchen is gorgeous. I love the QS oak and Danby marble, and your dark painted cabinets are beautiful as well. Great job!

I have honed Olympian white Danby, and I've posted many times here on Houzz that because it is very dense, it does not stain, but like all marbles, it etches like crazy. You just have to roll with it, or don't get it if the etches bother you.

I love your counters I wish I had found something like that When I built my kitchen I have cherry cabinets instead and silver cloud which are pretty but I always wanted more of the marble look houzz has given me so much more information I wish I had when I built the Kitchen thanks for sharing your kitchen is beautiful

Christine, gorgeous range!

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC I’m considering a honed imperial danby or mont Lucia quartzite for my island. I’m using via lactea on perimeters. I could see either the marble or quartzite working in my kitchen. Sounds like you’re a fan of marble. I can handle etching. But how has your marble faired with chips & staining? I read where you previously said that it does not stain? Is that still the case? Do you remember what type of sealer they used on your danby? Thank you!

@Tammy--I have honed Olympian White Danby on most of my kitchen counter tops, with honed Jet Mist on the beverage bar. Jet Mist looks very much like the Via Lactea you mentioned, so it would look beautiful together!

As far as how the marble has held up, there is still no staining at all. Lots of etches, especially on the peninsula where we do a lot of prep and eating. Chips where I've hit a pot or wine bottle on the edges. Oh well, that's life with marble!

It was sealed when installed in 2014, and I haven't had it re-sealed since. Sorry I don't know what they used, but it was a product from Italy--my fabricator is Italian. I probably should have it redone, but I'm waiting until Covid is no longer a threat to have anyone in the house.

Good luck with your decision! Would love to see your room finished!

Thank you for that helpful information @Diana Bier Interiors, LLC. I will most certainly show photos when I’m done! ☺️

Imperial Danny or honed granite!

@diana bier interiors do you have a picture of your kitchen? We are also looking at Olympian White Island and Virginia mist granite for perimeter