I love soapstone but that looks like it would be too dark for me. Which can be mitigated with excellent lighting. Are you using both upper and lower cabs in Hale Navy?

I think I'd get a granite w warmer tans /caramel . Work off wood tones on island and other beams etc in the room. Navy and tan , in other words...warmer feel than the coldness of the black or stark white. That shade of navy would work well that way

No. Too dark.

Is there any chance you can make a decision on the counter top after the cabinets are installed? Once they and the flooring are in place you'll get a better and true feel of the space which may make your decision much easier.

If you decide to go with Soapstone you might want to look at honed black jet mist granite. It is often suggested on Houzz for someone wanting the look of Soapstone but wanting a more budget friendly counter top.

This is honed black jet mist granite and my client is very happy with it as it doesn't show finger prints, etc...

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I like soapstone with dark colors. Love the pictures Holly posted.

I will have very few upper cabinets. Just around the fridge and a 12” pantry on other side. Will have wooden open shelving

The navy/soapstone color combo was our kitchen inspiration. I love it. https://www.remodelista.com/posts/before-and-after-goode-green-kitchen-remodel-with-custom-kitchen-island-by-siosi-design/

Of the three samples you posted, I much prefer the soapstone. We didn't use soapstone because I thought I would spend the next five years (until a patina developed) being annoyed by scratches and dents. Instead, we used honed "Silver Grey" granite, which doesn't really resemble soapstone (IMHO, no granite does, including Jet Mist) but gives a similar impression. I agree with the suggestion to wait on the countertop (and backsplash) decision until the cabinets are in, if possible.

Here's our close-to-final product. (Sorry for the pointing finger, haha). I think this color combo looks especially sharp with dark pulls.

No such thing as a modern farmhouse. It's a made up term. :)

I would love the soapstone with your description of your house. And I think the Hale Navy cabinets will be awesome.

I'd prefer something lighter with the dark blue cabinets. I can't give a reason WHY ... just personal preference.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5717017/why-do-all-the-kitchens-look-the-same#n=106

"No such thing as a modern farmhouse. It's a made up term. :)"

And here we go again....lololol. I agree with you to a certain extent but regardless of whether the term is "made up" or not, it's probably the MOST concise way for the OP (or anyone else) to get their design style across to others because everyone knows what they mean when they use it. And to that point, every word in every language is "made up". Whether or not the "modern farmhouse" TREND has longevity is yet to be seen. The only reason I see that the term gets so much criticism is because Joanna Gaines made it popular/trendy and made the masses want it in their home. Of course, there's not much love for JG on these boards so anything that was born out of her TV series gets shunned as well.

To the OP, I'm with Mrs Pete on this one. I think you need a lighter contrast with the Hale Navy cabinets. Those with brass knobs/pulls will look awesome! I keep hoping to get some Hale Navy cabinets in some part of our house when we remodel but it probably won't be the kitchen :)

Here are a few of our kitchen designs to help with your countertop choices:

Sorry but the colors in the top photo do not work together at all!

And the bottom one reminds me of baby blue.

Probably because that was a spammy comment designed to advertise things unrelated to the OP's question. Just somebody trying to piggy back on something that isn't really germaine to the point.

I think the OP needs to assess her own personal space and what other choices she prefers for her kitchen before deciding if soapstone will work, or not. No single choice happens in a vacuum, and they all need to work together.

I think white with navy and the wooden shelves would achieve the modern farmhouse look you’re aiming for! I think soapstone might be too dark, and would be too much maintenance for me. Looks like a beautiful space :) Have you thought about tile at all?

I'm a big fan of combining things like black and navy (and black a brown, though that's obviously not what you're doing here). It's a little more unexpected than navy and white, and thus, to me, more elegant and interesting. I think the soapstone or black granite would love really great with your space, though as Holly says, I'd try to keep the other elements light.

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I love the photos of this project just as it is. Laura, it's so airy and tall. Just keep that look in your mind so that you can finish it without taking too much from that open feeling. On a project I did for a client a couple of years ago, she had a very strict budget. When we went looking for countertops, she was thinking white marble but the cost was beyond her budget. Long story short, she found an inexpensive granite that spoke to her even more than the marble. She never gets tired of looking at it, see: https://www.ferriszoedesign.com/contemporary-design.html (first slideshow, "A couple of wandering gypsies...")

A friend of mine grew up in Lucca Italy and used marble in her California kitchen. That's what she grew up with, and everyone tried to talk her out of it, but I love marble, so I backed her up. One of my favorite coffee shops had a small marble bar in the corner, and I cherished it.....warts and all.

I would not use the black with the Navy cabinets. I think either of the other options would be beautiful.

I think the blue/soapstone photos look great. That said it is coming from someone with very

dark red cabs & soapstone.

Oh, I just love, love soapstone, it makes me so nostalgic for school and all those years in lab.

But hey, that's me.

You can get it darker, or lighter, and with more or less veining, whatever you choose.

You can get your sink made out of it and it will retain heat, and next to the sink you can have grooves made so it will be like a drainboard if you want.

It is softer and can chip though, so that is something to think about.

So pretty! I love my soapstone with dark green lowers, white uppers and white backsplash. There is a good amount of natural light. I am over the moon with my soapstone countertops. I would go so far as to say that if you feel like you have to change some element (and I don't think you should), change the cabinet color - change *anything* - before the soapstone.

White quartz