Taj Mahal leathered finish

I really think you need to stay in the dark family - something with a lot of black. Otherwise your back wall will not make sense. The current counter works nicely - why not replace with same.

You know, I see the design statement you were making. I wouldn't have chosen any of your materials because my home is less formal, but I see the beauty of the design and the way you've pulled it together. I would stick with your original vision and keep the black. I mentioned Marinace granite earlier today. It might be a fit for you - it's a very particular look.

@Eam44 I personally agree that countertop should not have veiny quartz on it. Taj Mahal is our second option right now.
We looked at quartz because every single friend said that it is the best looking countertop and we should get that. I really don’t think so. That’s why I’m here))

ok I changed my mind

Absolute black granite, and I think it is sometimes called Nero black granite

I even found it on cabinets similar to yours, scroll down

http://www.solidstonecountertops.com/sale-10030885-black-natural-granite-countertops-high-density-solid-black-granite-countertops.html

Maybe Grover or someone with photoshop skills will chime in. The black in the back wall is very striking and if you pair that with a light island I think you will end up with the kitchen feeling like two separate halves. The back wall counter top could be solid black absolute granite either polished or honed and the island could stay dynamic (but with a lot of black). I don’t see a light counter at all in your space. I could have seen light counters if the black was not done on the back wall cabinets.

Yeah - friends are awesome - they're not always right. Quartz would be lovely but it's just not that kind of space.

We can’t find another black granite like this and apparently it’s a piece of garbage very fragile. That’s why they don’t sell it. That was our first slab that broke. I would be happy with that one

I like the Marianne that eam posted. That works. And I’d pair it with the back counter in absolute black.

Auto corrected Marinace to Marianne. Sheesh.

Thanks guys!
Back countertops will be getting ripped off. We are replacing it all

I’m seconding the vote for soapstone. While it is soft, it isn’t terribly so. We just lived in a house with it for five years and it looked the exact same when we moved out as it did when we moved in. I wouldn’t rule it out!

I saw this slab at one of my stone places and had never seen anything like it. It's White Soapstone.

If you want drama and black, this one, and these others would fit the bill

what about the cambria nero marquino?

Blue Roma Rome

The colors in the Patagonia would be perfect

I would recommend soap stone or waterfall stone. Or even marble or Quartz

The blue Roma Rome is nice

And the Cambrian too

cambria

OH NO, am I the ONLY one who likes the stone you. have in place?

LOVE LOVE it!

What stone would u prefer to have in your kitchen Jora

I would want soapstone and I’m thinking about getting it

Ruuya - I prefer natural stone. We just replaced out tiled countertops with Cristallo quartzite.

When looking down at the stone, it has depth beyond words. :)

I don't even know what soapstone looks like, although seems like every other post on Houzz is about someone either wanting it, or putting on in. :)

Following

I think gray soapstone would look stunning in this kitchen.

Soapstone would be so beautiful! I’m not a designer but I believe it fits the mid century modern style as well.

I'd use polished Absolute Black granite in your kitchen. Soapstone is lovely but it has a more rustic country vibe, and your kitchen is very modern and more formal. No heavy veining to let your beautiful cabinets be the focal point.

From what Beth posted I like the Cambria Nero Marquina or the Patagonia - there is enough black in those to ‘make sense’ with the back wall and to ‘marry’ both sides of the kitchen. I love soapstone but not in this kitchen. It doesn’t have any deep dark black in it IMO for this kitchen. Keep us posted with your kitchen - would love to see how it turns out!

Actually Diana brings up a good point. What are you planning for your backsplash? The Absolute Black Granite in both your back wall and island would allow you to add something interesting for the backsplash. If you pick one of the splashy options for countertops you really want your backsplash to be background and very plain.

What you currently have is totally not my style but it is stunning.

Hidden Treasure I think would look nice. But it, too, is kind of fragile. Lots of black with white veining and sometimes rusty colored streaks.

I actually do like what is there. A lot! It’s bold and goes well with your cabinets. It just takes a second to appreciate the combination.

I think the one you have is stunning. Looks like artwork.

Love your cabinets! Following to see what you choose!

So many comments! Thanks for your opinions and input. After reading all your thoughts we are back to loving black, I think light cream/beige color will look pretty good too (like Taj Mahal), but we want drama! You gave us confidence and now are choices are:

Gabana still for the light. It’s pretty magically looking in real life. It looks like lightning strikes in 3D... very unique, that’s why prefer it over Taj Mahal. But. Taj is also on the list

We don’t consider marble or soapstone, my husband won’t allow. Granite, quartzite or quartz. Quartz is kinda way too black and fake looking. So it is very last resort.

For black we are going to consider now Belvedere quartzite in leathered finish (Matt and a little textured).

Our cabinets don’t look good with grays.
For backsplash we are going with very neutral color maybe couple tones lighter than cabinets but will try to be in the same family of the color. Might do rained tiles in couple spot or textured. I’ll attach pics of ideas If anyone is interested.

And here a picture of one of the stones at that store.

I wish it was less busy but I’m still happy with it. Here’s another example of a kitchen with Belvedere

Not all soapstone is soft. We put in a hard variety, Belvedere, almost four years ago. Haven’t had one chip or scratch. We love it. Impervious to everything, it doesn’t stain or etch, or show fingerprints, like some black granites. Soapstone is smooth, sensuous, and never gets cold, even in the cold northeast. It’s a breeze to clean, too.

There is a lot of misinformation about soapstone. Find yourself a soapstone dealer (not a stone yard that mostly sells granite, marble and quartzite.), and get educated.

I don’t know where you’re located, but M. Teixeira (where we got ours), has locations across the country. Dorado Soapstone, and Vermont Soapstone, are two others. Could be a good idea to call Teixeira. If you’re out of their delivery range, they might know of a store nearer you, that they partner with. Worth a try.

Good luck!

The Belvedere samples you show are pretty great. They all look like they would marry the two elements in your very unique kitchen. Leathered looks the best to me.
I’d hold off getting a backsplash until the new countertop is installed.

That Marinace granite would be awesome.

Consider Vermont Slate in a cleft finish. Have it in my master bath and I LOVE how it looks and feels - the texture is not as busy as a leather and a good slate is GREAT for counters.

You don’t have to tell your husband that Belvedere is soapstone...

On the pictures i posted is Belvedere quartzite. We CAN get that)))

If you like the look of soapstone but not the softer stone, what about one of the granites with a similar look? Virginia Mist, Nero Mist, Black Mist, Negresco, and Via Lactea are some of the names it goes by.

Wow. That’s pretty!

Kristin S brings up a really good option. Jet Mist is a wonderful granite that would work great in your kitchen. I have honed JM, but I think polished would work better in your more modern/contemporary space.

And as a bonus, at least around me, it's quite inexpensive, especially compared to quartzite.

You’re not the first person on Houzz to be told that it’s quartzite, but if karin-mt hasn’t seen a black quartzite in her career as a geologist, most likely neither have you. You should do the glass scratch test. Or just get it if you like it.

Who’s the manufacturer of your cabinets? I love them.

Marinace Granite has A LOT of pink/salmon ... not a direction you want to go in!

Guys, we had unsuccessful attempt to install another black stone, called Belvedere quartzite. Stones were damaged. We had pretty much no choice at this point and here’s our final product

New countertop is in

Our cabinets are done by Bridgeview cabinets, custom order.

Beautiful! I hope you love it. Long journey for you, but worth it.