Fantasy Brown isn’t your solution. It‘s cold colors don’t go with the cream cabinets at all. If budget is an issue, then you need a basic inexpensive warm toned granite. Something like Venetian Ice or Santa Cecilia.

Before you put stone onto this, you need to check clearances of your corner drawers. The pulls and drawers vs the DW handles. It looks like something isn’t going to clear properly. Make that happen before putting stone on top.

I agree there seem to be some issues in the space I never put stoves in islands if at all possible and raised Islands are not the answer I would like to see the whole kitchen please as IMO pass throughs are not attractive and very dated especially if they go into a LR

Everything is different now but this was the original set up. This house has been remodeled several times and the room behind the kitchen is an add on. That is a load bearing wall and we were told there’s nothing that we could do without spending $$$$$. We looked into moving the stove but in the end it seemed like more trouble and expense than it was worth. I would have kept everything counter height but needed something to hide the stove. I did not need a living room so we knocked that wall so there’s just a large open area to the left of the kitchen.

Keeping the walls would have been much better. As would have been getting rid of the drywall pantry in order to get the DW out of the prep space in the corner.

Not the best picture either but this is all I have. The wall has since been fixed

This piece Is also in the budget. The shop just has questionable reviews. ot is a better match?

Stick with the budget creamy based granite from a better quality fabricator. None of the gray really works. It’s too cold. You’ll never get any of this back in value, especially with that wall removal, so keep the choices budget minded.

With those floors, I think I’d look at a solid white countertop in Corian (or Livingstone, since budget is an issue). I think I’ve saved a kitchen that has a similar color scheme. I’ll see if I can find it.

I’m not planning on selling until I retire in about 25 years but I’m curious why the wall removal would kill the resale value? In this area, open concept floorplans are what sell the best. This is a horrible early picture but it shows where the wall was removed.

Amen^^^

We have a galley kitchen with one counter facing the living area windows/view/ woodstove. It has a raised surround like yours that completely wraps, as yours does. The stove is in that counter run because I get bored cooking and like to face the view. When I'm sitting on the couch, I see a pretty paneled half wall, not a counter that may or may not have been cleared. So, it works for me and hopefully for you as well.

Your floor is lovely and I think the slab you show would work but if the shop has questionable reviews, I wouldn't risk it. The fabricator is really important.

There is a thread - something like Calling All Fantasy Brown Owners you might want to look at. ( I found the link - it's inserted below). As I recall, most of them have not had problems with their counters. I've seen Fantasy Brown slabs that would work with cream and brown since they are also creams and browns, but the patterns can be kind of wavy and loud with your floor. Just something to weigh - it really depeends on the slab you're consudering.

I can definitely see the Taj working so maybe you should save up and get the look you want. It's hard to wait, but if you're staying put, maybe worth it to do so.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2607689/calling-all-fantasy-brown-owners#n=697

@HU-790718682: You know, you can have a one-level countertop on your peninsula with a slide-in range; it’s done all the time. There’s nothing (at least that I saw) in the specs for your range that prohibits such an installation. So if you want to make that happen, now is certainly the time. ;) Btw: I can’t tell whether or not you’ve installed the rear trim piece already. If you have, it can be removed should you decide to make the countertop change.