Well to update I went to the granite place nearby and looked at the titanium. It looked good, but now I am even more confused. The lighter granites looked good but I think it was just not what I was envisioning.

Thank you I appreciate your thoughts on this. I am anguishing over this way too much I guess. They are all good options I guess? The looks will be so so different and I am honestly not sure which I prefer. What threw me a bit was at 2 of the granite places, ( even the one that had the titanium) they said the dark granites made it close in.

So hard to decide. hoping for input?

Yes dark colours can make spaces feel smaller and often they do, but they also can make a huge statement.

I think in general people tend to shy away from dark colours because they are afraid of a room feeling smaller, but I think that is kinda a "safe" thing to do.

Well it is not a large kitchen, but the perimeter will be white cabinetry and it;s just the island which is dark stain. The rest of the area is pretty open where table is. It just made me wonder because I said I was open to their suggestions but had thought of a dark counter top and they pretty much only showed me lighter ones.

I don't think I'd like a dark counter so much.

I haven't looked in awhile but fell in love with what GF chose for her kitchen: Cambria Berwyn...

But I like a lot of the Cambria options...maybe bellingham if you want something busier....

If it helps, Candice Olson would always coordinate her flooring with her counters in kitchens to tie them together.

My suggestion....Typhoon Bordeaux

I think Typhoon Bordeaux or something in the Bordeaux family would look great, and add texture, not be too busy. I would go for a simple backsplash with it though. But if you truly think it is too busy keep looking. Something like Millenium Cream might work, but might coordinate almost too well..

oh wow that visual is so good! yes, there was a lovely typhoon bordeaux. It did look good. I think I stupidly just don't like the name?? how silly. I like the one shown with more white background. Some are more tan and while they are lovely they don't speak to me.

I so appreciate the suggestions. really. I am supposed to meet tomorrow. Have to check because some counties here in Pennsy are REALLY shutting down for a bit. I need a countertop but I get it--- who knows what is going to happen with my kitchen. Thankfully we did not start demo. OY

I have a smaller kitchen than you (I assume b/c there is definitely no room for even a cart much less an island!) with light cabinets and dark granite. I don't think the granite closes it in at all - In fact the space feels roomier than it did before the remodel (the restoration of a window helped with that too).

But I do agree that you need to pick something with tones that agree with the tones in your floor, especially if it is at all pinkish beige. That should help you narrow it down. Get some samples of the stones to look at in your house if you can.

Well, I went back today (and had DH with me this time) to look again at what I had seen and to look at some others. I had in my mind, after seeing Nicole's lovely visual, to reconsider the typhoon bordeaux. I think I had remembered it differently because when I looked again, it had very little of the white and mostly brown or tan. I did not love it. We looked again at the nacarado quartzite. I had misremembered it too. It really looked good. DH to my shock, really liked it. Looked at a few others but decided nacarado was looking great. We got a chunk to bring home, which has been so helpful. I was concerned in the warehouse that mostly it looked great but occasionally wasn't sure about the flooring with it. So now I have a chunk and have moved it around our kitchen and it looks superb. So I feel like I have made a major decision. It's very subdued but with a good amount of interest.

Here is a picture of the sample in my home on my flooring. I think it's awesome. (the stock images of the stone are so variable and I could not find one that looked like MY slab.

So here you have it-Nacarado Quartzite and my floor. Yes the cabinets look great with it too. The floor was the wild card. I think the photo represents well, but in any case, to my (and DH"s) eyes, in my house, in real life, I am loving it.

Monochromatic, using only one color of the brown spectrum. Does not pick up the dark brown island color.

@Nicole I appreciate your comment, but actually it is less monochromatic than it may appear in the photo. (the floor is also not so greatly represented....guess I am a poor photographer!). Honestly there are deeper shades of brown in it that nicely complement the darker door I will try to take a pic with all the elements. Trust me in person- looks awesome. (just trying to think about wall color but one step at a time)

Here is a somewhat better (maybe?) photo of all. Hope I am not crazy but it looks good to my eyes. I think you can see a bit of the darker in the stone.

I would like to see a photoshop of the cabs, counter and floor in place. On my computer it looks good, just wondering about the effect of an entire kitchen with the choices. I can't do it, else I would offer!

@raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio the existing cabinets.counters everything is going to be demo'ed. Also, the lighting is horrible and will be greatly enhanced to reality :) so no photoshopping available that I know off. But thank you for your comment.

The layout of the kitchen is an L shape of all the white cabinetry and then the dark island kind of in front.