I really dislike leather or honed natural stone but of course it can be used for backsplash too but you need to share the stone you are using keep in mind leathering or hone open the stone to staining.

So this is the kitchen and the countertops are leathered Superwhite Quartzite. There isn’t a ton of backsplash area but still a substantial amount. Would love to see if anyone else had used it, I always think of a backsplash being shiny/glossy and not sure about that matte finish without a smooth surface.

Have you thought about a matte tile? Doing the entire backsplash same as counter material is a definite look -- some people love it, others hate it (I'm in the latter camp). You can easily google some pictures.

so Super White is not a quartzite. it's a dolomite. and w/the honed or leathered surface, you'll be more prone to staining and etching. Dolomite is a cousin of marble.

I have Super White in my bathroom. It's held up pretty well, but it is polished. Polished surfaces buy you a little more time if you spill something.

As for doing it as the backsplash? With your kitchen style, NO. I don't think it would look right. If you had a really sleek super modern kitchen, maybe.

I'm more concerned about the warm white of your cabinets and the cool color stone

Unless, your bulbs are warm and it's making the white paint look creamier??

Hey Beth, yes I have read tirelessly over the debate of SuperWhite. I love it and I’m happy to hear it’s holding up in your bathroom!!! How often do you seal it?? I have read SO many things that said IF it does stain/etch the leathered surface makes it harder to see. Would you find that to be correct? Also, our kitchen picture is still unfinished flooring, it’ll be more of a transitional look. I have orb chandelier pendants and the hardwood is now stained darker brown w a tint of grey. The cabinets are super super white, it’s just the picture. We have LED 4K lights in there now. I’ve googled some pics of it and I just can’t decide. Would love to see pics of others’ kitchens and let me know if they’d choose to do it again or not?!

I think it's beautiful. the cabs are the perfect white.

but in this pic, it looks as though it's polished. Can you confirm it??

I love my super white. it's only etched in small spot by the sink. I've sealed it once. on install day! 3 years ago.

as long as water beads up, it's sealed.

I am careful to wipe up any spills. Compared to carrara, it's a lot more durable, but you still need to wipe up as soon as you notice anything.

If you're only getting it leathered because of the etching, I wouldn't worry about that. Keep it polished and use it as your splash.

Personally I think leathering this stone discredits its beauty.

Beth every single person at the stone importer and then again at the fabricator told me if it’s going to bother me to see damage, go with the leathered. I actually prefer the polished but was just settling because I didn’t want to see a lot of imperfections if possible. But the leathered is what’s keeping me from wondering if it would look good or not as the backsplash too. I’m not even sure they have polished either at this point, install is in the next 1-2 weeks. I’m going to check the inventory tomorrow. So you think stains and etching are more common in leathered? I appreciate all this info, thank you!!!!

I'm not saying it's more common, as I'm unfamiliar w/anyone who has had it done.

I'm just saying in regular marble, honing it makes any stone more vulnerable because the polished surface acts as a slight barrier. but when it comes to etching, it really doesn't matter w/marble.

since super white is a dolomite, it naturally has a different type of barrier that buys you more time than if it was a marble. that's the diff between the two stones.

since you've already ordered it that way and it can't be changed, it doesn't really matter. Why don't wait until it's installed before you decide about the backsplash? The remnants of your slab are yours and you should tell them you want them. You can also advise them how you want the stone fabricated. In fact, they should contact you before they even cut it to ask you what part you want for your countertops. If you do want a backsplash, they'll want to cut closer to the end so that you'll have enough height for the backsplash IF that's what you want.

Honestly though? I'd do a tile.

Leathered stone also has the advantage over honed in that the former closes the stone’s natural pores, whereas the latter leaves the pores more exposed. http://lgsgranite.com/design/what-is-leathered-stone/