Houzzers love pictures. They want pictures of your cabinets, pictures of the whole kitchen, and then pictures with the sectional that you're talking about. You have to give them something to visualize. If you want them to comment on the countertops you mentioned above you have to put sample pictures in you post.

Rule #1 of Houzz Design Dilemma: show the pictures.

Thank you Jen. I will do that! I stated my cabinets are alabaster white but in actuality they will be alabaster white. We are having them professionally painted so the pictures will only show a couple that are already alabaster white which hopefully will not be a problem.

Houzzers can do a lot with just a few pictures. But a few pictures can go a long way for a lot of these professionals. They just need context (also the orientation of your home and interior lighting will be helpful too) so they can help you.

Here are the alabaster white cabinets. The others will be painted soon. The color on the walls shows in the family room but not in the kitchen as much due to the fact the old paint will be covered by backsplash. I can post more pictures if needed. There is a breakfast table between the kitchen and the family room, so they are not right next to each other, but not far away either

I’ve seen some pretty granites with more of a taupe coloring with white in it but due to the lack of flow in the pattern I’m just concerned it’s going to end up being something that will look too busy and outdated.

I think your first priority is matching/coordinating your granite with your cabinets as those will be fixed elements. It will be easier to change your sofa down the road or decorate around it if it doesn't coordinate as well. I wouldn't choose a granite you don't love to coordinate with furniture if it's not going to give you the type of kitchen you want. A less busy granite will give you max flexibility down the road. You can always put a vase or a tray on your counter that coordinates with the living room more!

I agree. Your sofa is very unobstrusive.

Bring samples of the cabinet with you to the stone yard. I think any if the choices you are thinking about can work

Go with an open mind. You might find something else that you haven’t thought of.

Thank you Amy! I appreciate that perspective. Very good points

eld6161 thank you for you’re input. This is so much more overwhelming than I thought it would be. I do agree about keeping an open mind. The stone yards are running low on what I would think of as the better choices in my area so that’s made it hard too.

Absolutely go with a granite you love - you’ll know it when you see it! I agree with not trying to match the sofa. Going through the stone yard, my husband and I just gravitate towards the Bordeaux - every single time - so we know that’s the stone for us! You’ll see a slab and fall in love - it may take a few tries, but don’t give up!

Thank you Candace for the encouragement.
I can’t say I’ve fallen in love with anything but Dolomite/Marble, but I guess I can say I’ve come across ones I liked better than others.
Ive been looking for about 2 months and I’m wondering do I choose what to my eye is the best of what I’ve seen or should I wait. That could go either way, losing out now or settling for something later, in case nothing better comes along. I’ve never struggled so much with indecision and my family is getting worn out of this long drawn out process.

I have warm light granite in my open concept kitchen, and a gray sectional near by...no problem. I placed a khaki colored storage ottoman behind the couch (facing the kitchen) and a warm creamy blanket over part the back...that ties it together with the kitchen. Decorate around it, don't choose your LONG TERM counters based on a piece of furniture. My slabs chose me...yes, they did...We owned them for a couple of years before fabricating. You will know when the right one is in front of you :) Hang in there....I know how hard it is.

@tarasmom I built a new home recently and used leather Thunder White. It is very pretty and I've seen some slabs that have both warmer and cooler tones, though mine slabs are more a steely gray. It seems impervious to stains but must be sealed. Oil is tough. Your kitchen has colors more similar to mine but your family room's warmer tones may be more difficult to work with.

Kitchen · More Info

I have QS Oak upper cabinets stained "Sand" - a definite off white while our lowers are stained Chestnut - kind of like your couch.

DH fell in love with Colonial White granite which we installed. It is similar to the stones you are liking. Although the stone is fine with the uppers, it looks really pretty with the warmer lowers - no idea why. I do know that unlike quartz, it has a multitude of different color areas and variations. I have grown to really admire it as I work on it.

Don't buy a sprckled "warm" granite that you dislike. PS - the Alabaster is gorgeous.

Rachel that is a gorgeous stone. I have one on hold that is similar. It has the cooler gray, little bits of taupe that actually matches the taupe/greige in my sectional and the beautiful pearlized white (which is my favorite part)
The reason I’ve been drawn to that stone is a flow and a sort of marble look. I never even thought of my sectional when I picked my cabinet color and trim color, although I have a soft white in the couch. The colors are hard to see from a distance because when it’s seen you notice the overall coloring that reads a brown/beige but up close it’s actually a greige/taupe color. My concern with a stone like yours that I didn’t think of until yesterday when a friend pointed it out, that when you stand back and look at the thunder white it reads gray and the cool tone of gray. I’m so irritated that I’ve spend all this time and never thought about that factor.
By the way, the leathered or suede finish is my favorite!! Does the pearlized white show up as well in that finish as in the polished?

Please post a picture on Houzz after you install!
Can’t wait to see.

barn cats please post a picture! It sounds Beautiful!! It helps to see how granite looks on a counter. It’s so hard to imagine how it will look
when you look at it in an upright position.
Colonial white is so pretty! I’ve not seen any recently that has the predominately white. They’ve either been a very creamy/yellowish or a taupe/greenish. They are all pretty but I was hoping for more white.
Thank you for the advice of not settling. It’s so tempting just to get it over with. I live in a city that doesn’t have large stone yards so I have to drive up to 2 hrs one way to go look at stones and I’m so tired of doing that. However I don’t think I can force myself to get something I’m not at least liking a lot.

Sorry barncatz spell check changed my spelling on my first response.

Here is a close up of the coloring of my sectional. It’s really a balance of warm/cool. Unfortunately from a distance it’s reading warm.

Here is a close up of the coloring of my sectional. It’s really a balance of warm/cool. Unfortunately from a distance it’s reading warm.

It can be overwhelming! I personally knew I wanted soapstone, so I had fewer choices, but I loved seeing all the gorgeous slabs we saw at the stoneyards! It’s helpful to preview the slabs online. Here is where we got ours, and you can have slabs sent to you, but it would probably be best to find a company near you that has a selection like this. That said, you can still acquaint yourself with some of the varieties you might have access to and narrow down your search to certain types or patterns. I think you’ve got lots of possibilities. You could go with a fairly classic style with “Camelot White” or a larger pattern like “Everest”. You seem like you wouldn’t mind something more dramatic like “Waterfall” or Wiscon White”. FYI, Labradorite is spendy, but stunning! The “Glacier Ice” is a white version and the flashes of color glow like opals! It’s probably better applied to a fireplace or other centerpiece, but thought I’d mention it in case you weren’t aware of that group of stones.
Good luck!

https://www.stoneholding.com/stones/products/granite

Btw, your stone will be far more permanent than your sectional. Don’t agonize over trying to coordinate it. That’ll just be a confusing rabbit hole you don’t need to go down.

theresen Thank You!! First off your comment is so true! The countertop will be here until I sell the house or over the long haul of living here.
I tend to over think things so much. And indeed trying to coordinate not only with cabinets and floors I did start down that rabbit hole, so thank you for stopping me half way down. lol

Thank you for sharing the site and I’m looking forward to seeing what is on this site and looking into the ones you mentioned.
So when you say they will send them to you I’m assuming you are saying that they will send to your fabricator? But is that only in the event I am certain I want it?

I have been regularly looking at websites of stone yard/distributors in my area (well 2 hrs away) to try to keep up with inventory. I can say on several occasions I’ve made a trip by a picture I’ve seen that was a wasted trip, but luckily all have not been that way.
Just saying while I appreciate the convenience of looking them up online the actual slab can look so different in person. That can be a good thing or a bad thing.

I thank you for the input and the great advice.

Here are a few photos of the leathered Thunder White. Like you, I much prefer the look (and feel) of natural stone. There is definitely some taupe in Thunder White, but the overall color is more of a cooler gray. Take a look at the second photo, a close-up so you can see the taupe.

Rachel thank you for sharing! Your kitchen and fireplace surround is gorgeous!!
I can’t get over how different your close up picture looks from the stone I’ve been looking at. The taupe in yours leans very warm and I love all the black that is in it. I feel the place I live has dictated a huge lack of really beautiful stones. Even when I go on the stone yard/distributors sites that have multiple locations the much larger cities have the more beautiful stones.

I’m sort of worried too that if I hold out for leathered I might be waiting a very long time.

I have a stone on hold for me that is thundered white that I shared above but not sure how long my fabricator will want to hold on to it, so the time may be ticking.

I love the flow yours has and the big areas of white also.

When you get time could you take sort of an overhead type of pic of your island and a section of your perimeter?

Do you have an open concept and what are the colors of your furnishings? You cabinet color also looks like a soft white. It’s all so calm and beautiful.

I guess I’m pretty much a follower when it comes to decorating and if I see an inspiration photo I like it helps me visualize my space. 😊 better.

Oops thought I shared the pic of the granite. It’s really hard to see the colors in it due to it being in the outside light and the phone doesn’t translate it very well.

Here is several

You're welcome, LOL.

Yes, slabs can be sent, but I don't know more than that. I suspect most would expect a purchase, but it never hurts to ask if your stone yard would be willing to aquire a slab unconditionally. I dont know much about that. There are pros here who know those particulars better. When I was shopping for soapstone, that was discussed because not all distributors here carry a lot of it, so the east coast suppliers suggested that. Luckily, we found a great fabricator here who directed us to a couple of nice warehouses within driving distance.

May I make a suggestion - perhaps ordering a second set of doors for above the range in your dark color would be handy in case you or future owners want to change the white out to match the adjacent cabinets in the future.

theresen thank you for that info. We have one very small distributor about 30 min away with all the rest being up to 2 hrs and I’m so worn out with driving back and forth, but my understanding is part of the problem with inventory everywhere is due to 2020, covid, things being backed up and not enough workers to unload ships and drive trucks.

As far as the painting of the cabinet over the range, all cabinets in the kitchen are going to be painted alabaster white, but thank you for the suggestion. 😊

Our granite:

Final Countertop and Backsplash · More Info

Installed.

(I broke many Houzz rules in this kitchen, ha ha.) Our granite does have areas of green that show up as the light changes, maybe that's why I like it with the chestnut cabinets! I didn't want a lot of dark veining, so I was okay with chameleon background colors.

There is also a Colonial Gold granite that is more yellow than the White. And we were also driving about two hours, so I understand.

Final Countertop and Backsplash · More Info

Very pretty kitchen! Love your granite choice and how calm and clean it looks.

Oh. I was kind of digging the two colors. Just wasnt sure aboout the one over the range.

Here's an overhead shot of the island. It looks like there is more greige in the stone than I see with my eye. I was told that the garnet inclusions in the Thunder White were not considered an asset, but I really enjoy the irregular sprays of red in the stone. I noticed that the slabs you pictured also have garnet inclusions. In my mind, that is the beauty of the natural material. Also, you can't see it in the photo, but there is a seem right in the center of the island. The fabricators did an excellent job of matching the pattern. I'm in a townhome. Although it is very spacious, they had to cut the slabs for the fireplace and island to carry them up the stairs. But they did a great job!

theresen, thank you! Believe me I’ve tried to figure out a way I could possibly keep it two toned where it didn’t look busy and made sense. 😊

Rachel, WOW!! Your granite piece is gorgeous!!
It definitely looks very greige in this picture. The one I’m considering when I take a picture it looks so cold gray.
I did not know those splotches of garnet/plum were not an asset. I have nit been informed of much of anything from my fabricator. What have you been informed about those?

Somebody at the fabricator said that highest grade TW slabs didn't have the garnet. But I think they are beautiful. In my old kitchen, I had blue pearl granite. It is a very pretty stone, but not much in style today since everyone wants a lighter look. Like you, I love marble and considered quartzite. But once I saw TW, I was in love and luckily more budget friendly. I'm in the Pittsburgh area, so not in a huge metropolis. But I went to 3 places until I found what I was looking for. You may want to look at fantasy brown. This stone is sometimes classified as quartzite or dolomite. It is a bit warmer than TW but has the same dramatic movement. I'm not sure about how this stone prices out but I think it may work for you.

Rachel I’m Ky and I’ve been back and forth to Louisville 4x and Cincinnati 2x. I’ve been to a smaller town with a small distributor stone yard about 4x. It wasn’t until last week that I have found anything that either not already taken, broken, or out of my price range. Oh and in several instances they only had 1 slab available and I need 2.
Most of the fantasy brown I have seen in these ventures have had a lot of green, but thank you for the suggestion because I may look into it. I really want to move forward and be done but want to not regret my decision. I do appreciate everyone’s input of more worrying much about the sectional but it’s only 5 years old, very well made quality piece and was a pretty big investment so it’s here for quite awhile. At least another 10 years or more. However if I truly feel smitten by a stone I will not let that hamper my decision. I wonder if fantasy white marble or fantasy blue marble has quartzite properties like some of the fantasy brown?
Thank you for the advice, I think I’ll at least try to price it.

Sorry for the typos. Spell check is so frustrating some times. lol

Yes, I think FB can vary a lot in color. I found my slabs at montsurfaces. They have a nice selection and I see there is a store in Cincinnati. Perhaps you can talk to somebody there, before you schlep.

Thank Rachel that is a good idea

Check out their website. They have a good selection and the display in Pittsburgh is very nice.

Thank you, I’ll take a look

Just another thought since I know your sectional is a keeper. I think you could find a cooler gray shade in the sectional fabric and repaint your family room. The sectional may be reading warmer because of the paint, but the close up of the fabric looks like it can go either way. I think it may be the paint that is keeping you from the cooler colors in stone in your kitchen.

I have SW Alabaster cabinets and modern gray walls. I used White Ice granite and it looks great with the Alabaster. My white Ice does not have blue in it. The white base is a warm white and looks good with the cabinets.

Rachel that is a very good point. I hadn’t really thought of that I guess because we had just painted last fall and with it being tall ceilings we had to pay to get it painted. We painted the whole main floor that color so it would be a costly fix since I like it being the same color throughout. (We have a very open floor plan) however it would probably be less than not being able to find a stone and the continued stress that would cause.

HU-161159613 White Ice is a great granite. Please share a photo. I think the key is finding the right slab. Some of the white ice in my area recently have had cream instead of that beautiful soft white. I love the taupe and black coloring also that is typical of that granite. It has always been a consideration if I could have found the right slab.