I know this is not what you’re asking about, but try Taj Mahal….I think it’ll go better with your warm tones. Polished quartzite offers a bit of “extra protection”, honed is a more casual look….up to you. I wouldn’t mix honed and polished.

Agree that Taj Mahal would look terrific!

@coray @lkloes Thanks very much for the recommendation! I've seen Taj Mahal - is really pretty! I thought maybe it would darken the room too much but I'll definitely take a look again! The floors and cabinets do look really warm in the pictures. They are actually much softer and pull more gray in person. Thanks for your time and input!

The supports for your countertop cantilever haven't been installed yet?

@Joseph Corlett, LLC nope, not yet!

I would do option one. The backsplash should be polished anyway.

IMO honed or leathered stone or quartz is a poor choice in a kitchen it opens pores to staining. What do you mean by ledge above the stove? In my head a really bad idea.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting thanks very much for the feedback! Sorry for the poor description.

Here's a picture of what i had in mind

Kathy: our Taj Mahal is very light, not dark at all. The lighter slabs are still available (often sold as Perla Venata), but you do have to search for them.

I agree you need to keep looking till you find two pieces that match exactly. Taj Mahal is hard to find in the light creamy color, but as was said, having the salespeople keep a look out for you often works the best. Talk to them, tell them your problem and you may have a fairy godmother/father who finds what you need.

Stone countertops are often the star of the room, so don’t compromise.

Dolomite=marble. Be very careful.

Thanks so much for your recommendations!

@coray your kitchen is so beautiful! I feel like I've seen it on instagram or a blog by the designer!?!?

@stiley thanks so much! I love that kitchen by Whittney Parkinson! She is one of my favorite designers! Yes, I've been looking for months too! It really is a full time job! It took us 2 years to find the house and we just hit the 1 year mark on the renovation. I'm trying to stay patient!!

@RedRyder Thanks so much for your advice and recommendations. Hoping something works out because I agree the counters could be the best part!

Kathy: thank you, that is very sweet of you! I’m sure my kitchen looks somewhat familiar, as it is a conglomeration of many Houzz idea photos.😂 I’m not on Insta, and the “designer” (I use this term loosely😉) was yours truly. Houzz was a great resource and help; first it helped me see what I definitely did NOT want, then what I liked, and lastly to convey my wishes and style to our “cabinet gal”, who helped us realize everything. I cook, bake and entertain, and living with the original kitchen for 5 (long) years gave me plenty of time to figure out what worked (very little), what didn’t, which cabinet “tricks” were important to us, and which weren’t. Happy finishing!

@coray incredibly impressive! You did an amazing job. Love the windows between the upper and lower cabinets. Truly stunning!

Thank you, Kathy….you are very kind. We can’t really take credit for the windows, all we did was replace the existing ones with walnut Kolbe windows (triple glazed because of cold winters and crazy, noisy winds!).

If you want the leathered countertop, do the backsplash in another material like honed soapstone or tumbled stone. I would not do a leathered countertop - the bumps make it harder to clean especially food particles (I have leathered granite bench in the shower).

For hardworking kitchen countertop, it is important to look at the stone hardness score on the Mohs scale. Dolomite Mohs score is 3.5 to 4. You need a 6, 6.5, or 7. Dolomite will need sealing annually and careful day to day use. Tomatoes, juices, wine, and other acids can etch Dolomite. Silverware, metal utensils, and other metals can scratch Dolomite.

I chose super white dolomite for my island that was polished and had it leathered. Dolomite can etch and it was suggested I have it leathered to hide any etching.

I have had this in my kitchen now for three years and I absolutely LOVE it. I get complimented on the counter all the time. Get what YOU like. You can ask if they will leather the polished stone for you. I had much help here on the forums when building my new home. This is my polished slab.

My home build · More Info

Photo of leathered counter (not mine).

@NewEnglandgal THANK YOU so much for sharing!! Your stone is beautiful! This makes me feel much better. How is cleaning the leathered? Do you feel like it is hard to get up crumbs and such?

is honed the same as leathered?

Leathered, and do the same finish for both the countertop and the backsplash. Polished counters tend to be too reflective.