I keep trying to understand why people insist on fake plastic stone when there are so many real stones to choose from at the same price point.

you've made the walls and cabinets about the same shade. but the ceiling is showing bluish. Not sure if thats simply primed/ no ceiling paint yet. Its kind of difficult w the angles and ceiling so different than your other creamier white. do you have ceiling paint yet to do ???......you can tint it and it might be better in the warmer family for the ceiling at this point. I'd not put white counters in there but if you really want to and make the whole space saturated in one light shade....... then getting the right tones still needs work. Counter sample pieces need to be brought in and laid down in the light that you have when all the surfaces are done. Ceiling paint closer to cabinet shade :

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Have you considered a soft green or soft blue granite? What about black or charcoal grey? White cabs with black/charcoal is classic and looks terrific. Lots of black granites to choose from, or soapstone.

I mean, just LOOK at how stunning this Costa Esmeralda granite looks with white cabs:

Black and white -- a classic:

A nce green soapstone could work.

I think you have a really nice foundation for a pretty stone countertop. Love your floors and the nice crisp white cabinetry. Do you have a stone yard in your area where you could go see what's out there? A honed stone or classic soapstone would look gorgeous.

Try LG Viatera in Minuet. Very subtle, I’ve had mine for 6 years and love it.

Ill look for it thanks.

“Try LG Viatera in Minuet.”

Please, no white fake marble. That kitchen needs color. You’ve had some excellent suggestions, above.

If you want an almost white quartz that is really a very light gray and looks like stone I second LG Viatera in Minuet. If you want something white with very little movement then you need something like Empira White. If you want to warm things up and save money, I say birch butcher block stained to match the floor or railing. I have a butcher block island and love it. I use a cutting boards but otherwise no issues.

It’s nice that you are doing this for your parents. It looks like an attractive/well-appointed space.

Do your parents have any preference, as far as the countertop material and/or color? I assume that they are mainly the ones who will be enjoying the space.

People here often throw their own personal preferences around as though they are the ’design gospel’. At times I am likely guilty of this, too. But it would be helpful to get your perspective on why you are choosing quartz - and also a perspective on what your parents might like. Also, you say that their furnishings are classic; but having some idea of the colors of their furnishings, as well as the colors that they generally like, could also possibly be helpful.

Daltile ONE "Valor White" has very subtle veining.

Patricia - I honestly hate my granite countertops and could do with out having to get them sealed again and the upkeep. There’s quartz countertops that match my design aesthetic more too. That would be why I’d want them amongst many others

Hi chappy6- How nice to do this for your parents!

If you are thinking about a synthetic product which quartz is, have you thought about Corian?

Corian has a lot of advantages over quartz, including the fact that it is easily reparable.

It also comes in lots of colorways, and several shades of white.

There is a frequent commenter here on Houzz who is a professional, Joseph Corlett, LLC

Why not invite him into this discussion and ask his opinion?

Thank you everyone for your opinions and comments. There are so many options out there, we really haven't had time to do a ton of research and were hoping to just like something at the place our contractor sent us which was MSI. I thought I sent a long post earlier with additional pictures and info but can't find it.

1. We visited both MSI and Daltile.

MSI finalists were

A. Calacatta Mirragio (prefer the look of this slab, but when brought into the space yesterday, it looked cold in comparison to the kitchen)

B. Calacatta Ibezzo Here are the cabinet, with a sample approx floor, and both samples

We found the stacked creamy tile for potential backsplash we fell in love with at Daltile.

Otherwise, my mom always thought she would just do a 2x2 or 4x4 square tile for backsplash

She has more modern taste. Walnut parsons style dining table, with Cesca chairs (seen in pic) Tulip kitchen table etc. Big modern art.

The two large tiles here are hallway and master bath tiles.

If you want to look at other quartz options, check out Cambria and Caesarstone. They both offer some nice white quartz options w/subtle veining that your parents might like.

I have Silestone Calcutta Gold. Just enough light veining.

I visited MSI last week, and took home two samples of quartz (and one of quartzite but put two granite slabs on hold... so I'm casting a rather broad net.) Anyway, for the quartz I liked in the sample and display size, I looked up the full slab photo online. I did not like it at all once I saw the full slab. So if you can't see a full slab in person (best), be sure to look for a photo of the full slab plus an installation photo if possible.

Re: the backsplash, I'd recommend 4x4 over 2x2, just so they have less grout to clean and deal with. If they like a contemporary look, 4x4 or a rectangle shape in a stacked pattern is a nice option (vs offset pattern.)

I would avoid MSI - quality control is not that great.

Stick with light coloured counter

I have a similar kitchen. This a a quartz counter.

I would avoid MSI too. We have it in the bathroom and I feel it has discolored from having a soap bottle sitting on it. My cabinet guy says it's because MSI is not as good as other brands. I don't know for sure if that is true, but I know I wouldn't use MSI again.

We just put in Silestone Ethereal Dusk in our master bath and it is a beautiful faux marble that isn't too busy. We used the sueded finish:

Silestone is a great option. The challenge with quartz is that you are matching whites (cabinets and countertop) and you want them to work together. Something with a bit more color - like soapstone - might look better.

I’m glad you’re looking at full slabs. Amazing how different something looks from a small piece to a full slab! Are you taking one of the doors with you to the stone yard? You should. Remember, slabs are stored vertically but you will be seeing it horizontally, in your lighting.

Just a thought- I have an older mom as well and I would want a countertop that can tolerate a hot pot placed on it. Sometimes people unwittingly do that (hence my love of granite).

Did your parents say anything about what they would like? I’m suspicious you were told to “do the kitchen” and make the decisions so they don’t have to deal with options. (My mom would absolutely say that.) If you’re not married to quartz, I would explore other materials.