Not a pro, and I'm sure that those who are will also give you good info. I like your picks for the main bath and the laundry. But for the laundry, I fear that you're going to give up some of the beauty of the stone. If you're planning on it for sink and counter, you're probably only looking at 25"-ish of depth, right? Thinking of it in terms of the picture you shared, you'd have to slice it vertically to get the entire range of colors in it - because there's such a dramatic difference between the top and bottom halves of that slab.

Your house is small so having three “knockout” slabs in three separate locations sounds like a bit much. You need context before you buy a slab of stone - what does the kitchen look like? What is the tile in the bathroom? Can you see the kitchen from the laundry room?

You need an overall plan for your house and THEN choose the stone. I doubt you need that much for your small house. Probably one of those will cover two rooms. I would keep the laundry room simple.

I need a lot more info these are all fine but without context who knows what is the answer. IMO in a small home less is more but that really busy granite could be the star for the whole place I need to know a ton more about the other choices for the house .

Busy floors do not harmonize with busy counters, and busy cabinets. You can only have so many visually complex choices. You need to pare down and simplify. Pick ONE star of the show, and recast the supporting actors.

@DeWayne: (Corey Jenkins for the win! I love that "star" metaphor comes from a maximalist!) Thanks for chiming in. Not sure what you mean. Are you suggesting that vanity veneer shown in the main bath is too busy? Haven't shared cabinetry elsewhere...

Those renderings induce an immediate need for an anti depressant just viewing them. Rainy gloomy climates are in need of even more opportunities for light and bright, to counteract the lack of light in the environment.

^^THAT much is too much. Those slabs want to all be the superstar. Yet you have Shinoki cabinets that have strong movement, a herringbone floor that has a strong pattern, and counters that shout at you from across the room. Something has to give on the pattern front. You cannot have plaid pants, a striped shirt, and a large patterned floral blazer, worn all at the same time.

Are you not working with a design professional for any of this?

Your slabs are beautiful but I STRONGLY suggest you consider working with a person of design talent to pull it all together. I have to agree with the others here that you have too much going on and need to pare it down.

When you walk into a room, you want your eye to go to one element that others have alluded to as being the "star". Not have your eye bounce from the counter, to the vanity, to the floor, etc. By having one element your eye goes to first, and having the others be supporting players, it actually makes your star shine even brighter.

The issue is not the three different stones in the three different rooms necessarily, but how each stone is competing in the room it's in with the other elements.

This is a bit of a chicken and egg scenario in that we haven't seen a floorplan and don't have a feel for the proximity of these spaces to each other. And, as Jan points out, it's tough to make a call in the abstract without having the other materials you're using in each space.

But if I had to make a call in a home with a small footprint, I'd say less is more. Pick two slabs at most--one for the kitchen and one for the baths/laundry room. (Or, if the laundry is off the kitchen, use the same slab there as you're using in the kitchen.) You can, for example, pick different coordinating tile for the laundry vs. the bathrooms as long as they work with the slabs and the cabinetry.

The dark bathrooms posted are expertly executed. The herringbone floor matches the walls and the stone adds a little drama. If you want this look, your walnut floors would need to be dark grey or black.

I agree you need a designer to help you achieve your vision and possibly adjust it.

Thanks, all, for the feedback! Appreciated!

@janice your kitchen framing looks like a high ceiling and lots of light, which means the darker stone doesn't feel like a problem. I love the rendering of the bath, etc. Your vision and stone selections tell me you want a deep, rich and elegant look. It seems you're headed in the right direction. If you're open to the idea; a designer helps pull it all together seemlessly. I used one on my kitchen rennovation only to help make a few decisions towards the end; but essentially used the cabinet designer and my own sense of color and style to complete the majority of the project. If you are confident in your own sense of style, I say go for it. It's your home and your space to live in and enjoy. Please keep us updated, I think it will be a lovely home when completed!

I might suggest the Acquatic for the kitchen if you have an island. You will be able to better appreciate that particular stones beauty by seeing more of it. I feel the Patmos seems to work better as a supporting star to Acquatic and then could be used in the other spaces. However, if you don’t have an island then this doesn’t matter. Posting a plan in order for us to see flow of materials would be helpful. I’d be concerned about slippage with using any marble on a bathroom floor so consider a solid porcelain tile rated for floors that works with the overall tones of the stone you use in that bath.

And as for the bath I’d also like to see shower walls and floor, curb material (if there is one but since you’re building new it would be good to have no threshold)…my biggest fear for you right now is the main bath until more is known.

@Janice While there is a lot going on here for most people's taste and it all does read dark, I don't think any of it looks garrish or distasteful. In fact, I think the powder room looks amazing! My bigger concern is how bad that black marble in the bathroom is going to look in a very short time. Every drop of water will etch the sink counter and floor so it will never look clean. (Ask me how I know this). I don't consider etching a problem in the kitchen, but in the bath, which should look pristine, IMO, I think it's a big NO.

@cheri127, great point regarding the dark marble and etching. She did mention honing the marble, which to a certain degree helps, but with a stone this dark I think you might be right. Maybe the OP will chime in as to whether this is a concern for her.

I had a marble floor in my master bathroom in my previous home, it was lighter marble, but yes you had to be careful with the flooring. I don't think I would do it again.

I have marble floor in my bathroom and I wouldn't do it again either. The etching is concentrated around the toilet (two little boys) and it never looks clean. I am the only one who notices it though.

@cheri127, @Dawn Martinez: You raise fair concerns about etching, I have taken such into consideration.

1. The marble is honed.

2. The marble will be sealed on a regular cadence (targeting every six months for the first two years, with an incremental increase thereafter).

3. I chose a marble with lots of variation to camouflage the inevitable etching.

4. We don't have children and my husband recognizes the cost of not perfecting his aim each and every time (☺️).

5. Ultimately, we love natural stone. And we're willing to field the imperfections that come with such.

I love the overall design of the bath - I just worry about the floor - slippage, being just too much pattern, the etching, etc. Is that a living wall and no actual ventilation to the outside? Would you consider a 1" dark mosaic that runs throughout? Or what if you do a river pebble throughout with a solid black stone top? I love the vibe just wondering about the practicalities.....and tell me more about the wall finish - this whole room is a wet room?

Oh and you have room it seems to add a sconce in the middle of the mirrors - I'd suggest adding that for balanced light on each of your faces.

@thinkdesignlive Slippage is a concern of mine as well. But because the stone is honed, it does meet the minimum requirements for slip resistance when wet (barely). Again, we're a household of two adults, so the hope is we'll be able to manage.

The slabs for the bathroom have already been purchased. (I fell in love with Arabescato Black long ago!) So the question regarding "too much" applies to the laundry room and kitchen as those slabs are under consideration. (One pattern for both? Or create a different moment in each space?)

The entire main bath cavity (walls and ceiling) will be a Milestone treatment.

Still fiddling with the mirror and lighting arrangement. But if we do go for two, I love the idea of planting a sconce in the middle! Thanks for the tip!

I’d vote for the Arabescato in the kitchen too. I think because your floor will be different in each of those spaces you have created the variety there. Just envelope yourself in the one you love - the others will just compete for attention.

No one could dare say you’re being boring going with one stone considering all your other choices.

😂 That's fair!

@thinkdesignlive Arabescato is a tough play for the kitchen as it's a marble. I prefer the increased heartiness of a honed quartzite. (All of the remaining flooring is smoked walnut herringbone.)

The main bathroom is beautiful. But I think there need to be a few tweaks to make it safe/functional.

I would be very concerned about slippage. Take a sample home, put water on it, and test. Do again with soap/shampoo/conditioner. If is barely passes slip tests, then it will be slippery.

I am also a fan of dark and moody. And think the renderings are gorgeous. But I would get samples of everything (cabinet door, section of flooring) and put them next to the stone. Sometimes what works on paper doesn’t look like you thought it would in real life.

Hmmm then I’d be inclined to eliminate the Patmos. I do think 3 is too much.

I am probably in the minority. I love the plans you are showing here. The counters are in separate rooms and in varying sizing. I am not a fan of the houses where the countertop in the kitchen matches the bathrooms/ laundry - don't like that connection in m y mind. I prefer spaces to have their own character and design.

The stones are stunning and I love the perspectives you have shown- especially the living wall!

I think for the laundry room ( unless there is a great window in that bath ) , I would lighten the wall color a little.

Would love to see the kitchen!

Sorry but I also don't feel that 1700 sq ft is a small house - pretty common in my area

I also agree that spaces should have their own character but let's remember the floor is different in all of these spaces (probably cabinetry and wall colors too) so having a tieing link of one main stone in the kitchen and laundry is good IMO. I'd want to see the other finishes for these spaces to comment further because if I'm wrong and the cabinetry and walls are all the same then yes I could see the other stone used.

Janice - Would you post pictures of the flooring and cabinets that you are considering?

@Janice I love all of your choices and think your home will look amazing but you can't seal your way out of etching. It will happen and it will be ugly. As I said previously, in a workspace like a kitchen, who cares, but a bathroom, uh-uh.

@k8cd As mentioned above, the main bath is a done deal. The slabs are happily non-refundable. ☺️ But I hear you (or rather read you) about the anti-slip factor... or lack thereof. You and @thinkdesignlive inspired me to chat ant-slip sealants with my fabricator! Have you had any experience with these?

All of the floors, with the exception of the main bath, are the same - smoky walnut wood in a herringbone pattern. Our large sample shipped earlier this week. If this thread is still alive, I'll attach. Once I have the sample, I'll narrow the veneer field for the cabinetry. I'm debating between Shinooki and LingnaPal, with a strong bias toward Shinooki's Mood Autumn Forest and Mood Nightfall collections.

So your laundry room floor is no longer cork?

Ah. I understand the mix-up. Instead of utility space, I should have said storage space. And yes. That does have cork for wear and tear purposes. The laundry room also has the herringbone wood floors, another controversial choice!

No I don’t think that’s controversial. If you ever have a water issue really any floor is susceptible to being pulled up. I’d say keeping as much consistency with flooring throughout is always good.

Wait a minute! Is that an herb trough along the kitchen counter? Tell me more! Also, I see you don’t have an island so I could see the merit of the Patmos with your L configuration (and no island). Has your fabricator weighed in about seaming either option?

That’s really cool! I’d love to learn more about that. Well the less dynamic linear patterned Patmos should be more forgiving visually with an L layout. The Acquatic is so dynamically linear it’s always more effective on a straight run.

Last thought about which stone to use in the kitchen - what is your plan for the kitchen table top? That ‘marriage’ needs to be a happy one. Glass or wood (which you have a lot of so maybe better to not do that) are forgiving with a patterned countertop. The Saarinen dining table in either the Black Andes granite or even the black or white laminate would also work.

Oh and I was going to just pull my cabinets forward to have extra counter space to put pots for herbs! This is awesome.

I cannot wait to see your finished photos. The design of the shed roof is just what I am looking to do - extra glass for more light.

Love it!

@thinkdesignlive I've been all around the world with regard to the dining table. I have no idea! (I even went so far as to have the floor reinforced in case we went all in on a quartzite dining table!) Love you recommendation, though! Once the kitchen is finished, I plan to take advantage of AR to sample a bunch of different options!

@Debbi Washburn I can't wait to see your project! Please do share! Completely agree about the shed roof. It's a bit tough on lighting for the spaces that aren't on the "open" end of the shed roof. But we made good use of skylights to make up for the lack of windows.

Nice you like dark stone, but as you get older, slipping does become a bigger problem. As someone who has foot problems and stability issues, I would strongly recommend a mat in appropriate places. Lighting is also critical.

I realize you do not have children, but it is nice to be able to find the toilet at night and if your spouse does need to aim properly, lighting might help, even coming from inside the commode. There is no help if liquid is on a slippery surface in a dark room.

It does become expensive to deal with the material with time. I wanted sandstone counters in my kitchen, but decided on natural white quartz counters, because they are naturally anti-microbial, don’t need to be resealed like granite, are harder than granite and don’t need refinishing like marble, though I have marble in the master bath.

We are getting ready to do master bath and found that niche, or push back feature at 5' behind the toilet in toilet room to be a bit of an extra feature. I'm putting two small lights at top on a dimmer to make a lowlight for my husband or I to see better in the middle of the night. We also looked into slippage on tiling and stone, as this is our age in place home. We found a wonderful product from a company called Atlas. They make products that look like real stone but it's porcelain.  We purchased the Calcutta in 2' x 4', 1' x 2' and an arabesque pattern for shower/steam room. I'm loving all the green products and easy to maintain (no sealant or discoloring). Just throwing it out there. Your slabs are truly beautiful! Happy building and designing!

I think your choices are fantastic! All different but "match", for lack of a better word, through your color choice...at least that's how I see it! Kudos to you! As another commenter said, I'm shocked that 1700 square feet is considered small. I understand it's all perspective...If you're downsizing from a 4000 square foot house, of course, 1700 would seem small. But as a single gal, I firmly believe that wonderful (high-end) materials can be placed in a smaller space and as be just as beautiful as in a bigger space.

Wow, my home is 1200 sq ft including the basement. I didn't know that they built "tiny homes" in 1939.

That having been said, I think the ones you have picked out blend together well, but I think you should pick two of the three and let the laundry room be the repeat of the bathroom.

Not to many at all. You will never look at them at the same time so make it all striking!

Isn’t it fun to design a home? We just moved into our 1900 sf new build. (And for the person who thinks defining it as ”small” is mind boggling, most of suburbia has minimum home sizes, and over 2000 sf is average for a family house. Not a NYC apartment! ) If the rooms are not viweable from one spot, if the bathroom and laundry have doors as i presume they probably do, then its more a matter of how the counters blend in each room. We got a horrifically expensive but gorgeous granite for our open concept kitchen, Verde Borgogna. The backsplash would have been too much, both cost wise and visually, in the same stone, so i chose vertically stacked subway tile in a main color from the granite, and carried that same green across the room to the livingroom sofa and some pottery on the built in bookshelves. This helps tie the ends of the room together while allowing each zone to have separate personalities. Our bathroom vanities are Blue Pearl granite and a sparkly white quartz, both of which were less expensive because cut from remnants… even though they were exactly what we wanted in the first place. Ask your sales rep about remnants any time a full slab isn’t required. Since we were getting the expensive stuff, after a long and painful search, ours cut the quartz vanity top as a remnant from a slab earmarked for another job, before that job was cut, and still called it a remnant!

They are all so similar, what's the point? I agree with DeWayne.

I live in 750 sq ft and have used the same stone veneer on ONE wall of my living room and ONE wall of my kitchen. To keep my overall home from being "busy", I have the same palette of colors throughout most of my home (browns, oranges, rust, red, taupe....fall colors, really). I try to do neutrals for walls and furnishings with different accent colors in each room. For example, red is the accent color in the kitchen for kitchen tools, pot holders, towels, etc. Emerald green is the accent color in the bathroom for scrubbing mittens, water cup, etc with a shower curtain the looks like birch trees and real birch tree logs in the shower itself; my home is a subtle "tree house" in its approach. You have several different stones in your approach. For me - and I'm NOT a design professional! - there's too much going on for your space.

@Sherry B: I have never liked green inside the house, but your kitchen is GORGEOUS!! I will have to reconsider that color when we redo our kitchen. Thank you for sharing and opening me to new color possibilities!