It looks dark now because it just went in and the space isn’t finished. When hardware and cabinets go in it will look more complete

The cabinets are in already as well as the hardware.

Hahaha I meant appliances… it’s easy to second guess choices as they go in. Live with it a bit.

Thank you for the clarification. Appliances makes more sense. 😆 Something just feels off to me. I originally wanted a white quartz island which I thought would've balanced it out more, so I am definitely second guessing. But, you're right I'll just have to live with it a bit and see what happens. I appreciate your response!

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. I really appreciate it. 😄

Not a quartz color I would have picked for the counters and then doubled it on the backsplash. I also don't like it with the color of the stained island.

I wouldn't consider any drastic changes until everything was installed and cleaned up. Live with it for a few weeks and then decide what to do, if anything.

Not a pro but I love it! Provides drama with the white cabinets but not too much drama. It's still new to your eyes and it's all you can focus on. Just wait...you're going to love it.

OK, I will admit that I thought the island was black 😂. Maybe that’s what’s throwing you off? Does the counter look too dark to you below?

If you find youre not warming to it, you could stain the island a bit darker, or a bit cooler. But honestly, you have pretty, new cabinets and nice, new counter tops. The easiest thing to change is your mind. It’s also very budget friendly!

It will scorch behind your cooktop. So, there’s that.

Paint the walls the color of the cabinets, after that, just select accessories in a favored color and be careful how much you put on the counters. I think you’ll love it when everything’s in.

@HU-48094157, not if she chooses induction. Also, please get an account and choose a screen name.

It is an unexpected and welcome surprise. Some many people, myself included, second guess kitchen renovations at exactly this stage. You need to see the whole picture - appliances, floor, stools, lighting. And then live in it too. If the other pieces are as smashing as the counters, you should be very happy!

I know nothing about granite scorching behind your cooktop. But should that be an issue, you could have a short stainless backsplash installed behind the cooktop.

Induction can create enough heat in a pan to scorch quartz. Don't think it can't. It can produce higher highs than gas.

I'm getting an electric cook top because that's my personal preference for cooking.

Eam44 you are totally right in that the easiest to change is my mind! 😂 Maybe it's because the island is still so dusty. I'll wait and see how it looks when it's all cleaned up but I do like the look of it on a true black.

Kendrah thanks for the feedback. You are right in that I need to wait and see after it is all put together and live in it a bit. Building a home is stressful! 😂😵‍💫

Yes, wait until everything is installed before making any decisions. Seeing the finished kitchen together will make the difference whether or not you want to make any changes.

Do your high-heat cooking on the front burners and your simmering/low-heat on the back burners and you'll be fine.

But is it granite or quartz? It sure looks the latter, even though you called it the former.

It’s quartz.

Choices are so personal. While I might have preferred a tile backsplash, I can appreciate the cohesiveness of the quartz for your backsplash.

Take your time to get used to it. It is certainly not offensive.

What do you think about this now? I'm thinking about using the same countertop + backsplash, with either white, black or blue cabinets. I have brown floors similar to yours.

I do like the countertop and am glad I put it as the backsplash. It's so much easier to wipe clean after cooking. I prefer the black cabinets with it vs the white (but that's personal preference - I think it looks nice with the white cabinets too). My only complaint with the quartz on the island is that it shows water marks a lot and it's kind of hard to get clean.

Thanks for responding! Could you elaborate on how it is hard to clean? I'm thinking about using it in my primary cooking and dishwashing spaces, so it will get food and water all over it. I really want something that's easy to maintain, including easy to clean. Do sponges leave water marks? Something else?

My other countertop option is Silestone Ocean Jasper, which is a very busy quartz. It will hide dirt/water marks/stains a lot more easily, but I'm worried that it might look outdated in a few years.

Well I should've stated it's hard to clean for a mom of toddlers who has no energy to do a thorough cleaning often. If I wipe off with just water they don't get clean at all and the rings from dishes or cups left on the counter stay there. Do you have hard water? Do you normally clean your countertops every day? When I do clean them I use a sponge or dishcloth with dish soap and they get clean that way (I am a chemical free household) but am having an issue with getting hard water stains around the sink faucet off. I can take more pics and post tomorrow.
I did look at your other option. It reminds me of granite a bit which isn't a bad thing. It would definitely hide marks better, but it doesn't have that modern look that quartz gives you. I'd personally go with whatever look you love the best! I always say first instincts are the best ones. : )

If you have time to post a photo, I’d love to see it! I live alone but have hard water, splash water everywhere when cleaning and doing dishes, and hate to clean.

I’m so afraid of choosing something that drives me crazy in the long run, either because I’d maintenance or aesthetics.

Do you have a sample slab you can keep at your home for a bit and you could leave dishes on there of water and see what happens to it? I will post a pic tomorrow of them dirty, wiped with water and then wiped with soap.
My countertops were granite before this and they didn't show marks like quartz does. So it's definitely an adjustment for me.

You might have to zoom in but you can see water marks that are round from a dish. So that's even what I see after cleaning it with soap and water but when it dries it's invisible. The marks around the sink are how it looks after I cleaned it, I just can't get those out. But maybe there's some magical cleaning solution I don't know about. I have a pretty big center island so it's very tedious to clean, I'm not sure how large your area would be to clean so that might make a difference. I also realized how many drip marks are on my stained black cabinets. It's much easier to clean the white painted ones.

Looks great….we just did the same idea with the countertop also as backsplash in our kitchen!

Equal parts baking soda and water cleans quartz really well and helps with water spots!

@eyeforstyle22 Thanks for the photos! That’s what my sample looks like after splashing it with water. It’s not nearly as bad as the black quartz options I’ve tested, but this may still drive me crazy. I’m going to go back to MSI on Saturday and look at lighter quartz options.

Won't say I "hate" it but just seems too dark and not quite right.

Thanks for the tip Home Interiors with Ease! You've been so helpful!! 😀 Your kitchen is gorgeous and I love your countertops! Make me want that on my island! 😍

Cassidyllc let me know if you find anything else that you like there! Im curious as to what you'll wind up choosing.

Cassidyllc…..check out the Dolomites they are really pretty stronger than marble but not as strong as granite…it is real stone

Eyefirstyle22 we almost added soapstone on the perimeter but fell in love with the Aspen White Dolomite!