I like a polished real stone it makes it almost bullet proof and quartzite is already a bit fragile and many fabricators do not like it at all . I think when you open the pores of stone you look for trouble like oil stains etc why take a risk . Have a really good talk with the fabricator for sure as Jan mentioned .

Just make sure whatever finish you get, that it was done at the quarry with the proper equipment. Fabricators seem to get into trouble when they try to change the finish of a slab at their small shops.

We're getting Taj Mahal in our kitchen, both as counter and full height backsplash. With most stones, our fabricator will slice the backsplash pieces from 3 to 2 cm, but he will not do that with Taj, because of the fragile nature Patricia mentioned.

This winter I'm going to build a new TV stand using a remnant of our quartzite as a top. The shop cut it and delivered it with the counters yesterday, and the crew made a point of explaining best how to store and transport it, explaining how fissures in the rock make it prone to cracking if undue stress is applied.

I'm SO glad I have a fabricator who understands what they're working with!

Honed means it's a flat surface with no shine. Leathered means it has a bit of a pebbled texture that is also a matte finish.

But to answer your question about the slab itself, I find it a little muddled in terms of pattern and color. If you like the look of Taj Mahal, go for something that looks more like this:

The striations in the stone are more defined. It almost looks like wood grain.

I'm the opposite of Sabrina, I dislike the stripped and darker Taj Mahal slabs.

I like the (harder to find) softer, more swirly, lighter slabs.

The lighter swirly slabs are always the first to get placed on hold, or sold, at the slab yards, so I'm not the only one that likes them better!

I think the OP's slab is beautiful, but I prefer polished.

Here's mine:

@AnnKH - pretty slab - your slab appears to be polished.

I am also in the same camp with @chispa - I like the softer, lighter slabs that have a more swirly pattern vs. definite dark stripes.

@cdgb90 - what did the slab feel like when you ran your hand across it? A leathered slab will not be smooth.

While I like the look of matte surfaces, I have had really great luck with a polished marble countertop in a bathroom that is used a lot. I really wanted honed, but I'm glad that it's polished (only have two tiny etch marks - and no one else even sees them - I don't see them unless I turn my head a specific way and look for them). Taj is much more durable than marble - I assume that the polished finish keeps the pores closed which helps prevent staining (along with sealing - if the stone will actually take any sealer - I know that some polished stones will not).

The stone actually had quite a smooth finish to the touch. Minimal (if any) pitting. I have felt other leathered stones that felt quite rough and had many groves. I am going to view it again in the morning. 🤞🏼

In regards to the veining, we prefer a more consistent view and less linear lines as we have a U shaped kitchen work space and a separate banquet/buffet area that may be difficult to have the two pieces flowing as they should.

I was questioning why the stone would be indicated as “brushed” and not “leathered” as they appear to be the same thing. I had polished granite for over 20 years but we are trying to go for a more matte/softer look this time. Hopefully we don’t regret that but we both think it looks beautiful.

Ask them about their naming convention. Perhaps they label slabs as brushed that others might label honed?

How many slabs do you need?

AnnKH - I will be sure to ask that question. I just went on their website and the TM is either polished or brushed (no leathered) so possibly it’s as simple as naming convection.
We need 1 slab (this slab is 72 sqft)

When we were there last it seemed that all the polished stones appeared very scaly/layered. We prefer a very soft finish. Our other choice would have been Salinas White leathered granite (which is less $$ and a different look) we feel the TM is ‘quiet’. Hopefully all goes well and I still feel the same way when I go see it in the AM!! Final decision time!!

TM is usually a 'quiet' stone ... from a few feet away it just looks like a light beige counter.

No decisions made this morning! Just added 'swirl'. We saw a polished TM that was very pretty, and then also saw a very nice leathered TM at a different distributor. This is such a hard decision! Otherwise, do I go back to looking at granite? I just need to make a decision and move forward. It's hard to catch the colors but they both matched my samples nicely. Any thoughts on these are appreciated.

Leathered (with a VERY smooth feel):

Polished:

Wallpaper on a window/back door bump out wall

I guess I should have taken out my junkmail bookmark - LOL

What is your kitchen like? (galley, U-shape, etc). Will you have any seams?

I'm thinking the kitchen can't be very big if you only need one slab.

You don't choose anything!!! as permanent as a counter top to go with wallpaper. You'd not do it with paint , either. Those can be changed on a whim, relative to a counter top surface,

Why not show the kitchen you're doing.! A counter top, any, is but one element in a whole. That means layout, your flooring, cabinet finish, and the tops, all working in harmony, Along with that? The option in tops that best suit your cooking habits and maintenance habits, and your expectation and budget,

Post some images of the existing condition, and what you're doing. Full context gets the best advice..: ) and the most relevant to YOU.

Any thoughts? Not really. It isn't a hard decision, you like a slab or you don't. It goes with your cabinets/floor or it doesn't. It fits the budget or it doesn't.

I have had Taj Mahal in 2 kitchens and in my outdoor kitchen. Around 9 slabs total purchase years apart in different states. My polished TM slabs have been "bulletproof".

Jan - I completely understand that countertops/cabinets are 1st priority, I was just wondering if it matched what I had already chosen for a wallpaper - understanding that is the easy fix, and probably will be changed after a number of years. And I have held off on picking any type of paint for the exact reason. The current status is a completely empty kitchen with newly installed red oak hardwood (staining to be completed AFTER installation of cabinets and counters).

chispa - ultimately you are correct it comes down to my gut and what I like : ) Thanks for your perspective on your experience with TM over the years.

AnnKH - you are right - it's not big - about 45 sq ft needed. My fabricator will be able to help with layout based on the design.

This is a VERY rough draft that I pulled together a long time ago just to get an idea of the layout. No need to comment on details - they have already been taken care of but I'm adding this pic only to give you an idea of the plan (obviously a counter over the beverage cooler). Medium brown maple cabinets, warm brass hardware, working with the flooring contractor to ensure it is all cohesive.

Assuming your sink run is 9' and the peninsula comes out 54", you can probably squeeze this out of one slab (as long as it's "standard size" - ours were small). If you have much overhang behind the sink for stools, I don't think one slab will be enough.

Just giving you fair warning - when I was first estimating (before we had actually chosen slabs, and I was assuming 120" x 80"), I thought we would only need 2, but we definitely needed three.

All 3 of the slabs are lovely, I don't know that you would go wrong with any of them. It's really just a preference of a shiny surface vs a non-shiny surface. Brushed means the same as leathered, from what I understand.

Forgot to mention that the contact at the distributor said that brushed/leathered are interchangeable and are really the same thing. I appreciate everyone's insight and contributions!

I'm anxious to see your Taj kitchen! I'm waiting on the backsplash (next week) to do a reveal on mine.

Decision made! We went with the leathered TM that is so smooth it actually feels honed. Super excited and praying everything pulls together beautifully. And super happy to be moving on to other (easier) decisions to finalize the project!

AnnKH - looking forward to seeing your reveal!

I know you’re asking about the countertop, but when I saw that the staining of your new floor will be after the kitchen is installed, I had a small heart attack. Why would STAINING be after new cabinets are installed? I’ve refinished floors in two houses and my floor guy always went in first. Everything (sanding, installation of new pieces as needed, staining and final finish) was done before any contractors entered the house.

Can you ask why they are doing that so late in the process?

The new floors have been installed, once the cabinets and countertops have been installed, the stain color will be determined and completed. How do you determine a stain color to work with the new surfaces before installation? Flooring contractor (and different cabinet contractor) didn't have an issue with this process.

We did our flooring first - even the final top coat. The flooring guys gave us a large sample board, and the cabinet folks made us a sample board of the stain they mixed for us. We brought both to the stone yard when we picked out our slabs.

Our floor guy would have done the final coat after the cabinets were in, had we wanted him to, but I've used this cabinet company before (right down to the same guy doing the actual install), and I felt comfortable that they would not cause any damage to the floor during cabinet installation. I was correct.

Our floors are light (no stain, just a water-based sealer), and the cabinets are darker. We wanted a decent contrast between the two woods.

Oh, and I'm glad you found a slab you love!

Please go look at the layout before they cut anything. Yours is pretty uniform but I was so disappointed where the cut and join was when they installed mine .

dee_mckervey - sorry you were disappointed with the fabrication! Yes we already discussed the seam and the fact that I will need to work with them on the template placement on the stone. Although I appreciate the heads up and confirmation of the importance.

Interesting comments about the flooring....I will need to trust the process that we are taking.