The floor is a bit darker polished concrete with exposed aggregate and the pendant lights will be different.

Your rendering looks nice enough ... but for me, the overall effect is a drab and depressing space. The gray counters and floor don't do anything for the stained cabinets and quartzite backsplash.

lol, okay I guess I asked for it. So what would be your suggestion?

Hard to see the actual colors in the quartzite, but I would pull something warmer, more off-white than gray.

Ignore if you really love gray and want gray floors!

skip the waterfall ends, then the island counter is okay. .... have you thought of an actual color for the island...youve got the perimeter nailed down nicely but I'd do something with a med-deep color..rich like green or blue at the island. it'll be a nice complement to all the brown and make it a little more alive.

if not a color at the island then switch to lighter wood species.... I get it [ you like wood] ...

changes to island/no waterfall ends....different wood... or color?

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I am curious what you all think about finish for the quartz countertops? Keeping in mind the countertops along the back wall and the island will be the same; this means it will be right next to the polished quartzite. Would it be wise to do a honed or concrete finish in effort to not compete or clash with the quartzite? or do I have that backward and I should keep everything polished?

I like the idea of warming up the quarts to something more beige as opposed to grey. I think the quartzite slab would welcome some warmer colors.

this was one I had bookmarked (available in both honed and polished finish): https://www.arizonatile.com/products/looks-like/natural-stone/ivory-white/

This is the more grey option (which comes in polished or concrete finish): https://www.msisurfaces.com/quartz-countertops/soapstone-mist-quartz/

here is the actual slab of quartzite:

In the render the wood is a bit darker than the actual stain. It is dark though, and that is being produced so too late to change now.

here is a

sample of the wood stain:

thank you all for your feedback

I'd keep a polished finish...since all the cabinetry has to be the brown the only change in the counter id make would be a white or near white counter. the brown cabs by far will be dominant feature...... a near white counter will make a difference I believe.... bounce the light around a little more.....a shift from gray to beige wont make that much difference and I'd keep the standard polished finish not matte or honed or whatever. do you have some time to look at whiter counters.....i think it might give a perk.

"Here is the actual slab of quartzite"

I like the red.

It is all too theoretical. Get actual samples and start holding them up to the slab with the slab vertical and the quart horizontal. I'd look for white, which might lean an ever so smidge of grey rather than a creamy white or yellow based white. I'd get the counter and splash with the same finish, likely polished.

Waterfall edges can look really good in a wide open space or a congested mishap in a small space. How far is your island from other walls and how big is the space overall.

I was surprised to see all the red in your slab. It's cool.

^ agree, I think decisions based on a virtual space might lead you astray, as @Kendrah suggests, get real samples in the room where its going

Thank you. Sounds like I need to go with polished finish and lean lighter in color on the quartz.

Here is another sample I picked up: https://gvgstone.com/products/arizona-tile-pro-frost-126-x-61-polished-quart-slab?srsltid=AfmBOopXbjVC_Gf7k44vJtOH2N50CTeXyHq0XYtw6CFlbbh6_hRO1fII

Island is 4ft from left and right wall. Total length is 9ft x 44".

The plan was to only add the waterfall to left side. The actual plans have barstools on the right side of the island, like the pic (ignore the wall color).

Drop the waterfall edge?

Any suggestions for lighting above the island? I bought some and I think I might hate them. They are round mirrored glass and I think they remind me of warming lamps.

@millworkman

That is my concern.

I think my only option then would be to remove the quartzite all together, which would be disappointing because its been the one thing I REALLY like in the kitchen.

This is why I was considering a matte finish on the quartz. To give more distinction between the two surfaces.

I might have enough quartzite to do the wall side countertop and then I could do the island in a different finish. I'm not if sure that makes more sense?

@Kendrah & @la_la Girl

I have real samples in hand, with the exception of the quartzite. I have taken the samples down to the slab a few times to try different options. I have not drawn any strong conclusions.

Photographing at the warehouse is difficult due to lighting. In this image the lighter stone is the better choice, but I am not loving the quartz next to quartzite.

But a plain solid colored quartz isn't an imitation of anything, so not an issue to pair with a bold quartzite.

My fear is that the quartzite slabs you picked are quite dark and will be surrounded by dark cabinets. It won't look like your renderings.

@chispa - That makes a lot of sense. After install, if I need to paint the top cabinets to brighten things up, that is an option!

You don't see any issue with the quartz and quartzite having the same text and finish even when butting up to one another?

For some reason, the first thing I thought when I saw the quartzite was 'soapstone'.

@mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)

that is interesting you say soapstone. One of my main inspo images was this. I was trying to go lighter to brighten it up.

The quartzite is gorgeous! The best way to brighten the space is to add lighting. Not all kitchens have to have white cabinets and white counters - blah!

The gray counters are out for me. I would go white ( to go with the veins in the top ) or a soapstone - the 2 extremes. I think polished is fine and so is honed - the polish on an engineered stone top is not as glossy as the quartzite anyway.

I don't mind a waterfall - it is just another design element. You must make sure you are working with a good fabricator though! At least the tops aren't veined, because matching is difficult. But doing a miter edge can be tricky too if the fabricator is not skilled enough.

What does your space actually look like? What will the design be? Is it the one you posted above? How many windows do you have? How big is the room?

@Debbi Washburn - Thank you! I am in love with the quartzite as well :)

We will have lots of down lights, some directional lights and under cabinet lights. My fabricator is rumored to be very good, I hope these rumors are true!

The space is pretty small. This is a guest house so we were limited on allowed sqft. It will be my primary residence. The great room is a rectangle (34ft x 17ft x 10ft ceilings) - we have a 12ft W x 8ft H slider and some horizontal fixed slat windows in the room. One is in the kitchen. It's a fair amount of light in this room. Although, I do wish I had added a skylight in the kitchen.

Here is a pic of the space currently (pony wall frame is the island)

Here are some renders I had made before we had decided on paint and some other finishes, it gives a decent idea of the space.

I vote white plain quartz with that quartzite. I don’t think it will be too dark considering all lighting and the space.

If your floor is darker make the cabinets lighter and use a concrete look quartz counter without much movement since the backsplash is enough, like Ceaserstone 5310 Brillianza . Try to match the light finish to the faucet finish.

I like those pendants :) I will find something similar!

The cabinet stain is done, so they are staying dark. But I see what you mean, the contrast with the floor being on the dark side would have been nice.

quartz - I am leaning toward Della Terra "Pro Frost"

That quartz looks liek ti will work great. Make sure to get a sample and look at everything together i the room where it is going. Sorry I didn't mean to suggest something when it was already decided.

I love it! But that is more my style. I think it will be great in the end. I lived in a condo once with a slate stained cabinet door, black tops and very light gray backsplash tile. It was 10 x 10 with a 6ft opening into the dining/living room and had no window! I loved it

It's going to look great. You have great light and high ceilings which will keep it open and airy but with a lot of character.

I can't wait to see after pictures!

Thanks @Debbi Washburn!

I shall return with pictures!