Use soapstone, that should look nice. And use a white subway tile for the backsplash.

I'd darken the island base, leave the Island top as is.

Replace the perimeter countertop with a white. Change out the pendants to mix media of brushed nickel or Chrome cone shape. add a patterned roman blind above the window (high in the wall space above the window trim) Get a couple colored leather low back stools for the island.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/JONATHAN-Y-Homer-13-in-1-Light-Chrome-White-Modern-Industrial-Iron-LED-Dome-Globe-Pendant-JYL9536C/322949705?cm_mmc=psoc-pinprg-626757611246-2680088929654&utm_campaign=626757611246&utm_medium=PaidSocial&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_content=2680088929654&pp=0&epik=dj0yJnU9QWNURElJdDREODNwMzZ6UFNJYVc5X090bHZKZDZYdWomcD0xJm49dG9OcGMzRk1PcE9EcmZQekZpNjQ4QSZ0PUFBQUFBR25QOHFz#overlay

Soapstone is beautiful! I'd recommend visiting a few stone yards. If you can bring along a cabinet door or drawer front, that would be great. See what natural stones you love since you don't want quartz and see if you can bring home samples to test.

Do some research on stones with these threads: Countertop Geology. (That is part 6 of 6 and links to the previous threads.) Read more about testing here.

What is the backsplash now, and are you going to change it? If so, that selection comes after counters are installed.

What are you thinking for the floors? Refinishing what you have, or replacing? Personally I think they look nice, but what matters is what you like. If you plan a major flooring change, like installing grey tiles (I hope not), that will drive your counter decision.

Lights: there are thousands of options and a choice will be driven by your style and budget.

I'm undecided on backspash. When counters are quartz. I like a quartz backspash (but that's pricey.) I persinally am ok with my floors but have been told they're too orange, so I'm planning to restain. I'll research soap stone - I need something durable and easy to clean. I guess the problem is that while I like the quartz look, I don't want it to be the same as every other kitchen.

Soapstone does need maintenance.

Quartz doesn't have "a look". You choose color, pattern, finish yourself to make "a look".

Top quartz options that mimic the matte, veined, and charcoal-grey aesthetic of soapstone include Silestone Charcoal Soapstone,Caesarstone Black Tempal, andCambria's Blackbrook or Charlestown. These materials provide the soft, rustic look of soapstone with better durability, no sealing required, and a matte or honed finish.

If you go darker, it will look great with the black accents in the appliances.

Add interesting new cabinet knobs/pulls, if you want to spend more money. Maybe a black and stainless combo, so no need to change out other brushes stainless look hardware. It's expensive and the hardware you have now looks fine to me.

Your floors aren't too orange; if anything the floors are too shiny...have a matte finish applied. The matte will absorb light, rather than relfecting it. More natural looking vs the bowling alley look.

Consider new stools. I was thinking swivel, no arms, no backs, so you could get three stools and tuck them under the counter for a sleeker look.

Nice kitchen.

I'm concerned black counters will always look dirty. Don't know if that's true for polished or both honed and polished.

I think for a custom look, you need color. I'd recommend Laguna Corian for your counters. It's a dark blue. Then, you could have some blue in your backsplash and maybe in your lights.

While I like interesting tile, like the blue below, if you had blue subway tile with blue counters, it would still look pretty custom. Blue is generally a calming color.

Fresh Maple Kitchen Remodel · More Info

I think any counter looks dirty if not wiped down daily. I have white right now and it shows every crumb. I love Dave's bread, Good Seed, and wow, does making a sandwich leave a trail.

I keep taking a peek at your kitchen. It looks very nice...are you sure you want to invest in new counters?

“Soapstone does need maintenance.”

@oncape, on the contrary…those of us with very hard varieties of soapstone can tell you, our counters require NO maintenance.

My soapstone counters are now over 10yo. Nary a scratch to be found. I don’t oil or wax. Totally unnecessary. Just let them patina on their own. Dish soap and a wet sponge or microfiber cloth to clean them. For stubborn cooking oil spots, the rough side of a blue scrubby sponge does the job. Easy peasy.

@darbuka, I don't care for a patina on my soapstone counters. Too chalky and over the years soapstone doesn't keep its original color, whick I loved when installed. The way to do that is to oil (plain old cooking oil) every six months or so. I also would never put a hot pan on the counter..soapstone can crack. Some common food items can stain the surface. Have to be vigilant...so I'm sticking with soapstone "needs maintenance" if you want to keep them looking beautiful. If I wanted patina, my counters would, hands down, be concrete.

@oncape, a soapstone specialist, like M. Teixeira (who installed my tops) knows how to properly finish soapstone counters. Soapstone needs to be sanded to a specific grit to perform properly.

Soapstone is impervious to everything, and anything. Real soapstone will never stain. Period. Anything seen on the counters, is on the top, and can easily be removed. I’ve never even had water stains from glasses on my soapstone that didn’t wipe up cleanly with a microfiber cloth.

Btw, patina can be removed with some Bon Ami or Comet, and the back of a wet scrubby sponge. My husband used to do this twice a year, when the mood struck him.

Haven’t bothered in years.

Sorry your counters look ”chalky.” They shouldn’t. Mine don’t. They’ve darkened in the more used areas. But chalky? No.

Comparing porous concrete to soapstone, is so off the charts. I have two friends who ripped out their concrete counters, before a year of use. Concrete is a staining horror, that seeps into the material. Thats not what patina is.

Oh, and true soapstone is temperature neutral. It will not suffer from thermal shock, because it absorbs heat and cold slowly. Yes, you can place hot pots onto it, with no cracking.

Honed jet mist or Virginia mist is a calm charcoal color granite counter that looks good with white cabinets. It has some movement but it's not busy.

IMO what you have for counters is less cookie cutter than a change . The floors do not look orange to me . If it ain't broke don't FIX it I might start with new stools in a color

With cream cabinets, you can do almost any countertop. I like soapstone or granite for an island.

I do like the suggestion to change the color of your island.

Have you walked around any stoneyards or showrooms to view slabs? You may be inspired by or fall in love with something you see.

agree to look for other details for some changes. Appears you have a traditional setting. a nice opportunity would be with stools/ pendants and I'd get glass w detail in the two cabinets on the side wall. what are you proposing to do RE the floor?

there are many beautiful glass doors w detail that would be an improvement.. pendants and stools as well. I'd lean into the traditional feeling without hesitation, especially if the cabinets are to remain for the future. Your granite can stay.

Wet Bar with Arched Opening and Glass Fronted Cabinetry · More Info

Traditional Kitchen with a Touch of Glamour · More Info

For a "custom" look you need to find something that is more unique. I knew I found my backsplash when I liked it and I could not find any photos of it in other kitchens! You can definitely find a unique backsplash if you visit local independent tile stores.

I have a white kitchen with Taj Mahal quartzite counters, medium stained wood floors and ceiling beams.

I used this marble mosaic for my backsplash. The white honed marble complements the white cabinets and the brown polished marble complements the gold/brown veins in the Taj Mahal and the wood stain of the floors and ceiling beams.

The only photo I found online of my backsplash brand/style was this kitchen below, and even then it was the same color marble, but not the same pattern.

JT Ranch · More Info

This looks like a pretty updated kitchen on my screen. I would choose new countertops and maybe a new backsplash. Change the island cabinet colour and the pendants and call it done

I think your kitchen is classic and gorgeous.

@darbuka, I am not sure why you want to continue trying to prove me wrong. It is my experience and I felt I needed to share it with the OP...byw, not you.

Photo, please of your counters. I really would like to see how they look after 10 years.

The thing that really stands out to me in your photo is the harsh amount of stainless steel in your appliances. Your floor color doesnt look overly orange but it does look shiny and I think taking the finish to a satin finish would look much better. I also notice your french country bar stools which are lovely and can drive the feel of your kitchen..

With all this in mind.....I don't think you need shy away from the light counters you want. I just think you need to balance them with warmth and character. If i were approaching a change in this kitchen I would do the following

1. i would replace the stainless steel hood with something that adds charm and character

2. I would take your three island lghts down to two (the three looks cluttered) larger ones

3. Change the coutners to what you love ....a marbke looking quartz or for the ultimate in durability a sintered stone like Dekton or do a natural quartzite stone.

4. I would take the counter up behind the range only

5. a used brick backsplash everywhere else to add some real character to the space

6 a relaxed roman shade at the window

Light green counters would look very nice with your cabinets and flooring. I have Costa Esmeralda granite. Another poster Red Ryder also has light green countertops but I can't remember the name -- I do remember them being quite beautiful though.

You can't go wrong with black counters and white cabinets -- that's a classic. I adore Virginia Mist (aka Jet Mist) granite; a pic was posted above.

If you switch out your counters, I think you'll need to switch out your backsplash, too.

I agree with @Patricia Colwell Consulting- if you don’t want “cookie cutter”, leave the existing granite alone. And I also agree with her regarding the change of counter stools- to either a color, as she suggests- or I would possibly go with an updated style with some wood on it.

imo, quartz would be a huge downgrade from your granite- in many ways. The Soapstone or Virginia Mist granite suggestions are great, if you want that look.

FYI: This discussion board mostly presents/endorses an extremely limited buffet of options for countertop materials and design looks... So tbh, if you do not want cookie cutter- you may very well have come to the wrong place.

I would not change out the granite. If I had to replace it with anything, it would be butcher block or River White granite.

I’m with Darbuka on the durability and ease of soapstone. We’re on our second kitchen with it now. I don’t do anything to it but wipe it off. I do set hot pots, oily things, waxy things - pretty much all manner of stuff you’re not supposed to put on counters - on it. It looks great. And we cook a lot. The stuff is indestructable.

I'm not in love with your busy granite and endorse a change.

If you are looking for individualism, it has to come from having an eye for things that make you excited, that you find beautiful. Shop for lighting, stools, and an accent color that you absolutely love. Then translate it into your kitchen with neutral countertops - a solid color quartz or corian. (Faux marble quartz makes me cringe too.) And adapt your flooring stain to the look.

You might hate these styles but they are just examples on how to find a look you love and translate it into your space.

(I found these pics by looking at visual comfort lighting ceiling lights and clicking through the examples at the bottom of the page for an individual light. https://www.visualcomfort.com/us/c/ceiling?tid=hp_b2m1_ceiling You will find much more interesting kitchens NOT on Houzz.)

1. This look translated into your kitchen - get the stools, lighting, brass hardware, white counters, and use the light green in your backsplash. (Leave the smiley guy out!)

2. Like this look? Get all white counters, paint your island army green, get the lighting, stools, and a white/grey splash.

3. Like this look? Paint your island. Get a black granite countertop for your whole kitchen, get these stools, and lights, and copy the backsplash. Notice the splash is X's and O's. A nice detail.

4. Like this look? Easy in your space. Get the lights, stools, switch hardware to brass, lighten the floors, get a non-busy white countertop.

5. Like this look? Get the light, the stools, brass hardware, white corian countertops on island, walnut butcher block top on perimeter.

Design Kitchen has a point about the stainless steel. But I still think it's all very classy looking. A pop of color in a place or two like barstool cushions would look nice.

Maybe slow down a second and collect inspiration images for kitchens you think meet your criteria of upgraded but not cookie cutter.Your only constraint is that you have very traditional white cabinets. So search for “traditional kitchen white cabinets” and see what images you find that you like. This can be so helpful in finding finishes and an overall feel for the space. Good luck!