Steel grey? Dark but not black, and looks great with stainless appliances.

Nice! @oOamyOo_

Is that your kitchen? Are the floors a lighter stone?

In case you have not completely ruled out soapstone, here is a really excellent detailed discussion of it from someone who researched it thoroughly before buying it, has had it for years, and LOVES it.

http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com/2014/03/soapstone.html?m=1

A mostly white granite with light graining in gray is beautiful and not too busy. Don't paint the cabinets until you have selected your granite. I had my backsplash done in the same granite as the counters and am very happy with it. My granite guy also did the window sill (over the sink) to match.

I would look at the color of the floor, and find a granite with a white/cream background and some bits of the tan that complements it, so your countertops stay light. As an alternative, you could paint your cabinets a muted taupe color and use white quartz on the countertops.

There are a few granite colors that are lovely, a great cost, but not trendy. Stay away from marble look alikes if you want to keep it bright, as they are on the way out. I am not sure what your distributors would call the granite (they all have different names) but I would recommend: Kashmire Cream, Smokey Mountain, Monte Cristo, Alaska, Bianco Typhoon or Meteor Show in a Satin finish. We would also recommend cutting down the raised bar and making the peninsula/island one huge piece. That really helps a kitchen to feel more open. You're lucky, the kitchen has great bones!

Hi! I would recommend you find a dozen pictures of galley kitchens you love, and follow their lead on cabinet, counter and backsplash color and style. Your style is very personal and I'll bet you can figure out what fits you best. I love many styles and can appreciate beautiful kitchens in others homes, but they may not be what I would want. Good luck on your search. You have great bones for an updated look!

Either Solid Grey Quartz or White Carerra would best match your floor and cabinets.

You can ask for more suggestions with our flooring specialist, Jericho at 818-764-2254 ext. 103.

don't worry about a backsplash yet (although since you don't want trendy, you will be left w/subway tile of some sort). Pick your countertop first. Soapstone is a great choice. It doesn't scratch that easily! not like marble. it's been used in every science/chemistry lab since the early 1900's. it's very hardy.

you might also look into leathering or brushing. It's techniques they use to give it more of a texture and ease of cleaning. Here are some examples.

black pearl, leathered.

this is Brushed, Absolute Black granite.

Leathered, Antique brown Granite

Leathered, Titanium Granite

this is called Infinity Granite, and it's leathered. Very much resembles soapstone.

if you want lighter, maybe something like this. has more gray tones to it.

fantasy brown, leathered.

I recommend leathered jet mist granite. (also called Virginia Mist) It's black with subtle white veining that mimics soapstone. We LOVE ours.

What about recycled glass Quartz?

I just put in a black leathered granite (maroon cohaba) with canvas white cabinets and I love it so much.

Thank you so much for the feedback, y'all are awesome! All the suggestions confirm to me the choices I'm conflicted between will work, although, seems like they all would look better in kitchens with wood flooring. (My floor is my cause for confusion, everything I see on line that I like, has woods floors in kitchen).

My travertine looking tile throws me off. My first choice is soapstone, has been for a years, I'm taking a long time to make up my mind! But.. The other day I read a bloggers opinion of her mistake choosing soapstone and then got worried. (House of Silver Linings blog post) I had narrowed it down to these soapstone choices (posted below) and then decided I better go a different direction, after reading her bad experience.

Honed black pearl, Ivory Chiffon, Virginia mist was my next choice, although, black pearl was a little too plain for my taste, but beautiful.

Ivory chiffon would put me in a lighter category and I'm not sure I want an all light kitchen, but the stone is beautiful.

And the Virginia mist at the yard I was at was being marketed as a soapstone??

I do like all the color suggestions mentioned. I think my biggest hurdle is knowing what would look best with the floors I have?? a light, dark, or medium tone?? I'm inclined to want something that looks very natural, since the floors (in person) have that earthen natural look. Keep the ideas coming, it's helpful when sorting it out in my mind thanks so much!

My soapstone choices I was initially getting ready to choose and get the project started:

1)

2)

3) A grayish soapstone with rust spots. And veining.(below)

4)

5) They are calling this soapstone (below) and say it's the same as Virginia mist? (Name of it, below 2ND PIC). I thought Virginia mist was granite. They say this is the same as VM, and it's much stronger than the other soapstones to choose from

6)Here's Ivory chiffon granite (below), have to be careful though to pick a slab that doesn't have peach/pink tones. This one's more, rust,brown, creme, black, grey, which felt earthy to me.

Ivory chiffon again, a different slab.

7) Beautiful grey soapstone, but veining had too much mint green.

Pam Forni, sounds beautiful. Can you share an image? Canvas white sounds nice! What brand paint, may I ask?

@Heather, love all the ones you've posted. Do you have an opinion on which one would look best with my floors?

I was also worried about scratches on soapstone, and opted for a leather-finished black granite. LOVE the look! Can't wait to get it installed next month when the bathroom is finished!!!!

willowshome,,,,if you mean me (I don't see any photos Heather posted), i like them all. either the darker tones or the lighter ones will go fine w/your flooring. all depends what look you want. It also depends on what color you're doing your cabinets. If doing white cabs, you want to pick a white that will work with your granite. some light granites have more yellow/cream tones. that might clash w/brighter white cabinets.

I have also seen Jet Mist leathered and I really like that one too. If you are going to do a dark countertop, leathering or honed, or the brushed is the way to go. anything dark and polished is going to show marks and crumbs. the leathering will help hide the fingerprints and such.

If you already have an idea of what type of backsplash you want, then work your countertop around that. For instance, some people really want a particular color, or shape or material and will choose their granite based on that. Others would rather have their countertop be the star and really don't care about the splash. So, if you are in either of those categories, then choose accordingly.

Cost is another issue. (did you know they have pre-fabricated countertops for $600? they come in more common choices, but are great for a budget option)

For instance, this Ice Jade is a pre-fab. It's granite and is gorgeous! I even coordinated a blue/gray tile that matches perfectly with it. Both of these would look great w/your flooring and white cabinets. I'd also do brushed gold hardware.

this one is also pre fab (they come in 9'x22" lengths/widths, with either a squared edge or a simple bullnose edging). This one would also work w/you flooring.

If you have a lot of countertops/island to do, then a slab is prob a better choice.

I'd love to see these in a leathered finish in a black/white kitchen

Hi Beth H, so sorry! Yes I meant you, I must have looked at Heathers post last and typed her name.

Beth H, omg, love the last one you posted! Would that be to loud and dramatic in my small kitchen??, but what a gorgeous stone! I had found one last year that was soapstone that had thick dark white veining, but the stone was polished. I never made up my mind, so interesting that you post this one, being that it's similar to one I almost went with.

I like the carara marble subway backsplash, but I also like plain white, and others as well. Unfortunately, I like too many things and can never decide, but this summer is the summer for the 24 year old kitchen to be updated!

Here's a few things I like:

Beth H.: forgot to thank you for mentioning prefab! I ran into a granite yard on Saturday that was all prefab. I wasn't familiar with the pros and cons of it, although there weren't any choices I liked. She said if I found a slab elsewhere, their prices were half than most all yards, to cut and install. I need to do more research and see about this prefab option. Maybe they'll get something I like, if I hold off.

I actually don't want to over upgrade my home, so perhaps this is a good option. I just wanted to be certain it was quality products and work.

Thanks for bringing it up!!

absolutely! the downside to the prefab is choices. although, compared to 5 years ago, there are many more options! I love that black/white slab. Something like that you prob won't see in the pre-fab!

If your kitchen is too small for the entire slab, think about using the leftover for a bathroom vanity. I happen to love the movement in that one so no, I don't think it's busy. that slab is actually at my tile place in Anaheim. And I do believe that was already leathered! It's a beautiful stone. I would do something like that in a heartbeat if I had the right cabinets for it.

And I would do a solid color backsplash w/that one. I've put 4 different ones next to the slab so you could see

and I love this black ceramic chevron as well.

I'm like you, in that I love too many things. It took me 6 months to finally settle on all of the tile/design in my bathroom redo (if you click on my name, you'll see my bathroom/bedroom reno). I love herringbone (as you'll see) so I might do a black or white herringbone w/that beautiful granite. ditto if you chose soapstone.

Beth you're making me realize I never thought to ask how much of my quartz slab was used and where the rest of it is. So pissed right now. All I got was a "free" cutting board. Lesson learned I guess...

ya know, I don't think the average homeowner realizes that they will have left over pieces. (where do you think those remnants come from that they sell and make 'free money' on??!) They basically double dip. that's why whenever I buy (or used to, I don't anymore) a remnant, I'd say, "the stone has already been paid for once, now your asking an outrageous price for again?"

yeah, all homeowners need to look at the template they use on the slab and see if there is anything leftover that can be used. sometimes the way they template them, there are only puzzle parts left over. but often times you get a nice long piece that can be reused.

willowshome, I'm not a granite expert. However, in working around your tile, I would suggest considering a stain on your cabinets instead of painting. This would introduce the wood element you like but are missing on your floor. Using an outdoor transparent wood stain would warm up the cabinet color without making them too dark; and it would be a much faster process than painting.

However, if you really want to paint the cabinets then you could cover the bar wall in a nice wood.

Here is a cabinet paint that would be warm but not too light.

Or go with something bolder like this:

I think this tile looks similar to yours.

TC Hudson, excellent point! I'd need to find a stain I would like. Hmmmm, I'm gonna look into that option.

It would be an error to assume that all fabricators charge the consumer for full slabs. Some do and some don't - the consumer should always ask upfront. ALL of the fabricators we deal with charge for what is used and subtract out the square footage of remnants large enough to keep and sell. The fabricators, however, do have minimum charges to make it worthwhile to obtain, fabricate and install the stone for smaller projects.

Beth, Love the backsplash options you've shown with the slab. I think I like the 3rd one best, it's more simple with the busy bold slab. Thanks for your ideas!!

,

Yikes, willowshome! I see the pictures I copy/pasted to my comment didn't come through. I'll have to try again- it will make a lot more sense!

OK, here you go.

I've noticed that all the counters are light, but that doesn't mean you'd have to go that route. If you go the painted cabinet route, you might consider a wood-look tile backsplash.

Thank you @TC Hudson! Especially Love the first photo!

Found an amazing stone. Can't decide if it's to busy, and if it'd be classic and in style years from now?

Also find a soapstone I like:

Found a honed brown that is amazing almost looks metal, forgot to get picture, but will try to get one from supplier.

Here's a few more granite choices on the lighter side if I went semi light.

Originally, wanted soapstone, (a dark counter) trying to narrow down light verses dark and then go from their with a slab choice.

Taking my floors into consideration what do y'all think?

wow. that is a beautiful stone. if you have a large island, go for it and use the soapstone on the perimeter. would be a shame to cut this piece.

I agree that that first stone is an island stone only. If you cut that into a counter where I would presume you will have seams it will never look right. As for being dated someday - yup, probably. But not now. And the soapstone is a classic so at worst you're replacing your island top only. If you really love it, go for it.

Awe, darn.. Don't have an island. My kitchen set up is in pictures up at top of post. I worried about cutting it up. Onto my other choices, thanks for the feedback... helps me narrow down my choices.

the soapstone one you posted above is nice. don't like those two bottom granites. at all! sorry. see if you can find Fantasy Brown. some of the slabs are really nice. And if you can get a leathered finish, it would look really cool.

Beth H, I actually did see a fantasy brown. I'm going back next week to some slab yards for I hope a final search. Hopefully I'll find another.

Thank you!