It is kind of a New England look. We live in Massachusetts and our house is a classic Cape Cod so soapstone fits in pretty well here! The room does have a double skylight and two full size windows so it's bright in there all day, every day. We live on a lake so there are some beachy elements in the house. Our downstairs powder room is very beachy with whited beadboard, pale green walls and a pedestal sink. If you go with a white countertop then you could have a painted vanity - maybe wedgewood blue or a grey/green. Add a sisal rug and you might get that beach vibe. I know what you mean about the room being too dark. Our old bathroom had one very small window. I painted the walls in a deep blue/grey. It was a beautiful color but it really sucked the light right out of the room.

i happen to find the website on the internet. here have some kinds of stone tiles, may be you can get what you want here http://www.chinasink.com/search.htm?keyword=tile&ty=1 hope it's of help. Here is a link that might be useful: stone products company

I called to double-check the price, and told it was $34.70 per sq. ft, so may have misunderstood the first time - much better than $45, although still pricey. Rainbow

The Emser Classica line has harlequin tiles, but I believe they only come in cream or white. I've seen photos of white and cream alternating, which are kinda neat. We are using the Classica subways and some of their other tiles in our home. They are very nicely priced and they have a little bit of imperfect lines to give it more of a handmade look.