Hi! I had the same issue; all I could find locally was green stone and what I wanted was dark black. I couldn't get myself to be okay with the green stuff so I had my slabs shipped to my state from a soapstone specialist (Dorado) and having a local fabricator who does a lot of soapstone fabricate and install. Leaving aside the issue of getting the stone you actually want, which is very important but only you can decide if it is worth the extra $1275, you have the question of having a soapstone expert do your fabrication & install vs the local company. In my relatively inexperienced opinion, I would think it would be worthwhile to have someone who does a lot of soapstone do your install. FWIW, my price was $28 a square foot for the slab material from Dorado Soapstone plus $400 shipping for the slabs; my install cost was $55 a square foot plus something like $125 each for my sink and cooktop cutouts. This is in the same price range per foot as you're talking about at $83 per foot. Compared to many quotes for soapstone I've seen on the board, I think this is a pretty good price. Anita

Cheri, I am just reading your post for the first time tonight.... I am glad you are considering wood flooring for your kitchen! After looking at your pictures - I can see that you are going for a very "high end, authentic" look. I think checkerboard tile would be a mistake and not in keeping with the great details that you already have, so carefully selected. I would do the wood floor stained medium to darker brown and use a rug to achieve the look you are going for. Your style seems very classic, simple and elegant and authentic. I have a great picture of a rug that could give you the look, but I don't know how to post pictures in this forum. I have just started posting tonight for the first time. Keep focusing and best of luck to you.... Your choices so far are very nice.

I can just see someone’s gramma knitting a cozy for a post rather than the teapot. I think there’s a certain dishonesty in all of those looks that makes them far less appealing than if they were just raw concrete or steel. If someone wants modern, and that means support posts, there should be an unabashed LOVE for that structural detail. It shouldn’t be attempted to be disguised like your crazy uncle in the attic that you’re ashamed to have in the family. The current attempt to cross 1002 traditional home details and with large modern internal volumes is what resulted in the horrible atrocity of the NeoEccentric TopHat MishMassAppeal taking over production building. Pop a few Mr Potato Head details on the house of the 70 gables and it’s a Craftsman, or a Folk Victorian, or French Country. Continuing that awkward cross into the interior results in the 10 Acre (Painted) Wood Kitchen, with the Antarctic OutPost Breakfast Bar, where those OutPosts are attempted to be integrated into the whole, by disguising them as Traditional elements. Which does semi work a lot of the time to keep you from bashing your noggin. But, people just don’t have the guts to actually commit to what they are asking home builders to produce. They want a Modern Home, but superficially disguised in Gramma’s apron, pince nez, and hairnet.

The hexagon shape is not a common shape and not all manufacturers of tile will make that shape. Be careful of tiles from Home Depot or Lowes as they mainly purchase second quality materials. The quality of the products are poor and could have a bow in them. Your best bet would be to go to an actual flooring store and see what they can find you. Out of the 8 main suppliers I work with only 1 company has the hexagon size for 1 line of tile. It's not as good looking as the product shown in the photo and to my knowledge they have sold very little of it.