Could you get a laminate that looks like a marble? Depending on the tone of soapstone, marble might look nice. How long is your run of counter? Is a remnant out of the question? The laminates are so numerous, I bet you will find something that will coordinate. I wouldn't try to coordinate the w/d with the counters because you may have another set in a few years (unfortunately).

Thanks so much. I think it will work. I am suffering from "kitchen overload (the evil twin of TKO) and I am beginning to forget what I've seen where and over-thinking/doubting some of my decisions. mom2reese and lululemom -- Thank you for your enthusiasm! The last thing I want to happen is to get the countertop installed and think - yikes - I don't like how this looks! nomorebluekitchen- I had thought I had seen a kitchen with darker cabinets and soapstone countertops, I just couldn't remember which kitchen it was -- I really liked the combination. I am so glad to hear that you love your kitchen - it is beautiful! I am looking forward to having all these decisions behind me. Now I just have to worry about a back splash and cabinet hardware - how hard can that be ;).

Thanks so much for your help, everyone. I'm inching closer, I think. kpaquette -- your floors are beautiful (love that border)! If I go the red oak route, I really hope I can manage to get those warm gold/brown tones in the floor. Bobby99 -- That certainly is the beauty of unstained wood floors! Your golden floors look great with the black countertop, and I'd never be able to tell you have such a lovely and large companion romping on them! Northcarolina - I know what you mean about that red soil. I've got relatives in NC and when I come home from a visit, I've got to wipe the red clay off my sneakers -- it is a gorgeous soil though and would blend perfectly with the red oak - a maintenance dream! linelle, dseng, flori and i_love_my_dog -- that's what I'm struggling with the most. I'm afraid if I do anything other than red oak it will disrupt the flow and make the house seem choppy. Although the kitchen is not really "open", it has three interior doors (all leading from red oak) and you can see into the kitchen from the (red oak) front entryway. I love the red oak in all the pictures you've so graciously posted, but most of the kitchens (with the exception of oldbat's first pic) look pretty traditional; and I think our renovated kitchen will end up more transitional and I'm not sure it will look as good. I went to a nearby Lumber Liquidators yesterday (hmmm -- I only saw the bad reviews of LL after I returned). I loved the LL "Golden Teak", but after reading some negative reviews of LL, am pretty reluctant to take a chance on that. The teak has some variation though and blends with and picks up some of the red oak color, but is more of a medium brown with some red and gold tones. It really seemed like a nice compromise between the red oak and dark stained floors that would blend nicely. Didn't like unstained white oak at all (too greenish) with the gray counter. I'm tempted to try to stain oak the color of the Golden Teak. The LL guy did tell me that if I'm toying with staining an oak floor, I should go with white oak because it absorbs the stain more evenly. Can red oak be stained to pick up brown/gold tones? I'm not sure that will gain me much though, because once you stain oak, isn't it likely to show dirt and scratches much like the darker stained floor which I love but am trying to avoid because of the maintenance?

Stainless finishes have improved so much in the last few years. They are much easier to maintain than they used to be. When you go to look at appliances, look for a brushed-looking finish, and touch them everywhere. You'll see at once which ones will show finger prints. Avoid those. Otherwise, cleaning is pretty easy. By the way, that Samsung in white definitely dents, so just being white doesn't mean it's going to be low maintenance. As for the overall look, I don't think of stainless as fancy, it's more of a commercial look, or in your case, just consistent with your other appliances. Another alternative - scour ebay and Craigslist for panel-ready refrigerators. There are lightly used SubZeros and KitchenAids all over the place just waiting for panels. Just out of curiosity, what are you doing with your old fridge? Here's what I did with mine in the house I'm now living in, and the dw of the beach cottage I sold in 2010. No one else will recommend this by the way. I bought maple PSA (self adhesive) wood veneer, applied it to the front and sides of my bisque fridge and painted it white. It is absolutely beautiful. I like it even better than my sister's integrated panel fridge. You can try it on your old fridge and see if you like the effect. Painted wood next to painted wood is lovely. Don't do this on an appliance you're keeping if you haven't practiced first, or at least, start in the back. Just a thought.