I would pick the honed absolute black granite. It sounds like a good option, with your other choices. Not sure about the chiseled edge...will it be as durable? That's my one concern about soapstone is the possible chipping. Sounds like you're close to finalizing all your choices! Good luck with the kitchen and have fun! :)

I would vote for the honed absolute black as well. I am a big fan of soapstone, but the honed sounds like a better fit in this case. I would warn against the chiseled edge. It looks cool, but will catch on your clothing, and towels and such.

I have soapstone counters...Brazilian Duros, not too different from Julia...and natural limestone floors, which are very variable. I actually had originally planned slate, but found a deal on the limestone. I don't think it would be too much at all to have stone floors and soapstone. Every soapstone I've ever seen, except M. Texeira's absolutely gorgeous Monsoon (which remodelfla has) is relatively quiet. Yes, it can have veins, but it's not like a granite with a lot of movement. Slate would look great with it.

As for soapstone vs. granite...you are likely to hear, emphatically, opposite views on this. I was just asked by my neice about it and here's what I told her, after about a year of living with my soapstone and two years of trolling this site for info on it:

Some people will say soapstone is high maintenance. It's matter of perception (what someone considers high maintenance), which type of soapstone and what you want it to look like. If you are going for the darkened look rather than trying to keep the soapstone lighter gray, it is NOT, in my opinion, anyway, high maintenance. The fabricator waxed my stone upon installation. I oiled it once a week for 3 weeks. Then once every two weeks for about 4 months. Now, I do it every couple of months and it doesn't really need it. The particular type of stone I got darkens (oxidizes) fairly quickly on its own and the process didn't need a lot of speeding up. Some stones take more, some less. And oiling consists entirely off taking a small bit of rag, squirting mineral oil on it and after you've wiped down your counters with whatever cleaner you usually use, wiping the oil on and walking away. I have 72 square feet of counter and it adds maybe 5 minutes to my weekly pick-up-everything kitchen cleaning time.

I actually have switched from mineral oil to a foodsafe beeswax and oil product sold for butcherblock and I like it even better...goes on just as easily, but it sort of sinks in a bit more quickly than the oil alone.

I get occasional watermarks, where a damp pan or bowl has been allowed to sit on the counter for a prolonged period. It disappears entirely on its own within a few days and immediately with a swipe of oil (if company was coming and I wanted it gone right then.) Again, as the stone naturally darkens, these marks will appear less often and last a shorter time.

In short, from how you describe your tolerance levels, I wouldn't hesitate to do soapstone. But you'll hear varying opinions.

I think either one would work beautifully in your application. Personally, I'd pick soapstone. But I'm biased. I agree with everything melissastar says. My experience with "maintaining" soapstone almost mirrors hers.

It sounds like you are leaning towards the granite. I live in WA state as well....... SS was nonexistent where I live. Since you can find honed granite at every stone yard, I would say go that direction. I picked Cambrian Black granite.... it has an antiqued/leathered finish. That is another option to consider if you come across it.

Thank you all so much! Great advice so far. I am actually leaning toward soapstone and appreciate melissastar's experience. Look forward to more info though, as we plan to head to the stoneyards this weekend. Interesting lolauren that you couldn't get soapstone where you are. Pental in Seattle has a variety and our local guy (out of anacortes) even had some in his showroom, within a few hundred $$ of the absolute black granite. Will definitely look at the Cambrian Black, I do like the leathered finishes too. Anyone with concerns about the honed granite finishes?

We were faced with the same dilemma when we did our kitchen nearly 4 years ago. We wanted something not shiny and dark. We nearly went with honed Caesarstone but worried about staining and then I happened on this forum and its many soapstone lovers. We ended up with Beleza, which is dark to start with and quite hard. Also very quiet, not veiny (although I think I would have loved veins -- Beleza was just what was available in Austin at the time).

We've never oiled our stone and it has darkened to a fairly consistent black after 3 1/2 years. Maintenance is just spraying a little cleaner on it and wiping it down. We have a few chips around the undermount sink (our edge is eased, very plain) and a few scratches here and there, easily buffed out with a green scrubby pad. And I know we could sand the chips out if we ever got around to (or get someone to do so).

I love our soapstone and would pick it again in an instant.

ahh.... I am in the middle of nowhere in SE WA :) I don't think there is a SS market here!

RE: concerns.... I babied my granite at first, but I don't baby it any more. It holds up to anything! Just don't get it sealed if you go the honed/antiqued route....

We've had our Beleza soapstone since September and we love it. Seems to be bulletproof as well as beautiful. We keep it unoiled. It will be interesting to see if it darkens with age.

Hi Sloane,

We agonized last year over the same question:
soapstone vs. honed dark granite.
By the end of the process we had looked at dozens of slabs
of soapstone and our house looked like a soapstone display.

In the end we selected a honed black pearl granite.
I am happy with how carefree and "bullet proof" it is.
It is a great, no-nonsense, functional work surface.

But when I see soapstone -- with the marbling of white veins --
it still makes my heart sing in a way that black granite doesn't.

We are in the process of building and have decided on soapstone. (it makes my heart sing, too!) However, my very close 2nd was actually leathered absolute black granite, not honed. My builder just put that in a house he is finishing up and showed it to us as another possible option. I loved it! We are actually going to do that on our bar, but it was definitely a tough decision bn the 2 for the kitchen.

So, I say go for the soapstone. But, if you are concerned, maybe check out the leathered black granite as well. The house he did had white shaker style cabinets as well and it looked gorgeous. I wish I had taken a picture of it now to show you!

I have PA soapstone on my island and really love it. I did not use mineral oil but used a soapstone enhancer from Green Mountain soapstone the fabricator sent with the stone. You only use it twice, a few days apart and then you are good for at least a year. It has worked very well.

I really, really was on the fence with soapstone. I just wasn't 100% sure, but time ran out.. and I just went for it, it is BEAUTIFUL, I love it! I'm so happy that this is the countertop that I have, my past countertops in my last 4 homes have been Caesarstone, and the last 3 - all granite. They all looked beautiful, but there is just something about that soapstone!

I put honed granite (Verde Fontaine: a very dark green/black) in one house then moved the following year and put Julia soapstone in my current kitchen. My absolute favorite of the two in the soapstone. The honed granite showed water rings, had to constantly be resealed with toxic-level stuff, and looked (and felt) cold. The soapstone, by contrast, needs nothing to make it look and feel marvelous (I do oil occasionally as the mood strikes). Julia is extremely hard and very beautiful. I'd say go for it!

There's not a SS market here. I would not do honed AB because of all the bad things I've read about it re: etching, staining, upkeep etc. It's not a true granite so it doesn't behave like a lot of the other dark granites. From what I've read, they recommend not using an impregnating sealer but a color enhancing sealer. But even then, many have major issues with upkeep. I got so sick of cleaning then polishing my polished (but gorgeous) antique brown that I can't fathom risking adding even more upkeep on a countertop.

Here's a detailed article on it by a marble/granite guy and comments below. I know people here have had issues with AB too. I know not everyone has had issues, but IMO it's a crap shoot. With my luck, I'd have issues.

Article & Comments Below
Here's one small blurb:
Another Small Blurb

I'd find a different one to use. There are lots of other dark/black granites and quartzes to use with soft/honed looks.

Thank you all SO much! I feel armed and ready for our trip to the slab yard. Thanks babs711 for the links. And thanks to all your input, double checked on skill of local fabricator through a third, unrelated party & sounds like they do good SS work. Plus having a huge counter of gorgeous Julia in their tiny showroom says something, I think. Thinking we'll be going with SS, will keep you posted. Deep breath . . .

Sloane529, would you mind telling me which showroom you visited in Seattle that had a Soapstone dispay? I'd love to have it in our new construction build to start next spring, but my husband is on the fence about it.