I don't know any places in NH but Boston Granite Exchange in Haverhill, MA has about 100 slabs on display. http://www.bgeusa.com/index.htm

For the biggest selection in New England seek out Marble and Granite in Westwood MA (near the T station on 128). They only have a few on display though. Their website is wonderful http://www.marbleandgranite.com They have close up pics and far away pics of slabs. It has a nice pricing guide - like - I could never afford a "blue dot" granite. It gives you a feel on what's out there now in New England.

BGE has the biggest lot.

I ended up going to Granite Depot in Westborough MA
They had excellent lighting and treated me like a princess.
They moved rocks for hours until I found the ones I wanted.
They were really kind, I worked with a lady named Paula or
Pam.

Ripano is okay. They probably have a great selection but
I never got to relax there. They hovered over me and made
comments anytime I looked at anything the sales lady did
not deam appropriate for my kitchen. (she had never seen my
kitchen but just kept tsk tsk and making comments)
"You don't want soapstone." "Heavens marble is too finicky."

Perhaps your fabricator/installer can recommend a place
too. Since they are the ones working with the price and
design they might have places they prefer to work with.
~boxer

I'd go to Ripano in Nashua anyway. They have a wide selection and do good fabrication. I have granite from Ripano and soapstone from M. Teixeira.

In any granite yard (Ripano's is indoors), whether you are wandering about with a mime, or getting gratuitous advice, you need to be able to see a slab in the context of your image of your kitchen to be. This may require visiting many ponds and kissing a lot of frogs to find the prince.

A modest, but not insignificant collection can also be found at DalTile in Derry, but may require an introduction from your kitchen designer.

There is also a fabricator with a yard a few miles south of the state line in Tyngsboro, MA, on old Rte 3 (west side of river). I forget the name.

kas

Thanks SO much Pam, Boxer and Kas!! I live right near "Solid" in Londonderry, and have been many times over the last 5 years just dreaming.... but their samples are small-- as are a lot of kitchen places, and I had no idea where to start. I always assumed if places only have small samples that they order from the bigger yards and probably charge a 'markup.'

I'm trying to get an idea of what I like and what it may cost so I can better estimate a kitchen budget as a whole. We're certainly a WAYS away from actually picking our stone.
We're pretty certain our cabinets will be a DIY install job (we have contractors in the family and my DH and father are both skilled and handy, so we're not just gonna "wing" that part!!) So most likely we will use the granite yards' recommended installers.

Kas-- your soapstone was from MTex?? I thought they were only in a few select areas of t+he country... Are they a national company?? I have a small sample from Vermont Soapstone, but I think they run $70.00+ a foot. Did you consider local soapstone, or did you go straight to MTex? And how did you order from them??
thanks,
noelle

Noebee,
I have great things about Solid Advantage. They do full
kitchen renos and have the experience for even small jobs.
If Solid (Londonderry) does not have a slab you like
I am pretty sure they work with BGE. About 9 years ago
I saw a kitchen they designed and it was gorgeous.
I think you will be really pleased if you work with them.
~boxer

Thanks Boxer!! I do like them, and my BIL (the GC) uses them for all his commercial stuff and in his own kitchen & baths. But, I still need to see the BIG picture so to speak. So glad to hear another recommendation for Solid!!

Another recommendation for marble and granite. I used their Milford, CT location, but like a pp said, they're in MA too. Their website was the best!