Do you have samples of everything (cabinet color, contertop, etc.)? If so, post all of the elements you've chosen. That will help us give opinions.

Love Madera Perla. I was told by our supplier that quartzite needs the polished finish as quartzite is more porous than granite (but harder than marble). Doesn't make sense to me - and every comment by tradespeople isn't necessarily accurate. Actually, I like the polished finish, though honed seems to be shown more in modern kitchens. I would prefer to highlight the countertop, so would go with a whiter tile or glass.

I am going to post a photo later tonight of the half side honed, half polished madera perla and the bossy gray tile. Went to look at a full slab today and was a little disappointed. It's been hard to find to begin with and this slab looks darker to me with more gold and rust colored veins.

I think this photo captures the polished on the left and the honed on the right. Bossy Gray Tile by Sonoma in the middle. I can have the quartzite either way according to my fabricator.

personally i really like honed. they actually look like two different stones. i know this seems obvious, but go with what you like the best. the tile works really well. check out BM Grey Owl. the colour is really neutral and goes well with lots of accent colours.

Thank you for your input. I really like the honed too, but everytime I look at slabs and mention what I would like to do, they make a face and tell me that I am taking away from the beauty of the stone and they think it looks dull. The tile does seem to match. Was wondering if I should try to match it or go with a milk white tile. I saw a photo on another website (not sure if I can post it) of a beautiful white kitchen with madera perola and long white skinny tiles. It is listed under "projects" on the Completetile website. I am going to check out the BM color too.

I finally decided to use Bossy Grey with my Taj Mahal quartzite. Haven't ordered it yet, so I don't have pictures to share. Taj Mahal is somewhat close to Madre Perola. Mine is polished and I love it. It lights up the whole kitchen. I was told in a few tile places that polished stone looks better with gloss tile. I've seen Madre Perola and think it's absolutely gorgeous and it's also very durable and won't etch. Take a look at Balboa Mist by BM.

Thanks for the paint color. I am glad that I am getting some good input. Today I went to a place to look at a slab and saw the Taj Mahal. I swear it looks like Madre Perola. I couldn't tell the difference from a slab I saw at another place. Do you think it's the same thing???

I've wondered the same think about Taj Mahal and Madre Perola. The first slab I saw of Madre Perola had a grayish tint, which was absolutely gorgeous, but didn't work with the warm colors in my house. I saw another slab at the same place that had the rust streaks in it. I found another place that had Taj Mahal and it was a warmer tone than the 1st MP, but similar to the 2nd MP. I ended up going with TM and I'm in the process of looking for a backsplash also. The Bossy Grey looks great with the sample you have. Did you order the tile online or find it locally? I had a hard time finding someone in my area that carries Sonoma Tile.

I think they are 2 different stones. Madre Perola slabs that I have seen were more uniform, while Taj Mahal had much more movement. I will be ordering the tiles from a local tile place which I found on Sonoma web site when I searched for distributors.

My Taj slab:

I love the look of both the polished and honed quartzite. If I were just going to ogle it, I'd go with polished, but to live and work with it, I think honed would be my choice. I like how it doesn't mirror the overhead lights. The polished is a rockstar, but the honed is soft and sumptuous.

When I was looking at b/s tile, I considered Bossy Gray, just for the name alone. It was a little grayer/darker than I wanted, but it's a great color and looks fab with your stone.

Nice Taj Mahal. Much nicer than the slab they showed me yesterday. As for linelle's comments, this is my dilemna. The polished looks gorgeous. However, I like the fact that nothing reflects (ie. lights) with the honed. Also, I plan to use the newer tape style LED under cabinet lights. I don't want dots reflecting on my counter tops. Tough decisions. Still looking for the perfect slab though. Linelle, what tile did you go with? Also, does anyone have photos to post??? elle0221, I found the tile locally.

I have brushed Madre Perla in my kitchen. I love it and everyone that sees it pets it and oohs and aahs.
It is a very organic looking stone. It is even more so when you do not have it polished. IMO-polished it is gorgeous,brushed it is beautiful. You can look into the stone and see its age and experience. People tell me it is like looking at the floor of the ocean through the tide. Others say it is a cross cut section of a tree. Whatever the analogy it is always something earthy, moving, growing....
I am only telling you this to evoke an image. You need to pick what is right for your home and you. My house and surroundings are very natural, lots of wood, lots of sun, surrounded by meadows and pasture. Polished would have felt false in my space.
I do think the Bossy Gray would look very nice with the MP. I don't have a backsplash yet, I am very slow on that front. The question of whether or not you want whiter than Bossy Gray to me goes to the overall feel of your kitchen and your space. Have you seen Pip's finished kitchen? She has white cabinets with polished MP cabinets and a light onyx backsplash
Good luck with your choices.

Please tell me if "brushed" and "honed" are the same. Do you have photos? Yes, you have evoked an image. I would have to say that we could probably go either way based on our house and surrounds. How do I find Pip's kitchen? Also, I may go lighter on the backsplash once I pick out my slab. I didn't think about the milky white until I had seen the beautiful kitchen with the MP on the Completetile website. I would love to see your kitchen though if you have a photo to post. Sounds beautiful!

I just saw your kitchen. Wow! Really nice! I keep seeing beautiful MP countertops in photos, but am having difficulty finding a slab that looks as neutral and clean as yours (without many veins). I am getting frustrated. This is the best slab I could find as of Friday.

Hi Doba, Brushed is not the same as honed. Honed is flat, matte; buffed but not polished- think of a manicure. Brushed is textured matte. To my recollection they brush the surface with wire brushes, softer areas of the stone get more worn away. Every stone, every slab reacts differently to finishing techniques. MP is very hard and doesn't have a lot of texture even when brushed, so mine is pretty much smooth and matte however there are spots where I can feel veins, grooves and crystals. We love that textural interest. There aren't any spots that are deep enough to create issues when rolling dough.

Here is a link that might be useful: Localeater's Kitchen -Mostly Done post

Doba - Your latest slab looks pretty good to me.

We had our quartzite counters brushed and love them. For us there was no choice because we have a lot of windows and skylights and any gloss finish would have been to glaring. The bushing takes down the glare and lets you see the stone. I love the feel of it as well - always rubbing my hands across it (patting it, according to my husband!)

Thanks localeater for sharing your kitchen photos. Beautiful. I am getting excited for my project to begin and will post photos when we're finished. It's really going to be dramatic for us. We are replacing the original 33 year old kitchen. It is quite a site for sore eyes. Not excited about the downtime without a kitchen, but I know it will all be worth it in the end. It is interesting how photos can go. Your countertops look so beautiful and light. That is the goal I am trying to achieve witht the MP. I know that it can take on darker colors at times (I have seen a few different slabs) . The slab I saw on Friday, and posted here, has A LOT of gold/yellow and rust veins that seem to bother me. Oddly enough, it really bothered one of my kids. He got pretty upset and said that it didn't look at all like the first sample I posted higher up in this post. My sample has no dark veining as you can see. I don't see this either in any of your countertops that other GW'ers have been sharing. The all look pretty even. I will look into the brushed finish as well once the stone has been selected and compare my options. I hope to find that "slab" that speaks to me soon.

Gee,

You do have a conundrum, seeing all the MP counters, honed/brushed/polished, just has me more confused, as I see beauty in all of them!

Pipdog, I have to say, your counter and BS combo is one of the best I have ever seen anywhere, anytime! I personally find that in the many hundreds if not thousands of kitchen photos I've perused over the past 5 years, I find a certain disconnect between what most people pick for their backsplashes, and their counters.

I have a dark polished granite, and though I love it, it has a certain maintenance requirement of microfibring after each wipe so that it's not streaky. I would assume that step/process is eliminated with the non-polished finishes? I have honed cultured marble in our basement shower, and I just squeegee, no wiping/polishing required, though that's a vertical not horizontal surface.

I like the last slab you posted. The Bossy Gray tile I think would work with either the polished or the honed, but you will have to wait until you pick your slab, as it seems each stone varies.

thanks, raehelen! that's very nice of you to say.

Doba, I really love the slab you posted. My counters do have some veining, but it's hard to tell from my photos. MP does not photograph very well - it's much prettier in person. Here was my slab when I found it -- it looks quite similar to yours.

Pipdog, your slab is much more more uniform and gorgeous. That's the one! Now, if I can find only find one like yours....

I love the MP! Personally, I like the polished for granite, and I think it is easier to keep clean than honed. Both are very pretty. I love the gray tile. I am looking for a gray toned granite and I think the white B/S
is too stark against it. I feel a tile that complements that granite lets it stand out more than a totally different color. But, this is a personal choice thing, and they each would look great in a different way. White subway tile is classic so you really can't go wrong. Look through magazines and see which one catches your eye. That MP is really stunning.

Does MP have green in it? I can not tell. Taj Mahal has the appearance of white marble? love both

@Pipdog -- I just reserved a MP slab today, and have been looking for backsplash ideas. LOVE your photo above! Do you mind sharing the paint color of your cabinets, as well as the backsplash information? I picked up two onyx samples from Walker Zanger today, and one is too yellow, the other too white. Yours matches up perfectly to the countertop. Thanks very much!

Hello all! I have beige porcelain tiles, off white shaker style cabinets. Do you think the Taj Mahal or the Madre Perla quartzite countertops would make my kitchen look dull since theres no contrast? I plan to use warm wood colors with stools and dining table? Also any b/s tile and wall color suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

Also what exactly is the difference between the two quartzites?

we have polished quartzite - when we looked at samples of polished versus honed, the polished seemed to give the coloration and movement more depth. it looked richer and more three dimensional. however it's all personal preference and either way it will look beautiful!

I gotta get a backsplash like Pipdog has
... any help in finding a source for this backsplash, much obliged!

Quartzite Countertop Honed/Polished + backsplash/paint question · More Info

Really lovely. Think it will stand the test of time.

How does Taj Mahal satin differ? My designer recommended it but my GC says it looks dusty and a client of his put in satin and hates it! Thanks!

Pipdog- what is your sparkly backsplash in kitchen with your MP? Thanks!

John Chandler- did you locate the backsplash in pipdog’s photo?

a b No never did.

Does anyone have any updates about the honed quartz? I was looking at calcatta vicenza in matte ( honed) because when i went to MSI in Norwood, MA, I found that the matte wasn't as busy of a pattern and it was a lighter, more soothing design. After reading these reviews i'm nervous about the honed but I do like it better than polished, and I find that polished is more of an ivory and the matte is more of a white. Please help! I'm meeting tonight with the contractor.

Doba: I know it's 2019, but I was wondering if you ever posted a photo of your completed kitchen. Would love to see it since I am looking at slabs that look like yours. Cheryl