I could have written that! Messy teenagers (got it from their mom), tea drinkers, red wine, don't care for a shinny surface.

I'm leaning towards honed VA mist granite or Corian. If I do the VA mist I would have it enhanced/sealed. I don't think it shows streaks like some honed black granites and I love the soft "mist" pattern. Corian has some very nice new finishes that look like stone, but expensive. I also like the ability to do a coved edge on the back to avoid the seam where the backsplash meets the counter.

I understand exactly what you mean about a messy tea counter. My old kitchen had tea stains everywhere-counter and sink. It was very important to me to have a countertop material that did not stain. Soapstone has been fantastic. It does not absorb liquids nor does it stain. It is not uncommon for soapstone to have a seam. I have a seam in each of three counter runs. It is not noticeable unless you look for it. Don't give up on soapstone unless you just don't like it.

Agreeing with the soapstone recommendation -- Soapstone seams are so tiny that they really and truly disappear. We have one in the center of our dining counter, and I keep forgetting all about it until I oil my soapstone (now about every 6 months) and realize it's there...

jterri;

I think the question is really who is fabricating either product. Do you have a good fabricator? There are people here who have been disappointed by the soapstone because it wasn't finished correctly. Luckily Fl Joshua has been available to help them resolve the problem. We have chosen soapstone (I can't wait! about 4 weeks until demo, and 6-7 until cab and counter install), but Florida Joshua is coming up to do the countertops. Like you, I am not a shiny granite person. My choice was either soapstone or . . . . laminate. Luckily Joshua is willing to travel the 4 hours to do our kitchen.

Good luck, and let us know what you choose!

Thanks everyone, I think I am back on soapstone. I have been back and forth after reading pro & cons of each, but like mentioned above IÂm sure the results are reliant on the fabricator. I live in Florida on the east coast; I think Florida Josh is near the west coast. My kitchen isnÂt that big, depending on slab size I will need two or three so not sure if he travels for small jobs or how it all works. Guess itÂs time to contact this famous Josh person and find out and learn about some soapstoneÂs that are not Black when oiled and are more along the lines of a darker gray.

Ahhh, we Floridians are soooo lucky! Look up Piaa on GW, she has python that Joshua did for her. I'm not quite sure where she got her stone from, but it was a nice, even gray. Oops, I just did a search for her, the posts really don't show her stone, but here is a link to her blog -- go almost all the way and you can see the python both unoiled and oiled.

Here is a link that might be useful: piaa's python

Thanks rjr, Oh that is purdy! I was having a hard time selling my husband on soapstone because he only knows granite. So, being that he is from England I told him it was English lolÂlooks like this could be a GO.

You should consider a wooden counter top, craft-art is one line that I have looked at, no staining, it is sealed and apparently very durable even with high heat and around a sink.

jterrilynn,

I went through a similar process and ended up finding marron cohiba granite in a leather finish. Some marron cohiba is more brown, but mine is varying shades of dark grey. Install is this week, so I don't know from experience, but my research indicated that the leather finish was more forgiving than the honed wrt maintenance. I have soapstone in the downstairs bath, and I love the look but I do end up oiling it every 1-2 months - too often for a full kitchen for me.

Sweeby - what do you use on your soapstone so you only oil every 6 mos?