Oak is not out just because cherry and other woods may be popular right now. Oak is here to stay and it will be used in years to come also. It's a classic. You don't have to apologize!

I have a light stained oak in my kitchen also. I am going with a granite by the name of Sunny Flower. For me, it came down to three choices all in the light brown, tan or yellowish colors. I chose Sunny Flower because it had a lot of movement and was the only that had no black in it. I don't anticipate ever having black in my kitchen. The granite samples are next to the crock pot; I chose the one closet to crock pot with no black.

Here is a link that might be useful:

neesie,
The Sunny Flower is beautiful and our cabinets are very similar in color to yours. Did you use a stainless steel sink with that stone? Thanks for sharing your picture. Do you have any pictures of the completed project?

jb

Our kitchen isn't oak, but we do have a calmer white granite. It's called Andromeda White.

I had samples of White Springs and Persa White for a while. Both were mostly salt with a bit of pepper. I think WS had some brown/gold "pepper" that might pick up the oak, while PW might look better with darker wood. I also liked a granite called Kashmir White that I kept noticing in yards. IMO Alku's Andromeda is prettier than any of them!

Golden oak is a classic.

jb1176, thanks for your kind words. I was afraid I'd get some bashing for my old-fashioned kitchen! My countertops have not been installed yet but I will post a picture when they are. The cabinet hardware is going to be replaced with brushed nickel (very inexpensively through en ebay seller, thanks to info found on this forum). The stainless steel sink is also going. I found an 80% granite composite sink in a configuaration that I really like (low divide between the two sinks so it can function as one large sink if filled high with water). My kitchen only has one sink so I have to make it work for everything! I am getting it in white and the link I am pasting shows it in black. It will be undermount, which I am really looking forward to.

Here is a link that might be useful: granite composite sink

I really like the sink you've chosen. I'm going to keep that one on the "short" list of great ideas. It should be perfect with your granite.

jb

Thanks for the response. We love black too - have you seen the gorgeous Cambrian, Nordic Black and Virginia Mist samples in the antique finish? They are spectacular with golden honey oak I think.

Our concern is that our condo kitchen is small and has no windows so our lights have to be on almost all the time we are working in the kitchen day or night. The kitchen is open to a great room and sun room that face east and south and we get lots of light in those areas but the sun seldom reaches the kitchen except in the morning - thus the thought of looking for a light countertop surface.

Also love Crema Bordeaux but it varies so much in any one slab, but it would be nice with oak also.

If you end up choosing black please let me know what you end up with. Saw a beautiful kitchen a couple days ago where Ubatuba was used on the countertop of a u-shaped kitchen with blonde stained maple cabinets and full height backsplash in Ubatuba as well as a surface for the base of a big bay window in the kitchen. The Ubatuba read black from a distance but up close it was dark green with terrific gold highlights. Hummmm . . . wonder what Ubatuba looks like in an antique finish?

jb

Jejvr has a honed granite that is very similiar to ubatuba/verde butterfly. There's pictures in the thread I've looked below.

If you're trying to brighten a kitchen and like dark stones, you can totally pull it off with a polished dark stone. The darker the stone, the more reflective it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Scroll doem to see Jejvr's counters