I recently saw some dark green serpentine I really liked. A few members here assured me that serpentine (often labeled green marble) is pretty kitchen friendly. It might be a tad bold, but it sure isn't BROWN! Another option if you aren't sure about granite...soapstone?

Fori, thanks so much for your note. I do like the look of soapstone but my husband is a granite lover and I'm not sure I'd be happy with the way soapstone would wear. I know it ages beautifully under normal circumstances, but I'm not sure what would happen with 6 kids working on it! I was looking at the JET MIST posts that compare that to soapstone. I don't know that I'd do honed though...

I checked out the GREEN MARBLE/SERPENTINE - I love the idea of that with the marble like movement, but it is probably too green. But you are right, it is definitely not brown! ha ha

I'm probably biased because I love our Peacock green granite. ;) I found it more interesting than the Uba Tuba's. Here is ours though I know they can vary in their looks quite a bit:

In our last home, we remodeled the kitchen and when we saw Labrador Antique, we fell in love. Our slab was much blacker/darker than the pictures online show of it. Our cabs were medium oak, and after it was installed, I was so disappointed. It just didn't "pop" and so I had the cabinets painted off white, and it was better, but still, nothing exciting about it. And we paid twice as much for it as it is hard to mine, I guess. Every time I would go to a friend's home and they had a lighter granite, it just looked prettier, not to mention more "upscale." This time around, we decided on St. Cecilia light, which has black in it, and I love, love, love it. It is a very popular granite, which brings down the price, and the shine and elegance of it made me so happy. You say you have kids, and the only problem for me (which would be great for you) is that you cannot tell when it's dirty. It just blends in so you have to be sure and wipe it down, whether it looks like it needs it or not! Just my two cent's worth!

THANK YOU so much for all of the advice. I just found out that we have a big slab yard that we can go to. I am so excited - love looking at the slabs! I will bring along my camera. Thanks again everyone!!!!!!!

Going to a slab yard (especially a big one) is like going to a candy store. There are just too many things to look at and it ends up being a frustration because, if you do not have a game plan, you will end up leaving just as confused and undecided as you were before you even went!

With the wide array of choices, it is better that you narrow down what you are looking for before you even put foot in the yard. I will try to give a few pointers. Obviously each situation (and everybody's taste) is different, so a whole slew of undefinable factors will impact on your choice, but you could start with these:

1. How much natural light is in your kitchen? If you are limited to a single window or low light levels, going too dark with the stone will leave your kitchen feeling like a dungeon.

2. Light wood or light painted cabinets will bear darker stones much better than darker cabinets would.

3. If the stone and the cabinets are too close in tone, there would be too little distinction between the two, so aim for contrast.

4. Do you plan on living in this house for a long time or are your plans to sell pretty soon? Wild exotic stones could be a damper on prospective buyers, so going with a more conservative stone would be prudent if you plan to sell in the near future.

5. Narrow down your list of colors. (You mentioned you do not like browns/tans. That eliminated a whole slew of stones.) Start by looking at the colors you like, in the order of preference.

6. If you have unusually large counters and you prefer to have them done seamless (consult with your fabricator first!) Look at colors where the slab sizes would allow for your design.

Like I said - many more criteria could be used to narrow down your choices, but have a plan and stick to it, else you might end up frustrated and no closer to a choice than before the expedition.

Have fun!

I had a fun outing to the granite yard recently _ and was reminded again to not be set on one type of granite in advance. With my kitchen, I was determined to find a predominately brown, perhaps cream stone. Ended up with Crema Bordeaux bec it spoke to me (and was awesome with my cabinets). This time, I was hunting for a countertop for an outdoor bbq, thinking that I wanted pink/red. Instead, I was wowed by Typhoon Bordeaux, but then blown over by Titanium (and I am not a black granite type of person). Do post pics - what fun!