Sorry - "quartz". I have that you can't go back and edit a post!

Are the tiles on the floor patterned stone as well? (I just can't see them well in the photo)

Granted, I am a one-stone-to-a-room girl but I would lean away from introducing another stone and choose something crisp and non-patterned (probably quartz - sorry!), unless you are changing the floor too?

Wowee, those are beautiful. Do they need to be sealed? So glad for you that you're having some success finally picking out a vanity top material.

I'd see if you could get choice #1 after a wait. It's really elegant. Back up #1 is pretty too, it's just that the first choice is so very lovely.

Thanks. I really like #1, too. I think I'll wait awhile and see if they get anything new in stock. Maybe I'll buy the sink and faucet now and then pay for the counter later - kind of spread out the financial pain!

I am not going to get a new floor right now - it's definitely not stone; it's actually a vinyl tile and I really like it. It's bulletproof for the kids (three potty trained in this bathroom almost exclusively) and so easy to care for. I never thought about multiple stones (or in my case, stone and stone-looks) in a room being a problem. I figured as long as they didn't clash, they should be OK. Another thing to think about.

I agree that quartz is a nice neutral choice, but I think I've given up on that idea. I've made at least 10 phone calls to local fabricators and it just seems like there are no quartz remnants to be found around here - not even the wrong color; none at all. And it's just too expensive to buy a slab for my vanity top. So frustrating!

I prefer backup #1 because it has more of a pure white background. The first appears to have more gray and yellow and #3 has more pink.

I suggest you take a vanity door with you when you go back to the shop. That way you'll see which granite looks best with the white color of the vanity. Also take a paint sample if the wall color isn't going to change.

Good thinking! I will definitely do that. So logical, yet I never would have considered bringing an actual door/paint with me. That's why I love this forum!

I love your first choice and also backup #1.

We just installed a new granite counter in our bath remodel and the granite is very similar, if not the same, as your backup #1. I like it because it has the cool gray and also the warmer ivory tones.

Do you know what first choice and back up #1 are? I love both of those. I'm not crazy about back up #2.

Thanks for the sealer tip juddgirl - I saw your other post. That is one of my fears for granite; not knowing how it will do when used all the time by kids - kids who have had a laminate top their entire lives, so wiping up immediately "or else" isn't even on their radar. I'm in there all the time, so water won't sit overnight, but I've got enough going on that I don't need to be adding - "wipe down counter 6 times a day" to my list.

and msrose - do I know what kind of granite they are? Not really. They gave me the names they use at the fabricator, but they warned me right out that they name them "differently" than other places (reminds me of mattress and carpet shopping). I actually posted on kitchens to see if anyone knew the common names for them (yes, I'm all over the place on GW these days).

First Choice: The fabricator called it Austrian Crystal, and someone on kitchens said it looked like White Princess Quartzite.

Back Up #1: The fabricator called it Alpine White, but I don't think it's the same Alpine White you would find elsewhere. I scoured granite internet sites looking for what it may be, and the closest I came was possibly Alaska White.

I will say that the place ranks their granites on a 1 - 11 price range scale with level 1 being the cheapest. My first choice, the quartzite, was a level 10, and back up #1 was a level 5.

I love the pattern and movement in backup #2. I think it will hide more stuff too. On my screen backup #1 has some yellow cast to it in some areas which I don't like.

I love the pattern and movement in backup #2. I think it will hide more stuff too. On my screen backup #1 has some yellow cast to it in some areas which I don't like.

It's my lucky day!

I found the Mecca of quartz remnants in the Chicagoland area! I was searching the internet over the weekend and came upon a fabricator that actually had a portion of their yard mapped/designated as the "quartz remnant section". I decided to check it out and I was not disappointed. Quartz, Quartz, Quartz - as far as the eye can see. All brands, sizes and colors. It was awesome!

I found a lovely piece of Silestone Blanco Maple that will work just great:

That was just part of their "white" section. Unbelievable!

They also had a stunning piece of White Fantasy Quartzite that would cost $250 more. Fabulous, isn't it?

I should go with the quartz, right? That's what I originally wanted and I KNOW it will be much less maintenance all around, but boy is that White Fantasy pretty!

Thank you Blue Pearl Stone Technologies!

Ooooh, that White Fantasy...(drooling over keyboard). Ummmm, how much more maintenance would that stunning piece of granite be, I wonder. (This from someone who didn't want to install fine materials in a powder room because of maintenance!)

But you're probably right to stick with quartz, now that I'm remembering how my sons' toiletries/medicines stained the laminate over the years. Liquid Dial soap seemed to be the worst offender.

Can someone elaborate on this talk about maintenance problems with granite? My six year old, five-foot granite vanity top has never required anything more than standard cleaning.

I did spray a sealer on it when it was new, but I have not resealed it and it still looks like new. This is my main bathroom and it gets a LOT of use.

What is it that we should be worried about? I've been thinking it's time to reseal, but it looks fine so???

Cindyloo -

I actually don't own any granite, but I have been researching my vanity top choices for awhile. Apparently, not all granites are created equal - some stain and some etch, some stain AND etch. Liquid soap is a big culprit, as well as anything acidic or oily.

I wish I knew how to link within a post, but if you google "gardenweb granite stain" you'll see why I'm paranoid.

Granite is so beautiful, but quartz is so practical. I'll admit, if I could trust the granite to behave, I'd probably get it for the pure visual impact. After all, you never see people on HGTV say - "ooohh - quartz!"

Like Cindyloo, I've never had any problems with my 11 yr old granite counter tops. They've only been sealed once in that time and I wipe them every now and then with a product made for cleaning granite. I tried to apply sealer when it was 5 yrs old but it just sat on the surface and I ended up wiping most of it off.
Juice, water, tomato sauce and who knows what else has been left overnight and I've seen no damage or stains.

Whether granite needs to be sealed depends on how porous it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Granite

True that some granites are more impervious than others.
Twice this summer I've seen water rings left in granite that wasn't sealed well. Oily substances would be trouble. Not a problem if you're good about sealing, but I probably don't fit in that category, and my family is not good about cleaning up messes. Heck, if my guys could stain laminate...

Congratulations, mamattorney! I'm so jealous. And yeah, you know you really want the quartz for that room.

We have had the super white in our guest bath for about a year, and treat it the same as the granite in the kitchen--alcohol and water for cleaning. Looks the same as when we installed it. No etching, no water marks.

Granted, there' s just two of us, but that sink is used the most in our house.

Dee