I like your original idea with the soapstone on the islands and the marble on the perimeter. It is classic and elegant and also the soapstone will be beautiful with the dark cabinets. Go with your original choice!

I personally love the contrast of dark/light, so I would do the soapstone on the perimeter and marble on the islands, but hey, this is YOUR kitchen, so you should do what you want!!! I think it will look beautiful either way, and the soapstone is a great surface for prep work...

I generally agree with the preference for light cabinets with dark countertops; dark cabinets with light countertops.

I also agree with using soapstone for your workhorse areas for its heat-proof and stain-proof qualities.

But I disagree completely that marble is somehow 'better'.

So with that in mind, what about having your perimeter cabinets be darker with marble counters, and your island cabinets lighter with soapstone?

Or using empress green marble on your white cabinets, and either honed white marble or butcher block on your islands?

If you do decide to go white on the outside, dark on the inside, I think it can be beautiful, provided that you are very careful with your lighting to make sure each space gets its optimal lighting.

Look at Momto4kids kitchen in the finished kitchen blog. She has your double-island design with dark islands and lighter wood-stained perimeters and went with all marble.

She has reported here she is loving her marble--she sealed it well, cooks a lot and has 4 young children. I think with all of that separated counter surface going on in the kitchen, you might like her "unification" counters. Having seen her kitchen in person, I think it could've looked "splotchy" if she'd used two counter surfaces on as many as five cabinet groupings.

I like like cabinets with dark counters & vice versa. My kitchen plan currently calls for creamy white perimeter cabinets with soapstone. My island will be dark wood with honed white marble. I am thinking of mixing some butcher block in there as well (probably on the island around the prep sink since it is pretty big). Have you thought about butcher block at all?

While I understand the various schools of thought (dark on light, light on dark, etc.), the real school of thought I understand best is to do what you want!

Our kitchen has white perimeter cabinets with white marble countertops and full slab backsplash (so there's a lot of white!) and a black island with a (maple) butcherblock countertop -- all our counter surfaces are light in color.

I happen to think it looks gorgeous and is functional because, for us, it is! This is what we wanted and this is what makes me happy. Can't beat it!

There was someone not long ago who did a DIY soapstone (of course I've forgotten their user id -- was it staticfritz?) atop dark cherry shaker cabinets. When you read about it you think "whoa -- too much dark." But I'll tell you, looking at her pictures you couldn't say anything because you were drooling at how beautiful it is.

Add a bit of end grain cherry butcherblock somewhere and I'll be dark green with envy!

I think your original idea is a very great look and you shouldn't be swayed by what's 'normal' or what others think would be better. I would do the same thing you were planning, because it is 1) different than the majority of kitchens, 2) it's elegant to do tone on tone, and 3) I'm not into stark contrast between cabinet and counter...maybe that would be part of #2...oh, well.

The only thing I might want, though, functionally, is to have the marble where you will do the baking, but I don't know enough about soapstone to know if it's just as good for that.

Personally, I don't like light counters with dark cabs and then dark counters with light cabs in the same kitchen, it's just too much of a checkerboard FOR ME! I prefer it the way you are doing it, like Rhome said, more of a tone on tone. I'm leaning towards black perimeter cabs with black counters(not sure granite or soapstone) and rift cut oak in a natural color with white marble counters. My floors are also natural oak and I wanted the island to blend more into the floor rather than stand out. The island will be approx. 10 feet and I just didn't want a dark mass in the middle of the floor. That's why I picked the dark against the wall. But as others have said, it's all a matter of personal preference. Do you have a floor plan you can post? Might help people visualize better. Good luck!!

BTW...I am really tired of hearing from everyone that marble is no good in a kitchen and soapstone is too soft. It really gets boring after a while and I've just decided not to try and defend it. I just shake my head politely and move on!

Leaning towards keeping the 2 islands the same based on what I'm reading. Unless you want to do a 3rd countertop on one of the islands. Are the islands both the same size? If they are different sizes, I might be able to visualize a different counter on each of the islands.

Thank you everyone. I wish my computer skills were good enough to post a diagram. This is a large kitchen both islands are 9' long and separated by at 42" aisle. This is my personal galley prep and cooking station. As I face the great room at the prep island a 10.5' leg of the L is separated from the 2 islands by a 4' aisle to my left. This leg has a 40" wide refrigerator and an approximately 7.5' long, 30" deep counter that will be the breakfast bar and baking station. All of my appliances---stand mixer, food processor, blender--- will be in garages here. If I face the cooktop in the other island the other leg of the L is parallel to the two islands and separated from it by a 5' aisle. This is the milling around space for all the cleanup and clearing and putting away of food after meals.

The cabinets have been ordered so there's no going back---it's a relief not to have to second guess that one for the 20th time. Sweeby, this will be a well lit kitchen---I lose count sometimes but I think it has 12 recessed cans, 4 halogen vent hood lights, and three pendants (still to be selected). Taking all of the comments into account I think I will stay with the original soapstone center and marble perimeter unless I get totally carried away and go all marble once I get to the stoneyard.

The electrician has been one of the biggest sources of sanity in all of this. It's been a hoot. KD's and stone people and designers troop through giving advice and he looks like he's just minding his own business, wiring away. Then after they all leave he says, stick to your own opinion or sometimes he reminds me of that old high school exam advice that the first answer is usually the right one and you shouldn't change the test answers. Unfortunately all of this decision making has lost the fun edge recently and does seem more like the old SAT high stakes testing where I don't know any of the answers.

Just venting. It's been a rough few weeks with not much moving along and I so much want to be done deciding. Thanks for the advice and thanks for listening.

I used to think that white marble would be the luxury item or wow factor and the the soapstone would hold second court. Now that we have both and I love my soapstone so much, I sometimes feel the marble plays second fiddle. Both are beautiful and I'm so glad I have them both!

Well here's a pic with the REVERSE of what you want. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with either combination. I would have put soapstone on the island but couldn' find a slab big enough. Good luck with your decision. Just remember, it's YOUR kitchen and you will be living with it, so go with your heart.

colleen3201118,

is that carrera on the island or something else? also where did you get your hood?

I love Coleen's kitchen, but I have the opposite -- just switch her countertops -- my cabinets are about the same combination. I love that too, and for me, I decided I wanted it to be a little less common as the white kitchen, black countertop combination was becoming so popular. It also put the marble in my baking area and the black (mine is granite -- couldn't find soapstone that didn't fight the veining in the marble) is the workhorse on the island where most of the prep is done. I'm glad I did it the way I did.

lascatx, i would love to see a pic if you have one.....

Had to chuckle, Lascatx, at probably the thousandth request over the years for pictures of your kitchen! :-) Any yet?

Sorry. I'm new to this site and I don't think I've left my computer all day! I'm sure I'll get to know some names, and reputations soon!!!!!!

No need for you to apologize, gglks...We've all been anxious to see more photos of Lascatx's kitchen! :-) I just had to tease her a bit...

gglks - it's honed carrera on the island. Would have died for statuary, but it was cost-prohibitive.
The hood is a Vent-A-Hood.

I, too, would like to see more of lascatx's kitchn!

Sheesh. With those ingredients, well, I just don't think you can go wrong. One caution: I would solicit advice from people who have coffee centers about whether any specific surface has been a problem with day-in and day-out use. There is steam, condensation, and the natural stain propensity of coffee to consider.

flseadog -- you have GOT to check out this post and scroll down to the picture of blackeyedpeas' gorgeous sink wall: dark Shaker cabs with soapstone counter. When you see it you will be kicking yourself for ever doubting yourself!

I lost the message I was typing, but I will try to get some new photos soon. I haven't taken any since the counters were in but the backsplash wasn't (like the next day) My camera got dropped and lost the focus. I have a new one, but it has had an issue and I just haven't had the time or patience to deal with it. I am still swamped, but I have enlisted my son to help with the camera and will call the kitchen folks to get that silly panel over the hood and the rest of the trim finished off so I can take my "finished" photos. We still have an exterior door to replace, but I need to find one. The contractor we parted ways with ordered exactly what we said we didn't want and that's still in my garage. :(

The link below is to the only photo I have that shows the black granite and a bit of the marble. I will try to get new ones soon, but no promises. I have 2 computers down, my washing machine died (so did the AC in the car, but that was a one day fix), one son needs to have several teeth pulled and surgery scheduled and my DH is due to have surgery end of summer or so. I still haven't recovered from having my powder room ripped out and the slab jack hammered to repair a plumbing spearation. And Mom and Dad need more all the time. To be honest, I don't even notice the missing panel now, but everyone else does. I need to get it done. It's on the list, just no flames to put out right now, if you know what I mean.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I have soapstone and marble in my kitchen. I LOVE them both. I put the soapstone on the island because it is my WOW stone and my oven and stovetop are in the island (big island). I wanted to take advantage of the heat resistant properties of the soapstone so I can pull things right out of the oven and sit them on the counter. The marble is on my perimeter. My perimeter has my sink and dishwasher. Lots of traffic, but not as messy as the cook top area. I love my stone and you canÂt go wrong with either combination. FYI My marble cost 1/2 of what my soaptone did. I know you can get marble in the 200 renage however and you might want to show that off...

After seeing the photos linked in rmkitchen's post, I now officially retract my stated preference for light on dark. Obviously, I was very, very wrong. Gorgeous kitchens, ladies!

Oh my! rmkitchen, that is so beautiful and thank you for linking to blackeyedpeas. I can't believe I'm so blessed that I can have both in my kitchen if I choose. Thank you everyone for your responses. You helped pull me out of a real down cycle in this process. We had never intended to build a house but the 2005 hurricane season in Florida made our dream of renovating a 1950's beach shack into our retirement shack an impossibility.

Lascatx, I hope your son's teeth pulling is the wisdom teeth variety and all else goes well in your household with surgery, parents and everything you are holding together. We are still two lamps short of a fully lit living room because everytime we thought we could finish furnishing our house orthodonture or wisdom teeth or an elderly relative in need of care was higher on the priority list. Your counter is beautiful. I know the rest is worth waiting for.

Thanks. He has 4 baby teeth that need to come out before we can start braces. Both my boys were slow to get teeth and for them to come out, and this one's seem to be especially difficult about coming out. His surgery will be tonsils and adenoids removed, normally not a huge deal, but he was totally opposed to the idea and is starting to resist eventhe dr appointments now. He also has to stay overnight because he uses a CPAP machine and has to be monitored overnight after having anesthesia. I'll worry more abnout him, but I think DH will be the worse patient. :D

I really should get everything finished -- I also have fabric to get a window treatment made -- then it can be "finished."

The pictures in the link above are gorgeous. I alwasy thought I liked the contrast in counters, but light on light and dark on dark looks great too. It's not a right or wrong decision -- just your decision.

Lascatx, my baby, now 21, had her first dental appliance when she was ten months old, had to have baby teeth pulled to allow the new ones come in and then special braces to pull in some of the adult teeth. When we went through many of these procedures (and others too numerable to mention on teeth and other body parts for 3 children) I kept reminding myself of how fortunate we were to live in a time and place when all of this was possible. Hang in there.

Thanks. I know this is relatively minor, but it's a first for him and me. We just didged tubes in the ears with both of them. Reminds me of the saying that minor surgery is what other people have. We are fortunate that we can deal with these things and that we even thought to catch the sleep issues with him this young so that braces, and expander, and taking out the tosils can be done before he stos growing and may help himprvent more major surgery down the road. The doctor says the goal is to get him off the CPAP machine all together, adn that is a worthy carrot.

I am also very grateful that the other referral to the ENT turned out to be of no concern. They had been looking at a possible tumor on his ear drum, and that surgery was more than I wanted to think about. This is so much less to worry about.

Sorry you had so many things with your children.

lascatx, All's well with the children and I'm more than ready for the grandchildren if someone/anyone would just get around to it. You just brought back those tucked away memories. The oldest will have his 27th birthday soon and he had what was truly by any measurement a minor surgery that required full anesthetic before he was a year old. After he was wheeled into the O.R. I told my husband that I had to use the bathroom and he said "me too". We were both in stiff upper lip mode. It took us weeks to admit to each other that we went our separate ways and bawled our eyes out for 15 minutes, got back together and acted cheery so the other one wouldn't know how worried we were about the outcome. The funny thing was that after the surgery the kid was up and crawling a mile a minute as usual before we could settle down.

Glad you are past it all now. I think I would have had to excuse myself too.

I ran into another mom at the grocery store today adn mentioned that I wanted to find a certain ice cream before DS has his tonsils out. She lit up and started telling me about how her son had his tonsils and adnoids out when he was about 4 and how much better everything was afterwards. It made me feel bad that the surgery hadn't come up years ago -- both for the benefits and because the recovery would have been easier.....but I'm hopeful it means it will be a good thing. That's the most important part.

Now, back to marble and soapstone and other really hard things to bang our heads on when life has those moments. ;)