forget soapstone and marble unless you can live with slight marring or do the work to correct stains and scratches. granite is much easier... you seal it maybe once a year - wipe on/wipe off - simple. My cabinets are white and so are my appliances. My floor will be porcelain pietra romano which is a sandy taupe with darker veins running thru it to tie into a darker granite. Sink will be stainless. Won't decide on hardware until last moment: either brushed nickel or black iron or ORB.... ha. babbie, both stones will look pretty cuz they're granite and you'll love them but the darker will give your kitchen more WOW/POP factor and the neutral one will blend. I'd go for the wow. again, personal taste. I'm sure you'll be happy with either stone.

Could you tell us what color you plan for the floor? If it is dark, I think you should have a light colored counter for your island. I think a color similar to the ivory perimeter cabinets would look great. You could consider a quartz, if you are worried about maintenance. If you are worried about etching, it is much less if you go with a honed surface on your marble. If you do a search, someone showed a great picture of etching on marble on this forum. Basically, it is a matte area which is quite visible on a shiny counter but much less so on a honed one. I don't have a marble countertop, but I've read a lot of the posts, and a good sealer seems to eliminate most stains, and poultices work for most of the ones that still occur. Consider buying a marble TILE and put lemon juice/vinegar/acid on it; you will see what etching looks like. Or see if a marble place will give you a piece to play with.

When you post your granite choices we will have a better idea of what they are similar to. I looked at two of the kitchens you posted and they both have very plain counters. If this is the look you want, then we need to find out more about yur inspiration pictures. Look at Beekeeperswife's kitchen It is a GW favortie. Bianco Antico is a very busy granite. It is the "star" of the kitchen. Her backsplash is a solid, simple yet interesting in the shape of the tiles. There are many other examples of using a busy granite with movement. Do you really, really love these choices? Some people have posted very loud, busy granites with lots of movement. They absolutely love them! Not my taste, but I can appreciate them in someone else's kitchen. By looking at similar busy granites, you will get an idea of how yours will look. You might not find your exact one, but you will get a good idea. Funny thing when you go granite shopping,sometimes it takes you in a whole other direction of what you planned!

Also, I agree with linelle that these may not appeal to buyers and shouldn't be considered "timeless". They will be dated like everyone else's choices. If you love them, go with them. Another option would be to use a quieter, brighter stone (or even quartz) for the perimeter and keep these bolder stones for an island. Keep in mind that with either stone you are considering, seams are going to be an issue. If you are particular about matching you have to be there when the stones are templated. Your backsplash choice should be quiet. This post was edited by EAM44 on Sun, Nov 16, 14 at 15:37