How about considering leathered finish on a black granite such as Black Pearl or Cambrian Black? I believe they are less prone to showing fingerprints. There are several on this site who have posted their black antiqued countertops. Use the search function if you want to view them. Black and white combination is classic.

Honed black granite is harder to keep looking good than polished black. It shows oil splotches and fingerprints. I also wouldn't put black granite on top of a black island. Too dark. If you go to a cararra or calcatta marble subway tile instead, with a little deeper grout that will give you enough interest and texture to choose a white quartz counter. You can then use a similar marble honed on your island top, or do a butcherblock or wood counter there.

Black granite is also very reflective and you might not like that.

In our last kit I wanted black my DH didn't. Ended up going with UbaTuba. From a few ft back it looked black, you have to stand close to see the depth of colors. All the UT are a little different, ours had dark olive green, black and tan. I am sure you would get the same effect with other versions of the black granites. My Sis had a black and gray that look solid black a few ft away.

One thing you will need to consider with the high polish black is also its reflectivity. One thing that a lot of people don't seem to notice but I do is that it "mirrors" the underside of the cabinets when the undercabinet lighting is on. If the underside of the cabinets is not finished all that well and the lighting is not installed neatly (and often, I don't think it is)--you end up looking at something not so attractive.

Most stones sold as Absolute Black "granite" are actually Bassalts - not true
granites.... The usually have small calcites in the stone (calcium particles) that
can be attacked by ANY acidic solution like lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange,
tomato juice, vinegar, etc) - any acidic substance that comes in contact with
the stone will "etch" the calcites - leaving a dull, white-ish chalky looking spot where the
acidic substance was sitting on the stone. This will NOT come out - unless the
stone is totally re-polished.... not a very attractive option for most consumers........

On the other hand -

Honed AB can look really great and serve you well IF you "season" it with Method
Daily Granite Polish (available from Target).

It builds up over time (you build up a "patina" on the stone), and everyone
that I have spoken with that has AB counters and uses Method - just raves about
how easy it is to take care of there countertops. I never would have believed
it until I saw for myself.... We all learn something new all the time!!!!

Leathered or Antiqued AB also looks really nice with the Method finish.

If you are looking at using the AB - polished - well...... it's going to be a high
maintenance countertop - lot's of wipe downs and dusting because the polished
AB will be a virtual "mirror" on your countertops - so EVERY little speck of
dust, water drop, food crumbs - etc - will stand out - kind of like driving
a Black Mercedes in a desert - you'll feel like you have to stop every 25 FEET,
and DUST IT OFF!!!!!!

just my .02 cents worth - look at the Leathered or Honed using Method

kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: Method Daily Granite Polish

I would have never considered the reflectiveness of a high polish black granite. Garden Web is the best!

I would suggest going to a granite yard and looking around. From looking at pictures online and in magazines of various kitchen, we had decided we wanted a light to medium granite (we'll have light natural bamboo floors and medium/dark cabinets). But, when we went to actually pick our color and slab, we fell in love with Cranberry Brown (also called Tan Brown) which is a rather dark granite. I would suggest taking a sample of your floor and cabinets if you can and just look at slabs and see what you like. Nothing says you have to decide anything your first time out. Unlike paint, granite is a big deal to change later!

I agree with your MIL. Any shiny black surface is hard to keep looking nice, but if you really want it and are willing to stand guard with a bottle of "home brew" (50/50 alcohol/water cleaning solution) and a microfiber cloth, go for it :) Srsly, I let my mother and husband talk me out of a large single bowl kitchen sink. That was 7 years ago and I'm still sorry I let them persuade me otherwise. My mother has Uba Tuba in her kitchen. It too shows crumbs and smears pretty bad. OTOH, my granite shows NOTHING. You have to get down eye level with the counter to see anything.
Monica

Okay keep in mind I am bit of a trouble maker when it comes to my in laws...
So with that said. I would run out and buy very high
polished black granite just to be the terrible dil. : )Of
course I would regret it. Kevin decribes perfectly why I
would. I don't like having to keep wiping down my
counters.

Since this is not about your mil or me or my mil. I have
to say really think about what you want. How you clean,
how you use your counters, other family members...

Do you love black?

Gor fot it. Ignore the I told you so(s). If you do not
mind wiping down finger marks or the shinyness of polished
granite get the polished black. But do it because you
want it. Don't be naughty like me. : )

We have similar finish choices and I had the same dilemma. After looking at all my options (you really must go look, you will have a more definite opinion of your own, then) I decided on Zodiaq Mystic black. It is a very dark charcoal color--not too shiny, not too dull, and zero maintenance issues. I have granite in my current kitchen, and have enjoyed it for years, but want to try a different look. Some of the other solid surfaces looked sort of plastic-y to me, but the Zodiaq was beautiful.

You will eventually find just the right thing!

Here is a pic of a darling kitchen with a mossy green island--go for it!! (I chickened out.)

I agree with kevin.
shanghaimom-your kitchen is so incredible. I love it!

I have Peacock Green granite counters. I have had them for five years. They are beautiful but if I were to do it over again I would go with something lighter. Anything dark and reflective shows smears and smudges. I spend a lot of time shining up those counters and it isn;t long before there is another smear.

I think you MIL is giving you good advice but ultimately you should get what you want.

This place is seriously the greatest! So much good advice and "been there" input.

Kevin, thanks. You're a great resource (I've been lurking here awhile). I was leaning towards the Uba Tuba because of its variance and colors - yet I like that the overall look is black...polished Uba Tuba is the kind that I've seen in other people's kitchens and it looks pretty good even after some years of use. I don't think I want AB polished, especially after what you said. Yeah, I really don't want that black Mercedes in the desert feeling. That would drive me nuts!

The polish and reflectivity of granite in general is something I guess I don't love about granite and I DID NOT even think about the under counter lights and cabinet undersides reflecting on polished granite!

The granite guy is coming on Monday to take measurements so I will ask him about AB honed or leathered or antiqued. I need to do some research on that here and elsewhere anyway. I do need to see photos. Food for thought.

Blondelle - yep, I agree, I wouldn't do black on black island....if I go with black granite, I'll do a lighter-painted island.

BoxerPups that totally made me laugh. If it was *MY* mom who told my DH "no black counters" he would be out at the granite yard buying it RIGHT NOW. ;) Conversely, I adore my MIL and really do value her opinion (she's sort of one in a million MIL's)...but she and I definitely differ on some things. :)

purplehooker - I do need to get out to a yard without my brood of children!! I didn't want to fall in love with a slab that I simply couldn't afford though...I was waiting until the granite guy came to measure so I'd know generally what prices I'd be dealing with.

shanghaimom - thanks for the tip. I do like quartz somewhat and will check Zodiac Mystic black. That kitchen is awesome-love it! That's very much what I want my kitchen to look like - I am going to email that picture to the carpenter who's building my cabinet doors.

Have you considered a black soapstone? No shininess there, a sheen, yes -- ?Brazilian Black? If you would consider a honed that you need to use a product like the Method cleaner, then why not a darker SS?

It's funny- Mothers mean well- don't they (I'm one too :>). My Mom was exactly the same- she really cautioned me against black/dark counters. I had never had granite before (she actually cautioned me against that too though), and didn't have anyone in my circle of close friends (ie somewhere where I would be wiping down counters) to have any experience with. I wanted a lighter counter anyways, but DH fell in love with Butterfly Blue, which like Uba Tuba, is quite dark from a distance, but close up you can see/appreciate all the colours.

I do tend to wipe my counters quite a bit- I'm not obsessive, but I like them clean and shiny- so the shine/polish is a bonus for me (though mine don't have what I would call a mirror finish). But my DH did finish off the UC lights very well, so no ugly wires showing there...
I actually introduced my Mother to microfibre, and that is what makes the difference! If I didn't have those, then I would never get dark counters- and to be fair to my Mom, she didn't have them (she has Uba Tuba) when she tried to discourage me.

I certainly have considered soapstone and that's what I thought FOR SURE I'd get when we finally redid the kitchen - but from what I've read (anyone step in and correct me here) it's more expensive than granite and requires more maintenance, and might not be as durable?

I've also seen a fair amount of pics where the SS seems to be more gray than anything and that's not really the color I want. Is there a kind of SS that is more black? We are on a strict budget and I assumed that it was not within reach.

raehelen - my own mom definitely is not a granite fan - she adores her Corian countertops in her kitchen. So she is warning me off granite as well but since she doesn't have it, I take her opinion on that topic with a grain of salt.

well, i have to be the odd ball here. i do love my AB polished granite. i am like you three daiseys, i wipe all day, every day. i would do it with any counter. i have a white on the perimeter and wipe that one too.

as far as the MIL, mine is very opinionated too. i usually do exactly what she tells me not to do, really only because we have exact opposite tastes anyway. so, its not so much out of spite.....{{!gwi}}

Oh no, I have already selected polished absolute black... I thought that everyone was saying it was easier to maintain than the honed. I am wondering if I should change my mind. I agree, the polished looks awesome and in the end I just could not resist the temptation. I don't like the Cambrian black or the antiqued...

Kevin, will the AB etch even if sealed? OK I know it is not supposed to be sealed...but my fabricator does seal it. I need to ask them about the acidic etching. What if I get lemon juice on it by accident? Does it need to sit for a long time for the problem to occur?

Thanks.

Tina

tina,
i am a margarita queen. i have spilled lemon on mine a few times. i have had an entire of bottle of red wine burst onto it, and actually sit there for about 15 minutes while i stood there in disbelief of what had just happened. i have had mine for eight months now. it is still as beautiful as the day it was installed. if you clean up your messes right after they happen, it will be alright. lemon juice is not going to act like muriatric acid and burn a hole in it as soon as it hits. my fabricator sealed mine too. i didn't read about it not needing sealing until after he had done this. it did not make it white looking or dull. i even put a coat of sealer on that i bought in a spray bottle too from bed bath and beyond too.

three daisies,

I went with soapstone which when oiled appears black. I know many people who have soapstone who love their stone, but I have had a lot of problems with water rings and would have to say it has been more maintenance than I was expecting. I had originally chosen and had installed a gorgeous black granite called Nordic Black Antique (that unfortunately was installed incorrectly and had to be removed and they no longer had any in stock and I had to choose another stone) which I had learned from other posters on GW is a very low maintenance granite. It was gorgeous when it was installed in my kitchen. Here is a link to Jen4268's photo album and you can see the Nordic Black Antique in her kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: jen4268's kitchen

I have black galaxy granite in my kitchen. In day light I think I see more smears than at night with the lights on. I don't mind seeing the smears during the day though and wiping/polishing... I like knowing where and when it needs to be cleaned up and I'm a "wiper" anyway, so no bother to me. I heeded the warnings about smears, etc., but I was blown away at how gorgeous it looks at night -- like a twinkling sky to me. I have friends over at night often and we love sitting around the island with the twinkle effect. It's kind of dramatic -- which I think is kinda cool after the sun sets.

I think it depends on how you live/work/clean in your kitchen and what you really want.

I have cranberry brown granite (polished) and just love it. It too, looks black from a distance, and up close has some beautiful subtle colors (nothing wild or swirly). I do not have any trouble keeping it clean. (Alcohol and water or the Method granite cleaner work great with a microfiber cloth.) I like the reflection that you get with the polished granite. I would have chosen absolute black, but at the time the cost seemed prohibitive. Go for what you love!

This is one of those instances where you look her in the eye and say, "Why thank you so much for the advice! I surely would have made a HUGE mistake without you. You always do manage to give me some of the BEST tips!" And you continue to bring this up and thank her when she visits after the kitchen is done. No need to say that your advisers on GW were the ones who you really listened too and it earns you HUGE brownie points with her! Even if you continue to follow your own way on many other things down the road, you can always point to the fact that she "saved" you on that one and let her feel good about it! LOL!

I have black granite on my hearth and fireplace surround and I detest it. It looks great, I just have to dust it daily.

3 daisies- Before I decided on the granite for my kitchen I brought home a remnant and put it on my counter for several days to get a better feel for how it would look in my kitchen. The piece I made my poor husband lug home was about 36 x 18 and significantly heavier than I had anticipated. But it did the trick. I was able to finalize my decision and it also helped when selecting the tile floor, back splash and paint colors.

Personal Experience speaking here..............

I'm with Teppy! I have polished AB and would do it again in a heartbeat! After more than a year of use/abuse, my counters look as good as new! The only thing I have is the rainbow around the faucet & sink cutouts...but that's a result of the ineptitude of the fabricators I had and thank goodness no one notices it but me.

So far, my counters have been "bullet-proof"...no etching, etc. I've had tomatoes go bad & leak all over my counters, I've had lemonade spilled on them, ditto wine & OJ & grapefruit juce, I've had tomato sauce sit on them for hours, etc. Nothing has touched them. Kevin, could I have a different kind of AB? Because so far I haven't had any etching problems whatsoever...

We are by no means fanatical cleaners (quite the opposite, in fact)...and we have no problems w/dust, small crumbs, etc. We do wipe all our counters down each night, so that's probably why dust isn't a problem. Yes, big crumbs do stand out, but so what? It's a working kitchen, not a museum or showplace.

As to reflectivity...yes, light does reflect off the counters, but not the actual undersides of the cabinets. We actually have two cabinets w/finished undersides and the rest are not and there's no reflection on the counter to bring it to anyone's attention.

Here, you see a perfect example of the reflectivity...you see light (and the outlet/switches, charging station, & camera flash if you look closely) but no light fixture or the fact that the cabinet underside is unfinished.

Here's another one...can you tell that two cabinets have unfinished bottoms and one has a finished bottom? (I'm sure you can reason out which ones are which, but you can't see it.)

This is not hearsay or "someone told me"...this is personal experience...so, take it for what it's worth.

As to your MIL... Listen to her? Certainly, she is your DH's mother after all. Do what she tells you? Only if it's what you & your DH want to do...don't let her (or us!) make the decisions for you...

Buehl - Thanks for your posting. Your pics and experiences make me feel better - I have chosen the AB polished and I don't want to go back on it because I have so many more decisions to finalize!

Please can you tell me what you mean about the rainbow effect from the fabrication issue.. I want to look out for that. Thanks!

I have seen some versions of AB not etch when I tested them with vinegar...
I just recently did a test to show some of my students, and of course I am telling
them the whole schpeil (sp?) on how AB will etch when vinegar is left on the stone
for like..... 5 mnutes.... so I get a piece of AB scrap, and put some Heinz Vinegar
on it and leave it alone for 5 minutes.... I rinse it off afterwards, and no etch!!!

So Buehl - Yes - I have seen one or two times where the vinegar test did not
yield an etched spot, but it's pretty rare.

The best advice I can offer, is to get a sample of the exact AB you are considering
and test the snot out of it before you approve it for your home. Hit it with
every acidic solution you can find and leave the test spots on the stone for
more than 5 monutes to be sure. If after a half hour or so, you rinse off all of
the lemon, lime, grapefruit, tomato and orange juice and there's no etching,
you'll certainly have a little more assurance that the AB you have tested is going
to perform better than most.

hth

kevin

My first thought to your post was~ "who's payin'?!!"

and Teppy- that is gorgeous and then some!

Three daisies-I have soapstone and around here (seattle) it was very close in price to any of the granites I concidered. There was however a granite called honed mysore that was recomended because the cost was conciderably less. But the others I liked were more.
My soapstone is more maintenance than granite and I find myself being carefull with it...it scratches easy. I have some scratches that I sanded out with sand paper, re-oiled it and it looks just fine. I like the imperfections however, and the veining conceals them anyway. I guess you could say my soapstone looks dark gray but I would say it looks soft black. Here is a pic of it unoiled. Good luck on your decicion!

Kevin...I did exactly as you advise. When we found our slabs I had them knock off a corner of one of the slabs for me to take home and test...I then put it through its paces! I tested vinegar, lemon juice, wine, acetone, tomato sauce, & I forget what else. I know I at least left the vinegar & lemon juice on overnight.

Nothing etched it.

BuffaloTina...We have a "rainbow" effect around the sink cutouts & faucet holes. No one knows for sure but several have suggested it was caused by the "oil" used while cutting & polishing the stone. Something about it getting "under" the polish and the only way to get rid of the effect is to have the stone re-polished. Well, I've heard that it's not an easy or "clean" job to polish on-site, so we've opted to live with it. I'm not totally convinced that's the cause as the faucet holes were drilled on-site and not polished, but no one seems to have a better explanation.

I wondered about plumbers putty & that maybe they had gotten some along the edge of the sink as well as the faucet & SD holes, but everyone told me it wouldn't have that effect on AB granite. So, who knows!

It's really only visible when it's bright...usually when the sunlight is streaming in the window. But, even then, no one else noticed/notices it but me.

(Our fabricator was so bad in so many ways...that's why I said the "ineptitude" of our fabricator...)

Buehl -
Many thanks for that information. I will go back to the yard and get them to give me an actual piece of my slabs...I have a sample which they said was the same batch and I sat vinegar on it for several hours with no effect..so far so good!

"My first thought to your post was~ "who's payin'?!!""

Sheilaaus: Ha ha, seriously! And actually, when I was considering laminate, she freaked and said SHE would pay for granite if I really was going laminate because I must put granite in to add value (but it MUST NOT be black.). Man, I should have gotten that in writing!!! Oh well. I think the offer was tacitly rescinded...MIL has a Giallo pattern that isn't my cup of tea but she thinks it's the cat's pajamas because it hides crumbs so well. :/

Megpie - that soapstone is gorgeous (as is your kitchen). That's very much the look I'm going for.

Buehl - that AB polished is awesome also. Someone else also mentioned the Black Galaxy? the one that sparkles? I saw it today at Lowes and it is so pretty.

Granite guy is coming tomorrow to measure and see the space so I will take all this great stuff I have learned from all you GW'ers and ask lots of questions. Then head to a granite yard. I have to decide pretty soon.

I am one more AB satisfied customer. We have had it now for 5 months and, yes, a seseme seed will jump out at you. But, I love it and would do it all over again. It gives the entire room a crisp, sharp, classy look. I have med. cherry cabinets and ivory & butterscotch tiles for a backsplash. It's a terrific contrast. As long as you understand you will be cleaning the counters a few times a day, go for it.

Buehl, who said what I felt I could see reflected in a polished black countertop was not based upon personal experience? I didn't say anyone should not get them based upon that either, its just a consideration. Some people won't 'see' it at all, some people may see reflections and not care, and for some people seeing hot spots on the countertop may be bothersome.

Adding my 2 cents' worth here for those who may not be firmly decided. Bring home a large piece of what you're considering, if possible, and lay it on your counter and actually work on it for a few days. I too was sure I wanted black untill I brought home a 16" square of it. I decided that I didn't want that jet black staring up at me as I go about every task in my kitchen forever. Thought I loved blue pearl, too, until KD mentioned that some people see it as gawdy. Moderation is better for me. I have found as I was making choices that I liked things more subtle. Be open to figuring out what you really do like and then embrace it!

I think the AB's are beautiful, and you should get it if it's what you want. I personally hate the fact that things will "hide" on my counters. I cannot stand starting to work, thinking they are okay and then discovering that my DD left a messy bunch of crumbs. I want to know weather my counters are clean or not. That is why I don't mind my black glass cooktop either.

Palimpsest...it was not aimed at you personally. It was more of a general comment b/c I keeping hearing over & over again about how bad AB is...every dust particle shows, everything reflects, every fingerprint shows, every water spot shows, etc...and most of the time it's hearsay. I wanted to stress that based on personal experience many of these comments are not true or are greatly exaggerated.

This happens not just with AB counters, it also happens with other things on this Forum and yes, sometimes I fall prey to it as well...but I try to preface what I say with a statement that it's not personal experience and that it's "based on the comments of others here" or "it's recommended that..." (or some such phrase).

However, I will say that the statement that AB "..."mirrors" the underside of the cabinets when the undercabinet lighting is on. If the underside of the cabinets is not finished all that well and the lighting is not installed neatly (and often, I don't think it is)--you end up looking at something not so attractive..." is just not true...at least not in my case. I even called my DH & children in to see if they could see the underside or lights reflected (in case I was "filtering it out") and they didn't either.

Maybe a different kind of lighting does, but my halogen puck lights & granite combination do not reflect the unfinished undersides or the lighting itself. Yes, it definitely reflects light back at you and yes, I do see things like outlets & counter items reflected, but not the undersides or lights themselves. There is a "spot" of light on the counters beneath them b/c they're pucks, but strip lighting would eliminate that. (Sometimes I like the "spot", sometimes not.)

Hmmm...maybe the intense spot of light b/c they're pucks "washes out" the type of reflection you're talking about...I don't know.

Diane has the right idea-you'll need to get a big piece of material that approximates AB to see how it will look in your kitchen. What looks striking in someone else's kitchen may turn yours into a dark, colorless, hole, even with white cabinets. Depends on your lighting and layout. Do check at various times of the day since it will look different. At worst-a shiny black garbage bag may give an idea of how a lot of black would look. Might be that a dark gray granite would give enough contrast without being severe.

Also spend some time hovering over the dark surface. Like Diane, I, too, like a lighter colored work surface.

I came from polished AB pre-remodel and have now put in another black granite - not AB. I love black granite. The one i have now (blues in the night) is a black granite with cobalt blue flecks in it (like the gold flecks of Black Galaxy) and a few clear quartz veiny bits here and there.

Yes, in my experience, black granite shows dust and crumbs. The AB showed it very clearly - it is slightly less clear in this new black granite because the flecks can disguise some of the crumbs. Personally, while I love my blue-flecked black granite, the polished AB was easier to maintain. Why? Because it showed the gunk perfectly and so it was easy to clean up. It's a kitchen counter! It ought to be clean! I don't like the idea of cooking on a grimy countertop. In my house, surfaces do get dusty (we probably need to vaccuum more often but we're not home enough to do so) and it is easier if the dust and grime shows up clearly so that it can be attended to.

I clean my counters a lot more now because it is a touch less easy to tell if the counter is actually clean. NOt only that, but I wipe the counters down, obsess over a spot that turns out to be a granite inclusion, conclude as much, step back to see what I might have missed, revisit a few spots - oops this one's an inclusion, nope this guy was an actual crumb, bend down to change the viewing angle to find another perspective from which to find unattended areas - wipe down the areas I missed ... . Do you see what I mean? If you want your counters actually clean rather than just looking so, Absolute Black tells you exactly where to focus. It was easily the easiest counter I've had.
I love Blues-in-the-night and would get it again and again and again because I adore those cobalt confetti-like inclusions. But even it - for all its black graniteness - is more work to maintain than the AB, in my own experience. A more detailed, dirt-hiding granite would make my head explode, I dare say.

I don't think "mirrors" was a great word choice, and I think I should requalify some of my comments for clarity.

You're right, it depends on the type of undercounter lighting and certain attributes of the cabinets themselves. I have seen in with some particular Rope style lights and two colored LED lights that they reflect directly enough to see their shape and alignment specifically .And its not so much that you see the bottom of the cabinet, that under certain conditions it reflects that the underside is not the same color as the cabinet.

I also think I notice this more when it is matching backsplash and counter, which seems to be common in my region, but not on this board.

I said on here before, if they made a pill that I could take that would stop me from noticing things, I would. More than once I have said to a client "Does it bother you that XYZ?" And they say "Huh? --Oh, well it will *now. Thanks:("

Just to clarify what I have been saying on this thread - I want to make SURE that
everyone understands that I am NOT in any way shape or form - saying that
AB is a "bad" stone.....

GOD made AB and everything else I have worked with for the last 31 years as
an Industry Professional. God made the stone. God does NOT make mistakes,
However, God also has a really good sense of humor. This is why he
creates some stones that give Fabricators like me and consumers "concerns"
when it comes to working and living with certain colors of stones - AB being
one of them. Heck, there's other colors too - that give me fits during the
fabrication process - like Crema Landfil, Dela-crapus, and others..... HA!

Thus, AB is a good stone - it just has it's own unique qualities that consumers
have to be aware of when they are deciding if AB is right for them.

Polished AB will show dirt and dust easier than other
species of Natural Stone. Many AB's have calcites in them that react with
acids - but not all. Some AB's are actually dyed, so they look more "black"
than the anthracite grey that they naturally appear when they are first
cut out of the ground.

The bottom line - as far as I'm concerned - is that AB is a great stone - it's
just got it's own set of unique qualities that a consumer should be aware of
BEFORE they get it installed in there own home.

Like I always say: "If a customer KNOWS what they are getting - They won't
be shocked when they GET it installed in their home..."

Follow your heart - if ya want it - get it!

hth

kevin

Taking another approach entirely, from the good advice above: I'm thinking about how you deal with your MIL. I, too, am blessed with a lovely MIL who also has opinions. But I bet if you acknowledge her view, admit her points are excellent ones, but then look slightly sheepish, and 'confide' that I really, really, really love the look of black, and it would just break your heart if you couldn't get the look you wanted, even if it means more work, I bet she'd come around. She clearly cares about you and wants you to be happy.

Sometimes when we're offered advice, it's just that: an offer. As long as acknowledged as valid, we're not obliged to accept it, and the advisor is generally content with the recognition that their view is a valid one, even if it's not the one you go with.

For me, the shine of polished granite - regardless of color - is a negative because of those undercabinet reflections. I have sensitive eyes and find it very bothersome to have a light source reflecting off the surface where I am working. (The reflections of the circular pucks off Buehl's counters for example, lovely as the counters are, would drive me crazy.) I don't mind the image of whatever's being reflected, it's the difference in light intensity on one shiny area that makes me wince and squint.

So -- just from the peanut gallery here -- do remember to consider the reflectivity/matteness factor in terms of your ideal workspace, regardless of the color or surface you choose.

And oh yes: it's YOUR kitchen, and you get to decide. :-)

I've found that if I love the look of something and want it bad enough, I don't mind doing the work. We have black lower cabs and I love them and don't mind at all that I have to wipe them down more often than if they were stained wood colour. However, my MIL gave us a white cotton duvet cover and I curse every time I have to iron it. I'm sure if I had chosen it because I loved it, I wouldn't mind the extra work at all.

If you are going to adore those counters, wiping them down more often may be a labour of love that you don't mind at all.

We have black Uba Tuba and love it. I use the Method daily granite cleaner and a miracle cloth every night. Only takes a few minutes and doesn't bother me - course my kitchen is small! Get what you like.