We're using granite rather than quartzite. And our finish is leathered rather than honed. It will be on our island and perimeter. We weren't LOOKING for a non-shiny granite - but, when we found it, it's just what we wanted. According to our fabricator (who has flamed granite in her house), it is no worse in porosity than it's shiny counterpart if you keep it sealed. She went on to say that we really aren't going to need to seal it often - she's had hers in for about 4 years and hasn't yet needed to reseal. Things that we *think* we like (since it isn't installed yet) is that we won't need to worry so much about fingerprints and wiping streaks. And, a crumb or two isn't going to show up as easily as with the shiny ones. I also suspect (but this reminds me to post here) that the lack of shine will mean that if we are using LED strips, the individual diodes won't show as much in the countertop as a shiny one.

Hi Kateskouros, I think it's a lovely idea as the honed tends to lose some of it's drama of the veining and the backsplash would be a great place to show it off! I think I saw early pics of your slabs and they are beautiful! One thing to think about, our polished countertops have been in now for 5 months and still look fabulous, even have stood up to spills that I thought it wouldn't. Now, we have an etch or two, but they are small and nearly impossible to find. We used a polished marble backsplash tile - Thassos and I put a different sealer on it than is on the counters. Remember, on the backsplash, you can use something that is more durable and not necessarily food safe because you aren't going to prepare your food right on it. The sealer we used sits a bit on the surface, I would not have liked on the counters because it takes away a bit of the glorious marble feel. I don't care on the backsplash a bit and it makes everything wipe off beautifully! As for stains or etching on the backsplash, we don't have either. Good luck! I can't wait to see your end result because so far your selections sound lovely!

People in Europe having been using marble for their kitchens forver so it must not be bad. True. But keep in mind a couple of things. In many trips I have taken to France and Italy I cannot recall seeing polished marble, only honed. I am talking about café tables, bathrooms (a hotel room bathroom in Milan was every inch marble - honed - it did not look new, but it looked great), lobbies, stairwells, etc. Furthermore, in Europe there is not the "need for pristine" that North Americans have. It's a cultural difference, so to your point "it must not be bad", but that is their feeling about it, so just make sure you feel OK about etching. As mentioned, etching will look more pronounced against a polished surface than it will against a honed surface. Also buyer beware about the coatings for marble that I think @joseph_corlett is referring to. It is akin to plastic slipcovers on your grandma's sofa. It protects, and you can see the protected surface through the coating, but it won't look the same. If you are going to go to those lengths to protect the marble, so that it loses its unique beauty, you may as well get a different stone and not be bothered with needing any protector for it. There are granites and quartzites that do not even need to be sealed. Have you seen Taj Mahal quartzite?

Remove the shelves on either side of the hood. That was my first thought too. Those are grease collectors. I would absolutely get honed, but I'd go bold with a colorful quartzite. Not white or gray but maybe a green, or a blue, or??? For example, here is my quartzite which would probably be too dark for you, but a lighter version might work. I would then pick up one of the lightest colors from the quartzite and paint all walls that color. A color that is just slightly darker than white. Then yes, add those wood elements and greens to warm everything up.