Hey there babs. Wood with marble ....YUM! Go for it! We did Bianco Antico perimeter (chickened out on marble) and Mahogany top for our island and yes, made by a local small town custom wood worker. I paid $710 for our top. I have no idea how many sq ft it is but guessing around 30-35.... we quoted me for maple (or was it oak...can't remember now, which ever is the hardest!) and then he realized I wanted a darker top then that wood could provide, so he gave me the mahogany at the same price because he had it on hand. Lucky me! I chose to have it finished with a sealer vs oil....whatever sealer he uses, not sure what its called. He did tell me mahogany was about a 6 on the hardness scale of wood (10 being hardest). I wanted walnut based on all the beauties I have seen on GW, but it would have cost me more and I felt like I was already getting a deal by getting mahogany for the price of maple / oak. Truthfully, I an really happy with what we have. I get a lot of compliments on it. But then again, while its often seen on here, NO ONE in our area has anything like it. I did have him tint it/stain it so it would be less red than what mahogany is. Durability....it has only been in since the first week of December, so early to say. NO dings of any sort, but fine hairline scratches. I use this all the time, I do all my prep work on it, when I should be doing it on the granite. I suppose had we chose the oiled option they would be less noticeable, but they aren't noticeable from a distance, just up close or from the right angle. If you are considering marble, I would venture to say these wouldn't bother you. You can't feel them with your hand, just see them, they are that hairline fine. I did call to get a quote from a place in Michigan that ships anywhere. He was a bit more reasonable in price, but it seemed more sensible to have a local guy do it in case we had any problems. Here is a link that might be useful: Block Top in Michigan

We were building a home and I obsessed about the granite for months. Once we finally settled on a color, I went nuts trying to pick THE slab. The countertops got installed and I began to second guess myself. Here is the punchline-the builder had cash flow problems and we had to walk away rom the deal. All that effort fot nothing. A friend set me straight by pointing out that while the granite is an important element in the overall feel of the kitchen, six months down the road what you look at is the bigger picture-the WHOLE kitchen. I think the GO gives you more options in terms of the rest of the kitchen. I don't think you are limited in terms of wall colors at all-the only color family that just wouldn't work at all are blues and purples, neither of which I want in a kitchen regardless of what color my countertops are. One other thing to point out is that the GO will show far less in terms of day-to-day cleaning-the neutrality and lighter color just help to mask dirt.

@SaraDixon- if you are having a person that works FOR Cambria coming, it means two things. #1- your stone was sold to you (and perhaps fabricated) by a certified Cambria dealer. and #2- you'll be in great hands. We've sold Cambria for many years and have had one maybe two small issues (a spec of wrong color in the stone). Not only were the issues handled timely (even during a holiday), each customer was thoroughly impressed and satisfied. Cambria personnel is expertly trained and stand 100% behind their product. You also have to understand that Cambria is the manufacture of material. There are other elements at play here- like the fabricator/installer/designer. I wish you the best of luck with your issue Sara! But if Cambria is coming, you don't need it. As for potential Cambria customers, you should all know that since September 2018 they now have a LIFETIME Warranty. This is a warranty that can be passed down to new homeowners if you ever sell your house and the warranty covers any sort of bill that may be inquired during the warranty process (plumber, contractor etc) You can read more about this warranty here: https://www.cambriausa.com/customer-care/warranty/ No other quartz company has a warranty like this. We have sold and do sell other quartz manufacturers, but Cambria no doubt is the best (not only because it is made in the USA, and because of their phenominal warranty) but because of what you get for the money. You'll spend more on Silestone, Zodiaq and Ceasarstone and you won't have the same color options, or even quality in some cases, for the price.

I think the problem with this question is that not all projects are equal. To illustrate, I have two projects in mind at the moment: Before we put our current house on the market, I need to replace the kitchen cabinets and the countertop. This isn't the time or place for details, but -- yeah -- it needs to be done to make the house sell-able. For that project, I'm going to pick the cabinets first and the countertop second. Given the house I'm selling, I want to pick the cheapest, most simple cabinets that will appeal to the widest range of entry-level buyers. After that, I want the cheapest, most simple countertop that will appeal to the same group. My biggest motivations will be PRICE and the potential to appeal to a wide range of buyers. I'm also planning a kitchen for my new house. This is going to be MY house, MY kitchen, and I'm not willing to sacrafice price, durability, or looks. I'm a cash customer and can afford to have what I want. I suspect I'm in the majority here when I say that this countertop will be a long-time investment, and I care more about it BEING RIGHT than being fast or cheap. I will start choosing stone early, and I don't mind looking around and taking my time. When it's installed, I want a person who knows his business. I'll pay the price for a good installer, but I for that price I expect quality -- I don't want to quibble and fuss about bad seams or chips. Someone above described "gimicks". That would be a massive turn-off for me. It would make me walk right out the door -- and say negative things to friends who are searching for stone in the future. I don't expect a stone countertop to be cheap, but I don't want a "car dealership experience" in which the salesman says, "Oh, everyone knows this and that are added on later." Tell me the honest price, talk me through the options, be forthright about the installation costs. A coupon or a sale will get me in the door -- but a bait-and-switch type of deal will make me change my mind in a hurry. My biggest concern is about matching colors -- I absolutely stink at color, and I know it. I keep going to the same tile store because the the owner's wife is SO GOOD at talking me through good choices. She listens and suggests. She doesn't push me towards higher-priced items. She also isn't shy about saying, "Look, that really isn't what you want for your application, and here's why." Which kitchen item will I pick first? Cabinets. The difference between white and wood-tone is the biggest decision. Then, since my choice is wood-tone, choice two is, Which wood-tone? After that, I'd pick the countertop and the backsplash TOGETHER. I will definitely choose a natural stone. I dislike marble -- it looks cold and old-fashioned (not good old-fashioned like nostalgic, just old -- we're not the ancient Greeks). I don't want an engineered stone either; they look good in small spots, but for a whole countertop, they look fakey. I want something that's beautiful and distinctive. Finally, I won't compromise on durability or ease of cleaning. I'm going to pick something that'll last, and I may never change it. And there's no point in getting something cheap if it's not comfortable to live with.