Look forward to hearing your answers... sorry I can't help, but am torn btw something black and carrara marble. My thinking is that black is a bit more contemporary - still classic. The lighter color will be a bit more airy and country I think too - but depends upon your hardware.

I have cream cabinets and at the last minute changed my mind on the black granite. I'm glad I did. I feel like I dodged a bullet.

It is a personal choice, but I too have 8' ceilings and smaller kitchen and the granite I went with (similar to Kashmir White?) makes it much airer and not so heavy. It would have drawn the eye immediately instead of being blended. My kitchen is more contemporary (or transitional) - definitely not country. I am so happy with the lower contrast granite.

I will post first photos this weekend.

Good luck!
Maria

I'm doing updated traditional kitchen w/ white cabs and an off white/greyish concrete top w/ a traditional edge to it. Dark hickory floors. I didn't want the black/white contrast, but wanted more open airy. I can pull the darkness of the floors with accessories, etc. I hope that helps. I was going through that same process six months ago and am happy w/ my decision. Good luck! (no pics yet)

The honed black granites look a lot like soapstone to me, and most of the the ones I've seen seem to be people going for a cottage/craftsman look. BUT...I think black & white can go either way, and yes it's all about the accessories. I think a shiny black counter also works for vintage style. Browns or swirled heavily patterned granites, not so much of a craftsman look perhaps.

This is probably an odd example, but my kitchen has white cabinets with shiny black counters. When it was less finished (white walls, no drapes or accessories) everyone who came in thought it was vintage or cottage, but I was going for French Country! (My reasoning was a house full of antiques and a more formal decor in adjoining rooms.) So I had to accessorize like mad to get it "more French". Roosters, long drapes, more elaborate handles. I think it's there now, but a new owner could probably remove all the decorative items (change the lights and handles) and bring it back towards cottage without too much difficulty.

This is my black and white "French Country" kitchen:

And here's a photo of someone else's white cabinets with a shiny black counter that has more of a classic/vintage look to me:

I think the wall color and accessories (lights, handles and window treatments) really make a big difference. YMMV.

I have white cabs and soapstone. We live near the beach in an old spanish bungelow that we updated, so I like to think of it kind of like a beach cottage, even though it's not really a cottage.

These are some great comments and beautiful kitchens! I'm always drawn to that classic black and white combination. But I notice these kitchens are so much larger and spacious than mine...higher ceilings also.

biochem101, how tall are your ceilings? Also what is the backsplash tile you used? Is it marble?

Yes, the backsplash is carrera marble.

My ceilings are very low, sorry I forgot to mention. That was another reason I chimed in. They are less than 8' if you can believe that. Only around 7'8 or 9". White cabinets made the big difference, and opening up the middle over the peninsula.

Unfortuantely we have massive plumbing in the soffit, so it couldn't be totally removed, just reduced. It's actually a big improvement as the 'before' soffits were...wait for it...24" wide! They went all around so it was like standing inside a donut. And it was cherry with slate floors. Fortunately the soffit over the peninsula could go away.

Our new kitchen (with black counters) is not dark at all to us. Here you go, this ought to have been on that Bad Befores Thread. It was dark in here when the counters were beige. I really think the dark cabinets made a bigger difference overall.

The Before:

I just had our black granite counters installed and I really struggled with the decision. I love the look of the soapstone/marble kitchens, but it was not practical for us since we would be eating at our island with two very little boys every day. I also did not like the look or feel of the honed granite in person (loved it in pictures). We also had such a big island, we were limited in our granite selection because I did not want a seam.

I think the black and white are very classic and very easy to live with. I paired it with dark floors and dark leather stools. It looks good, but it really depends what you are looking for.

I will post pictures, hopefully next week once the backsplash is done.

pbear, the real question is, what look do you want in your kitchen?

If you want English Country Kitchen, we can certainly help with that. I'd recommend cream (not bright white) cabs with dark-stained wooden mushroom knobs...ladder-back chairs...a small, cute, Georgian brass chandelier (no crystals, just brass balls and candles with shades...maybe one of the medieval-inspired terra cotta tile patterns you can buy now. There are a lot of possibilities.

The question is, what do you want?

By the way, generally, black countertops do look great with white cabs, but can also make a small, low-ceilinged kitchen look smaller.

I have creamy white recessed shaker panel cabinets and honed AB perimeter counters. We have an 8 ft ceiling, but the kitchen is large and open. We were going for a transitional look.

I was in the same boat as you. We thought we wanted a lighter counter with our simple Shaker-esque cabinets, now painted BM White Dove. Our kitchen "before" was so very dark and dim and we really wanted it light and bright.

I ended up going with Black Galaxy for counters when I couldn't find a lighter granite that I loved. I think it really grounds the space. We have 8 ft ceilings but the black almost acts as an accent color, not an overbearing burden on the eyes. It helps that I had the walls painted a creamy-cream linen color. So everything is light but the counters, the counter stools, and our kitchen chairs. I'm not sure if we have a classic look or transitional, but I'm VERY close to posting a "finished!" thread - hopefully in the next day or so, and you can take a look and see what you think.

Thanks everyone.
Biochem, I really like your kitchen. I would have never guessed your ceilings are 7'8"....exactly what mine are. And I love, love, love your carrera marble backsplash!
I may reconsider the black countertops after all.

I love your kitchen as well november. I have a very nice sample of honed AB that I am considering....I think I am more in the "transitional" style too.

Can't wait to see the others post their pics!

Pbear,you have expressed my same concerns. I had every permutation going with soapstone and wood counters, but now think my 8' ceiling will also make it too heavy. I saw a lovely kitchen in a home for sale yesterday with a sort of china white (maybe darker) cabinet color, kashmir or bianco romano counter, perhaps a crema marfil small subway marble backsplash, and a honey colored oak floor. Very pretty, but worried maybe a tad bland. It was very monochromatic, but calming. Other than soapstone, I really love marble counters, but thought what I saw was a possible alternative to the look. Anybody have pictures with the kashmir type of granite and off white cabinets? I have searched here and found almost nothing. A also saw in a May Traditional home magazine a BM color on the cabinet called misty air used with a gray mystic stone backsplash. However the counters were stainless with a zinc edge (too cold for me). Any thoughts on using kashmir granite counters with misty air cabinet color and gray mystic stone backspash?

Hi, I just posted pictures of my creamy kitchen with light granite counters in another thread "Backsplash done. Kitchen almost finished". I love both looks, but wanted my kitchen to have a light, bright feel to it so I went with a lighter granite, Nambian Gold, and light tumbled marble backsplash. Not really sure what style it is, I just liked it. I also agree that the way you decorate and the accessories you use can add to the style of your kitchen. I have a lot of Italian pottery that I will be displaying in mine that I hope will give it a Italian country feeling. Good luck!

Here's my kitchen almost done, without any accessories:
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Hi marcy96,

Very nice! I have not seen Nambian Gold, but I really like it. I also like the granite strip below you window...nice touch.

Thanks so much for the photos.

pbear