Are there other granite shops you can go to? The countertops are such a huge decision.

The cabinet maker generally uses this particular shop and we are trying to do this with minimal hassle. Also, sometimes for me, more choices is a bad thing. I get too confused and make terrible decisions.

Like TP, I would encourage you to seek out other slab yards and granite shops before you change your selections. And before you abandon your paint idea, it may just be a matter of adjusting the paint color and/or glaze.

Are you drawn to the blue-grey colors? If not, you might seek out Colonial Cream. It is similar to River White but with creamier, warmer tones and similar motion. It can vary quite a bit from slabyard to slabyard, however. If you give an idea of what color/motion/type you are looking for, people might be able to give you suggestions.

I too recommend doing some shopping and "stewing" about your counter. Many of us here have been searching for months and it can take a LONG time to find that perfect slab. I usually start looking for my counters when we demo, so that I have at least 6 months to visit slabyards.

Try and defer the cabinetmaker for a bit....he really doesn't need to know your counter material before starting to build the cabs!

I think you need to look at a few more places. It's funny how sometimes you need to look at a whole bunch of "no's" to find the "yes". You may ultimately come back to these slabs, but in the process you will have helped that decision to become more definite. Even if you define yourself as the type that has a hard time making a decision, I think that looking at at least two more places if you live within a reasonable distance from them, is a good thing.

All I can say is that the top slab of granite took my breath away - it is stunning. Picking my jaw up off of the floor now.

Carol33, LOL, I'm with you...CONFUSED!! I've gone to the yards with a particular stone in mind, don't see anything in the specific stone I thought I wanted but see others that I like. I come home more confused and begin re-thinking my plan...again!

Firsthouse, love your thoughts on seeing a lot of "no's" before getting to 'yes'. I'll have to try that on DH. He thinks you can make one visit, pick something, and move on. I just say, it's not like buying a shirt.

Consider a different material for the island. Like an oak butcher block that ties in the perimeter cabinet color. Just because you are doing two colors of cabinets doesn't mean you can't do two counters as well. You also could do a quartz with minimal movement, and that would give you a less busy look.

Mags - no, it's definitely not like buying a shirt! We are trying very hard to build this house without any unnecessary stress. We picked the cabinets out with no stress at all. We both agreed right away on the quarter sawn oak and when we saw the island color, we knew it was the right choice. Simple and easy. We were hoping that the granite selection would go as smoothly. We live several hours away from granite shops and can't just shop around. We really liked the Typhoon on the truck but it was a higher price range than the River White so we sort of dismissed it. (Trying very hard to stay within the budget too.) Now, thinking back, it really looked good with our cabinet selections and we both loved it. Alrightâ¦. I'm ramblingâ¦.. I guess what it boils down to is that we maybe need to just decide if we want to 1. spend a bit more, or 2. change our island color.

When I was in college, the saying among us dorm gals was that you may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you finally meet your prince charming! Perhaps the same is true with granite?

We only had one stone yard in our town; we went there several times. We wound up with a stone we originally hadn't considered at all - had planned on blue pearl (how about that one for your kitchen?), went with a totally different color...we just had to keep an open mind and have fun with the process...

This post was edited by gladys1924 on Tue, Dec 17, 13 at 10:30

I think a busy granite in your kitchen will overload the senses. Both your quarter sawn oak and your hickory floors are strongly patterned. We don't know what you're using for backsplash, but that adds pattern too, even with a plain tile.

A differently colored island adds more busyness. I would find it impossible to know the color match with that little paint chip, so I'd get a sample door. But really, there's so many patterns already that I'd search for a quiet countertop. If you want a granite with movement, I'd think about doing the island in quarter sawn and the perimeter in paint. If there will be seating at the island, oak will hold up better to feet.

We selected Typhoon too, love it. I tried to attache a photo. We were very confused until we met Paul, a decorator / designer who sells granite slabs. Once we started to work with him, it was logical and orderly progression, all confusion went away. He led us around, what do you like and dislike about slab X. OK, follow me. Walk about, OK, same question about this slab, and that slab. In an hour we were done, and could not be more pleased.

Several other yards were the let you wander about type. I suggest you find a good designer and follow their heart.

Paul even insisted on seeing the template layout before we approved it. Wonderful service

I love the Typhooon Bordeaux you selected, and with your cabinet colors, so if you want "no more fuss", I'd go with it. (This is from someone who spent every weekend for nearly a year picking the parts of her prior kitchen and vowed not to do that again this time -- saw Ceasarstone, loved Ceasarstone, picked color that went with new cabinets, done!!)

I love that Typhoon Bordeaux but I am partial to TB as it is what I chose. I think your TB is even prettier than mine and I can tell you I LOVE my counters. I could have looked high and low and not found anything that I loved as much. Consider yourself lucky that you found something that beautiful right from the get go.

Look at doing a quartz, like Cambria Berkley. Both of your cabinet elements are warm, and the too cool tones predominate in the stones that you are looking at are clashing a bit. It has enough movement up close to not be boring, but reads as a calm backdrop from a distance. You've already got a lot of superstars in the kitchen. You need a team player for the counters.

Closeup.

Thank you all for the support/advice. If only one could see their choices together in a little slideshow before a decision was made. Kinda like going to the eye doctorâ¦. which one? a or b? this one or that? here or here? now back to here, etc, etc. I'd have no problem with choosing if things were done like that.
Maybe I'm going too busyâ¦. don't want that. Live wire, i like the quartz. Nice colors. How does the pricing compare with granite?
I'm so confused!

Use Paint or Olioboard to create a moodboard. It's extremely useful to stand back and get the big picture.

Pricing on quartz generally aligns with a mid-priced granite, depending on your area. Since natural choices are in limited supply, you should check out some of the quartzes.

I am a fabricator.

You are doing the right thing by taking the time to find what you really like. For what its worth Typhoon Bordeaux is one of my stock colors and makes for a beautiful kitchen without being too busy.

The only watch out is that the fabricator, if he's good, will involve you in the layout of the parts on the slabs to insure BEFOREHAND that you will find the grain transitions at the seams acceptable.

another word of advice; don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the choices and fuss over miniscule preferences of one over another. The reality is that any material, even quartz, is going to look at least a little different than what you expect once its in your kitchen. consequently, agonizing over two or more nice choices is probably wasted energy since any one is probably going to be beautiful.