I think they can go well together as the grey solid one picks up the meduim grey color color of the island stone. I can't comment on the appropriateness or not of your stone choices 'going together' because I don't know what your entire color scheme and style is. But I'm sure it will be stunning. I personally like the darker stones. Regarding your question as to the finish, I have lived with all types of stone countertops with a variety of finishes. And I've been doing quite a few different ones in my own remodel. Polished is generally the easiest to clean and will also show the most brilliant colors, and have the most contrast, against the same stone in honed or leathered. Look at the stone yard for ANY slab that has both a polished and a honed version (or polished and a leathered version).The most brilliant color will be the polished one. Also if there are any crystals (which I love having in a stone!), they will jump right out when polished and really blend in the background if honed or leathered. Polished will really emphasize all of the contrast of colors and textures. Polished is generally easy to keep clean but if a stone is softer and more of a marble than granite, and if prone to etching like classic marble is, a honed surface will be an easier care finish because it will hide the etch marks more than if polished. A sealer can protect from stains but etching is another problem. The honed surfaces, of marbles especially, will have a natural glow and soft sheen rather than a high gloss and might be more appropriate for a vintage look for example. Also the honed will not have the reflection that the polished will (see your picture and the light reflection difference), but that depends on where it will be located. Perimeter polished countertops for example will show the under counter lighting in the reflected surface for example and a honed or leathered will not. Sometimes people don't notice that and it does not bother them at all and sometimes it does. Or can be a trade off (like most things!). Some people love the classic polished. It all depends on what effect you want the entire room to have. Honed surfaces will soften colors and contrasts of the stone and have a less dramatic effect. Also the honed stone surfaces, to me, will be less cold to the touch than the polished (under the exact same conditions and temperatures), or I have thought so in my sample testing, if that is a consideration. Of course, you can always heat the edges if you like (see a recent GW post about that.) Using the thin (1/8" or so) mesh that is typically used for under tile flooring. The leathered finish add a physical texture to the stone and it has the other characteristics of the honed. It is typically more difficult to have a clean seam with leathered but since yours will be an island, you probably should not have a seam. The leathered will have an additional texture that will be seen with grazing light across the surface (think morning or evening light coming in across the counter through a window), but not as much with overhead light. The leathered is much more popular and more available than it used to be (and fabricators with the right equipment and talent can leather most any slab). There are quite a few that are available right from the slab yards. I have seen several striking ones recently that I would have thought would not have looked good, but it was striking. From what I mentioned earlier about a softer look and the matte vs gloss finish, the leathered (or honed for that matter) can have an enhancing sealer applied that will darken it. You may or may not want it that way so BE SURE to know what the sealer the fabricator uses or know what you want it to be, and tell them. Be very cautious on this step. Sealers are an afterthought to many fabricators and some just get on auto pilot and do what they always do, and if its different from what you want, you can get disappointed. (Just look at some recent GW threads). So be sure to know which you want. See if you can find any place that has the same stone in two different finishes. Look at the DIFFERENCES in the stone in texture, color and details. It does not matter if you like the stone or color. For just looks alone, which finish gives you the look you want? Most sealers can help with stain resistance issues (and some stones don't need sealing at all). And if you like the texture and clarity, but want it darker, an enhancing sealer can be applied. And by the way, most enhancing sealers just darken and do not add a shiny finish, do always ask them to do a small sample to show you for approval. And get that in writing too. If you're not sure if you would like it darker or you want to see how dark it would get, just wet with water. It will get that color. This is an important question and don't feel rushed. What is a little extra time in the big scheme of things? Have them wait till you do a little more research. I'm not sure if I've directly answered your question but I hope I've given you some things to check on and some information to help make your decision. Please share your progress.

I didn't pay the Menard's design people anything. I suppose you could get your design for free and then just not go back after the cabinets. I did buy my cabinets there. They were More than I planned when I started thinking kitchen but they were Sooooo perfect. ( My original plan was to replace my existing but my carpenter said if I was going to do it I should have it the way I wanted it.) If I wouldn't have started flipping through the door samples I would have gone oak "just like I've always had". I looked there for everything, though. I had a zipper notebook with everything about the kitchen in it. Measurements, inspiration pictures, printed pictures of the exact thing I was looking for, everything. Then while we were discussing the cabinets I had measurements and everything right there with me for the answer. I did buy a lot on eBay and on line but I looked at things in the store. The thing about the Menard's designers was they were familiar with every cabinet size and function of every style. If I wanted 18 inch base they could pull it up on the design software picture we were making and it only took a few seconds. They could turn it, 3-D, top; everything. Quick and painless and I could change my mind 4 times without feeling real guilty. They had some good ideas, too, and I did listen to them. I got a heads up a couple of weeks before they went on sale. I was just waiting for it to be in my time frame. I also got a free sink base and soft close drawers. My cabinets were about 25 feet, top and bottom for under $5,000. The photobucket link will take you to my page. There are three albums there. You probably want "finished kitchen". Here is a link that might be useful: my photobucket albums

Thanks for your replies. FIRSTHOUSE. I love your kitchen. It is BEAUTIFUL. Your kitchen looks both "homey" , "clean and classic" and ELEGANT just as I imagined mine to be. We are having our cabinets made with glass fronts like yours also. And yes we have the same look in floors. We just had ours oak floors refinished with Miracle Oil, it is suppose to be tougher than poly, ( used in the Grand Ole' Opry dance floor.) Do you like them? We don't have our baseboards back up or furniture in the rooms yet , people think they are not finished. Here's another question FIRSTHOUSE, in the photo your counters look like marble. DH would like granite over marble over concern for marble's reputation. I've never seen white granite, can you tell me more about it ? What is its coloration ? Tell me all about your kitchen. Thank you so, so much for your inspiration.

I would consider Waterlox. We have used various finishes over the years for wood care projects for our clients. We have settled on Waterlox as our finish of choice on most interior wood surfaces including floors, countertops, and cabinetry for two main reasons. First and foremost is the awesome look of natural beauty it gives to wood surfaces. Almost a "sparkle" effect with the colors in wood, but it's really hard to describe; you just should see a sample yourself on wood. Most other finishes look "plastic" or manufactured. Waterlox is just an elegant look. Second, Waterlox is extremely servicable, and easy to touchup or recoat if scratched or abused. Even the hardest coatings will become scratched or worn eventually. Many of our clients do the maintenance themselves. Most other coating options for interior wood including polyurethane, epoxy, or moisture cure urethane are more unpleasant and difficult for our crew to apply initially, and a major pain when it is time for recoat. While MCU and epoxy may be a harder surface, scratch repair is impossible, and they are in my opinion something we do not want to use in a home or resturant. A Waterlox coated surface is rated "food-grade" after 30 days of drying. I even read that it is used for wood salad bowls and the like. We serve quite a few custom countertop companies that use the Waterlox as their original finish. Once you see Waterlox on most wood, the choice of finish is obvious. Here is a link that might be useful: Waterlox on Counters