Thank you both! gemini - it is IMPOSSIBLE to tell colors on the Heath website. We are lucky to live fairly close to the factory and went out there to check out their overstock inventory. Found some colors that spoke to us, but they were nothing like the colors on the web. That's the nature of these things. But like you, I can't keep my hands off them. They are going to be a royal pain to install, though (seconds are cheap since they aren't exactly uniform in size). rhome - Thank you for that perspective. We're at the stage now where we have to make 25 decisions a day and it seems at every step we get a new opinion. Ah, well. In the final analysis it all comes down to what we like best...

Pllog, Well, we are in both in CA, as some would say! ;) I do agree with your comment about granite being the standard because of its perception as being a luxury item. FrmrsDghtr, WOW!!! Love what you were able to do!!! RosySunnyGal, Our counters are Floating Blue which is a mostly turquoise in white cement matrix color. We were able to pick our slabs at the factory when it was still here in the Bay Area years ago. We have several KDs in our area that had samples of Vetrazzo, Icestone and Fuez to look over. IF you are looking for the wow factor, these will do it. With that in mind, I do recommend that you really like your countertop color because it is a very prominent part of your kitchen. They also aren't cheap and I highly recommend that your installer be someone who knows how to work with this material. Our installation fabricators claimed they did and we had multiple problems with them that we finally had to hire a second company to fix. We looked at all of the green countertop materials, and this was the one that my DH and I were able to agree on despite the price. BTW, I don't include quartz or C-stone in this category. I do recommend that you do an online search for recycled glass companies because there are several others besides the three I mention above. The ones that I have ran across are: Gilasi in the Chicago area, Urbanslabs in SoCal, Vetrazzo is now in the Atlanta area, and more that I have seen around the US. I do recommend if you can using one that is near you because of the weight and shipping cost of the slabs. If you are interested in knowing more or seeing some pictures of my counters, please, PM me.

You need a comprehensive design plan, and budget plan. A successful kitchen will live within those limits. It can't absorb 5 different budget busters, nor can it deal with 5 different ''must have because I'm in love'' elements. There are a lot of right choices for the different elements that neither bust the budget nor shout ''I'm the star''. Learn how to put together your kitchen with those, with your superstars then carefully selected to fit into those surroundings. That may or may not mean choosing a counter that you love, since you state that the range and venting were your ''must haves''. You can't have it all. Decide what are the musts, within the overall context. Not as each element as an individual. That is T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Remember that none of these pretty things will ever love you back. Some can perform better, and that is always worth considering as an ''upgrade'', but not if it blows the budget, or skews the other choices. For instance, a 14K refrigerator shouldn't even be on the table if that choice makes you consider skimping in another area, like not choosing a pro to correctly install your floors, or you decide to skip adding lighting. "Splurges'' should NEVER mean that another element gets shorted to below a reasonable standard.

@kiffkat...please stop disseminating false information. Quartz countertops are not “nearly indestructible“...nor is it “harder than granite.” Ever seen the multitude of threads here, bemoaning their scorched quartz counters? Or, people who have used quartz as a backsplash behind the stove/cooktop, only to find them discolored from the heat? Why haven’t we seen posts like that about granite? Because granite is not made with plastic, like engineered stone, I.e., quartz. Granite will not melt or scorch from heat. It can suffer thermal shock, but then so will any stone countertop material...except for soapstone. If quartz counters were made solely of quartz, yes, it would be nearly as hard as granite. But, they’re not. Quartz counters are an engineered product, mixing quartz dust with plastic resins. The only material harder than granite, is a diamond. Some granites are porous, but not all. Generally, the darker granites are not, and do not have to be sealed. “Granite is one of the most desired materials for countertops, but it is also a great material for other applications like public sculptures and fountains. Granite is ideal for outdoor stone pieces because it can handle the elements without showing wear or breakage. Granite fountains and statues can be left outside all winter long without having to be covered up like other more porous stone types.” Some marbles are passed off as quartzite. Those will stain. A true quartzite will not stain, but it can still etch...though not all do.