We wanted soapstone but couldn't find a fabricator that we felt knew how to do the job properly. After much looking we used a granite called Maritaca green. Our KD who moved to Florida from the northeast and had done many kitchens with soapstone there commented on how well this stone gives the same effect without the upkeep issues that some have with soapstone. Personally, I like the verde aosta look b/c I like darker stones in general but I think either would look great with cherry cabinets.

My bf has had granite in her kitchen since the late 80's, well before it became mainstream. It is much thinner than is typically used for counter tops today, and the edge is completely straight, not eased in the least. She hasn't sealed it since it was installed, and uses/abuses it regularly (it's not babied, in other words). With the exception of a very few slightly less-than-smooth spots on the edges, felt if your feeling for them, rather than seen, and some epoxy filling in around the seam, you'd swear the granite was newly installed. Again, this was installed over 20 years ago. My granite, Labrador Golden Flake was installed in the spring of 2007. It still looks terrific and is easy to maintain. It does have a lot of mica (pearling) which is more prone to scratching (because it is relatively soft compared to other parts of the stone), but the one or two scratches it's gotten are superficial and by no means take away from its beauty. I recently wiped on/off some sealer (hadn't done so in a couple of years) but it doesn't seem to be necessary to use it on our stone (although the stuff we have does make it uber-shiny!). I use alcohol-water (mixed with a few drops of lavender oil) and a microfiber cloth to clean our granite. Easy, and no streaks (if the counters are particularly dirty/greasy, or the cloth is wet, it might take another few spritzes and wipes to clean-up completely, as would many other counter materials). Our moderately hard water sometimes leaves deposits/rings on our black granite that I buff off with a piece of 000 (or 0000 or even 00) steel wool--again, takes less than a minute and is easy to do. It also leaves deposits in our white porcelain sinks, so it's certainly not a granite-specific "issue." The ONLY thing we try to be careful about is wiping up BKF splashes (we put the can on a piece of paper towel or something to prevent rings)--that can etch many stones, incl ours. We have found that with our particular granite, acid-oil mixtures (oil and vinegar or oil and lemon juice) can sometimes leave marks if left to sit for long periods, so we try to wipe up spills/rings sooner rather than later. Vinegar or lemon juice by itself don't appear to have any effect. So, with the exception of taking a one-second precaution when using an acid-based cleaning product(s) in/on our SS sink and when mixing up acid-based marinades/dressings, we really and truly don't find our granite difficult to maintain in the least.

claybabe's backsplash is not a slab but it is black tile with a black countertop (dark with dark), so it could give you a great visual idea of what you're thinking about doing. Also, check out . It's a blue granite, so not super-dark, but it's certainly got presence! I have a slab backsplash but of white marble, and I LOVE it! Yes, it was more expensive than doing tile but the reason I love it is because I can see the marble. I chose this particular countertop marble for a reason: I think it's gorgeous and it makes my heart smile. If it were only on my counter I wouldn't be able to see it from other vistas, but with it as the backsplash, I see it when I'm in the breakfast nook, I see it from the family room, I see it every time I enter the kitchen. Here's a picture of my kitchen from a while ago (before it was finished), but it'll give you an idea. I guess maybe it depends on the material because I totally disagree with edlakin: I don't think our marble slab backsplash makes our kitchen seem modern -- I think the modern appliances and sink do that, but not the backsplash. But who's to say a touch of modern is a bad thing? Pas moi!

Hi Eugenie- I'm guessing you're in FFC since you were at Ring's End and based on your post about your son's car. ;) I was totally sent on absolute black honed until I started reading about it here. (actually I shouldn't say totally set I've been all over the place...marble, granite, soapstone). Anyway, I finally put a deposit down on leathered jet mist granite. I LOVE it! It's not a solid black like AB.I was going to do jet mist honed until I felt the leathered slabs...I don't know the best way to describe it, but they feel almost soft. Anyway, I don't know how they're going to do w/dust and fingerprints b/c I haven't had it installed yet, but I'm pretty sure every post I've read here from someone who has it loves it. Everest Marble in Norwalk has some great slabs of Jet Mist right now. I don't think there were any more leathered ones, but I know they have a lot of honed (I was there last Saturday). If you're looking for a fabricator so far I've been really happy with La Pietra in Brookfield (ask for Fabiana). I'll try to post a picture of my slabs. http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd251/avaowensmom/Kitchen%20redo/?action=view&current=photo-18.jpg" target="_blank"> Here is a link that might be useful: