Since it's a vacation house, you like matte finishes and you may want durable/easily repaired materials. Have you given Corian a chance?

Corian rain cloud is pretty popular, I think. This blog post has photos of her rain cloud slab and install. Her photos are protected so couldn't easily grab one to post. http://www.thearmymom.com/2012/02/carrara-marble-perfection.html

Nope, benjesbride. Not protected. Click for the full-sized image and you can drag it right off the browser window:

Thanks for teaching me something new, writersblock!!! I didn't know you could do that! I tried to right click and save it.

You're welcome. For future reference, right-clicking often fails if there's a larger version available via click-through.

I have to say that is the prettiest install of Corian I have ever seen. It really looks like marble there.

You aren't supposed to put hot pots on granite either, less risky than quartz but can still damage it. From what I understand soapstone and dekton/neolith are it for doing that safely.

If you want to put hot pans on counters without trivets (really?) you don't have many options, but soapstone is one of them. Stainless steel is another. None of the solid surfaces will stand up to that kind of use. I agree with cawaps that you should invest in really good lighting.

We put a solatube in our middle-of-the-house kitchen and it's been wonderful. We have soapstone and natural cherry, so it's very dark/mid tone and the solatube brings in so much light.

Thanks everyone for your replies and great ideas.

You aren't supposed to put hot pots on granite either, less risky than quartz but can still damage it.

I've had granite for 20 years and never had a problem putting hot pans on it. I don't cook with cast iron but everything goes straight onto the counter, from the cooktop and the oven. I have a small marble baking counter and don't feel safe putting a hot pot on that, but never think twice about granite.

I'd install more kitchen lighting before giving up on soapstone, if that's what you have your heart set on.

The kitchen will be well lit but I'm trying to avoid having to put lights on during the day. I'm really hoping that it will look brighter with the primed drywall. We'll see.

Corian rain cloud is pretty popular, I think. This blog post has photos of her rain cloud slab and install.

I love that Corian! I think it would look perfect in the bathrooms too. It would look great in the kitchen, but I really do like to put hot pans on the cooktop. Old habits die hard. I am tempted to find a work around though. It would look perfect!

We put a solatube in our middle-of-the-house kitchen and it's been wonderful.

Believe it or not, there is a path where through which we could install one or two but I was worried it would be like a spotlight. Do they spread the light well?

I do not know anything about granite, but I suspect different granites handle thermal shock differently. If putting hot pans directly on the counter is a priority you might consider using the same exact stuff you've had for 20 years. I'm pretty sure I've seen a few examples on this forum of damaged granite.

There have been a few threads here on this topic. Joe, our resident counter expert, weighed in on this thread. I love the comment he made about Toyota, and his description of repairing heat-fractured granite. It's food for thought.

Some interesting ideas from Maria Killam: Before & After: The Easy Way to Brighten a Dark Room

INSTALL TABLE LAMPS NOT OVERHEAD LIGHTS AND KEEP ONE ON AT ALL TIMES

We bought a lamp for the corner of the kitchen (below). This creates way better atmosphere and soft lighting than the existing overhead track lights which I told her to never use again unless she lost a contact and needed to look for it, haha.

I really like the way wood cutting boards warm up a white kitchen.

solar tube are great - I didn't see a "spotlight" effect in the one I had (in the previous home)

A solatube doesn't make a spotlight. It really does spread the light. There's different filters you can put on to soften the light too.

OMG! Solartube are life savers for dark rooms. When we moved to Florida, five years ago our house was so dark due to a large lanai along the back of the house and long overhangs from the roof.

We moved from NY where we had a large contemporary home with huge windows and tons of light. I was so depressed about the dark interiors of homes in Florida (surprise!).

Realtor suggested solartube and we had a large one installed in our kitchen and dining room. What a difference it made.

A year later, I called them back to install another in our entry, living room and a windowless bathroom.

Now our house is so bright. It is definitely diffuse, not spotlight. If we could afford it I'd add them to closets, hallways. The light is above and just lights up the entire room.

Of course solar tubes mean another hole in the roof so that's something to think about.