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 have spent the last 5 hours going through an enormous pile of British shelter magazines for my clipping files. Of course, that meant totally re-reading them once more! I was struck at how often slate was used for kitchen countertops. I just Googled slate and liked what I saw! <http://www.countertopguides.com/guides/pros-and-cons-of-slate-countertops.html> I have no idea where they are price-wise, but if I wanted a dark countertop in a honed finish, this would be my choice.

I had glossy absolute black granite counters. I loved them. I could see where they needed cleaning. But, I am in the minority. Any of your choices will be timeless. Quartz is usually a duller sheen. But, you will want to check on that. Also, real absolute black granite honed or leathered is still less expensive than quartz. It depends upon what kind of deal you can work. I would price both. Be sure you are pricing real absolute black granite. There are some inferior slabs that are dyed. Ask about it.

Trecia, "Genuine" Absolute Black is not cheap, compared to other blacks. (those that are saying it's inexpensive are not talking about REAL Absolute) True AB has no grain,(like you would see in basalt) no gray tone, no inconsistent coloring, And it's black as black can be. You'll also have to be very careful to get the genuine AB and not the India black that they dye. True AB comes from parts of Sweden and South Africa, if I remember correctly.(Sweden also produces famous Ebony Black granite) If they're selling you absolute black from India/Asia it's not genuine AB. It's another black granite that does not have the rich black tone like AB does. What some stone places do is pass off black granite from china and india as AB. They dye it. What you can do is take some acetone and a rag with you and wipe it across the face. (it won't hurt real stone) . If the rag comes away w/black residue, you have a counterfeit. You can then take MEK (Methyl Ethel Ketone) and apply to a different part of the stone. If you get any color transfer the stone has been dyed. Dyed black granite will eventually wear in the most used areas leaving you w/lighter patches and graying. Also, True AB is so dense, you won't need to seal, nor should you, as a sealer would just sit on top. It's so dense, a sealer will not penetrate. Even installers are ignorant to this fact. A sealer on top of real AB will leave haze and streaks. There are several quarries of Absolute Black in India but very few produce the deep intensive black color. The solution to meet the demand is to apply a resin with color so it matches the natural Absolute Black. Once, the resin is applied, there are many lesser quality black granites that can be used to satisfy the demand. Buyers beware. There are many types of resins so the color could yellow over time or show some cracking or who knows what. In addition, the edges need to be darkened with a lacquer and there are several types of lacquer that last longer than the others. Basically, your beautiful elegant black granite kitchen countertop will fade into a darker grey but, the original owner saved some dollars. Now, if you don't mind a knock-off, that's up to you, but don't pay premium price for something that's not real AB. There is a slew of black granite from all over the world and they all got grouped into the Absolute Black' heading. They're not. I just don't want anyone to pay premium price for something they aren't getting. Other alternatives: however, if you want another true matte stone, look into basalt. also know as Lava Stone Mongolia black basalt (basalt comes in diff finishes and different shades of black/gray) (I did fine this Italian pieta lavica basalt countertop) Neolith makes a basalt look-alike You're not willing to have a just a little veining? Silestone Eternal Charcoal matte, is pretty close. I have this one in the light gray and it's a great countertop