Well, I am partial to Fantasy Brown Quartzite because that's what I have and I've never regretted it. Love my counters. I think if you find a "quieter" slab, it will look great with white cabinets (we have walnut). I've seen some very strongly veined FBQ that might overpower your other finishes.

If you bake a lot, you'll appreciate a lighter color that doesn't show every speck of flour!

Thank-you! We are going to look at a FB slab on Saturday. ck_squared, have you found the FB quartzite to be durable? Any issues with etching? I have 3 kids so just concerned about that. Good point to look for a lighter veined slab...do you think it would be competing too much with my floors?

You love black and white checkerboard pattern...how will those items go with a stone that has lots of movement?

Also, my local slab yard told me that their Fantasy Brown was a marble. Be sure to test it before buying :)

I chose leathered finish Fantasy Brown when I did a kitchen face lift in early 2015. The supplier recommended that finish for FB. I took a large sample home and put it through many scratching and staining tests, and nothing harmed it. 3.5 years later, I have yet to have a stain or scratch on it. My slab in the shop -

Ohhh the fantasy brown is so very pretty. This is hard choice as the Alaska white is pretty too. I would search on Houzz to see which counters appeal to you the most and go with that.

~boxer

I've been looking at granite the last few days, and hands down the Fantasy Brown. I don't usually care for movement, but the FB is just gorgeous.

My granite place talked me out of it though because I'm super worried about staining (have a messy family). I was told it's not a true granite, it can be more like marble (they categorized it as a quartzite) and isn't nearly as bulletproof as some of the other granites I was considering. So basically, buyer beware.

OP - honestly, yes, there is a little etching here and there but it doesn't bother me in the least. At first I thought it was bulletproof, but in reality it's not. No staining anywhere, just some minor etching most likely from acidic things left on the counter and in spots that are softer than other areas. It's still beautiful! The slab you show above is gorgeous!

thanks so much everyone!!!!! I really do LOVE the FB...especially love all of the movement!

chocolatebunny123 that's what I'm afraid of too...:( So are you going with granite then?

My3dogs, your slab of FB is gorgeous!!!!!

Luckyblueeye, I have a lot of MacKenzie Child's stoneware that is checkered...good point about wondering whether it will match a countertop with lots of movement! I've never thought about that, just figure it goes with anything. ;)

either pick your paint for the cabs or your counter first.. then go from there.

if it were me, i would pick the counter first, then paint. you can match your counter, but could be very difficult to match your cabs.....paint cabs before your counters are installed.

whites & off whites can be cool or warm, so could make it problematic to find counter....

Thanks sprtphntc7a....we want to pick the counters first and then match the cabinet paint to that. Since I have so many "warm" tones in my house I will probably go with an off white for cab paint

good plan!! best of luck!!

alyssa987 - I am still debating between quartz and granite myself. I have dark cabinets so I can't decide if I want to go light or dark with the counters. I have white laminate right now and like the contrast with the dark cabinets. However, I am very concerned about potential staining and chipping with lighter quartz, even though my quartz samples all passed my stain tests. I've only seen one lighter granite that I kind of like (Astoria) but I wanted to go into more grey than beige/cream. The other granites I like are all on the darker side. I just need to make up my mind if I want light or dark.

chocolatebunny123-I hear you! I feel the same way...I like the look of the quartzite but I am scared about the durability of it b/c I have three kids and tbh we are hard on things! Have you seen thunderwhite granite? It has a lot of grey and white veining in it....I think it is fairly new to the market? I like the Astoria as well but I understand what you are saying about the cream ...A lot of granites tend to have the cream, sometimes even yellow hues. Good luck to you! This is an overwhelming decision to make but it will be so worth it when we have a "new" kitchen to look forward to! :)

I saw this issue in another Dilemma - make sure you and the fabricator have an understanding regarding what direction the grain motion is to be installed, particularly on the island.

True quartzite is more durable than granite and marble. Many fabricators don't even like to cut because it's so dang hard.

There are some threads you can read for the differences. I believe the confusion seems to be at the slab yards. Sometimes the crews don't know their stone, call it by different names and don't know if it's a true quartzite or marble.

Alaska White is more suitable for a modest, older kitchen with painted oak cabinets like yours. It has more of a cottage style feel like the rest of your home.

I was going to say the same thing as Mayflowers. I think the Fantasy Brown in your kitchen is overkill - it's very dramatic for your kitchen, just MHO. I do know for certain that Alaska White is pretty bulletproof. A good friend has it, and has two teenage boys who are pretty rowdy in the kitchen. Lots of cola can circles left overnight that just wipe up, spilled stuff that doesn't etch, etc. Alaska White is beautiful too, and even though it's got a white background, there is so much other coloring going on in it that you don't have to worry as much about how the whites go together (though you still have to look at that, it just won't be as difficult as some other white matching).

Make sure you go to the template layout at the fabricator's. Do not skip that, no matter what.

Johnsoro25 Beautiful choice in counters that works perfectly with your kitchen.

Alyssa987, you can't go wrong with either option they will both look stunning. You have a great kitchen that can work with either option. The FB might have etching issues but there is a thread here that talked about the people really happy with FB...[Calling All Fantasy Brown owners (500 posts)[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/calling-all-fantasy-brown-owners-dsvw-vd~2607689?n=686) Check this out and you will discover so many who love their FB.

Chocolatebunny, I totally understand your decision issues. You are me just days ago. I wanted the durability of a granite but the joy of a quartzite or even marble. I decided to plan on having my fabricator come out every 4 to 5 years to clean up my marble counters. They will hone or polish, remove stains and make this look pretty again. I have had both granite and soon to have marble. Granite hands down is amazing. But, I went with a dark gray virginia jet mist type that withstood abuse. There are some white granites that do stain. [White Granites staining[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/kashmir-white-and-other-white-granites-staining-dsvw-vd~2546801?n=11) But there are ways to remove stains. Houzz has a wealth of knowledge.

Thinking of you all in your counter journey ~boxer

FB is not a quartzite it is a marble. If you are okay with etching and staining if you dont seal it, then go with FB

Some good reading on Fantasy Brown at the links in the one I show below. Mine was sold to me as a quartzite, and no matter what it is, it has not stained or scratched in 2.5 years. It's not babied here, either, believe me.

https://www.google.com/search?q=fantasy+brown+-+quartzite+or+marble&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

Alyssa987 - I just saw some Alaska White yesterday and it is very pretty. I don't think you'll regret your choice. There's something about the softness of the FB that made me go oooooo! so that's why it was my first choice out of the two. But if you have kids, then you can't be worrying every time someone touches your counters. You don't need that added stress!

Boxerpal - I'm glad you were able to pull the trigger, something I still have trouble doing. I originally started looking at new countertops *8* years ago! It's funny that I like many of the same patterns today that I did when I first started looking! I didn't really consider granite back then, but my husband juices and makes a lot of smoothies, so we always have things like beet juice on our counters. He doesn't clean up right away (wants to enjoy the fruits of his labor, pun intended) so I am very reluctant to get a light quartz. The only light granites I liked are Astoria (but too much cream/beige) and Azul Platino (but a bit too speckly). I am drawn to the darker granites like Blue Pearl, Copper Silk/Copper Brown, and believe it or not, Caledonia. But I'm afraid of going too dark, even though we get a lot of natural light.

Sorry to threadjack!

I vote for the Alaska white!

Chocolatebunny, Do you have undercab lighting? YOu said natural light...What direction does your kitchen face? Any windows? What is the lighting? Wood or white? Tall ceilings or low ceilings? What are the floors? Maybe post a link to your thread so I can go over to comment. Sometimes a dark counter does not necessarily make a room look smaller. It is really about lighting and the space. You might discover a medium dark that will look stunning. I love the Blue pearl. My friend just put this in her million dollar home. It is a stunning dark granite and she has no windows in her kitchen. Truly beautiful.

caledonia

White Kitchen Refaced Cabinets with Gray Granite Countertops ~ Medina, OH · More Info

blue pearl

Traditional Kitchen · More Info

Boxerpal - I will have to upload pictures of my current kitchen later and start my own post so I don't continue to take away from Alyssa987's questions. I can tell you that my kitchen faces west and I have 2 decent sized casement windows above my sink. No under cabinet lighting yet but on the list. Floors are medium stained oak, cabinets are medium/dark stained birch. 8 ft ceilings. I live in the Midwest so we have crappy weather for at least 6 months out of the year, although sometimes it seems longer. Most of the pics of blue pearl and caledonia have been on white cabinets and I want more of a transitional than traditional look.

Thanks for the help :)

Alaska White. Great Mckensie Childs pieces!!

Alyssa987 - I'd love to see your kitchen once everything is done. My layout is the same as yours and I thought Alaska White would be too busy for my kitchen because it isn't that big, but maybe I'll have to consider it for myself if I can find a slab that is a little less busy.

Both would look beautiful. I like Fantasy Brown. It helps to see it in photos,

Fantasy Brown Quartzite, Davidson NC, Build for the Cure 2015 · More Info

Kitchen · More Info

Alyssa987 - I had Dallas White on my list for a short time because it was a lighter granite but it wasn't one that I loved and swooned over. The granite yards near me don't seem to carry a lot of white granites, so I haven't been able to see ones like White River or Colonial White in person. I read about staining issues with Kashmir White so I immediately took it off my list. It's tough because the different granite yards call the same granite different names.

Good choice Alyssa! I have used it twice and loved it both times!!

You may like river white too. It is almost identical to fantasy brown but with small burgundy spots, just enough to make it interesting