There were a couple threads above where people were asking about Julia soapstone. I to was very interested in the Julia soapstone (went with something else) and when i went to Dorado they showed me a piece that was very similar. It was called Ipannema... it beautiful but we decided to go with the traditional black soapstone. Jterrilynn - As far as the red soapstone i saw Copper and Gold flecks in a couple slabs at the Dorado Soapstone in Austin. If you have not already choosen you slabs you might want to give them a call. I have been to their Texas and Colorado locations and impressed by both locations.

You probably don’t need a steel frame. It should only be required if there is a concern about the load on the joist, so maybe if the hood sets under a bathtub or something. Quartzite is just not that heavy, it only seems heavy because it is rather thin. 2cm thick quartzite is about 12 lbs per square foot, which is really nothing significant. A wall cabinet with a typical load of plates and bowls will easily be more than that much and these days that is 1/2” plywood held to the wall with two to four #10 cabinet screws. A 36” stone hood in a room with 9’ ceilings is going to be about 312 lbs of stone… The shear rating of one 3/8” bolt is more than double that and I assure you, more than one will be used. The only real complication is the attachment of the frame to the joists or studs and that is going to require bolts in shear.

Kiwi, the last one you linked IMHO, is one that solves many of the problems yet for me it is out of bounds for budget. I initially was not going for the silver/chrome family as I wanted some contrast, but I finally bought a chandy that I need to coordinate with. Going back to what BeesNeeds said, so many factors have to be taken into account. It is a very frustrating process, especially if you forget to take scrupulous notes while searching and have a strict checklist of what you need. I initially look at bulb type and will only consider LED or LED adaptable, then diameter, max wattage, whether there is a reflective material for the interior, whether it is opaque with some transparency and/or upward openings, and if there is a diffuser. My island is black walnut and sucks up light so it is imperative I get this right. I chose a cluster of clear globes for over the dining table so that dictates that I need to continue with a globe shape or similar. Though they are glass, there are chrome embellishments. I've wanted glass pendants but the light will be ambient unless there is an interior fitting to reflect some of the light down. Most that I have found are very small or if the size is close they are very expensive. What style and color family are you looking for? I think there are many of us that are having a difficult time with lighting and hope others chime in. I believe I have read every GW thread regarding lighting and have learned a lot, but maybe we should start a thread asking for examples of excellent pendant lighting.

Rhonda Schechter, I wish I could change out the counters, we bought this house not long ago and have redone several different things. So changing out the counters isn’t really an option at this time, hopefully one day. I would have never choose the countertops to go with the tile on the backsplash.