I think it comes down to knowing how you use the kitchen, how much abuse they will get and if you can tolerate, perhaps embrace, the imperfections. I love the look but ultimately decided against them based on reading countless pros/cons-type posts. We use our kitchen a lot, and DH is a professional chef (read: banger/clanger, used to stainless tops in professional kitchens that can take anything you throw at them or on them). I know myself all too well and know I could never be happy with the inevitable scratches and chips that would occur -- it would drive me absolutely nuts, it's all I would see and I would be sorry I put them in. But, other people fully embrace it, take the time to buff out scatches and oil them and enjoy the patina that develops over time. So it boils down to whether it's a material that YOU will be happy with.

That said, I would absolutely consider soapstone when I re-do my laundry room and bathrooms down the road, tops in there don't take the level of abuse they do in our kitchen.

I’m seriously considering them for my 1905 home and have read many many reviews and have samples sitting out right now. I think the poster above is on target based on all that I’ve read. I would like soapstone and embrace it. My husband, however, probably wants something that is static and never changes—we may end up with something like jet mist or costa esmeralda, or something else, who knows. Have you searched the many threads here about soapstone?

We use our kitchen so much, lots of cooking, putting hot pans directly on countertops is a must for me. I don’t want to have to worry about that. I read soapstone was low maintenance but now I’m reading more about how soft it is and seems like it may be even more maintenance than granite. I’ve read a lot about soapstone and it seems like there are more people who love it than hate it but when someone regrets putting it in it’s pretty major. Definitely seems like the scratches and chips would be inevitable.

It can take heat and acids with no problems at all -- but it scratches very easily and if a softer type can chip like mad, too. I was able to scratch multiple varieties of soapstone using hard pressure *with my fingernail* when I was slab shopping. So yea - wasn't going to work for me.

Here's an article karin_mt wrote: A Soft Spot for Soapstone - Use Natural Stone

I have used soapstone in 2 historic house remodels we have done over the years. The soapstone I have in my current home is significantly softer than what we used in another house. This counter scratches and chips fairly easily. I don't oil the counters so they do look pretty beat up but our home is from 1924 so I feel that they fit the house. It might drive someone else crazy but I have also had etched marble in my house and I am fine with it.

There are harder varieties to be had, just make sure you do your research.

Below is an island with jet mist granite honed. It was put in a rental vacation home and the OP says that she has really liked it as it doesn't show fingerprints and yet still gives her the look of soapstone without the maintenance.

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Soapstone wasn’t available in my area when I remodeled my kitchen or I would have seriously considered it. However I did go with leathered Virginia Mist and it’s been pretty bulletproof for me. Very happy with it.

I would do texbixby’s if I could find it, but I do love the soapstone.

Steph- love your bathroom. Love how you mixed all the patterns and styles and it all came together so well. And it's not gray-lol..

Thank you! It’s original tile, and I actually did paint it grey at first, and it was so wrong I repainted the next day with a rejected paint color, that was actually perfect. The vanity is new along with lighting. My realtor suggested a white vanity and I’m glad I trusted my gut. The black on black works. Heres what it looked like when listed. I’m getting a black toilet seat but that’s all that’s left.

Often we see on Houzz these tile bathrooms and people are so anxious to rip it all out and put in a gray and white bathroom which is so sad. Glad that you embraced it and took it to the next level.

It’s not going to everyone’s cup of tea. My boss does not like it and said he would rip it out. I actually love the colors and know I would not be so daring to do that color tile, if it was not already there. I’m very lucky with the general condition, but I spent a lot of time repairing and regrouting and every inch.

Is your boss an interior decorator? And let me guess, he wears khakis and white shirts as his uniform-lol. ok, sorry to hijack this thread. Carry on...

Most people who select soapstone do it for the feel as well as durable. Every hot pan sets on it. If scratches bother you pick another stone. minor scratches cover with mineral oil. If it got really bad sand it & re oil

We have jet mist granite with a leathered finished. Leathered or honed or antiqued (whatever it's called) will give you that softer, non-shiny look of soapstone.

We have been fabricating and installing soapstone for over 30 years. And, without question, we sell more soapstone in Maine than any other fabricator (we also do a great deal of marble, granite, quartzite, and quartz, but that's another post). Soapstone is a beautiful material that is heat resistant and takes on a wonderful patina over time. As for maintenance it truly comes down to personal preference. Some of our clients love to oil it often, sometimes a few times a year. We have others that do nothing at all and let it be. The softness of the material is a real draw for many clients. And the color variation from bundle to bundle is exciting. Currently, we have bundles that carry a heavy green hue, others more toward black. Some with much movement and veining. Others with very little. We can make a case of each material we sell, both pro and con, and this includes quartz. I can only leave you with it is definitely a personal choice and if you do move forward with it, embrace the attributes this material provides. Good luck and have fun with the process.

I have no clue what all these people who are making negative comments about soapstone are thinking about. I have a 1916 house with soapstone counters on one wall and Carrara marble on the opposite (less heavy duty use) side. Mine is a harder variety, and after seven years I just finally noticed one teeny divot. Until I examined it closely, I thought it was just another veining type color change.

It is absolutely maintenance free. I have never oiled mine, but it has acquired a natural darkened patina. I think if I wanted to lighten it back up to its original color I could scrub it with an undiluted heavy duty cleaner. I put hot pans on it without a worry. I love the soft, velvety feel of the material.

I am in the process of planning a kitchen re-model in a second home we just bought. My two countertop choices are soapstone or marble.

Soapstone would look lovely in your Craftsman style house. I agree that It’s hard to wrap your head around soapstone being both low maintenance _and_ also known for showing scratches and chips. I too kept reading the descriptions and thinking - “how can that be?” Is it high maintenance or low? The answer is it can look worn and still be super durable. Two years ago I went with a medium/soft soapstone variety called Black Venata. It does show fine scratches, (which eventually blend) and there are a few fine chips. The surface usually looks a bit mottled where the last coat of mineral oil has worn off or there are water stains

- a little like concrete counters age, except no crazing and fissures. If I’m hosting a big dinner I mineral oil the counters a couple of days before and give them a good buffing. At which point they will be a beautiful matte charcoal and look flawless. Whether I’ve oiled them back to glossy perfection or leave them looking a bit scraped up I love that I can put a hot pan down, spill wine or lemon juice or leave the cap off a magic marker. They are impervious. And there is something about the texture. The whole kitchen just feels serene. Above is a pix of one of the counters shortly after installation, pre oiling.

Soapstone is one of those materials that people either love or hate. There does not seem to be any middle ground.

For your Arts & Crafts house it is a good choice. It fits the period. Many A & C kitchens, mostly in upscale houses and mostly on the East Coast, featured soapstone countertops.

The Pros

The stone is chemically inert. So inert that it was (before synthetic countertops) the first choice for countertops in chemical laboratories. It is unaffected by acids in food (unlike the calcium--based stones: marble, limestone, etc., and some granites).

It is non-porous, so stains do not penetrate below the surface and it does not need sealing.

It dissipates heat very rapidly, so you can safely put the hottest pots and pans directly on the countertop without fear of damage. Before a pan can get hot enough to affect soapstone, the pan would melt.

It's bea-u-ti-ful!

The Cons

Any spills will leave a dark spot. Water dries up and the spot goes away. Oil leaves a permanent mark, but can be removed with some fine grit wet and dry sandpaper or a Scotchbrite pad (the green one).

To obviate the effect of oil spills, most owners preemptively oil the countertop with mineral oil. Oiling darkens the stone, emphasizes the grain and effectively prevents any oil spots. Most owners prefer the look over un-oiled stone.

There are specially formulated "sealers" for soapstone, but since the stone does not actually need sealing (it's not porous so there is nothing to seal), these are no improvement over common hardware-store mineral oil and are much more expensive.

Oil a new countertop once a week for 6-8 weeks. It usually takes several coats to get a nice, even finish.

Apply the oil, wait 2--3 minutes, then wipe it dry with a clean cloth
(t-shirts and diapers work best - does anyone still make cloth
diapers?). The oil does not penetrate so there is no waiting while it
penetrates. Do not leave any wet oil behind. Once it dries it is sticky
and a PITA to remove.

Re-apply oil as needed. Re-oiling is needed when water no longer beads.

The stone chips fairly easily at the edges, so ask your stone supplier to round over all edges with at least 1/8". That takes care of the problem - unless you manage to drop a 12" cast iron skillet right on the edge. Do not overhang soapstone more than 1/4". It needs strong edge support.

Would I have a soapstone countertop in my personal kitchen?

In a New York minute! When I redid my kitchen 10 years ago i debated long and hard between soapstone, slate and ceramic tile. I finally made up my mind when the Boss told me we what I was going to choose. (The Boss simplifies my life in this and many other ways.)

However, if you want a period--sensitive countertop that hat has all of the advantages of soapstone and none of the work, try ceramic tile.

It is impenetrable, does not stain, is immune to hot pans, cleans with a damp sponge, requires no sealing, and, with reasonable care, will last about 200 years or so.

If you want that lovely soapstone look, pick a large-format tile that looks like soapstone. I like this soapstone-look tile from genrose.com, which has been imaginatively named "Soapstone" to avoid any confusion about what it is supposed to look like.

For a complete inventory of countertop materials with ratings for durability, ease of maintenance, "greenness", etc. see our article New and Traditional Countertop Choices. For the best choices in "green" countertops, see Sensibly Green: Building an Environmentally Friendly Kitchen.

Best of good luck with your kitchen.

We have a soapstone counter in one bathroom we have had for close to 15 years. It is a hard soapstone that still looks like new. Soapstone hardness can vary substantially, depending on the mineral composition, temperature and pressure of metamorphosis. The people who love their soapstone most likely have harder soapstone and the ones that complain about chipping and scratching, softer soapstone. In Virginia, another possible soapstone look alike option, but not generally available, is Virginia greenstone, which can range in color from lighter/greener to darker/blacker. The Boar’s Head Resort recently used it in renovations, so it is being quarried. In the past it was used for laboratory counters (think heat, acid, etc.) and it is practically indestructible.

Two thumbs up for @StarCraft Custom Builders reply, which is both accurate and comprehensive. To clarify about oil stains, oil sits on the surface of soapstone and doesn’t penetrate, but it will happily cling there till it evaporates in an eternity or so. You can use fine grit sandpaper to remove such spots if you are leaving your stone it’s natural medium gray (I.e. un-oiled) or you can use the regular side of a sponge and a small dollop of a detergent like Blue Dawn or Citrasolv to strip the oil spot off. I left my counters un-oiled for the first year and can speak to efficacy of Blue Dawn and a little gentle scrubbing . Simple Green works too, but I don’t love its smell.

Thank you everyone! This is supremely helpful!

Just a quick comment. Have had soapstone counters in my kitchen for 20 years, and I love them. I live in an 1840s farmhouse. My 11-year-old daughter spilled a small amount of red nail polish on the counter. I can't even remember where it was after nail polish remover and light sanding. I do have some small chips on the edges around my under mount sink, and a couple of other spots where the edge of the counter was bumped with something hard and heavy. But I don't really notice that at all on the dark gray counter. My counter is thicker than normal counters - maybe 1.5"? - and it looks very consistent with the age of the home. Good luck!

I wish I could get soapstone. Unfortunately, it is not available in my area except from a long distance supplier/installer who only carries a softer variety. Virginia Mist honed would be my second choice, but requires sealing every 2-3 months because it is honed. I would not have minded oiling soapstone at all, but to have to seal VM with chemicals so often gives me pause. I don't get it when people opt for VM honed as an alternative to soapstone when VM requires so much sealant?

Why do you believe that VM requires so much sealant? Your belief doesn’t align with my understanding. Also, if you want lower maintenance such that fingerprints and such don’t show, go with leathered over honed. But I think your beliefs about VM are erroneous at the outset, and I’m happy to learn more about why that level of care might be necessary.

@theresa21

This does not sound right. Soapstone is non--porous and does not need to be sealed at all. Oiling is a way of enhancing its looks, not sealing the stone. I think whoever told you this nonsense does not know the material very well.

^^She’s talking about Virginia Mist granite. Not soapstone. But I still think the info is off.

@Muriel Thompson MSI says honed granite countertops need to be resealed every few months.

https://www.msisurfaces.com/blogs/post/2019/04/05/how-to-clean-honed-granite-countertops.aspx

https://www.artelye.com/things-you-must-know-about-honed-granite/

You can't put hot pans and pots on granite. You can on soapstone.

Sure, general recommendations are to seal honed granite every few months. I’d gamble a large sum that most owners of dark granite don’t do so, and the needs of Virginia Mist aren’t anything special.

I shudder when I hear soapstone is high maintenance. We installed soapstone in 2005 in our previous house-Christmas parties for 60, gourmet club for 14, sons-in-laws cooking, grandchildren making cookies and pizza, husband who is a great and messy cook-looked good as new the day we left in 2017. No question about counters for this house-soapstone. I never oil. And even if you want to oil-how hard is it to pour a little oil on a rag and wipe off the counter? Doesn’t “sealing” granite involve that?

We had soapstone lab counters, they were a bother to keep looking nice. It you don’t mind how they look on a daily basis then sure.

Thank you @Muriel Thompson for the information. You have given me confidence to check out Virginia Mist further. Wishing I could get real soapstone though, but the granite places where I live seem clueless on types of soapstone and how to fabricate it.

For me, the issue isn't the maintenance but the beat-up (ahem...patina), scratched-up look it tends to develop over time in a kitchen -- I couldn't deal with that. I think what people are trying to say in this thread is make a fully-informed decision rather than an "it's so beautiful, I'm in LOOOVE" googly-eyed one.

My original choice for a countertop was honed or brushed Virginia Mist -- a good slab of her is stunning, a quiet understated beauty. Just love it. It was not meant to be, though, due to trouble sourcing the material locally. Another option for you might be leathered Steel Grey -- it tends toward the blue end of the gray spectrum, and I think it would be quite nice in a Craftsman kitchen.

Leathered Steel Grey:

Cr@p this is a beautiful hunk of Virginia Mist:

ETA: Virginia Mist aka Jet Mist

@theresa21 and @Muriel Thompson... I installed leather-finished Virginia Mist in my hard working kitchen 6 years ago. I put it on all the countertops and honed VM on the 10' island. I sealed it once when it was first installed. Haven't since. It shows absolutely no stains, or scratches or marks of any kind... and my husband is a very messy cook who doesn't believe in wiping up messes til dinner is completely over. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.