(not a pro) I think it's really pretty! It should be the star, so other items (backsplash, etc.) should be muted / quiet / simple.

It's a beautiful slab. If it were up to @CDR Design, LLC, everything would be bland and safe, and only white Quartz counters. I prefer quartzite to have a polished finish because it allows the depth and translucency of the stone to show more than a leathered finish would.

Post a picture of your kitchen. I agree it's busy and needs a large space. Beautiful it might be but it still needs to work in the kitchen

Could you please post a photo of what you'd love your kitchen to look like? What is the size? Thanks. Greatly appreciate it.

I can't think of any reason why leathered not be recommended. What was the reason given?

We recently had fantasy brown installed(not leathered).We love it,believe it or not it is not busy, just soft and muted.

That is a beautiful stone! However, I agree that the finish options would give two completely different looks.

Hmmm, tough call for me. I adore the honed aesthetic (more so with quartz), but I’m worried in this case you might lose something so beautiful about the stone (and subsequently the overall appeal of the space) if you don’t do polished - as @Shannon_WI mentioned above.

@Nancy Clement, would you be ble to post a pic of your installation? I know I would love to see it; and even though it’s polished, it might help the OP gain some perspective.

Well, it sounds like getting a leathered slab in my area is going to be next to impossible, so I may not have a choice on that-which I find annoying I don't think the pattern too busy at all, and actually initially fell in love with it seeing it in a kitchen smaller than mine (which is 10 x 14).

I am planning on a plain white subway time with white grout, and very quiet white tile flooring, so the countertop will be the star

It is not that the leathered wasn't recommended, they just didn't have it-it would be a special order and I wouldn't know what it looked like until it arrived

I saw this too at a different place (also polished). They called it equator dolomite

I think that is a good plan for you. Do you want your kitchen to feel something like this? Will the cabinets be white? If so, maybe a little too much white with a white floor. Or, will the cabinets be a different tone?

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@CDR Design, LLC Yes, that is very close to what I am looking for. The cabinets are a warm white. I using LVT and was going to do a hardwood look, but it is up against real hardwoods, so it just didn't look right, so we decided to go with this tile. Looking at the picture you posted, I really like it, but could see the counters be a little darker, which might be what I would get with the original photos I posted

Why can't you carry the hardwoods into the kitchen?

@CDR Design, LLC They have been there for awhile (we just bought the house, so not sure I could match them. Plus, I had hardwoods in the house we sold and hated it--I want something I don't have to be as careful of

Oh you mean you hated the hardwoods in your kitchen? I think the wood floor in the photo nicely picks up the brown in the fantasy brown.

What does the hardwood look like?

I don't know what style your house is, but I think this is a beautiful look.

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I've never had to be super careful with hardwood in our kitchen ... I've dropped/splashed all sorts of things on them. So long as I don't leave the mess for a while, it's not been a problem. If I spill water or something, I'll clean it up or throw a towel on it if I can't clean it right away and finish clean up when I can. If you are worried about care, go with epoxy grout, if your tile allows, as it is less apt to stain/discolor with spills. It's more difficult to install but easier to clean.

If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, be aware that tile is much colder and harder (no give) to stand on than wood. Not a deal breaker, just something to keep in mind; if you're always wearing shoes or slippers in your kitchen, you might not even notice the difference. Radiant heat under the tile can also resolve the cold floor issue.

Yes, I don't understand the issue with hardwood in the kitchen either. You can refinish your floors to a scandinavian look with matte sheen.

@Nancy Clement I would love to see your kitchen if you are willing to share

@BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA-I thought I was very careful to wipe stuff up right away with the kitchens in my old house, and the area between the sink and stove where I worked was much more worn than the rest of the floors. And I have tile in the house we just bought (and are remodeling)-I used to always say I wish I had tile rather than hardwoods, but after living with them for several months, I agree they are hard and cold. I thought I was going to keep them as they are fairly neutral, but between the color being not quite right, and the cold and hardness, I have decided on LVT. Having to worry about keeping the grout clean was also a negtive for tile for me.

I went to many local stone shops and they usually had 2-4 stones in fantasy brown. They would sell fast and the shops could not give me a specific timeline of their next shipment. Once I saw the leathered stone there was no turning back. I fell in love with it but finding it was difficult.

I went to a bigger city and found the place and the stone. They had 10-12 slabs of fantasy brown, some polished and some leathered. They had 4 slabs of the leathered and I knew it would go fast so I bought my stone that day. Three weeks later and it is installed in my kitchen.

OP, You might want to enlarge your search radius since bigger stone companies have larger inventory.

I love your fantasy brown marble in the first photo. It is gorgeous and would make a lovely addition to a white kitchen. The equator dolomite is pretty too but the fantasy brown is oooh la la pretty.

If getting fantasy brown, I would always choose leathered over polished.

@Sandy V. I’ve thought about expanding my search. How much of a hassle was it to buy a stone in another city? Were they able to just transport it to a fabricator close to you?

We love our polished fantasy brown so much that we’re thinking of doing the same counters in the new home we’re building! Love, love, love! We’ve had them for 6 years and still get compliments whenever people come over.

@Anne Weisbeck I am sure you could go to another stone yard in another city. Of course check with your installer. I went to so many different slab yards looking for the right stone. Each timemy installers contacted the slab warehouses and dealt with them directly. I paid the installer, I am not sure what the deal he had with the slab suppliers were.

Hopefully it will work out great for you too.

@Anne Weisbeck

Not sure what happened to my post...

I called stone companies located in a larger city an hour away from where I live. Every company installed in my area. The prices were all over the place from 49.95 - 80.00 sq ft. to requiring the customer to purchase by the full slab. Some companies charged for every little extra.

I got the best installed price with a fabricator who had excellent online reviews located in the larger city.

A little advice to anyone looking at leathered or honed marble/granite/dolomite/quartzite (whatever they want to call it) do your research before paying for the 15 -25 year sealer. Some long term sealers make these stones (fantasy brown) look plastic or like laminate which completely changes the look of the stone. I passed on this type of sealer after reading many comments on this site.

Fantasy brown is beautiful either way. My friend has it leathered in her white kitchen and she loves it. My unprofessional eye tells me that when leathered, the stone looks way more muted. The polished stone you posted is more dramatic, but remember, it will be horizontal in your home and look different. I’m in the Polished Stone camp so I would buy the initial piece. It’s stunning! Maybe other stone yards have photos of it leathered. I’m sure there are several on Houzz.

I have polished fantasy brown in our master bathroom and we love it. It is extremely low maintenance and I think it would be beautiful in a white kitchen.

To help you make your decision, other factors come into play and we don't have that information.

As I am sure you realize and others have mentioned, the leathered is going to have a matte feel and the polished is going to feel shiny and have more "depth".

What is the feeling of your home? What style?

How large is your kitchen? A photo would help

How do you want the kitchen to look/feel?

You showed a photo of your flooring, but it is not very clear. A better photo or a link to it would be helpful.

Are all of the other elements in your space more of a matte finish or more polished?

Thanks!

Another thing to consider is the leathered tends to not show etching and scratching as much as the polished.

I've had fantasy brown polished in my bathroom for 3 years with no issues. However, my kitchen is a working kitchen not a showroom.

I got a sample of the fantasy brown leathered and ran it through the mill. Red wine, ketchup, mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and scratching the surface with a knife. The red wine and balsamic vinegar etched at first but after 24 hours they seemed to disappear. The scratches faded also but you can see them slightly in some light.
Each slab is different but these test results sealed the deal for me to buy leathered.

A friend of mine who installs countertops said our slab seems to be more quartzite than marble. One slab can be different than the other.

@Sandy V-I like the look of both, but the ability to hide etching and scratching better was my primary motivator for considering leathered. The feel of the leathered is interesting, but think I like the feel of polished a little better.

It seems like finding leathered in my area is rare, and I’m not sure I want to travel to try to find it. And since I’m sure I want more grays than browns, which also seems more unusual here, I’m probably going to take the slabs in the initial photo rather than risk losing them. Another stone yard was getting a truck in when I was there yesterday, so I plan to go back this morning to look once it’s unloaded from the truck, but from what I could see it looked mostly brown, and the first place I was at told me their last few deliveries have been more brown.

@CDR Design, LLC here are my drawings (except the tile in the kitchen part will be the LVT.) I don’t have a better photo of the flooring, but it’s not shiny. it’s a 1950s ranch, and with taking down the wall between the kitchen and dining room, the kitchen, dining, and living room will be open to each other. The living room is below the right side in the overhead view, and to the left of the view is a heated sunroom-the window over the range will look into it On the upper right of the overhead view, there is currently a large bay window, but we plan to extend the deck to that area and put in a sliding glass door, possibly with tall windows on either side, and we have a beautiful view in that direction Our rectangular, not formal, table will go in the dining area. I’ve already ordered smudge resistant stainless steel appliances, and will probably choose a more matte white subway tile, which will go all the way up the wall behind the range and sink. Silgranite Supersink with offset drain in metallic gray.

i Tend to lean towards less shiny and more muted choices, but with the counters being the star of the show, I’m thinking the polished will look good. And as above, getting leathered may not be an option, and would definitely not be an easy one

Put a hold on the slab you like. You don’t want to lose it.

I vote for polished with a slab with such beautiful movement :), I see leathered for more solid, muted slabs. I haven’t read the posts too carefully, but have you considered honed? Requires a sealer and a bit more tlc but may be another option if you don’t care for the polished look.

Okay. First, are you sure there is enough in the slab to do your entire kitchen? Just wanted to make sure you checked this. Look like you'll be okay.

Second, honed and leathered are often used interchangably and confused. Technically, leathered is a little more textured than honed (honed being a matte finish).

Finally, I know a fabricator can change a polished finish to honed (not sure about to leather).

@CDR Design We will be using two slabs, which is one of the benefits of the first pictures I posted. It’s a little hard to see, but they have two slabs that are only one number apart in the series so it should be very easy to book end for the seam.

@urchinsushi I don’t dislike the look at the polish, I just read that the leather might be better for hiding any etching or staining. But it looks like polished is the only finish available in my area that’s not special order(And if I got something special order I wouldn’t be able to see the color beforehand)

Thank you all for your help. I am pretty sure I’m going to accept the slabs I originally posted. Because they are in big demand, my kitchen designer has recommended that I make a decision fairly quickly if I think I want them

So I just went and looked at and felt a few leathered finished slabs and have decided I prefer the polished for the smoothness, depth of color and a bit of sparkle. I still think the leathered is a neat look, and if I ever do an outdoor kitchen, I think it would be great for that. Thanks again for everyone’s help!

Good decision! It will be gorgeous!

That stuff etches, especially polished. You have been warned.

Yes good decision! :)

Because I always like to see an update, the counters were installed yesterday, and I love them

More photos

The kitchen is gorgeous! I can't wait to see what you select for your backsplash. I'd go a little darker since the floors are light.

Great look!

Before

Beautiful! You have created a kitchen that you will love and will stand the test of time, classic. In 2015 I put in new kitchen after waiting for 25 years with Fantasy Brown, love it, and kitchen still looks like is brand new. You must be so excited, enjoy for many years.

Hi @Anne Weisbeck, your worktops look fabulous in those images, I think you made the right decision :) We are a stone supplier and import marble and granite, most of which is imported polished but we do have a machine to leather the material for +£20 pm2 -I thought this could be useful to know incase anyone is reading this thread with the same preference for leathered. I have attached an image of the Fantasy Brown that we currently have in stock. Thank you!

Hi Anne! I know you posted a few years ago, but I am doing a lot of research on Fantasy Brown (polished). Just curious if you still love the countertops and how have they held up? Thanks!

Hi Catlover. I do still love them! I have one small (pencil eraser) size spot that appears to be either etched or chipped, but no one notices it but me. And I only notice it when wiping down the counters or when the light hits it at a specific angle. We don’t know how it happened. I wipe up spills when I see them, but my boyfriend doesn’t seem to see spills 😳, so coffee and other spots have sat on the counter overnight and haven’t stained. I keep testing for water permeability, but after almost 3 years, I have not needed to reseal. I won’t say it’s the most durable countertop surface in the world, but it’s held up better than I expected. Plus it’s just so beautiful to look at, and I didn’t find anything I really like in other types of countertops. I remembered being in your place and being really worried about my choice, but I have zero regrets. Good luck! Let us know what you decide…and I would love to see photos

Anne-this makes me feel so much better. I think I'm going to move forward with FB!