I have all stainless, and I really don't find it to be a big problem. The top of the dishwasher get smudged -- likely because my hands are usually wet when the door is being closed -- but since the dishwasher is on the inside of the island facing the back wall of the kitchen (as opposed to on the back wall of the kitchen facing the island) and because I'd have to squat to see the smudges, it's really not a problem. I think this was a happy accident of our layout; if I could see the dishwasher while sitting at the island, the smudges might drive me crazy. The refrigerator is more visible (it's bigger), but I find the handles get messier than the stainless front. Again, it's a messy hand problem, and the problem would exist without the stainless. As for the oven and microwave, I find that the glass control panels get smudges more than the stainless steel. Finally, the VAH is sloped so is collects dust, but that's easily controlled by swiping it with a cloth once a week.

I live on a dirt road with no central AC, so the windows are open a lot, and I get dust EVERYWHERE! I've never had a problem with it showing on the soapstone, though I do make sure to wipe the counter before I use it just to make sure it's clean (just because I can't see it does not mean it's not got some on it). My finished oak countertop on the baking center shows the dust way more than the soapstone. My original plans were for butcher block over stone because I can't get a fabricator at an affordable price in SD (I went DIY). But I'm so much happier with soapstone than I would have been with the butcher block, mostly because I love being able to set hot pans down without a worry, and I love working directly on it with dough and other stuff. Things defrost much faster, and I can cool down hot bakeware fast (like a cookie sheet between batches). The drawback is if you want something to stay hot or cold, don't put it directly on the stone. Most of that any stone will do that, but butcher block won't. I have a marble slab I can put in my freezer if I need to work chilled dough.

Mine isn't HARD to clean but it looks like it needs to be cleaned a lot more often than any other sink I've had in the past. First couple of years were fine (I think the factory coatings helped a lot). But now, as they have gotten older, it seems like we just dump something into the sink and black gunk stays in the corners and creases. I feel like I pick up the sink brush every time I pass one of the sinks to give the corners a once-over. Brushing out the corners or using a scrubbie in the corners isn't HARD but I'd rather not have my sink looking like it needs to be scrubbed out just because the corners are collecting gunk. Flushing the toilet after my son forgets to isn't HARD but there are things I'd rather not see. Since we have 2 zero radius sinks, I have 8 corners, 8 sides seams and 8 bottom seams that all need "extra" attention. I loved my sinks at first. But time has changed my mind. And each year I regret the choice more than the year before. Our sinks have been installed since 2005. When choosing a sink, I decided only to listen to what I wanted to hear. I ignored the sound advice from a professional chef who said that zero radius sinks are not approved for commercial applications because of the likelihood of harboring bacteria. This is just about the only complaint I have with our renovated kitchen. Maybe others don't have this problem but my problem is very real and visible. There are some sinks that are very close to zero radius but not quite as extreme which is what I would choose if I could do it over again.

As a boomer who's had white kitchens for most of my adult life, I don't have much basis for comparison. However, the difference in my attitude about keeping a white kitchen clean has changed dramatically since I got introduced to my new BFF: Her name's Magic Eraser! What an amazing little helper. IMHO, that little sponge has managed to elevate spot cleaning white cabs, moldings, backsplashes, etc. from a boring, functional task to a work of art. Okay. Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but now that I've got my ME, I'll never go back! lol