Thank you all for your kind words and your advice. I have to say though that I am still so torn. I was planning on painting the cabinets white if I got soapstone but I am married to one of those men who loves wood - even if it looks like zebra - and I am not sure I am confident enough to go against his wishes. I have to admit that it is a lot easier to keep our oak cabinets looking decent than the white ones in the bathroom. I really had this vision though of an old fashioned kitchen with the white and soapstone, and Victorian style faucets. But I have a 70's house so I guess that was kind of silly. I was getting so obsessed about this that I just had to step away for a while and put it all into perspective. I have been perfectly happy in that kitchen for 18 years, formica, oak and all, but to make a change it all has to be perfect? But here I am, everyone else in bed, and I am googling pros and cons of countertop materials. Guess I haven't stepped back that much! : ) I'd like to "trust my gut" but all it tells me is that I am going to make a mistake! lol. Lascatx: I live in Plano, just north of Dallas. Thank you all for all your insight, and I will let you know if I ever have the courage to make a decision!

Hi Susanrhill24, we did this reno, rented it out, COVID and other stuff happened and I didn't see the house for about 3 years. When I saw the kitchen again for the first time it was covered in water marks and stains.. looked terrible! I guess they didn't remember how I told them to clean it (more about that in a bit). After I was done they looked like new (except for a tiny chip at the sink - ah well). I did not go with honed. With lighter colors I find that the gloss doesn't bother me as it does with dark/black, where you can see every fingerprint. Having said that, when I clean after dinner I do give it a quick once-over with a dry or thoroughly wrung-out microfiber cloth to prevent the dried-on water patterns forming. I find I have to do that with whatever countertop material is used, so that isn't a quartz thing. For future reference: If I really want a dark countertop I usually go with a leatherized finish as it's more cleanable than honed. Honed is like a million tiny holes. Have you ever tried to clean frosted glass? It's bloody impossible! Same thing with honed.. oil goes in those tiny craters and because you can't wipe them out it stays put. I've heard Mr. Clean helps because it's spun glass? I haven't tried it yet. Anyway, leatherized is where they take the gloss off with an acid wash, which makes it a smooth, gently pocked finish, but not glossy. It's so lovely. It makes the black look more dark grey though, so watch out for that. If you're interested in an example, have a look at this house I did last year: tiny url . com / sunset 3d (put that in a browser without spaces.) That island is black with white veins. Would have looked completely different with a glossy finish. The way to clean quartz is with Soft Scrub Gel Cleanser with Bleach (search Amazon for that), and with Scotch-Brite's green and yellow scrubbies (not the blue and blue, which is softer). Squirt the gel on the countertop and spread it over the affected area (I just use my hands). Leave it for a minute, and scrub it. Don't be afraid to use force. It's like magic. I've used it on different colors quartz and it works every time. My pure white bathroom countertops (same house, same tenants) came out as pristine as the day they went in. Gosh, this turned into an essay :) Good luck! Forgot to say that I really like the stainless steel backsplashes. I thought they were going to be a pain/scratch, but they're not/didn't.

Can you get to Central New Jersey? Go to the MSI showroom. They're lovely, and helpful, and you can see full slabs of of the quartz. If you can, bring one of your cabinet doors. I was having a problem finding the right white since many quartzes I looked at were too creamy. I went there recently and found something I love, and bought, that's new, not even on their website or in any kitchen showrooms I've been to. I bought a piece, Calacatta Bruno, because it's great in my bathroom, but they've got loads. Also, they'll ask who sent you. Have a name ready, like your contractor, or Home Depot, or anything. I'm just not sure if you can say you just walked in on your own. It's not a big deal. https://www.msisurfaces.com/edison-nj-new-york-countertop-showroom/

I can’t see the picture, but if what you really want is to look exactly like Carrara marble, then Carrara it is. No matter how much the quartz companies try to emulate marble, it’s not marble. (Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of beautiful quartz patterns, but they won’t fool a marble lover.) And quartzite is quartzite, it really doesn’t look like marble. The closest you might come is Super White quartzite (which isn’t actually quartzite but dolomitic marble), it etches like marble, so if what you really want is Carrara you might as well go for it. We chose Opus White quartzite and I love love love it, but it is darker grey and nothing like marble IMO.