What are your cabinets? What are your floors? Hard to advise you without those essential pieces of information.

I would do soapstone everywhere. You can gain your "contrast and something a little lighter" with the cabinets and/or backsplash. Also keep in mind that when you have two different counter surfaces, that means that your cabinets, floors, and backsplash will have to go with both of them. You are doubling that challenge than if you had one counter surface.

@RoyHobbs cabinets are Alabaster by SW. Floors are builder basic oak hardwoods.

True about doubling the challenge by adding in another surface.. making things more difficult for myself for no good reason.

why not do a porcelain for the island? or a quartz that resembles marble?

porcelain has some beautiful look alikes, and they're affordable.

Danby marble is stunning and it's a little heartier than carrara or similar marbles.

Soapstone w/white paired w/a Danby looking marble and white oak island. beautiful

A Dolomite like Super White, Is also another heartier choice. keep it sealed, wipe up promptly, and it should be fine.

what about a butcher block? walnut would be beautiful

You could actually do marble on part of the island if you like, and then do the butcher block on the part where you would be prepping or where the kids would be using it:

or, have a diff color island w/the wood

copper sink with the soapston or on the island is a great looking alternative to SS (which I hate)

marble-look quartz. Silestone Statuario

I was looking at one of my stone places and found this soapstone slab. next to it is a granite. has beautiful irridescent deposits. Labradorite or something .

Soapstone isn't without it's issues.

did you know they have a quartz that comes in a suede finish that looks like soapstone?

Silestone Eternal Charcoal.

You could just do the soapstone on both. it's equally beautiful

here's another shot w/the walnut block at one end of the island. looks so good w/the black

Your OP said you are "swirling with indecision". If you are swirling with indecision now, wait until you have to choose the wall paint, backsplash, faucet, sink, cabinet hardware, lighting. Ask me how I know haha! The backsplash in particular was like climbing Mt. Everest. And add a second counter stone to that would be like herding cats!

Have you actually got your hands on a sample of soapstone? I was thinking of going with it but got a sample of a "hard" variety (belvedere from M tex) and it was... not great. dropping a spoon on it from 6 inches up caused a little white divot. I'm planning on Danby marble at this point. if you do want soapstone, maybe a butcher block top would work for your island? Depends on the other finishes you have going on.

Quartzite perhaps? Though I would stick to marble. Danby is lovely with soapstone or black granite. Butcher block sounds good too.

@Lisa, I have Belvedere from M. Teixeira. The counters are now 7 years old. The only small dings are at the sink, where a cast iron pan hit the edge during cleaning. The small chips are easily disguised with a black sharpy pen. That can’t be said for a couple of friends’ quartz counters, and another who has granite. Those chips are there for all to see, barring paying a pro to tend to them. As for any ”little white divots”…they can easily be gently sanded, and will disappear with a little mineral oil applied.

Many, many people who visit this site, have soapstone counters, and are passionate about their special qualities. Soapstone is impervious to anything and everything, and never needs sealing. It absorbs heat slowly, will never suffer from thermal shock, and cannot scorch or melt, like manmade ”quartz” counters. Last, but not least, no other counter material has the sensuous feel, and gorgeous matte appearance of soapstone.

@Beth H. : pairing soapstone with manmade “quartz”, which is lacking in depth, and does a very poor job of imitating marble, is, well, blasphemous. And, really, Silestone’s version of soapstone, will never be mistaken for the real thing.

@darbuka i love soapstone. i have several samples and have tried out several varieties. my husband isnt a patina person so i worry a little that he will be unhappy with scratches and dings.. which is why i am also considering the negresco granite.

i chuckled at your comment about pairing soapstone with quartz. maybe a light granite?

i have fantasy brown marble currently and consider just doing the same... i thought i needed a white but i just cant find the one.

One of the light granites might work…or a quartzite (nature made!), there are many gorgeous ones. One thing to look out for, is competing patterns. If the island is to have a busy patterned stone, then the perimeter soapstone should have minimal veining…and visa versa.

Many people who can’t deal with patina, opt for honed Virginia Mist. While it doesn’t look like soapstone to the trained eye, it is a hearty black granite, with lovely veining. If I recall correctly, it’s one of the dense granites that don’t need sealing.

Happy hunting!

I love the idea of butcher block though get it might not be the look you are going for. It is really great for tough wear. I've had marble before and won't do it again. It made me into way more of a high maintenance person than I want to be.

darbuka, I never meant to imply that silestone replicates soapstone. I mentioned it because she said she had little ones who were messy. Soapstone is soft. it will scratch and it can stain w/oils and such.

Real:

Silestone

I know I know, completely diff. But it's a nice alternative.

I actually have the same countertop in the Gray Serena color. It holds up very well.

Is this pic, they actually have it paired w/real, honest to goodness marble! I hope they have a lightning rod on top of the house!

As for pairing quartz w/soapstone, I get what youre saying, but blasphemous is a bit overly dramatic.

this pairing is w/marble, but I've seen decent looking porcelain slabs and some quartz options that would be very similar looking to this:

I showed her a pic of soapstone and granite, maybe you missed that one? she seemed set on marble which is why I mentioned the silestone.

That first porcelain picture I posted that resembles marble, I had to carefully look at it because I couldn't believe it wasn't real stone. That's how good it looked in person. Maybe you disagree. that's fine. But in person, this slab looked amazing. like a real calacatta.

Granite alternatives.

Silver Gray granite

looks like one of the lighter soapstones. this is honed.

Virginia Mist,

Negresco,

are all nice options.

so are these

Duetto

Belvedere (also goes by a ton of other names.)

Black Forest granite (this one is leathered or honed)

Argento/Jurassic also comes in a darker slab

Lastly, I love this quartz. It's Pental honed Serano

similar to the Pietra Gray marble looking quartz

BTW, you never mentioned what color the cabinets were going to be, the island, how big everything is, or the flooring? all of that comes into play.

“Soapstone is soft. it will scratch and it can stain w/oils and such.“

I can’t believe this rubbish is still being quoted by ”Pros” in the year 2023. It just shows how little experience some ”Pros” have, with soapstone.

@Beth H. : Not all soapstones are soft. There are some very hard varieties, such as Stormy Black, Anastacia, and Blevedere, which I have.

While not as hard as granite, it takes some doing to scratch Belvedere...which I described in my post above, and includes a closeup of my counter. Essentially, the only thing that’s ever scratched or made very small chips (at the sink edge) in my soapstone counters, is a cast iron pan. A black Sharpy pen took care of the small sink edge chips (nobody can see them). And, the scratch made by DH dragging a cast iron pan, disappeared after a light sanding…and a bit of mineral oil.

The most egregious part of your statement, was saying that soapstone can stain. For goodness sake. Read up. Soapstone is impervious to anything and everything. It is denser and heavier than any stones used in home or commercial settings. Nothing can penetrate the surface. It never need to be sealed. Any dripped cooking oils, tomato sauce, lemon juice, vinegar…anything, will sit on the surface of the stone. That’s what forms patina on soapstone…oils oxidize on top of the stone.

Which is why a hard variety of soapstone is perfect for a family with kids of any age. Kids can be as sloppy and drippy as kids tend to be, and not stain the counters.

Patina buildup, usually where most of the kitchen action is, like at the stove, can easily by removed. Just some Comet or Bon Ami, water and the scrubby side of a blue Scotch sponge, is all we use. My husband will do this once or twice a year, when he feels like bring the stone back to its original, lighter color.

Perhaps best of all, unlike the threads we’ve seen on this site about those manmade, resin filled quartz counters getting scorched from heat…even from a hot pot lid that a poster’s son left on her quartz counter…that cannot happen with soapstone. Heat cannot damage soapstone. Which is why throughout Scandinavia, and New England, free standing heating stoves are made of soapstone. And why in this country, soapstone is usually the material of choice, for fireplace surrounds.

Also, because soapstone absorbs heat slowly, and doesn’t get as cold as other stones, it will not suffer from thermal shock (cracking), which can happen with granite, quartzite, marble, and quartz.

Soapstone, a hard variety, is the perfect material for a house with children.

"... will never suffer from thermal shock..."

"Thermal shock such as pouring boiling water into a sink suddenly sending thermal shock into the stone is an example of how you could damage your soapstone."

@Beth H. : my cabinets are sw alabaster and my floors are a builder basic (honey?) oak hardwood. we do have a good amount of light and it is open to the LR.

i looked into porcelain but i saw posts about big chips on the edges and that makes me nervous. at least with soap stone some of the smaller chips can be sanded or repaired.

i am also a hot pot lid on the countertop or person so i am carefully considering my choices!

I had passed by the granites in the show room because they can be busy and i dont want to put something in that is already out of style. but maybe i need to look again. i also saw a river blue marble that was incredible but then i am stuck with blue blue blue forever. i have yet to find a danby marble

i was having an internal struggle with settling for a marble look quartz but i dont think id actually be happy with it. i had quartz in my old house and i really liked it but i appreciated it for what it was and i wasnt trying to trick myself into thinking it was something it wasnt.

@Kendrah i do like the warm look of butcher block but i dont know if it would stand the test of time in my house!

Not true. Soapstone is not a stone. It is geologically a rock. The chance of a pot of boiling water doing that? Zero.

It is anti microbial, impervious to heat, It hasn't been in biology labs for centuries for no reason: )

I'd use it everywhere . Note: it has quite a good mime in "American Soapstone"........actually a granite for worry warts. )

@darbuka I read many of your threads on soapstone, and thats why I specifically got a belvedere sample. I still found it very soft, and after treating it like my kids would treat it, it had a lot of noticeable (read: white) scratches and dents. I have had marble counters before and am no stranger to patina, but I personally didnt like the look of all those white scratches, and countertop sanding isnt regular maintenance I want to sign up for.

To me? If you don't like that idea, want a light natural material ? Use Taj Mahal quartzite everywhere and plan the rest of the kitchen to work with it. Forgiving to virtually everything, as natural as marble, great with wood, with white. As to kids? You either let them destroy a home, or you don't. Materials nearly irrelevant, beyond a certain point: )

@Joseph Corlett, LLC. We’ve had this ”discussion” before. You have little to no experience with soapstone.

Ask folks who have soapstone sinks, if their sinks have ever been harmed by boiling pasta water “suddenly” being dumped into it. The answer will be ”no.” Soapstone is not like any other natural countertop material. It accepts heat slowly, and releases it slowly. Even boiling water will not harm it…no matter what some out dated link might say.

I’ve suggested this before…if you want to be educated about soapstone, give M. Teixeira a call. Anyone who answers the phone, will be able to accurately answer any questions.

@Lisa: I’ve had kids of various ages use my kitchen. Not one of them has damaged the Belvedere counters. Of course, none of them have puposely dropped an implement onto the counters from a distance, to see what can happen. They are better behaved than that.

darbuka:

You are not arguing with me. You are arguing with Stonemasters. My experience with soapstone or lack thereof is irrelevant.

On the technical side, while I doubt many soapstone sinks are carved from a large block, those fabricated in pieces would have to have adhesive joints. While the soapstone itself may not fail from thermal shock, I wonder about the adhesives holding the sink together. It's just academic on my part; I have no information either way.

So after all those pics aren't you so much better off. LOL IMO soapstone is used in labs or a reason and IMO do it everywhere stop agonizing and start enjoying your new kitchen. I do not like honed stone so just get polished. Add some pizazz with a nice big bowl of fresh fruit for the kids to munch at the counter.

“It's just academic on my part; I have no information either way.”

Exactly the problem.

I’ll defer to M. Teixeira’s knowledge and experience, where anything soapstone oriented is concerned. Oh, and of course, the many folks who, over the years, have discussed their pieced soapstone sinks here, and on the GardenWeb…which Houzz purchased in 2015. Have yet to read about any sinks adhesive decaying, and the sinks failing, because of poured boiling water.

darbuka, man, are you ok? Let me clarify a few things I said since you seem intent on going full-out karen.

Soapstone can scratch. why? because it's made of mostly talc. On the mohs scale it comes in at a paltry 1-2.*

Soapstone is a type of talc-schist metamorphic rock. Also other naming’s are steatite or soaprock. The composed primarily of talc, with varying amount of micas, chlorite, amphiboles, carbonates and other minerals. It is composed primarily of talc so it usually very soft. It is typically gray, bluish, green, or brown in color, often variegated. Its name is derived from its “soapy” feel and softness.

Soapstone is both chemical resistant and heat resistant, so you can set hot pots and pans directly on soapstone without risk of cracking or scorching. Soapstone is much softer and more prone to scratching than granite or quartz however, so preparing food directly on your soapstone counters could easily scratch it.

Maybe you'd care to take this up w/mother earth??

*Now, going into further detail about YOUR particular kind of soapstone, you seem to have the most durable version. there are 3. We don't know which one she is looking at, or even if she knows the diff. I didn't see you mentioning any of this, so I'll just leave this here:

There are three types of soapstone: talc, steatite, and chlorite. Talc soapstone is the softest type of soapstone, and it's also the least durable. Steatite soapstone is harder than talc, but it's still relatively soft. Chlorite soapstone is the hardest type of soapstone, and it's also the most durable.

Here's a list of 12 soapstone varieties and where they fall on the mohs scale.

There are 5-7 varities that can scratch w/a fingernail. ALL of them will scratch w/a knife blade

this is yours? belvedere?

Belvedere Soapstone is a uniquely hard Brazilian soapstone; it has a slicker surface and a greater resistance to scratches or nicks. It falls in the category of green soapstone with a dark, subtle grayish green color.

There are many, many diff varieties and grades of soapstone, you are talking about only one. And yes, the chips/knicks can be easily filled in w/black ink or oil. I never debated that. All I said was, "Soapstone is soft" And it is. I said, "it could stain w/oil products". and it can IF the surface isn't oiled and left raw.

When I mentioned staining, if you would actually read what I wrote, I said w/oil products.

IF someone has an unoiled soapstone countertop, applying oil to it can stain it. it will leave a residue mark. Soapstone isn't sealed like granite. Now if she wants to apply mineral oil to it, I'm sure it will be fine. I never once said it stains like marble. I only meant unoiled surfaces may leave residue oily marks.

Never said anything about heat. yes, it's been used in labs for ages. there's a reason.

(although, your info on quartz isn't exactly correct. maybe the cheaper resin crap from china scorches, but my quartz has never had an issue. I have accidently set down pans and lids and it hasn't hurt it )

You are coming off the chain thinking that I'm putting down this product and giving out erroneous info. I hope I clarified what I actually meant.

I love soapstone. I think it's perfectly fine to use. All I said was, like other natural products, it has it's pros and cons.

it is beautiful. I'd have it in a heartbeat.

Now, will you just stop pontificating about how impervious this countertop is? It's beautiful and I happen to love it, but it still has it's faults.

I am still waiting on quotes for soapstone from two suppliers- but I did place on hold a negresco and a River blue for the island. What do you think?
I’m still 90% sure I want soapstone but finding a supplier to install where I live without charging a LOT more is tough…

It is a leathered slab. There is this cool blue spot in the middle which I actually like but the white spot in it is a little scratchy. I can live with it but is it a structural issue or major flaw? We can cut around it if it could cause problems one day.

The runner up island top. My husband actually likes it better but to me it was a little boring?

I had my kitchen renovated a few years ago and chose Silestone quartz soapstone for my countertops!! I love them: no staining, no chipping, no scratches; easy clean up with soap and water. I always use silicone mats for anything hot to protect my counters. I did that with natural stone counters too. I cook from scratch; my kitchen counters gets used alot.

culbers, I already mentioned that quartz earier up. I got an earful for it too!

Marie, no to the last one. it looks like plain old river white granite.

the gray one w/the spot in the middle is cool. maybe do the negresco on the island and the gray on the other?

Quartz was better when it first came out years ago, and wasn’t pretending to be something it isn’t.

Other than being black with some white veining, Silestone ”soapstone” has no relation to the real thing. It’s shiny, plastic looking, and has no depth. In addition, all manmade quartz lacks the heat acceptance of soapstone, and its unique sensuous matte look and feel.

Honed Virginia Mist granite is a much better substitute for soapstone. While VM doesn’t have the sensuous feel of soapstone, it has the depth and beauty of what nature made over millions of years.

@kculbers i like some varities of quartz but pairing them with soapstone was giving me heartburn.

@darbuka i got an MTEX quote for stormy black SS that is in the budget.. and belvedere is on sale. Is that the variety you have? I am nervous to pick any slab remotely so I guess I will habe to find time to make the 4 hour trip 🙃

Marie, yes, I have Belvedere.

I really suggest you make the four hour trip to see slabs in person. Slabs within a variety, can have differences in veining. You’ll want to select the slabs that most appeal to you.

For instance, I knew after spending oodles of time researching soapstone, that I wanted a Belvedere slab with lots of green inclusions (veins). So, one of the staff pointed me to a section of Belvedere slabs that had the most green veining. One of the guys moved the slabs, until I found the perfect one.

Also, while there, you’ll be able to ask any questions you may have. The staff is incredibly friendly, professional, and patient.

If it’s the New Jersey location you’ll be going to, Mr. Teixeira might actually be there. He was on two occasions, when went there. He was very approachable. In fact, he walked over to us, to ask if he could be of help.

Just want to add a little aside about traveling quite a distance: When we were first deciding on countertop materials, we investigated slate. Slate has many of the same properties of soapstone…the matte finish, almost as heat resistant, and some varieties will not stain or etch.

We drove 7 hours upstate NY (we live on Long Island), to the Sheldon Slate Company. Family owned, super friendly. The owner took us around to see the whole operation. They had a large showroom, with kitchens that had beautiful slate counters. We were there for a couple of hours, and went home with a large sample packet.

The point is, I’m glad we made the looong trip, as it helped us make an educated decision.

@Beth H. : that one with the blue spot in the middle is actually River blue marble it was really hard to get a photo of! But i agree that the spotted granite was not that exciting to me.

I have seen river blue in other pictures. It’s quite nice. I do like the hones/leathered version. Very handsome looking stone. What do u think about doing the negresco with it? I love the soapstone, but if for some reason you can’t get it, the negresco or even a honed Virginia mist would be a nice pair. Did they give u a price in the Belvedere? Maybe u could video call him to see if it’s worth the trek?

@Beth H. : i think they paired nicely together! Negresco is really pretty, but I do worry about the fingerprints issue I heard so much about with honed black granite.

i got a price on stormy black SS but not belvedere yet. I know we just need to make a day trip to see a slab in person.

Marie, that River Blue slab is gorge. I'm not a professional stone expert, but I don't think there would be a need to cut around the small area with the inclusion you posted about earlier, those are common, and not a structural issue. However if the roughness bothers you it can be filled inconspicuously. I think it looks great with the negresco and would probably be equally as great with soapstone. (my personal true love.)

That is a particularly lovely piece of negresco from what I can see. If you're worried about fingerprints on the honed finish I think there are products out there to help with that. Maybe someone who knows more will chime in.

I am having leathered Negresco granite installed in my kitchen mid-April. I was told by the fabricator that honed showed more fingerprints and could possibly hold a stain. I elected for the leathered finish.

Saw some nice soapstone today and liked it a lot. First one has a lot more veins than I had wanted. Wondering if it will clash or be too much going on in a kitchen with the River blue marble?

PA and Silver soapstones

negresco and blue river marble

@darbuka Is there someplace on Long Island that you would recommend for soapstone, or other stone counters?

I feel like soapstone looks good with almost anything. I probably wouldn't be too worried about it clashing, vein-wise, with other things because it's so natural and beautiful. Imho, with soapstone, "rules" don't really apply. Even the veiny soapstones have a quiet elegance about them that is not competitive. That said, I thought they stopped mining PA? (I could be wrong) I wonder where you're located .. because if I could find some easily accessible, legit PA I'd probably jump on it!

@Beatrix thank you! that is reassuring. I dont plan to get a slab with thick dramatic veining so the thin whispy veins hopefully will be quiet enough with the blue. There were many slabs of PA soapstone left but I noticed the Churchill variety was slim. But if thats true that they stopped mining it I better pick my slab soon..!

@Ann Joseph While not on LI we visited Garden State Soapstone and were very happy with our visit. Probably not too far of a trip for you depending on where you are on the island? We travelled 3 hours from our home in PA and he is who we will be buying from. There is a bit of a charge to travel that far to install for us.. but not as much as others have quoted via email and it is worth it to me.

@Marie Thank you Marie! I too am so indecisive. I am not as far along as you but hope to be soon. Garden State Soapstone is about 2 hours from me. Putting on my list of places to check out. Thank you. I hope you'll post pictures when your countertops are in!

Updated - I have narrowed down my choices to two possibilities and would love help solidifying my decision. The two options have vastly different looks and feels in the kitchen and I am at the point where I am second guessing myself..

Option 1 - Soapstone perimeter and blue river marble island (leathered)

Option 2 - fantasy brown perimeter (leathered) and soapstone island

option 1