I also love the white macaubus, I ordered the same quartzite for my kitchen, due for installation in about 3 weeks. Oddly enough I also had a blue countertop in my previous home, it was corian a Mediterranean blue with big whit specs (prettier then it sounds). Apparently the new owner didn't share my appreciation for a blue countertop and ripped it right out. If you plan on staying there for a long time, get what makes you happy, if resale is a consideration, I'd go with the white, although I'm partial to the white of course! Have you considered perhaps an unattached island only in the blue or a blue backsplash to pull that beautiful color in? If there was one thing I learned from hunting for the perfect piece of granite for nearly 4 months was that a piece of granite can look absolutely beautiful but perhaps not in a (or my) kitchen, hence my decision for not purchasing wild sea green, a beautiful stone that gave me the warm fuzzier until I saw it online in a kitchen, I knew I'd grow tired of it quickly. Plus the macaubus stones I know are at from inexpensive so choose carefully! On a side to, I need help determining if a light colored wood floor will be too weak with white macaubus or if a darker wood would be a better contrast or if it's not even relevant(?). That will be for a separate post! Oh and i think walnut cabinets would be good with whote macaubus. Good luck!

storklady, Good for you for keeping the budget in mind. I bet the Wilsonart looks really good, even if it's not your first choice. It's hard sometimes to look at what other people on this site have done and then settle for less. We replaced floors on the first floor (including kitchen) last spring/summer, and hope to deal with appliances and countertops this year. I'm beginning to think that we, too, will have to settle for laminate countertops, instead of solid surface that I really wanted. But so far we've paid cash (or used credit card and paid off before any interest charges) for the home improvements we've been doing. Yes, I'd like to do a complete reno with all my wish list materials, but I like being virtually debt-free better (in a little under 2 years we should have the mortgage paid off early and then we will be debt-free). So, while understand the angst of giving up on something you dreamed of, I applaud your decision. It sounds like it was the right one for you.

Etchings is a good wearable kitchen surface finish. Riverwash and Honed are a bit more questionable in a well used kitchen. They tend to be softer, scratch more, and show the scratches much more than the Etchings or Radiance finishes. Most people would never notice the scratches, but people on the Kitchen Forum here aren't most people! The Azul granite is a love it or hate it laminate color. It really doesn't look at all like Azul Bahia granite does in person. It's similar in coloration, but because of the constraints of the repeating pattern in laminate, it's a lot more uniform in appearance and it tends to look a lot more man made. And blue is a color that evokes intense feelings about it. I'd call up Formica and ask for a large sample before committing to it. You may love it in the 1 1/2" x 3" chip, but in the 5"x7" it may not speak to you. There's always the option of Azul Bahia granite tiles. I saw some on Stone Locator for around $100 per 12 x 12 tile. Do an island in that, and something less expensive for the perimeter.

I wish I could change the name of this thread I started three weeks ago! I would call it "New countertop Loving it!" Its been ten days since I posted the first photos and revealed the identity of my stone. I got to enjoy it for only a few minutes on a gray day before the contractor enveloped it in butcher paper so work could continue around it. On Wednesday evening I prepared to celebrate Thanksgiving by unveiling the stone. Since then I have enjoyed many happy hours with it. NYC has been blessed with a sunny holiday, and the stone is even more beautiful in a kitchen drenched with sunlight. It also photographs better, though the green still looks washed out. Ive posted new photos, including some close-ups. Cloud_swift predicted I would be even happier with my stone after living with it a while. In fact, it grows on me by the hour. To walk into the kitchen now is literally thrilling. I never know what to expect, as it changes with the light, always surprising me with how blue it is, but sometimes more green, sometimes reminiscent of stainless steel, and as the light fades, quieting to a rich dark gray. Aunttomichael -- "soapstone lover" -- got it exactly right: the effect is both serene and intense (which I think is true of soapstone as well.) Before this experience I knew literally nothing about stone. Now I learn from Theresab1 that Im a member of the (very exclusive!) "Azul Macaubas Club" though I agree with Cloud_swift (she of the glorious azul do mar) who calls it the "Quartzite from Brazil Club." While my stone is indeed quartzite from Brazil, I, like Mindstorm, find it hard to believe it shares the same name as Theresab1s amazing stone, which Mindstorm describes as "almost onyx-like in its translucent whiteness with streaks of blue" As she notes, mine is nothing like that! Not at all white or even light-colored. Its predominantly blue with a lot of pale green. In a single slab, the blue ranges from a deep, rich blue to greenish-blue to pale blue to deep lavender a shade Cloud_swift noted in azul macaubas slabs she saw. The only photos Ive seen of anything similar were a variant called Azul Imperial. Theres a lot of interesting information at www.bluemacaubas.com. The most important thing Ive learned, though, is that you dont choose a stone by its name unless you are willing to settle for an arranged marriage!