Some granite slabs are dyed or treated with resin and can't be left in direct sunlight for an extended period. The stone itself never fades. The problem is managed simply by having the top slab in a bundle turned in. I have never had an instance of granite fading in a home. I have had instances of dark quartz colors fading. Some stone have mineral components that will oxidize and darken over time after they are cut from the block and then polished. Normally the length of time from quarry to market is enough for that oxidation to occur so it only shows up as lighter edges when the stone is processed into countertops. Fabricators have products they use to darken up the edges.

Thanks so much for all the feedback. Honeychurch, your pictures are gorgeous! That makes me feel so much better about considering a bronze finish! breezy, GD, the Moon Night at my slab yard does read rustic to me and my DH. That's what we love about it - it looks like a big slab of gray ROCK, but close up you see the lovely swoops and almost marbles look of the surface. When I see it in kitchen pictures, I like it better paired with wood stain than white cabinets - maybe because with the white it does look too upscale modern, too stunning, but with the wood it looks more like plain stone - except not so plain, and naturally gorgeous. Marcolo was kind to post a picture of the faucet finish, but since several have asked to see my other choices, I will include the actual pulldown faucet I mentioned, which looks quite a bit darker to me than the bathroom faucet from that collection. I don't have my heart set yet on any one particular fixture or hardware, though. But, my home has mostly brownish-bronze fixtures throughout, both on the furniture (and DR sideboard) and outdoor lights. There are few silver finishes in or around the house. First, a gratuitous shot of Moon Night: This is the hutch that the cabinets will be made to match as closely as possible: Faucet: Possible pulls and knobs - the fixed D bar also comes in a drop-pull version by a different company, but essentially the same look. These all come in a variety of nice finishes such as copper, iron, and pewter.

OP: good suggestions to google/houzz/pinterest your cab color and see what others have done to start to narrow down your likes. Truly, the only was you will find what you love is: take a door off and go to the stone yard and hold it up and see what you think. we can suggest all we want, but when you go to the stone yard and look at Taj, as an example, t might not work since the color variations are all not exactly the same. you have a 'warm' kitchen, you need a 'warm' counter. anything that reads mostly gray, more than likely, will be cool and will not work. as others have suggested: pick your counter first, then B/S. and only one should be the star. also, are you keeping the 4" b/s? if so, normally, you do not need a tile b/s. i do agree with you, i would not love that granite. you can re-use in a powder room, make table/end tables/ outdoor side table etc to reuse it.

I'd choose a taupe or tan from the bricks on your house. The countertop may lighten over time in the sun.