I'm in a similar predicament, so I can relate. In a kids' bath I don't think I'd do cararra for the countertop because of etching and staining. I'd do either silestone, soapstone or maybe the cardosa. Instead of white grout, consider doing a gray grout. It doesn't stain and the gray lines give a nice vintage feel, and provide a graphic punch so you might not need to add additional color in the tile. If you search for white subway tile gray grout here I am sure many pics will come up.

Fishies- Thanks! Any ideas? I really like the big sink, in Laura Calder's kitchen, but I have no idea what to do for the fridge and range. Should I go with a more vintage range and a modern fridge? Or a more modern range? I know I like white, but that's about it. LOL From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures White cabinets, blue countertops and wood on the island/work table...that's about all I've decided on. Don't know if I want the base of the island/work table to be white or a color, right now. I know I want an oven/microwave in the baking area...either white or even stainless steel, since it's not in the kitchen. Marble would be great...probably white cabinets, but not sure what to use for the countertop on the other side of the pantry. It will be fun to play with this concept. I also like the french doors into the sun porch. Very french country :) From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures And with a much smaller backsplash area...maybe I could bring back the bunnies! I've missed them...and they would look good with the vintage style. Even if I had to pay someone to paint the tiles, it would be much more affordable to just do them over the range and maybe use a little vine accent with the birds, on either side...and by the big window. From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

Hi rhthomas224, ill be interested in MHgirl’s reply, as I’ve just installed soapstone counter tops and had intended on leaving them in their medium gray state. I love them, but if what you want is marble, have you looked into Azerocare treated marble? It is a process done in Italy, supposedly seals against stains, and is being called “a game changer”. It won’t stop scratches or chips from occurring tho. Soapstone will chip or scratch too, but sands easily, unlike marble. The problem with SS is that although nothing penetrates it (including water, for cripes sake - that guy is dead ignorant) oil clings to it. Grease splatters will show up as dark dots and aren’t easy to remove with dish soap and a rag. A spritz of simple green and a gentle rub with the rough side of a green sponge will do the trick, but that’s a bit of maintenance for someone with kids. ...I think what most people do is use mineral oil on their counters once or twice to darken them a bit, and then let the oil evaporate or wear away. All this is going in the wrong direction for you if you really want light counters :(. If you decide on soapstone ( it is gorgeous and has some real pluses) know that the lighter the gray, the softer the stone. There are some ss varieties that are really resistant to scratching and chipping, but I went with the prettiest medium gray for me (Black Venata) instead of the darkest stone. It was a compromise. I recommend ordering samples from M. Teixeira and doing some real life fields tests to see how they hold up. Also, only go with a fabricator with a lot of experience with soapstone. It needs to be worked with differently than granite, for instance. If you want to see pictures of mine i posted recently, subject tags Black Venata soapstone, Schuler Cabinets.

Agree...do what you like. Just remember you'll need to shim up the base cabinets so the finished countertop is at 36"...otherwise you could have issues in the future with dishwasher and range fitting properly. You'll need to make sure you get some base shoe molding to cover the shims. Some places offer a 2cm laminated 4cm edge (ie Cambria) which is really close to the 1.5" thickness you'd need to not have to shim so much. To do 4cm up from 3cm is not a huge cost difference....several hundred on an average job. Most of my clients opt for the 4cm. Cambria does a great job....can barely see the seam on the edge. You have to look hard. Cambria's Berwyn with Ridgeline edge profile in 4cm thickness: