Should you?

Have no idea as you have not provided any pictures of your kitchen.

Smallish means nothing.

Fantasy BRown is a marble, not a granite. it will etch and/or stain. Personally I don't like it as a backsplash, it's rather busy looking

see what I mean? dated looking too

nope

and nope

I'd rather do a tile of some sort.

Do you have an L shape? If so, make sure they use one full piece when cutting or you'll get the veining going in two diff directions. This is done correctly.

The tile is Athens Brown.

also nice fabrication keeping the direction of the pattern together

Yeah, I'd prefer a solid-colored tile with Fantasy Brown and medium cabinets. Probably something light. Grout is ok -- it's not a shower!

Pictures of our kitchen.

It’s not letting me upload pictures. Any advice on how to remedy the problem?

Ok, somehow the pictures uploaded despite the error messages.

Thank you for finding all of those examples! It is definitely way too busy for me.

Now I guess I need to start a discussion on tile backsplash with Fantasy Brown.

Nice cabinets. are they staying just like that or getting stained ?

I would seriously consider a diff countertop. fantasy brown will NOT be the best choice w/those wood cabinets

I'd do Taj Majal

or Perla Venata. both quartzites

beautiful w/your cabs

or something like this

Thank you! They will be stained some time this week. He is bringing some samples on the same wood, all in medium colors.

Do you have any second choice countertop materials or are you wed to the fantasty brown? Also, can you post a pic of your final cabinet color (or is this it?) and the color of your floors?

reread my last comment. I posted some alternatives.

what color stain are you considering? I'd pick the countertop FIRST, then the stain color. it's easier to match stain to stone than vice versa.

what are the floors

We like the fantasy brown, but the right stone could change our mind. Our budget eliminates quartzite. We are wanting to stay at a level 2 or 3 granite or marble. Not a fan of quartz at all, or anything with a stark white.

The stain guy is coming this week to stain the cabinets a medium brown. I will choose the color when he brings the samples.

Floors are a polished concrete and don’t look much different from the pictures. The sanding took some of the stains and variations out, but not completely.

This is the color we are going for. I LOVE the lighter stains, but my husband does not.

take the stain samples to the stone yard to choose the right countertop.

fantasy brown IS a marble. it's also a cooler tone w/blue grays or grayish greens. keep that in mind when choosing a stain.

If you must have fantasy brown, you'll need the stain to work with it.

I understand the budget, but you have a small countertop area. one slab should do it. trying to save 1-2K on a countertop you'll have for the next 25 yrs is silly. cut corner elsewhere, not on the kitchen countertop.

Fantasy will etch and will need to be constantly sealed and babied. ditto w/any other marble.

This is 5 mins w/lemon juice, vinegar, tomato sauce and something else.

have you looked into pre-fabs?

This is TajMajal quartzite, prefab. its 24" X 9'. $1800

installer cuts it on site to your measurement. Prob another 1500 or so. it would easily fit this kitchen

I'd do these knurled brass handles

I don't know if you're in an area that has access to pre-fabs, but they can be a big money saver.

Cielo quartzite. (no stain no etching) also Blue Cielo. this slab was about 2500 or so.

You won't be paying THAT much more for a nicer slab.

Monte Cristo

what about black? soapstone or this Negresco in a honed finish? beautiful w/the wood

it would look like this w/a medium brown stain cabinet

cheaper option, Virginia Mist or Jet Mist granite in a honed or leathered finish

Or, what about BlackHorse Granite or CopaCabana?

I'm doing a similar island top for a client. this is honed or leathered.

I was thinking that Fantasy Brown would help tie everything together? (Cool concrete floors, warm brown cabinets?) The slabs we have looked at are mostly brown with grey and very little of the blue and green.

The kitchen opens up into the dining and living area which is two stories tall and more windows than actual wall space. The paint color is Ballet White and the wooden trim around the floor/windows will match the kitchen cabinets.

My furniture and design choices trend toward warmer, earthier tones. The black, although beautiful, doesn’t quite fit us.

I will definitely take the stain sample with us to the stone yard. I didn’t think I wanted a lighter countertop, but I may reconsider based on the pictures above.

I have absolutely no experience with design and genuinely appreciate your input. Thank you!

I think too that you should work from picking the counter first and then finding a stain. Push your stain guy back a few weeks. Finding a counter you love is hard. You don't then want to have to limit yourself more by finding one that matches a preselected stain. Buy yourself some time and freedom.

Have you acquainted yourself with marble care and are you up for that kind of task?

This is the stone we selected. ( not this one as it is broken, but the next two in line, they look almost identical). Based on an acid test this specific slab series acted more like a granite than marble, but we are familiar with taking care of marble. Still not a definite purchase, but they are holding it for us.

fantasy brown is actually more of a dolomite. doesn't etch as fast as marble would. you still need to keep it sealed and becareful w/acidic foods.

This is a nice slab. the colors lean way more greenish gray than brown/blue.

as an example for stains, DuraSupreme cabinets have this Morel stain color shown here on Hickory. I think something like this would be a nice stain color w/that slab.

as you can see, the yellowish tones on the right do not play well w/your cool/greenish slab.

These paint colors (for the wall) in the same tonal range as the slab

These are a weathered gray hickory stain. this would actually look really cool w/your slab

https://www.fromgardners2bergers.com/2015/10/diy-weathered-hickory-cabinets.html

stay away from yellowish stains. you want a green or ashy undertone w/your brown like this antique walnut. These 3 gray paint colors lean on the greenish side of gray

slightly reddish stains paired w/blacks,gray/gold and silver

or, you could go neutral as long as it's not too yellow.

more of a natural stain color, pair it w/leather chairs and any of these paint options

kraftmaid stain is Husk or Barley.

different color scheme w/this stain color

Last color combo

As you can see, many ways for you to go.

Do Taj Mahal please? Divide the delta in pricing of Taj counters, vs the Fantasy you will truly despise in that small space, by the number of YEARS you will have this kitchen .

You were going to go up and around a window with the Fantasy, right?

Limit Taj to counters and wait to tile if you must.

So. How many YEARS for this kitchen?

Have you laid out how you would cut that particular slab and where the design elements will fall on your counters?

The swirls, lines, and color placement in the slab you chose are quite large. Your counter arrangement is compact. When the stone is cut into your size needs, it is going to create rather busy, contrasting, loud, unbalanced composition of your countertops. Most of the fantasy brown pics I have seen of slabs that are this busy use it on an island as a big statement piece.

Have you done a google image search for fantasy brown kitchen and seen what this slab might end up looking like in your size kitchen?

Maybe you like this look - to each their own. It is just good to know what you are getting in to.

Are your floors a busy looking as they look in your above photos?

Since y’all have some time invested I thought I would share pictures of the cabinets stained. Floors still have one more round of sanding and polishing, but won’t change dramatically. I looked at the Taj Mahal stone and wasn’t a fan. It seemed incredibly formal for our taste. We are going to the supplier’s warehouse next Saturday to choose countertops since there isn’t anything in stock we liked. IF you have any suggestions I would appreciate them!

What type of wood is this? It looks very blotchy after you stained it.

Have you considered honed Jet Mist granite? It's very casual, and would pick up the color of the flooring.

The wood is Knotty Alder with a special walnut stain.
Do you think that dark countertops will make this kitchen feel smaller? It opens up into a large area with high ceilings and it already sort of feels like walking into a tight space.

IMO fantasy brown is a very busy granite and I would not choose it with those cabinets ever.

is it alder? Alder always stains like that.

this one is similar to a fantasy brown

two diff granite tops in these pics

This is cement. they do have quartz that looks like cement.

Leathered Steel Gray granite would look like this island

here's a dark one like Diana recommended. this is actually a laminate called "Basalt Slate"

you could do a honed jet mist

Gray Knotty Alder cabinets - Kitchen · More Info

or soapstone.

if you can't find that, look at Silestone Eternal Charcoal quartz in the suede finish. you'd get this look

A slab of this is a bout 2300 or so. another 2K to fabricate, give or take.

then, glazed brick backsplash tile, 2 diff paint colors, hardware, pendant (dark or light) diff stool option

BTW, TajMajal comes in many varieties. some can be gold, others more gray like this one

This would be a fab choice w/your cabinets.

another one is Cielo Blue

Great to see your project as it moves along. It is much more rustic than I anticipated. I would go with counters lighter in color than fantasy brown and with much less movement. The cabinets and floors are both very blotchy and busy, and fantasy brown or other stones with lots of movement are going to feel chaotic and claustrophobic. Diana's Jet Mist is a great suggestion. Have you looked at that?

Beth and Diana, the wood is a knotty alder.

Diana and Kendrah, do you think a dark countertop will make this space feel even smaller? It is open to a large room with high ceilings and already feels a bit like walking into a cave.

yes, I guessed alder. that's why I posted a bunch of alder kitchens w/diff countertops so you can see. I also did a photoshop of things I might use w/your wood. see my last comment

and no. what makes something smaller is no light.

If you think this dark top is too dark, go w/the white quartz.

Paint your walls Simply White instead of whatever beige color that is

what's the floors? wood?

other part of the room?

Beth, I really like the one in the first picture, any idea what that one is? I’m glad to know Taj comes in a less gold version. We are definitely keeping an open mind. I love having all these pictures, it really helps me visualize all of the suggestions. Thank you!

Beth, My husband actually picked the Cielo Blue! I better start trusting his eye for design.

Its cave because of the cabinet which….. is dark and very unfortunately blotchy and busy.

You’re going to need a lot of electricity!

take a door with you when you go looking for tops.

and plank of flooring if you can.

I love cielo blue. you can get it honed or leathered so it looks a bit more muted.

with those busy cabinets, you will have to pick a top that is more sedate.

I like the honed black options I mentioned. I think the black w/the wood is stunning.

negresco. I'd do this in a minute paired w/the other options in that mood board I posted

this one is leathered

Black Forest granite

dark alder. enlarge this pic. love these honed granite tops

Scenic Residence · More Info

magma granite (aka, Dune, Cosmos, Black magma, )

Cherry Creek · More Info

Ceaserstone rugged concrete if you want more industrial

if you want light, try something like this

Kashmir Cream granite. (also known as a variation of river white-cream)

no busy granites! you'll get this

You also don't want a busy floor. these are alder

Horrible flooring choice. The backsplash is too blue/gray for the warm wood.

Knotty alder w/weird lighting. (why??) Horrible backsplash and the floor is too busy. white quartz

Cambria Brittanica Gold countertops.

Cambria Windemere quartz and knotty alder very similar to yours

If you want the warmer tones, this would be a good match. I'd do brass/gold hardware

I like this one. Good lighting, under cab lighting(make sure you do a good under cabinet LED lighting) , nice pendants. counter is a Macaubas quartzite

Ok, that should give you enough ideas

The floors are actually staying the same. The guy is coming out just before we move in to do a final sand and seal, but otherwise they are done. I realize this is not up to many of your standards, but we have boys, dogs, and so. much. sand. The house we have lived in for 12 years also has cement floors and I LOVE them. For our lifestyle you cannot beat the maintenance and durability.

I like cement floors. I just figured these weren't refinished yet.

This actually should have been done before the cabinets went in. now the guy will have to really protect those base cabs w/a thick tarp.

They need a very good sanding (with a find grit to remove all those lines) and then a good polishing.

either a good polishing like this

or, grind down the surface a bit more to expose the aggregate and then polish. Love these

depending on the color gray you get, I'd prob paint the walls a diff color. it's very tan right now

Did you see the other countertop examples I posted just above this?

do you not like this idea for colors/items?

I chose Benjamin Moore Ballet White for the walls.

I LOVE the board you put together! Just concerned it will look even darker with the dark counters?

The kitchen does open up to a room with significant natural light.

East Wall

Ok, what do you think of this?

love the floors done w/the aggregate. gave you a matte black range. gold hardware.

choice of the black/gold pendant, or a woven jute/rattan option. ditto of the stools.

I like the Portmore or cloe in the cream color w/either this quartz, or TAj, or the charcoal quartz option. no, using that quartz will not be too dark.

cloe in cream. bedrosians. lowes and wayfair carry it. the Portmore is another option

This comes in a white too. It would look great against the matte finish black/charcoal or gray countertop in the quartz or the granite.

if you want a gray, they do have a few gray options. I went w/the Silestone Eternal Serena (I did want the Charcoal but I had a lot of black already) in the suede finish. I also have a copper sink (which I think would look amazing w/your cabinets)

The other one I like is the Pental honed Serano

I really like the tile! I think it would help reflect the light since the cabinets aren’t. I’m going to look into getting a sample before we go to the stone yard.

I'd do a matte dark countertop if it was mine.

this one is soapstone, but anything similar is fine too

Just make sure you have the LED under cabinet lighting, and the bulbs in all your lights are 4000K.

You have plenty of light from the other room, so don't worry about it. It's a small kitchen as it is, even white countertops aren't going to make it look bigger! Good lighting will keep it from looking like cave.

Totally forgot about Titanium granite. leathered or honed. it's beautiful w/the wood.

also called Black Cosmic, Cosmic Black, Belatrix

some slabs have more white in it

you could find a type of gray/black granite and get a rough edge to it. shown here leathered

Steel Gray is an affordable granite that would work. shown leathered:

We’ve already bought stainless appliances and will do a stainless under-mount sink because there is no maintenance. The kitchen will have 4 recessed lights in the ceiling- it feels too low to have a fixture there. I’ve gone back and forth with having the fixtures above the bar area. They look nice, but again, we live in the country with LOTS of dirt. All I imagine is having pretty fixtures covered dust. 🤦‍♀️

good point. just make sure to do the under cabinet lighting. simple LED strips that go underneath.

this is how you want them. and 4000K temp

I have them on mine and keep it on 24/7 they're simple, inexpensive. diff ones avail

have the outlet adjusted (I raised mine) if you're doing one w/a cord

We did have it all rewired so that no outlets show. I had planned to get some kind of lighting under them, I’ll be sure to check out the strips. I had no idea to look for a certain temperature light. I would assume I need the same in the recessed lights?

Your advice has been a tremendous help!

Beth posted this one three times - I agree that a dark, more solid counter will be best with your busy cabinet and floors. Honed or leathered steel grey, Virginia Mist, Pearl Grey are all affordable granites. Anything that leans patterned is just too much going on. I like what she did with the hardware, etc.

When you go looking at slabs it’s impossible to bring your floor finish with you so just try to match the floor with a paint color or two. Bring both that and the Ballet White paints along with a door sample. This will get you to see the tones of the slab with your elements. You don’t want a grey slab that leans green - you want the tone to work with your floors.

Also keep in mind that the names of the stones might be different in your community. Also, Many stone yards only have only high gloss slabs and not honed.

Keep a sample of the doors and floor (even if it’s just a painted piece of poster board) in your car. Sometimes you find an unexpected countertop place.