Are you partial to Granite? We went with Quartz and are extremely happy. While we have cambria, silestone is another brand of quartz and does not need to be sealed, ever...
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:OUetQDwi2swJ:www.silestoneusa.com/aboutus/factsheet.cfm+quartz+countertops+info+does+not+need+to+be+sealed&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

Hi there--have you checked out GW's finished kitchens blog? I've included a link with all the different kitchens that have oak cabinets so you can look at their finished pictures with the countertops they chose.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: FKB, listings with oak cabinets

Of the above choices vote for
1. Blue pearl (nice contrast w/ the oak)
2. Giallo Ornamental (nice neutral but a bit too monochromatic)

I don't like the Kashmir w/ your cabinets because it seems too white & cold.

Have you considered a green granite?

Take your floor into consideration, too, before deciding on your granite. Wood, floor and countertop (and appliances) should all work together.

Uba Tuba granite with oak is one of my favorite combinations. A very deep green that would look great with your cabs.

I love the BluePearl and wanted to get it in our kitchen. We have maple cabinets so went with a much more "noisy" and dark granite (Tan Brown), which was much less expensive. But the Blue Pearl was definitely what I wanted. It will look great with your stainless appliances and as long as you get to pick the actual slabs, it should look Blue or light gray instead of too dark. We saw a green granite called butterfly that was nice too but seemed like it had more gold vs. silver. I don't like the white either and I think the middle color has a lot of pattern and will be fighting with your oak, which has some prominent graining.

My DD has light oak cabs with the Uba Tuba granite. I have to agree with Barbie08075~it's one of the prettiest combinations. ;o)

Gosh, how I remember looking at granite. The blue pearl would have my vote, if you were changing the flooring also.
Uba Tuba is a nice neutral granite that goes with just about anything. It does have a lot of green in it so you have to like green.

I have giallo ornamental in my living room on the hearth and entertainment center. It is one of my favorite granites. My furniture is white though, so not sure about putting it with oak. I too love blue pearl, but it is dark, so if you are wanting to lighten the look of your kitchen you might not want to go that dark. My friend has uba tuba in her kitchen and the only complaint there is that is shows dust! Kashmir white is too light, so my vote is for giallo ornamental, I don't think you could go wrong with that choice. Good Luck!

Granite and oak look great togeather. I think that white granite is too gray looking for your cabinets, though. I like the middle choice the best, it's a warmer color. I think with oak a warmer color granite looks best.

If you are looking at slabs try taking a door from your cabinets with you. It can really help.

Thanks -- I did take a door with me when we went in yesterday, actually. It did help narrow things down.

Not sure about the green -- it just didn't do anything for me compared with the black/gray and gold colors.

The price differential between the Giallo and the Blue Pearl is not that great -- the whole thing is going to cost less than $3,000 (including sink and faucet), depending on the grade of granite we choose.

RE the floor: right now we have a white floor, but are going to replace it at some point. So that is open, but I think the white will go with anything for the time being.

Your kitchen door is dark and beautiful and would compliment the giallo ornamental very well (the middle one, of the three in the picture)

Love the Giallo. I think the Blue Pearl will end up making the oak cabinets look even more golden. It will also forever limit your decorating choices as far as accent colors in the space.

Do the Giallo, then change out the hardware to an ORB finish to bring out the darker brown tones in the granite. Lovely!

I don't care for the white with the warmth of the oak.

Ditto with Barbie, I think a dark green would look great with the oak. If not your thing, I like the Blue Pearl as a nice contrast.

I love the GO because I have it in my new kitchen. It's a very versatile and beautiful granite. Not to mention, in my parts, a lot less expensive than others. LOL

harriethomeowner, the "white" kasmir isn't really a white... it's more of a grey/white in tone. Don't let the name of the granite confuse you. You will be surprised at how drab it will look against the yellow tone of the oak. This is just my opinion.

Giallo Ornamental is a very pretty stone and looks like the perfect color for your kitchen. Good luck with what ever you choose.
rose

Nice cabinets! I have medium oak cabinets and my granite counters look very much like the Gallo Ornamental. I think they complement each other very well.

With your current flooring, I prefer the Gallo Ornamental better, then the Blue Pearl. The White granite doesn't complement the wood as well, IMO.

I was going to get Giallo Ornamental, but at the last minute I choose Venetian Gold. I think you will be happy with the GO, it would look lovely with you cabinets. I have creamy white cabinets and the Venetian looks nice too.

I have black impala, with cherry cabinets. The others I considered were black galaxy and uba tuba. But I'm partial to black and never considered anything whitish or gold or brown. I love blue pearl, but didn't think it would look good with my walls and floors.

Photos are linked through my member page.

Hmmm ... a few more votes here for GO than BP.

Note that our floor really is white; for some reason, it looks very beige in the pictures.

I was thinking that the GO would limit color options for walls more than the BP. With BP, we could paint almost any color, but with the GO or similar colors, we'd be limited to a beige/white/gold palette.

uxorial -- we liked the Impala Black also. I think we are leaning toward Blue Pearl, though. We saw some slabs that had a lot more gray, blue, and silver than the sample we brought home.

RE switching out knobs: I really like our brushed stainless knobs -- though I know that every other kitchen has them (and when I chose them I thought I was being so original!). I love the silver against the oak.

I noticed in the pictures of finished kitchens (thanks, fairytalebaby) that the ones that most appealed to me had contrast between the cabinets and counters.

If you prefer higher contrast to tone-on-tone, I think you have your answer (BP).

Other colors -- medium to dark green (maybe different granites than the greens you didn't like), cinnamon, rusty red/terracotta, and of course the ones the have a lot of black in them.

We chose the Giallo Ornamental for our counters and
island...love it! (We have medium maple cabs though
w/brushed nickel cup drawer pulls...) very happy we
went with the light color as I am not making myself
crazy with upkeep. Good luck on your choice...

Marcia

When you put the granite against the cabinet, I think that the GO looks best. There are enough colors in that granite so that you're not limited to beige.

The giallo ornamental warms up the room, but I think you really like contrast. I suggest go for the grey blue granite colors and accessorize accordingly. I bet the darker slabs have a lot more interest and depth, which will give your kitchen the wow factor you want.

I think the GO is pretty and safe but the BP has more drama and looks great with your silver hardware. I don't care for the Kashmir white at all with your cabinets. I vote for the BP. I swung back and forth between a golden swirly granite look and a dark look a couple of years ago and lost sleep over what I thought was the most difficult decision of building an entire house. I went with the dark, ubatuba, and while I'm sure many others would've looked pretty in my kitchen I've never regretted going with the dark. Stains are never a worry for sure. Just reading your posts you sound like you prefer the BP, also. Go with your instinct.

I have to say that I LOVE the Blue Pearl, but around here it was in the highest price level so I couldn't get it. It would've looked awesome as I have white cabinets and a blue (different shadings throughout) backsplash. I got one called sapphire blue, or saphhire jolie, that has blacks, beiges and some light grey/blue spots. It looks nice.

Now I am doing my master bath and have a chance to get any slab at the same price. I brought home the blue pearl, and although I still LOVE it (made me sad to bring a big chunk in my kitchen...) it doesn't go the best and I have to face it. What are the decorating options there? blue or grey? (I don't think it goes well w/ tan)My bathroom is white (garden tub w 4x4 white tile, toilet shower, sinks)The floor is ceramic that is white and beige mottled (tried to match the white 4 x4 and tie it to the cherry vanity. Anyhow, the blue just didn't go. It was too dark and didn't have the tones of the cherry wood (like someone said about your oak being warm-the BP isn't warm). So, although I wanted it, it wasn't the smartest or best choice. Just advising you to be sure it's the LOOK you will want to live with, and not just the GRANITE you're in love with.

P.S I also wanted the Shivakashi granite, but the absorbency of it scared me in the end. Also, I felt it limited my future color choices. My beige (don't know it's names) that I chose will match my current bluish green walls. I can go burgundy, green, beige,almost anything because it's a natural and neutral color.

Just my 25 cents!

Bringing this up again because we are up against the wire on this decision.

We located a very well-priced slab of Blue Pearl GT (it's considered a higher grade than the lighter Blue Pearl) that is being sold at a discount because it is the last one the place has. They are holding it for us and are coming out to measure tomorrow.

They also have some GO that is a bit lighter and less patterned than the sample in my pictures at the top of the thread. It is priced slightly less than the BP.

I'm just so torn -- on the one hand, I like the silvery contrast of the BP, but on the other, I like the clean fresh look of the GO. DH is partial to the BP but will go with whatever I prefer.

What considerations could tip it? Ease of care? Durability (e.g., in terms of staining)? Anything else? Our kitchen gets a fair amount of light. We do a lot of cooking, so it's definitely more of a working kitchen than a show place, but we do spend a lot of time in there, too.

I'm certainly not a decorating maven who is willing to drag this out for months while I find the perfect slab -- just want something pretty, practical, and sturdy.

Help! Thanks!

What goes best with your cabinets, floor, backsplash? Either would look fine. Go with the one you will like for years to come. The lighter granite will keep a similar but updated look to what you have. The Blue Pearl will lead you in a whole new direction. With the new long lasting sealants for granite you won't have to worry about much at all. You could do a Zodiac or Silestone quartz although they are good to like 600 degrees but granite is good to over 1000 degrees, not that you will have anything close to those temperatures near the countertop. I used to work as a kitchen designer and we were trained in the various qualities of materials.

With either granite, you can't lose. Just get the one that you won't get tired of.

Thanks, threedgrad. We haven't decided yet on floor and backsplash, so that's open. Any suggestions? We're trying to get a good look with the cabinets and countertop for now.

Hard to tell which one I won't get tired of ...

I would choose the Giallo since it is beautiful in itself and goes so well with your cabinets. I would not go with white since it does look cold. Since your fridge doesn't match the rest of the appliances, I would think it would be important to have the granite match the cabinets to have more of an integrated look. The darker granites always look more forbidding to me but that's just a personal feeling. To me a kitchen should have a warm, homey look rather than making a cutting-edge style statement. In the final analysis it's really what sings for you personally and what doesn't.

I still do think the GO goes best with your cabinets.

I agree the GO will go better with the cabinets. You have a light colored countertop now -- are you tired of it? Have you looked in the gallery or elsewhere for kitchens done in blue pearl and do you like them? I agree with the earlier post that said it might send your kitchen in a new direction. It's so hard to be so torn!

The blue pearl is dramatic, but you may tire of that look faster. I would. I bought very plain jane Tropical Brown to go with our oak cabinets, but was a little interested in something like your GO also. My friends have the BP in their new kitchen, paired with light maple floors, stainless appliances, and white cabinets. The Pearl really sparkles and is quite a glitzy look. It works with the white cabs but I might pass on it for the oak. What paint color are you thinking? I ask, to get a feel for the level of richness and drama you see for your kitchen.

Red

andee, I've been looking and looking -- probably looking too much. The light countertop is looking drab to me, but that's partly because it's falling apart.

RE paint colors with the Blue Pearl, I was thinking of a green or blue-green, perhaps. The slab has gray, silver, blue, and a few spots of tan, so could go a lot of directions.

With the Giallo, I'm not sure.

I thought I was pretty sure about the Blue Pearl, but have been wavering on it. When I was out at the granite place, it just looked so much better to me with the cabinet color than the GO did.

We have the new venetian gold and love it. Our cabinets are about the same shade as yours, though not oak. Our floors are oak though.

I would choose either the NVG or the GO.

Ditto with Robin!!!!

The guy who's doing the tile and construction stuff just came out to do some measuring, and when I asked his opinion, he thought the GO or New Venetian Gold would look better with the colors in our house than the BP (we have a medium brown stained wood trim throughout -- all windows, doors, and moldings in the house).

Now I'm thinking I need to go back out to the granite place and look at the slabs again, and take some pictures this time. Ack.

We were building a home and I obsessed about the granite for months. Once we finally settled on a color, I went nuts trying to pick THE slab. The countertops got installed and I began to second guess myself. Here is the punchline-the builder had cash flow problems and we had to walk away rom the deal. All that effort fot nothing.
A friend set me straight by pointing out that while the granite is an important element in the overall feel of the kitchen, six months down the road what you look at is the bigger picture-the WHOLE kitchen. I think the GO gives you more options in terms of the rest of the kitchen. I don't think you are limited in terms of wall colors at all-the only color family that just wouldn't work at all are blues and purples, neither of which I want in a kitchen regardless of what color my countertops are.
One other thing to point out is that the GO will show far less in terms of day-to-day cleaning-the neutrality and lighter color just help to mask dirt.

I thought I would post my two cents since I had to make the granite decision six months ago and our kitchens share a few things in common. I have oak cabinets, a white floor which will be replaced in a year or so, brushed stainless hardware and a painted backsplash.

I never considered any black or dark granites for that matter. I knew right off I wanted to stay light and ended up picking a granite called Sunny Flower. I've never seen it anywhere else but it looks similar in color to New Venetian Gold except that mine has more veining in a gray color, some mica chips and a little black speckling. I hope the link to a photo works so you can see what a lighter colored granite might look with your oak cabinets.

I've been very happy with my choice. BTW, I replaced a badly worn white laminate counter also. Good luck with your project!

Here is a link that might be useful:

I have Emerald Pearl in our master bath and a lighter gold/rust, with movement, in our kitchen. Love the kitchen granite.

No matter how you slice it, the Pearls tend to look contemporary. Also, if you have a lot of calcium in your water, the Pearls are a nightmare. Even wiping with plain water will leave a white film.

I wouldn't pick the BP.

All right --

The GO voters convinced me.

Here's the slab we picked today:

It was a choice between this, New Venetian Gold, and New Venetian White. This one seemed to me to have more flecks of sparkle in it, and I thought the lighter color would contrast more with the cabinets than the one with more gold in it.

Thanks for all the input. It really has been helpful.

So which granite is the one you picked?

This is Giallo Ornamental. It's a much creamier and lighter slab than the sample I had that is at the top of this thread. I guess it's going for contrast in the other direction than the Blue Pearl -- and I do like it a lot. I think it will fit better into the bigger scheme of things at our house.