I don't think most people would recognize the difference between soapstone and honed black granite. Not one person who has been in my house has recognized my stone and I have a distinctive soapstone sink too.

That being said...Since you are thinking resale and both stones have the same vibe, I would go with whichever one will look the best in 3 or 5 years. Soapstone will develop a patina which not appeal to a lot of people and it costs more too. You may have to sand down the soapstone to put it on the market. Also, a lot of people are sorely misinformed about the stone and its properties.

If you do decide on soapstone, I think you might need to choose a harder stone which holds color longer and resists scratching(I only get 6-8 weeks without fading).

I am in the same situation, although I never know when I will find another house to fix up. I did choose soapstone myself knowing I may sell. However, I chose it because I love it and did not know how long I would be here. I will put it in my next house too. My whole house is so french country styled that a buyer would not choose to buy it unless they liked that style too. If they like that style, they also will like soapstone so I gambled that it would help resale..

If i go with soapstone I'm definately using one of the harder varieties. As much as I love the Black Venata and all that veining; the softness of the stone would be a problem for me. My current house sorta has a "non descript" style... traditional/contemporary? so it should appeal to most buyers.

I'm a total soapstone person, but I would think with all the misconceptions about soapstone out there, it might be "safer" to go with a granite - which is so known.

We put soapstone in our old house ini 2001/2002 because at that time we didn't know if we would ever sell and the kitchen was for us. Actually, even if we knew were were going to sell I'm not sure I could have done anything other than soapstone, the house was 1745 and in the Northeast and it made sense to have it be there.

In this awful market people complain about absolutely everything (that you can't change except with price) but we never heard any negatives about the soapstone at all.

Great point backinthesaddle.... life is short and really... who knows what the future will bring. That was the one caveat for me. I would hate to compromise on something I don't love and then end up staying in this home for some reason I can't fathom now.

I think the fact that you have stone is enough to assist in resale. I wouldn't worry about which stone as long as you're willing to do what it takes to make the stone look nice when the house is for sale.

Nordic Black in an Antique or Leather finish is gorgeous and would give you the soapstone look without the maintenance. Just an FYI

"Nordic Black in an Antique or Leather finish is gorgeous and would give you the soapstone look without the maintenance. Just an FYI"

What is the maintenance?

Unfortunately, we had to sell our last house not long after the remodel but all it required was an oiling to make the counters looks fabulous. The table-top lazy susan we made from a scrap and have been using for 3 years now still looks great despite us only remembering to oil it once in that time (after the initial round) and then again a few days ago. And, IÂm sure it wouldnÂt have gotten a second oiling if not for comparing it to the new samples we got. ;)

Being such a tactile person... part of the appeal of soapstone to me is how wonderful and natural it feels. I have no problem with occasionally oiling the stone. In fact... I will probably look forward to it. The samples I have, I even like them lighter (maybe even more) after the oiling has faded some.

From a GW poster, re soapstone:

"It dings and scratches. I don't mind; they fade with waxing, and one of these days I'm going to play with some very fine-grit sandpaper. But it does scratch, with ordinary use. We had a party during the holidays and just in the ordinary course of cooking we got some scratches from things being pushed from one position to another on the stone. Like I said, with waxing they become difficult to find unless you know that they're there, and because of the texture of the stone, reflection of light doesn't give it away. But if you want it to keep looking exactly the way it did when it was installed, you might be disappointed.

I still love mine."

(I left that last line in on purpose!)

I think the point to remember is that "maintenance" is in the eye of the beholder. I think "stoners" tend to view the steps involved in maintaining the beautiful look of their soapstone (as originally installed in all those drop-dead gorgeous pictures everyone posts!) as a passion, not a chore. For others, that work (filling dings with epoxy, sanding with 400 grit paper, oiling and reoiling) might be construed, entirely fairly, as "maintenance" (and fairly hefty maintenance as kitchen counters go). I think it is a bit misleading to suggest that all those gorgeous soapstone counters we see in the "just finished" kitchens will look like that in five years WITHOUT fairly regular efforts on the owner's part to sand/oil/etc. Which is fine. And to some, a big plus to the stone, because it can, with sandpaper and oil, be made "new" at any time.

But I really do think it's a little misleading to suggest there is "no maintenance" to soapstone (nothing in any of the posts I've seen has supported that view) any more than it's realistic to suggest that a countertop of marble isn't going to etch and scratch at the drop of a hat (I have one -- it does!)

I donÂt think itÂs at all misleading to say that soapstone requires no "maintenance" other than the occasional oiling, if you want that look.

We did use a harder variety but the scrap piece we have thatÂs probably had less coddling than a counter would, shows no wear that a wipe with mineral oil wonÂt take care of. Over the last week, IÂve been putting the 14 samples to the test (along with my own pieces) and, while the softer ones would require some sanding to look "perfect", youÂd have to be at eye level to notice the damage IÂve done, after a coat of oil.

So begging the question then...does anyone have a picture of soapstone that has its inevitable patina and scratches? (i.e.counters that were installed less recently)

I'm in love with the look of the counters I've seen but have admittedly only seen new examples....
(can vaugely remember the counters in my high school science lab but that was a LONG time ago :) )

Kindly,
B

Here are some pictures of my old counters that I took (at their worst) to show a friend who was worried about soapstone what they "could" look like. Oiled they look "fine"

I had a problem with my dishwasher venting and causing problems with my soapstone - rings that didn't fade much with oiling -- We mostly beat that with more regular oiling but I will choose a d/w more carefully this time.

Not oiled recently

So far no guest to my home knows what soapstone is. They all assume it is granite. When I try to explain "this is actually soapstone" they then think soapstone is the "color" or "name" of the granite. So for the sake of resale....If I weren't going to stay in the home long I might just do granite for the cost savings. I love pouring over real estate web sites. In my area (which is somewhat well-to-do) the nice, expensive homes do not have nice expensive kitchens. Most of what I see on-line are the original kitchens. So in that case any nice remodel would stand out as long as you did a stone countertop. Perhaps if you area is full of top of the line remodels, then you may need something that stands out.

Also, I have a "hard" soapstone. I refuse to "baby" it. I drag pots across it etc. My kids abuse it. I can't find a scratch on it. I do have two chips from where I dropped very heavy things on the counter...the chips are so tiny I have to search a few minutes to find them. The marble in my kitchen has way more scratches and chips than my soapstone. I do almost all my food prep on the soapstone. I tested a lot of samples too and I know many stones are softer but soft it isnÂt the only option.

While I know a lot of people here (including many who probably responded to this thread) love their soapstone, I think it impacts their thinking and you won't get a true perspective. IMO from a resale perspective granite will be your better choice because it is more prevalent and popular in terms of market share. From my perspective - it all comes down to numbers. The share of the market should tell you something. Sure, you may encounter the rare soapstoner (and thats what you would have to count on when selling) but you will encounter a large number more familiar with / interested in granite. JMHO

OK, good post and great responses. A few questions...

1-borngrace, What was the deal with the dishwasher and venting? How could I avoid that same problem if I get soapstone (I imagine granite would have done the same thing)? Is there something I need to know about dishwasher installation to prevent that problem?

2-fightingoverfinishes, What exactly is your "hard soapstone"? Just curious as I'm trying to find one on the harder side. But even the harder ones I'm finding (like Green Mountain Original or Dorado Black Minas) still leave the fork marks behind when I oil it. They're much less noticeable than the Black Venata fork pokes I did, but still there. And the problem with the harder stone seems to be that you can't just sand out scratches easily. Do you find that to be true with your hard stone?

3-remodelfl, I'm in the same boat as we try to decide on soapstone. Our current house is a little to small for us, but in the current real estate market, we might never be able to upgrade! So I'm kind of inclined to do what I want over resale. And where are you in FL? I live in St. Pete. There definitely seems to be an abundance of shiny granite around and I think that soapstone would be unique and desirable. I figure that if it's oiled up and looking pretty good, people who don't know about soapstone won't even think to wonder what it is. And people who do care about that kind of stuff or know about soapstone will be wowed by it. One thing I'm not sure is that we'd actually get the money back on the investment any more than a cheaper nice looking honed granite top. We're leaning toward soapstone if we can find a harder variety.

"I will choose a d/w more carefully this time."

But, out of curiosity, would you not chose soapstone again?

Honestly, thatÂs the way IÂd expect untreated SS to look, at itÂs worst, but IÂm not quite sure how the DW caused that unless itÂs a matter of uneven oiling. Mine has fared much better but like I said, we chose a harder stone.

You shouldnÂt install soapstone thinking it will have the perfect look of granite. But, most of its flaws can be sanded out (unlike granite) for the purpose of making it look good for resale. After that, itÂs really not your problem if the buyer isnÂt educated on using a piece of sandpaper and an oily rag to maintain it. LOL

About my dishwasher . . .

It was a kitchenaid. It had vents at the top.

The dishwasher itself was a total lemon. It is possible it was not installed correctly. There are any number of things that could have contributed to the issue we had.

Also -- DH and I were not good about oiling the soapstone as regularly as suggested the couple of months/first year.

Once I gave the mineral oil to the cleaning lady and it became part of her regular thing every two weeks and I did it when I felt like it, I think everything was fine.

I really did take those pictures to show it at it's worst for a friend who is much more bright and shiny than I am but wants soapstone and was worried it could look to beat up for her. She had seen it at my house looking good, wanted to see what it could look like other times if she didn't take care of it.

BTW - I have no idea what the name of my soapstone was. I bought it before I knew that there were names.

Couple quick thoughts, b/c my toddler is whining for my attention:

--I have a bunch of "patina" photos that I promise to post as soon as aforementioned toddler will give me a chance (photos of scratches, sanding, etc.)

--The general public seems pretty uninformed about soapstone, so I'd consider it a liability rather than an asset. As a potential buyer, since my taste is usually different from the owner's, my most important question is, "how easy will it be for me to change this?" So, whatever stone you choose, adhere it with silicone, NOT epoxy!

--Borngrace: those counters are gorgeous! I have a harder variety that probably won't ever look so beautifully worn. So I'm actually a bit jealous!

--I have a harder variety, and it is very easy to sand with sandpaper. Using 400 grit is as easy as rubbing down the counter with a sponge. I find it fun, and could almost do it nightly! This wouldn't take out a deep ding, but I would leave a deep ding alone anyway. The only reason I sand at all is for the heavenly feeling.

--Toddler now crying. Just threw a shoe at me! Not going to proofread. Bye bye!

Francy

bungalowdawn... I'm in South Florida... just outside of Ft. Lauderale. If you're in St. Pete... you MUST contact Creative Soapstone (Joshus and Mimi). I got samples through them. The harder stone I liked best is their Julia stone. It has crystal like inclusions and some swirls but not distinct veining like the Black Venata. I abused all my samples and was able to sand/oil them out of the Julia. It did not ding like the Venata which is why it's better for me. Another stone they can get which is even harder then the Julia is Rainforest Green. It's not really green but a little less black. This sample would barely even get a surface scratch even with purposeful and hard abuse. It didn't have the same feel as the other soapstones. The softer stones do feel most luxurious and sand out easily. But they also are more prone to deeper "dings" (as far as my sample tests went) which is why the Julia was a great compromise for me. If you do a soapstone search at the bottom of the forum you'll see Florida_Joshua come up. He and his wife were unbelieveably helpful and generous in time and information. When I go into my next home (forever house); there's no doubt in my mind I will use them. I still may even go that route in my current home.

Here is a link that might be useful: Florida Joshua and Florida Mimi

Oh yes, I've dealt extensively with Josh and Mimi now. I've visited there twice, gotten a quote and samples and sooooo want to use them. Unfortunately, I want a harder stone and don't care for the green tones as much so they don't really have a stone for me right now. I really loved the look of their Black Venata but in my scratch and ding tests, I really trashed it. Joshua and Mimi are so nice and so knowledgeable...I would definitely second your recommendation to anyone in FL to check them out. Now I'm looking at Vermont Green Mountain Original (which is actually black now) and Dorado Black Minas - both of which seem harder. But everyone loves their M Teix and the Venata is so beautiful. Well, as you can see, I'm still in a pickle over what to choose here (or if I should just go back to bruahed cambrian black granite or honed virginia mist).

Did you ask them to get you a sample of the Rainforest Green? It's not really green at all. They got me one which they don't stock. The Julia they do have was a hard enough stone for me. I banged it pretty hard and the slight ding it got was able to be oiled/sanded out. I agree that the Venata was beautiful, but like you, I felt it had the potential to gouge which didn't appeal to me. The caring for the stone part... NO PROBLEM! It's no more work then wiping it down. I'm sure you realize that granite is (for the most part) in the same price point as soapstone if not more expensive then some. My original post about value for resale wasn't about the initial cost as much as it was about universal appeal when selling.

remodelfla;
What kind of vibe does the rest of your house send out? Pristine or old, faded jeans? If you were to have your house *staged* when you sell it down the road, would it be sleek and modern or would it be *homey*? Realtors in your area might be able to give you guidance, but I would talk to several.

If you choose to go with a honed granite, I would run the tests for oil, etching, staining, etc.

I have soapstone, BTW, and I love it. Mine is dark with minimal veining. If I had to do it over, I think I would have chosen more veining just for more interest.

From very early on, the sink edge sustained micro-dings along the edge as well as a larger ding/small chip where a griddle slid from a shelf and hit it on its way to the floor. The dings are more something you feel as you run your finger on the edge than something you notice by sight. In about three years, we have no scratches that I remember, and I almost never oil. I caused a lot of cloudiness by using tung oil and then leaving for the weekend rather than wiping it down an hour later. My mistake. It is pretty much covered after I used a mineral oil and beeswax mixture. I always figure I can sand or steel wool it down -- nothing will really ruin soapstone.

Again, talk to realtors who are successful in your particular neighborhood, not the one next over and not the one across town.

We are remodeling our kitchen and have some questions/concerns about soapstone. 1. Which requires more maintenance - soapstone or granite? I haven't been able to get a straight answer on this.
2. Is it true that you will not know the actual appearance (veins, color) of your soapstone slabs until installation? I've heard that you can want one look and end up with quite another.
Thanks.

Soapstone is grayish/bluish/chalky looking until oiled/wetted.

When we chose our slabs we went to the stone yard and wet down the slabs to see the veins/movement -- I have since read it is better to oil rather than wet.

I absolutely knew what the veining and color looked like before they went in (different lighting though does change things somewhat). We also talked about which pieces would go where, seams etc.

As for granite never considered it so don't have any help there.

Stone is stone, and has variations in all different stones. I chose a granite that is basically no maintenance because I wanted that kind of stone for the house I'm working on right now. For anothe place we're considering, I'll go with soapstone or marble because I want a worn down look to the countertops and this is the quickest way to get it.

Granite is harder, so it is technically less maintenance. You wouldn't see those water marks on a granite piece in a typical finish. Are those water marks bad??? Well to me, no, but to a buyer who didn't make them, in a newer home...yes they might be considered bad.

Granite needs sealing (especially the softer ones) and it can stain but heck so can soapstone or marble. But if we're talking dings and scratches, granite is the harder stone and thus most likely not to develop a patina like that any time soon.

So which is the better stone??? That depends on what you want in a countertop :) But maintenance wise, I think there are more granites out there that require little to no maintenance than soapstones.

I did my granite testing on unsealed pieces of granite to see how necessary sealing really would be. Two of my pieces showed absolutely NO damage from stains or etching even without a seal on them, so I'd say that maintenance wise...they win over anything that needs a swipe of oil or sealer annually.

For the soapstone people who find that offensive...well heck that's silly. There is maintenance to soapstone, marble and granite, but it varies and it depends on the look you're after. I love the patina of old marble or soapstone in an appropriately aged kitchen or home. I would actually NOT seal or oil on purpose for a few years in the house we're looking at because I want that patina to really go crazy developing. If I put granite in the same kitchen it would take another hundred years to look like it belonged :) That's wh the stuff just rocks :) pun intended heh heh

Interesting question.

Cuz not only do you want to know how we feel right now, but you are supposing we can all foretell the future! :>)

IF you are planning on resale, why are you replacing your Silestone? Oh, OK, I reread, guess I don't count having to replace counters as a 'mini remodel'! :>)

So, I am going to look in my crystal ball (sitting right here beside my Himilayan rock crystal lamp), and tell you that Soapstone is going to become more popular over the next three years, more and more fabricators are going to become familiar with it, and customers will begin to recognize and ask for it. Yup, that's the truth- I see it right there...

Having said that, granite will STILL be the #1 most popular choice for countertops. Generally, it requires the least upkeep and will provide the greatest return on your investment dollar.

So, with no other factors in play, granite will be the safer choice.

But, what does the rest of your home look like? Would SS be the icing on the cake and truly define your space? I'm guessing no- this is not your dream home, filled with your ultimate vision.

You have already said you are definitely planning on resale in the fairly near future- if you love your current Silestone, I see no reason you wouldn't also be able to find a granite you would love.

There that's my two bits worth.

Go with what you love. Get the soapstone. If you find you are in the house awhile and the soapstone "patinas", when you go to sell the house just get your counters sanded first before putting the house on the market. No big deal.

Thanks to all for your thoughtful responses. My house gives off a casual transitional vibe. Neither traditional or contemporary. Mixed wood tones and mixed textures in furniture. The colors are earthtones with some blues and the living area floors large white tiles with gray mottling. It's definately not old world, country, elegant, formal, or "themey" in any Florida beach sense. The neighborhood is typical surburbia... nicer area but not exclusive. It's ironic, people who come over think my kitchen is so "done". Yet, I see it as a super cheap redo; which at the time I did it ... it was. I knew nothing, didn't know of this board, and had little money. If I could keep my current counters I would, but the appliances I want will require getting new countertops due to the range. I definately want an induction cooktop and the only range which comes with one is a Diva which cost $8500. Hence... I can't replace the appliances without replacing the countertops. Gratefully, I am girl who likes many different things... there's granite that appeals to me, engineered quartz I considered, and of course soapstone. I agree that most people who look here will probably not have had the benefit of knowledge that I have availed myself from this thread. I was not familiar with soapstone until I became an obsessed lurker. But as I stated before... life is short and you don't know what the future will bring (unlike raehelen who is our resident clairvoiyant!). So I'm sure I'll end up going with something I like, can get excited about, and makes sense both aesthetically and financially. I'll keep you posted on the decision!
Elyse

borngrace,

Your soapstone rings keep popping into my head. So did you actually beat the ring problem completely? Like they're no longer showing? Or do they still pop up between oilings? If so, how quickly do they pop up (and so how much of the time do they show in daily life)?

And for other soapstoners, is this common? Or is this unusual? The scratches, I expected. But the watermarks have surprised me and are leaving me with a little more hesitation as I think that would probably bug me (no offense borngrace)

Bungalowdawn - my Green Mountain Original counters will be installed tomorrow, so I'll post pix. The slab I picked has a lot of wild veining - light green (somebody referred to it as coke bottle green) and white. When I saw the slab in the sunlight, lying down, it looked somewhat different from when it was standing up. And I suspect, in my not-too-light kitchen, it will look different again. GM Original is one of the harder soapstones but not as hard as Rainforest, which is really serpentine.

You know, I have a sample of GMO in my kitchen right now and it is totally different than what you describe...very black with light veining, no noticeable green. The guy told me that the current GMO has gotten more black and more hard. One of the reasons I like it is because of its hardness. But I'm also a little hesitant fearing that it will be too hard (not easily sandable in case of emergency). I'm just wish-washing but can't wait to see how your stone looks and acts.
Thanks,
Dawn

My Santa Barbara soapstone (a harder variety with very little veining) gets water rings from any hot, wet surface. For example, I boil water in a measuring cup, and sit the hot cup on the counter. It leaves a ring. Just tonight, I got a huge oval, light colored splot from the lid of a corning ware microwave dish. I removed the hot lid from the dish, and put it on the counter (handle pointing up, as if it were on the dish). It left a big mark.

These marks go away with oil, but they sure surprised me. I'm guessing that the heat is pulling the oil from the stone in some way. But I don't understand the exact process.

Francy

Granite. Soapstone may be the best stuff in the world, but too many potential buyers know little or nothing about it. Everybody knows about granite.

"GM Original is one of the harder soapstones but not as hard as Rainforest, which is really serpentine."

I asked about that yesterday and was told by someone at M. Tex that it is not serpentine. Where did you hear that it is?

"These marks go away with oil, but they sure surprised me. I'm guessing that the heat is pulling the oil from the stone in some way. But I don't understand the exact process."

I think thatÂs what it is too and if you have a spot where dabbing more oil on doesnÂt even it out, you need to "de-mineral oil" and start fresh in that area.

Thank you so much for this thread. I am trying to choose between granite and soapstone myself. The soapstone I love is called Jucca and it has a lot of gray colors in it and lots of movement. I think it is beautiful un-oiled. The stone place (great technical term, huh?) is called Teracina.
http://www.teresinasoapstone.com/gallery. It is the stone on the picture of the island with the soapstone bowl on top. I love the look but according to the company, it is a softer soapstone.

I too am trying to think about the future and don't want to "over improve" my home for the neighborhood. With the soapstone costing about twice the amount as granite, I am tryng to decide what I want. I will make a decision this weekend after I look at more stone. I was liking the Yellow River granite (beautiful slab at one stone yard and a dull one at another) but just hate the name of it! Conjures up too many things in my head!

I just saw this thread and wanted to comment on the "rings". I think it is from clean dishes comming out of the dishwasher or out of the sink. The water from the dishes may still have a little soap?? on them, or just the clean warm water is pulling the oil off the stone. The moisture from the dishwasher may effect, speed up?? this process a bit. You can sand these rings out if they are returning again and again, just use 22o sand paper in a circular motion, or just continue to oil. The rings would prob show up for a while until the patina is built up on that part of the stone again.

Once you have your stone for a bit, you may see that the stone does not turn really dark as quick as when you first had your soapstone installed. That oil can take some time (an hour) to go to that fully dark state. But it will stay longer because that patina will hold the dark longer. . . I hope I make sense and I'm not just rambleing.

Mustbnuts - Curious. We have (gorgeous!) Yellow River granite (from Brazil, of course -- not China!) I never gave the name a moment's thought -- figured it was named because of its color combined with the significant movement it has -- at least ours does (so "yellow" + "flow" or something).

What does it bring to mind for you? (Historical --1938 and Chiang Kai-Shek? or what?) I sure wouldn't let the name put you off (I've encountered a lot of weird names in the granite world) -- it's beautiful granite! The pictures of it online seems to vary enormously (some do look very dull) -- the only slabs we saw were full of color and movement, so that's how I think of it.

Thanks Joshua!
Little bit of oil on the hands, and they are gone (and hands are moisturized).

:-)

Francy

Francy
I have noticed the rings I always had in the first 6 months of the stone when I placed a hot wet lid or something down have become a non issue.

I suppose I have broken on my stone finally. When I first got it, I was going crazy. I had to oil every other day for the the first week and had the spots too. Gradually, the oilings tapered and the rings stopped occurring. Now it is maintenance free and developing a beautiful patina. hang in there Francy! The rings will go away.

Josh
You are totally right, not rambling at all. The oil definitely takes longer to darken in an older stone. I let it sit for an hour or so and come back to wipe it down and it is 2 shades darker than when I first put it on. It is truly a remarkable stone.

Bungalowdawn -- sorry didn't see your question for me.

We don't own the house anymore so I can't send current pictures. I "think" we beat it with more regular oilings -- but it wasn't something that got fixed with oil and then needed to be oiled again later it was more and more and more oilings over time fixed it -- does that make sense?

And don't worry you didn't hurt my feelings -- I took a picture of my counters looking like total cr##p. Those rings bugged the bejesus out of me.

However, I still love love love love soapstone -- keep stroking my samples every time I walk by and haven't considered any other counter top for this new kitchen.

ctlady, The Yellow River name reminds me of a body function. I have to laugh at the name. It is a BEAUTIFUL stone and since I am debating between the soapstone and the granite (ah, budgets!), this may be the one I go with.

Hi, I scanned through so forgive me if this got covered earlier, but one question was about the "feel" of the stone. We are looking at the same surface choices and if you are hoping for a hard surface with a nice feel, we thought the antiqued granite felt like leather, which is of course not like a stone feel, but I totally liked it vs the polished granite. Oddly enough, even though it seems like the surface has a bit of texture or bumpiness, it does not seem to "grab" food particles, its just as easy if not easier to clean, both dried on and slimy. Heh. You can see we've been trying out the full gamut. You can also get a good feel for the honed texture and color by buying a single granite tile in the polished color you like and then looking at the reverse side of the tile. With and without color sealer/enhancer. It doesn't lose have to lose the rich color (enhancer pulls it out), just the shiny slippery look. Here, the antiqued granite was actually slightly cheaper than the soapstone option, but it might be because we are in Oregon, or because we haven't shopped enough places yet.

I have loved soapstone since I was a little girl and my great grandmother's house built in New England in the 1800s had soapstone in the kitchen. I knew I wanted it for decades before I got to have it. I knew what patina looked like and it's what I'm looking forward to seeing develop in mine. Plus, I like the way my kitchen looks. Put some hard work into creating a look that enhances the house BUT it's a working kitchen  a hard working kitchen  and that's the primary point.

I will use soapstone again any time I get the opportunity.

Wanted to say that right up front 'cause now I'm going to show you patina happening so anyone making the decision knows what they're choosing and doesn't get disappointed over a major design feature and expense.

Here is what my Julia looks like. I love the green. It works with the rest of my design and was a happy surprise because I was expecting black.

Here is the significant ding it got when a heavy butter dish fell from the cabinet above and dropped on it. This pic is from where I stand cooking at the range.

Here's as close up as I could get (maybe a little too close 'cause the focus isn't good)

I am not understanding the problem with the rings. I get some if someone leaves a wet thing sitting for a while. But I give it a scrub with some soap and water on a nylon pad and then wipe with the beeswax soaked cloth I keep under my sink.

As for the ding, I suppose I could get it filled with some epoxy and I might when we think about selling. But I'm not going to do it for myself. I wasn't happy when it happened but I always knew these things were going to.

And a final thought. I am in an area where soapstone is not in significant use. My GC, the cabinet maker and even the fabricator had never worked with it before. Despite the fact that they see a lot of high-end kitchens (the cabinet maker's next job was a house for Cher) they are really impressed with it.

So, I hope I haven't dissuaded you. ...unless it isn't right for you and I could prevent a disappointment.

I definitely think it depends on the market you are in and the price point you are in as to what has a better sell back....where I live just have some sort of stone at all makes it a high end kitchen!

I think that the choice of stone is such a personal thing, that I wouldn't consider the resale value at all. I didn't look at any houses that had a stone that I would have selected. For that reason, if I were looking at homes, I would prefer a house with formica counters and a "counter allowance", so prospective buyers can get what they want. If you don't want to do that, then I'd just get what you like, enjoy it for the time you're in the home, and hope for the best when it comes time to resell the home.

As it ends up, we decided that we are going to move to our other home which we had rented and had been TRASHED by our tenants. The home is much smaller and in a less "fancy" neighborhood. However, this move will allow me to cash out from this home and enjoy a comfortable retirement. We're going to take a year to DIY most of the work ourselves. The best part is this will enable me to build my dream (within reason) kitchen and not work within the confines of "should I" or "will it pay off". I plan to stay there until they roll me into assisted living! Now I'm struggling with layouts, learning design programs, and am so very excited about the entire process. Thanks for your responses; the people on this forum offer up invaluable information and are so generous with their time and input.
Elyse

We actually had to sell our house with my beloved Santa Rita soapstone last summer. I actually had a nightmare that the buyer ripped the counters out and put in laminate. We got a lot of great feedback on our kitchen. Most people weren't concerned that the counters were soapstone, I think they were happy they were some sort of stone. We print off some stuff to leave in the kitchen for people walking through about soapstone countertops. Care, maintenance, etc.

If I didn't move to another state I would drive by my old house and peak in the kitchen window. lol

Sugarbreak - that was nice of you to print out care instructions for your potential buyers.

In my area, I've seen more than a few homes in the 800K+ range that still have laminate in the kitchens! But the ones with classic, beautiful, well maintained stone really do stand out. And sell faster.

I haven't been in any 2 million+ homes. But the buyers of those places tend to redo everything anyway. At least thats what I hear.

I wouldn't sweat too much about natural stone (granite or soapstone) going out of style any time soon.

Remodelfla,

Good luck with your move, and I guess that means you're getting soapstone! :>)

Not kitchen related but new owners not liking what you'd poured money, sweat and tears into related. In our last house (which we built), we had built a wonderful raised vegetable garden at the side of the house, brick paths, yellow cedar 4X4 retaining walls for each bed- it was a thing of beauty and so functional, then DH custom built a lattice fence with arbour, and I have to say it was a thing of beauty, you could climb on that baby it was so well built and designed... Anyhow, a year or two after my DS had me drive him back to the ol neighbourhood to get sponsors for swimathon, and lo and behold, our front garden had been ripped out, lawn put in, side Japanese garden ripped out, cedar fence torn down, trailer parked there, and 'new' chain link fence installed, AND that vegetable garden on the other side that ANY gardener would have died for ripped up, lawn in, trellis fence and arbour down- can't remember what was put in its place (maybe more parking). I was appalled, I had to quickly drive away and tell DS to meet me around the corner. Haven't been able to go back since! (that was nearly 11 years ago!)