I would go with something simple like NVG.

Have you looked at the online slab dealers? I will give you an idea of names of slabs and what is out there. Then you go to a local place, see if they have it there or can order it. Names of slabs are different too. So save picks to your computer and watch for slabs that have more than one name. Pay attention to the country the granite comes from.

This picture is from marbleandgranite. Filter with beige and 3cm to find it. The name of this slab is La Dolce Vita. It is a quartzite and more expensive. Much more.

slabmarket
Marbleandgranite
Marbleoftheworld

Your tiles are beautiful. Your kitchen will be so pretty. If you let us know whether you want a lot of movement in your countertop or not, I can add more pictures.

When I first joined GW, I was asked about movement in the countertop. Shoot no! I don't want the top to move. Glue it down! LOL I will never be an expert, but I know more than I used to know.

Same La Dolce Vita slab.

Same site. Royal Cream. On sale now. $21.40 SF for the fabricator if you live near.

Royal Cream up close. No movement.

Same site. Narcarado quartzite. Tons of movement. It is listed under beige.

Same site. Neptune Bordeaux. Also check out River Bordeaux, Torroncino, Typhoon (Sienna) Bordeaux, Taupe Gold, Taj Mahal quartzite, Symphony quartzite, Persa Caravelas, Crema Marfin, Sahara Beige, Ivory Chiffon, Ivory Fantasy.... and on and on.

Some are brushed and some are polished. Good luck!

This post was edited by Peke on Mon, Feb 10, 14 at 16:56

Check out this thread of ideas for working with oak cabinets.

Here is a link that might be useful: DAT Oak

The first suggestion would love very much like mine (which is actually a laminate):

Thanks everyone for the visuals, it really helps.

Peke, you are a world of information. I don't want a lot of movement in the counter. I like the first and the last pictures you posted. I have not purchased that floor tile yet as it comes bundled with those random sizes and not sure about that for a 12 x 14 room but so pretty and soft and my fave to date. I will stay with those colors though.

How do I find good pricing locally? I only need about 35 square feet. First picture I posted is a 102 long by standard counter width and other side is a complicated cut because of the chimney and a 60 x 38 piece needed.

I made an appointment at a local place for Saturday and he quoted me a price the includes fabricating and installing which is $48 sq. ft. Reputable place but that doesn't include taking out my formica counters.

I saw a picture of Honed jet black today and thought it was very nice. What do you think of that with my cabinets and is it expensive?

Honed jet black would work well, just will be dark. And, what I discovered is that black (and solid color) shows any spec of dust, crumb, flour, sugar, etc. I always feel like I need to wipe down my counters (I have a "tan brown", which is mostly black, in my bathroom.) The Santa cecelia, on the other hand, lets everything blend in!

So, how much time do you want to spend wiping things down? (I don't ask in a critical way--just statement of consideration.)

Go back and look at the photo of the black counter tiles that has the vase on sunflowers. You could go with a granite that looks like those tiles. They have gray and black speckles which would look good and not have the high maintenance of solid black. Solid gray would be another good option. Granite with movement would chop your room up further.

Here is a pic of honed steel grey:

Honed jet mist (which I love, but is more expensive):

Bianco Romano, was quite variable in price in my area. It also can be found in tiles.
It is rather similar to your floor tile pattern though, might not want quite that similarity. If you love the granite, though, some cork-look vinyl might be an option.

Raee I like the last two you posted. Bianco Romano has the cream, gray and gold but a little more harsh than the floor I like. ( I wouldn't use the two together, it is the color pallette I like).

I am not set on that tile but love the colors. They are trying to get me a sample and it is stone, not tile and on the expensive side at $6.44 sq ft.

Looks like this project will hash out as vinyl floor with granite counters or Wilsonart Oil Soapstone laminate (per my updating country look other topic posted) with a tile floor.

I know what I like when I see it, I just have to find it!!

This is very very helpful and thanks to all!!

Have you went and looked at granite yards? Or looked at quartz? Take a door with you so you can compare. I've heard that honed black is very high maintenance. Are you willing to have something high maintenance?

' Bianco Romano has the cream, gray and gold but a little more harsh than the floor I like. "

Remember that no two slabs of any named granite are alike. You may find one with a lot more variation, or one that is very subtle. You just have to get out and look at what is available in your area.

BTW you asked how to find discount granite in your area. I found my fabricators by doing a Google search for "discount granite (my city, state)" One sold the prefabricated granite, the others just offered low prices on certain colors from the big stone yards.

I think the dark counters would make your kitchen look smaller and be too dark. I had a horrible time finding a beige paint color that would go with my oak cabinets. They all made the cabinets look orange. Someone posted blues and greens with their oak cabinets and I am now going with greens.

So did you find a stone you liked yet?

Nothing yet. Getting discouraged and still toying with just painting, getting a floor, hardware and a light. It would just be easier but I may always feel it is unfinished.

I only went to one granite warehouse and the experience is daunting and overwhelming. The fabricator I like uses two other suppliers but both almost two hours away which I don't really have time for, or want to deal with.

I am trying to keep an open mind to laminate, granite and even found a Cambria Quartz stone I love (Preston) but want to get it right. I only mention the quartz and think it is overkill for my space and the perfect scenario would be a similar laminate in the Cambria Preston pattern. (I am still picturing creamy/gray/yellowish/greenish) if that makes any sense. The color and pattern and more important to me than the surface itself. Granite has many more choices than laminate but again, shopping for it is exhausting.

As I said in another post, marrying the old with the new is hard and I don't want any new counters with my existing cabinets feel or look as though I tried too hard.

That said, here is a quote from palimpsest from the DAT Oak link where there are some very beautiful ideas, and they said "I want to try one more full-neutral one, but I find as the concept gets more toward the middle the execution is a bit more difficult to pull off, without starting to look dull."

I tend to be conservative and feel most of the looks I pulled together were dull. Choosing black was just easier. (I don that with my clothing also!) Colors I haveI envisioned such as that pretty cream/gray/gold stone flooring did not work out. Then when I do try to step outside my comfort zone and go a little bold, I have read many comments about watching out for too much "movement."

So still in limbo, work full time and hours limited of most suppliers to 4 hours on a Saturday.

Most recently reading online of the Formica FX and the Travertine Silver, pictured here, and Soapstone Sequoia interesting but again "movement" is strong. I do like both of these and have ordered large samples.

This is the Formica Soapstone Sequoia. I like them both and how about throwing "movement" out the window.

They are pretty and neutral but interesting and updated. I have to go for it or not go for it!

We just bought soapstone sequioa for our next house's kitchen! : ) It does have a bit more movement than I'm used to, but it's very pretty. It also has a lot more tans and creams in the veining that I didn't catch the first time I looked at it in the store. Hopefully your large samples will have some of those areas in it so you'll be able to see them for yourself.

Do you have a Bargain Outlet near you? That is where we found ours. The store near my MIL was going out of business -boo-hoo! :( Their counters were 25% off. We needed straight runs, so the prefab pieces will work for us. Looks like you might need a few custom pieces for your space.

Here is a link that might be useful: This kitchen pushed me over the edge into Sequoia-land.

Here is a question: Your Oak Cabinets are nice but what do you want as the center focal point? The cabinets, the floor, the countertop? We had oak flat cabinets with builder grade knobs on them. We tried staining our oak cabinet sample door ad nauseum. Then we decided on changing the laminate bisque colored countertop to granite. We spent for Ever picking a new cabinet color and ended up with a bisque / cream colored cabinet and burnt wood glaze and for knobs ORB. We love it. It seems to go with everything! Vs our oak cabinets that made us choose pretty limited options. We chose for our tile a Nut colored tile that goes with the cabinets, granite and future backsplash choice. So why do I mention these things? Our home is Oak Oak and more Oak such as trim, doors, window frames, stairwell, etc. So even though we replaced cabinets we chose to get painted ones even though we love the wood look! But we did not want two woods competing with each other. So Oak still Wins its control but we at least are not in its palms in our kitchen now as not Oak there! (we replaced the kitchen window, now no oak frame there either! The Granite we chose is White Torroncino. We had other favorites but it was years ago and the changed in look, motion and color! So when we found that it was ours! We did also consider Alaska White and a few more. But we went with Torroncino White. I wish could post images but still not ready for that! Putting in under cabinet lights and still getting crown molding, flooring, backspash hopefully all soon. Granite comes next Friday, Cant wait! Then Tile, then Painting other areas, We chose our fabricator very carefully to find a hands on caring mid-priced but top rated company. They are doing a great job figuring out the slab layout with only one slab. I hope my lessons help you in your journey. We looked at Tile for the flooring for about 6 Months! Till we found one with just enough interest and color but not to compete with the granite,

Steve, this is an old thread and my kitchen was finally completed last June. I love to show off my Absolute Cream Granite and after much time, effort and getting it wrong, I think we pulled it off. The people here were so patient and helpful and couldn't have done it without this site.

This house is 100 years old, 1200 square feet so nothing we could really change in the layout of the 10 x 14 space.

We kept the old Kraftmaid oak cabinets, replaced the exposed hinges, put on new hardware in Statutory Bronze color, Absolute Cream granite, Jeffrey Court Vintage Studio beveled subway tile in Antique Lace color, Swanstone sink, paint is SW Rice Grain and LVT floor is Shaw Resort Tile in Sunlit Sand (top photo-IRL not as yellow and more creamy).

@kirkhall I really like your laminate kitchen counters. Can you tell me what brand and name they are? Thanks.

Tinker1121 - what fun to see this!! I love how this turned out, please show the rest of the kitchen :)

Really nice, great job!

Oldbat2be I had posted a lot of pictures before but will do it again as love how this turned out after all the wrong ideas, hard time matching colors, indecision, and trying to mix the old with the new when keeping the old oak cabinets. Granite is Absolute Cream, sink is Swanstone, tile is Jeffrey Court Vintage studio-beveled in the color Antique Lace and floor is Shaw Resort tile Sunlit Sand vinyl tiles which blends much better IRL.

Here you go:

A couple more:

These are the original

Kraftmaid oak cabinets from 20 years ago.

In most instances the granite at one store will vary in appearance from another. I agree that a light granite would be best, but suggest going to a granite warehouse and picking specific slabs to be sure