I do not know about salt and pepper granite, but I do know that luna pearl is universally disliked by every buyer that has seen it in the last 10 years (maybe longer) with me. As soon as that is spotted, they start to talk about "updating" and taking it out. It was probably the most popular granite in the late 80s and early 90s around here and yet I can't recall a single newer kitchen that has it.
I almost always say to "do what you love" but this time, I do have to warn you that if resale anytime in the near future is possible, this will be a clear selling detriment.

I think salt and pepper and luna pearl are the same. They look the same to me. I love this granite but I don't think I've actually seen it, in person, in a kitchen or bath. Always see it as a top of a portable island in stores.

Do what makes you happy unless you are selling soon.

Why don't people like this granite? To me its a modern clean look, and I like the contrast of black and white with out being too busy.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I don't think this looks dated. I'm getting ready to do it in my kids bathroom with white subway tile. I think it has a very clean look. I don't have a picture yet- sorry!

I looked at the pic posted, and the granite doesn't look dated to me, either. I think it would read "dated" if you had things in the kitchen with it that really were dated, like the appliances in that pic! But in the right installation, I think it would be gorgeous. It kind of looks like quartz to me.

>It was probably the most popular granite in the late 80s and early 90s around here

I guess it depends on where you are. Around here that would be uba tuba, which everyone in the world did with those alder-stained cabinets. To me, if any granite says "older builders special" that would be the one. I've hardly ever seen salt and pepper until quite recently.

I think, like writersblock says, it depends on where you are. Where we are, the homes are all older, so no builder's granite---but lots of flips, so anything that you could buy cheaply in Chinatown (of which this is one) has the danger of reading "boom-time flip," but usually those were also specific types of cabinets too. It's not that people don't like those granites so much as that they were just really, really overused where I live at a certain period of time (here, early-to-mid 2000s) so a lot of people associate them with that era and those types of remodels. I tend to think less dated and more "put in to sell" when I see them, though---mostly because that was really common here. (That said, we bought a house with a similar rose granite that had, indeed, been put in to sell, so it's not a deal breaker!)

This might not be true where you live, and more importantly, if you're not selling any time soon, it probably doesn't matter too much.

The link below is to the version that I see in homes with kitchens from the 80s to early 90s. It usually had a pink or peachy tone along with the black, white and gray. I guess it went with the mauve, peach and seafoam green colors that were popular then.
When I googled it, some did not look like the old style luna pearl, so perhaps what you are seeing in person is nicer than the ones I associate with the name.

Here is a link that might be useful: luna pearl

I see alot of the pink "luna pearl" style granite (slabs and tile) on craigslist in our area.

As mentioned above, too many put in this and other lower cost granite just to say the "g" word when selling.

nguyendtt, I googled "luna pearl granite" and found several photos so you might want to try again. I never see my bathroom granite here either, its steel grey. If it works with the rest of your kitchen, do it.

Some friends of mine recently did a low-end remodel (spent approx. $13,000 and did most of the work themselves), and she used lunar pearl granite. IMHO, I think it looks really nice, especially when paired with a warm colored cabinet.

I had that granite in my previous home. The cabinets were natural maple, the backsplash was a tumbled white/gray marble and the cabinet pulls were black. I really liked it. Like the above picture, I think this granite looks good on light-medium warm wood. My granite had lots of ivory in it, so it looked great with the light maple cabinets.

I think where it could look dated is with the white laminate cabinets. If you do it right, it can look great; I think it is a classic granite.

I adore Luna Pearl and wanted it as a tabletop in my kitchen. When they were loading the truck, it fell and absolutely cracked! I had to pick a different stone--which I am not crazy about. I often think that the Luna Pearl would have been so perfect. It is totally classic IMHO.

Here are some links to the Crown Point website depicting a "salt & pepper" granite.
http://www.crown-point.com/styles/ea/earlyamerican4-5.html
http://www.crown-point.com/styles/ea/earlyamerican4-4.html
As you can see, it can go modern or traditional. I don't know what it's called though.
Hope this helps.

Thank you all for your responses, especially ashleymking, gwgin and debrak_2008 for the pictures of actual kitchens. I do love the lunar pearl with no (or very minimal) pink in it, mainly white, black, gray and some speckles. I've read somewhere that people don't like it because it reminds me of tombstones. I disagree but just want to see what everyone else on this board thinks. Please continue to post pictures if you have it in your kitchen.

I have a few pictures, maybe they can help.
~boxerpups

Luna Pearl

The tag said Luna but this looks just like White River to me

Luna Pearl

Luna Pearl

From GardenWeb Laurie's counters

Here are few of Azul Platino which has a uniform look
to the granite. No or little movement. Maybe you like
these.

Hi!

I looked at both Luna Pearl and Sesame White (which may be the same as your Salt-and-Pepper).

Based on the materials that I looked at, there is a difference between LP and SW. The color flecks on the SW are smaller and more defined. LP flecks tend to be larger and a more undefined and there is a bit more pink in the material.

This is the Sesame White that I viewed:

I wound up going with Imperial White as I liked the subtle motion of the flecks...which were still small with a 'tight' pattern. I was looking for a stone that was as close to engineered quartz in looks as possible.

Closeup:

Good Luck!
Pepper

Wow,I think the granite in all the kitchens are beautiful! I think any of these would do as they are similar and are uniform in pattern. I might have to look at imperial white. Somehow I thought it would have a lot more gray than that. I love how it's whiter than the other colors.

Pepper - that's a beautiful granite (Imperial White)!!
nguyendtt - I have Luna Pearl in my kitchen. It does have another name : Bianco Sardo. When looking in granite yards, I noticed some slabs that had pink in them and some without. Dh and I picked without pink. The colors in our granite are white, black, gray, & taupe (grayish tan).

It's been almost 3 years and I still love our choice. I agree with you that it's hard to find pics. I see that boxerpups posted a close up of my granite. I'll post some more here.

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