I did calacatta quartzite. Still love the look of marble but I really love my counters. They were quite a bit more expensive but I feel it was worth it. I have two boys and a messy husband! There was NO way marble would have lasted a day in our house.

Anne1495, your counters are beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

I just picked my slabs of White River granite. Light grey, flowing darker grey, and touches of gold (and purple spots). No one would mistake it for marble, but it's faintly reminiscent.

For example:

Here is a link that might be useful: 1912 home kitchen

"They (quartz) were installed 10 days ago to replace green granite."

May I digress a bit please?

Years ago, it made me a bit sad when folks would tear out solid surface to install granite and made worse by listening to the stoners, many of whom hold quartz in contempt, rub it in.

How's it feel, boys?

Feisty68, I love that White River Slab in that picture you shared! I can't wait to see your kitchen with it.

I can't wait to see more of what others have done with their counters.

"Years ago, it made me a bit sad when folks would tear out solid surface to install granite and made worse by listening to the stoners, many of whom hold quartz in contempt, rub it in.

How's it feel, boys?
"

This makes me sadder. Granite, Marble, quartzite etc. are all natural materials which means that there is a giant, unnatural looking gouge left in the mountainside where these stones are mined. Having done the damage, "we" aren't even respecting that material and the shredding it did to the environment but tossing it out into landfills because granite/marble/quartzite/limestone/whatever is now passe or whatever the latest sanitising moniker for conspicuous consumerism is.

I used wine river granite. It's got a gray-green tone, and I really like it very much with my white cabinets. My kitchen walls are painted in BM Quiet Moments half strength which is a blue-green and the combination looks nice, at least I think so. The picture below doesn't have great lighting but it does show the counters reasonably well:

RunningInPlace, I love your Wine River Granite and the edge you chose! I also love your faucet and backsplash.

I was originally looking at marble and marble-like materials but eventually decided to use marble on my BS (in 3x6 subways), on a ledge (slab) and a kitchen table (slab). I used a contrasting colored quartz. No regrets on the choice of quartz; it was the right choice for us. I also got marble, just in other lower wear areas, and I am pleased -- although I just saw that arabesque Carrara tile that I would have loved.

I was just in a restaurant for brunch today and they had a long bar with honed Carrara marble. The sunlight was hitting it at an angle and you could see every bit of patina (dents, water rings, blotchiness, etc). It looks great in a rustic setting (like the restaurant -- industrial bohemian decor), but I know it would have been wrong for my kitchen and home.

I put in white macaubus quartzite and really like it. But I also love marble, so I chose a honed marble subway tile as the backsplash with another marble mosaic arrangement in the recess over my cooktop. That way I get the easy care of the quartzite counter and a nice amount of marble to look at in the backsplash. The backsplash is not in yet, it's on order. When it is installed I will snap a picture of it if you like.

Anne, I have a sample of the Torquay right now and it was hard to imagine what it would look like in a big piece, so thanks for that great picture of your counter. It looks great! I fell in love with a sonoma tile (Vihara, puka color) and I'm worried that might be too busy with the countertop and I think the tile has more gray tones whereas the counter is more cream? I'm going nuts trying to figure out if i want to stick with the backsplash and try to pick a countertop to match or if I want to ditch the backsplash and get a countertop and then match the tile. I need to do something soon.

Vicostone/Pental quartz makes a quartz in a calacatta and carrara marble look. Both very nice.

We haven't selected anything yet, but so far we've been impressed with the LG brand of quartz in the color 'Minuet'.

That said, I'm not sure I would go for a substitute per say. Ideally I'm looking for something that would never be confused with marble, but may give off a similar vibe in the overall space. Leaning toward quartz because like others I've chosen a calacatta gold subway tile honed marble backsplash to be the star of my space, and would like quiet counters. Marble would be absolutely stunning but I don't have the personality to live with it unfortunately. Wish I did.

Can I, you'll find it is much easier to pick counter first and backsplash second, if you want the most options.

sjhockeyfan,
I agree, it would be easier. If I could only find some countertop I loved! Nothing is speaking to me, and none of the ones that do speak to me on GW and houzz seem to be available at our local yard.

+1 Mindstorm! This makes me sad too.

I don't mean to interrupt the conversation, but just wanted to acknowledge that important point.

I went with a stainless steel counter and marble slab backsplash.

Can123. There is quite a bit of gray in the Torquay. I'll post another picture to see if that gives you a better idea. We just received countertop height chairs in gray leather (we are actually having a countertop height kitchen table made with Torquay as the top). I put the chairs next to the island and the chairs looked great when pulled up to the island. Good luck!

Cani123. Here's another pic ( I don't know how to post multiple pics in one post)

Here's another pic of the Torquay. I took it at a kitchen display. In this display it appeared more white than cream. It was paired with a light sage green crackle tile. Very pretty. I'll post a few more pics. The tile looks completely different than it did IRL. The Torquay looks very much like it did IRL.

Torquay

Torquay

Torquay

Thanks so much for all the pictures of the Torquay. I'm shocked because it looks so light in the pictures (a good thing). The sample I had at home looked more cream than white. It's so hard to tell anything from the small samples. The sample of the backsplash tile is grouted in white and the Torquay wasn't as white. I really like the way it looks on the pictures. The sample that looked the best with the bs tile was misty carrera which I'm worried will be too gray and blah when it is over a large area. I have a north facing window so I need some brightness.

Illinigirl, I'm exactly where you are. All the counters I have seen on houzz or on here in the quartzite , I have not been able to find, so I'm thinking I need to go with quartz instead. There is nothing that has jumped out at me in the real stone and I can't find the ones I want. I figured if I make the backsplash the star I should be able to find a quartz to match..

It was very white in the display & not busy looking at all. Subtle grey veining.
They had 3 different backsplash mosaics paired with it.
I have Imperial Danby Marble. I would have considered this if I had seen it in a kitchen rather than a small sample. The tile is photographing dark but it was a very light clear sage green.

I have mixed feelings about picking stone counters quarried from the earth. I am terribly aware of the scar left. OTOH, having just ripped out the laminate that was only 12 years old, I think it's a crying shame that it only managed to look decent for about two years (small countertop area that got hard use due to lots of cooking!). What a waste. I hope that my kitchen will have staying power (form *and* function) for a long time to justify having used natural stone. I am prioritizing the stone counters as a design decision. Other than the hardwood which was already adjacent and got extended into the kitchen, and the stainless appliances already purchased, my stone counters come first as a design element. Unless they are installed I will not pick anything else - not cabinet fronts, or wall colour, or curtains, or anything. I hope that will be some insurance against having regrets.

I probably would have picked quartz if I was making the decision on my own. Of course, every option does have environmental consequences.

Cambria Torquay is a very popular choice amongst our customers!

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