Option 1 is my favorite! I love the softness of it. It has flow and enough in it to make it interesting. I don't think I'd like the rust spots you mentioned (I saw one slab that had spots that looked like you hadn't wiped off spilled spaghetti sauce. I'd always be trying to clean it off!?) It sounds like you are not a fan of the "spotty" look, either.

Either would be beautiful, but if I only needed one slab, I'd go for the first one. But, then again, I don't go for a real dramatic look. I already have enough drama in my life LOL!!!!

I wish I'd seen some quartzite options in my search, as I love photos of your slab(s) and others posted on this forum. As it turned out, though, I think we'll be happy with the slab we just commited to....

Good luck!

Can't see how much of the rusty spotting appears in the second slab. I'd talk to the fabricator and ask if he can work around the worst of them or not. Ideally, you can be there the day he puts down the templates to make sure your favorite parts of the slab are preserved. If there is a lot of rust, and you won't be able to work around it, then the more pristine slab may be your better bet.

Gone_south- we would be using almost all of the slab so it would be really hard to work around the rusty looking spots/veins.

I like #1.

But both are beautiful. It really is what speaks to YOU. Some people look at a slab and absolutely love that "odd" swirl or marking because it is what makes your slab unique. Other people might not want a perfectly uniform piece but don't want something that looks "different".

I was a the stone yard last week. There was a slab of something--pretty basic, level 1, very uniform stone--you know the kind. There was a really black "birth mark" on the slab in the center. The fabricator told me, that she will have some people say "ew, not that one it has a mark", and other who insist on that slab, and have the mark centered on their island!

So, it really is what you prefer.

As I said, if I was choosing, #1.

Along the lines of what Bee has said, when you look at the slabs, how can you see it templated? And, when you look at the slabs, what to you envison your backsplash to me?

Yes I can picture how we would use each one. The first one is the one that really wowed me and we have that one hold, but I am of course second guessing myself. We are thinking of using a calacutta tile backsplash, but would have to bring some samples in to the stone.

I'd go with my first instinct. If you flipped a coin, heads being slab #1 and tails slab #2, which way would you be hoping for it to land while it's in mid-air?

I have white Danby marble. I spent a lot of time looking for a"quiet" slab. It's gorgeous, but now that it's in the kitchen, I know I could have easily gone for more dramatic veining.

Last thing I'd say, is that if there are brown/orange sopts that you really don't like, maybe you should stay away from that slab...you'll be looking at those spots every day! Although, everything looks prettier when it's finally fabricated and in the kitchen.

These look like Madre Perola quartzite. We're just finishing our kitchen up and have this for our counters. Had the same slab debate and went with the lighter, more uniform slabs. I think it worked for us and gives a very calm, marble like look. The big rust swirls looked a little "granitey" to me and that wasn't what we were going for. That being said, you need to do what makes you happy. All I can say is that the extra money we spent to get the slabs we wanted (had to go 3 cm vs. 2 cm for the 'calmer' slabs) was worth every penny and more. You see your counters all day, every day and they really define the kitchen. If you can at all afford it I'd go for what you love and save elsewhere. I shudder when I think how close I came to going with something I didn't really like that was only a little cheaper.

There are a few gorgeous madre perola kitchens on the forum. Pipdog's is one of my favourites, but there are several others. I'd search through google to find them, not the forum search function.

I love the softness and luminescence of #1. While I do often love bold, I like the soothing feel of the first one better. I also am not a big fan of the brown/rust spots. I think both are really lovely, but #1 is gorgeous.

Thanks lisa, can you post a link to your kitchen, I would love to see it.

I LOVE number 1- love the calm feeling it inspires in me when I look at it.

Sorry no pics yet...maybe in a few weeks. Maybe sooner if I can figure out how to post them. Pipdog's is spectacular and she also has white cabinets, so the look may be similar to what you're thinking. I have white uppers and white oak rift cut lowers.

I like option 1.

The rusty spots in the second slab would bug me because there isn't enough rust color to look intentional, and it would always look like a stain on the counter (to me!)

Another vote for option 1. So soothing and calming. Love it!

I love #1. I am also a neutral sort of gal though.

What is this granite called??

It's so pretty, can it possibly be durable and tough enough for my twin boys?

Let me know if you don't take it. Maybe they will hold it for me for a year or two until I get my house built.

red-lover around here it is called taj mahal, and it is a newer quartzite from what they told me. Well new in our area anyhow. They said it should be very durable as most quartzites are. I hope so b/c we have little ones around the house too and I am not a clean cook.

I love it. So what is quartzite?

Like lisa 0527 I've also chosen Madre Perla. Mine looks similar in feel but has a taupe-y undertone instead of golden. I do love slab #1 bc of it's softer watercolor type feel. It's subtle but beautiful.
Mine is not installed yet so no completed pictures to show.

It sure looks like Madre Perola Quartzite, but I know it has many other names as well and that the name seems to vary by locale. Ours has been in for 3 months and no stains or etching despite some serious abuse. Before I bought I asked as many people as I could find about their stain/etch experience. They all seemed to say it was bullet proof with no problems.

Well I hope it is as bullet proof as the madre perola. I have not seen that stone at the 2 warehouses I went too, but it is very similar.

What backsplash option did those with the madre perola choose? I had my head set on a white marble tile with a little movement, but wondering if that might be too white, but then again I do not want a BS that competes with the granite too much.

I really like Option #1.

#1 and I would take that cute little girl, too.

I love #1 and that cute little girl! Please post picture of your kitchen when the cabinets are installed since I want to see Polar White inset cabinets in another kitchen and not just the show room. I only saw one other poster with the Polar white. I still have not given up yet on the Shiloh Inset Cabinets that I love and if I can save enough for them, then I am not sure between the Polar White and the Soft White. In the showroom the Polar White seemed to be a touch darker than BM Cloud White. In pictures, it seems to white. I loved it in the show room.