I'm not very fond of my granite. It's my third pick, way below the two I really, really wanted. (Fifth pick , actually, if you count the two that I adored but were way, way too expensive. Not to mention the soapstone and marble that Hubby vetoed.) Unfortunately this was the only granite Hubby liked and that we could afford. It still makes me sad sometimes when I see pics of the granite I really wanted.

I've just strived to make the kitchen work as a whole and concentrate on all the things I do like about the granite and the kitchen. I also look back at some of the pics of how horrid the kitchen looked before we started the reno.

We had picked a nice silestone for our bathroom, only thing dh and I kind of agreed on, I never loved it, but I liked it enough. I always had doubts about it enough that I just kept on looking and looking for months. I didn't want speckles and I didn't want swirly granite or any thing too busy
We are building a house so I had time. I finally dragged dh to look at slabs of granite and marble and we decided to get creme marfel marble instead, he wasn't all that thrilled when we made the new decision but when he walked into the bathroom, his first words were that he was so glad we didn't get the silestone. It was the exact look I had in my head.
If you don't love it, I think you should keep looking because once its in and if you don't love it, you will always kick yourself for not continuing the search..
but thats just my opinion
Good luck

Thanks. boy, at this point it would be hard to back out - as I had the local granite yard order the slabs from the distributor's yard - the 1 hour away one. I guess I should just look a little more, even it it cost me extra to change. The one I have picked is the 'best of the litter', it just isn't exactly what I have in my mind!

If it makes you feel any better, I have Golden Oak and I love it.

If you don't like it now, you probably won't like it any better once it's installed. I'd keep looking if I were you.

brody, actually - that DOES make me feel better! I really like your granite and it looks VERY similar to my slabs. My cabinets are darker, do you feel the granite is on the dark side or the light? It is very hard to really look at the granite since they are all lined up in rows and I am right on top of it, and it's outside, in the sunlight in a vertical position.

sometimes you never love any granite the way you loved your first granite.

Overall, I'd say the granite is on the light side, though it does have dark patches. I think it will look really nice with dark cabinets. Here are a few more photos.

The midtoned granites can be hard to pick. Some are gorgeous like the one above. Some have a muddiness to them that isn't what you want. Be sure to view your slab flat and in sunlight. View the sample you bring home at different times of the day. If something doesn't seem right, don't get it.

Waiting for the right one is easier than removing the wrong one!

i've never loved granite. we're not having any in our new build and people think i'm crazy. i think they are. anyway, if you're not at least "happy" with the slab you've selected why not keep looking? it seems to me that you should at least "like" something that's so expensive.GL and i hope you find something that appeals to you.

If you don't like it, I would speak up NOW. But, I think the pics look beautiful and would look great with darker cabs. I hope it works for you. I spent 6mos looking and I'm telling you, when I found it (on a "on a whim" visit to the granite store I'd been to probably 20 times!), it was an instant "this is it" feeling. I even paid the extra to have it shipped to the fabricaters. I love my choice and after me, and everyone else beating me up for taking so long, I'm so happy I took the 6 mos. Then again, I think I would love anything that wasn't harvest-gold color matching laminate - LOL!!

Sleep on it one more night, but if you really can't do it, let someone know pretty quickly.

I feel your pain! I still haven't found a granite that I love either. It seems to me that the granite I see online - usually in other parts of the country - are all much more fabulous than the ones near me ... and by near, I mean an hour away! I think DH thinks I'm being a little ridiculous. He has managed to find several that he believes will be "fine". I want more than fine though. Especially because it's so expensive. We seem to spend every Saturday wandering around stone yards with door sample in hand ...

Thanks everyone. DH is annoyed with me as well, saying I can never make up my mind! This is the 5 house we have built in the last 23 years together, and this one just feels really hard! My last home I loved and I knew exactly what I wanted, but this new home I am just struggling with style and design! The other issue is this is my first kitchen ever with cherry cabinets! I tend to always go to a med. maple finish or painted cream cabinets. I do think that Monday I will revisit the local yards and take another look. It may just be I will not find another granite like my first true love of my last kitchen.

Brody, thanks for all the beautiful kitchen pictures, your kitchen is truly very pretty! I really love the granite in your kitchen, it looks perfect, I just am still unsure if it will be perfect in MY kitchen! Thanks for taking the time to post!

I would keep on looking or check out the different slabs of the oak granite. I saw my granite at a different stone yard and hated it! I would have never given it a second thought. However, the slabs I chose at my stone yard are stunning. Same granite, different slabs. So check it out. It is too expensive a material not to be in love with it.

tinker: I agree with what the others say...keep looking. Even if you have to put in a temp. counter top. It took us a very long time and many miles of travel to finally get THE ONE we both loved. It was well worth the wait.

With that said....I think the granite you have chosen is beautiful and I think it would look great with darker cabs.

GOOD LUCK!!

It's nice to be "in love" with your granite countertop, but it's okay to merely like it. Perhaps there is some other element in your kitchen to be in love with? Maybe the counter will step back, so to speak, and let the cabinets have the spotlight (and the love). I've had some kitchens that I loved because of the natural lighting or the overall look or the functionality. Counters aren't everything :) Cherry cabs with golden oak granite sounds like a beautiful combination.

Brody, your counters are lovely. Have you decided on a backsplash yet?

I like my kitchen granite...but I LOVE my powder room granite, which I found after my kitchen granite. So although I wish I'd put the powder room granite in the kitchen, at least I can go and get my Wild West Green fix any time I want to. I agree with awm03 about it being okay to merely like it. Oddly, it's my slate floor that shines in my new kitchen IMO, and I just absolutely ADORE looking at that floor.

Good luck to you!

Here is the picture of 'my first love'

{{!gwi}}

I plan on getting up early and hitting all the granite yards I can.. just to be sure! I am afraid of my kitchen being too dark, as I have wood floors and cherry cabinets. My heart was set on cream cabinets and I let the KD influence me and my husband rule over me on this! I hope it all falls into place, the cabinets are being installed this week!

Hey tinker2006, I know how you feel and it must feel awful to not love your granite. I am the type of person that needs to "love" every detail, it was the same way when we planned our wedding. My husband and I exhaustively (but lovingly) do a lot of research to find just the right faucet, granite, sink, etc. because we put a lot of effort into our home. And in some cases you have to sacrifice based on budget, but if you have the money for granite there are SO many options and I would hate for you to pick out a granite that you don't love. It certainly costs enough money!!

Your "first love" was very pretty. It has the pinks and creams that kind of remind me of another granite. Have you ever thought of going with Crema Bordeaux? I think it would look so pretty with your cherry cabinetry and give the lightness that you crave, but still compliment your cherry cabinets and wood floors. It has more movement than your first love...but if you find the right slab it just may tickle your fancy!

Maybe something like this...
{{!gwi}}

Hi tinker!

First I'll chime in with everyone else: do keep looking, but only up to a point. As edlakin wrote, it's really hard to compare anything to an idealized something else (I'm grossly paraphrasing). Your old kitchen and its granite can achieve (unfair) mythic status, kind of like what we do when thinking about old loves when our current love is ticking us off!

You have the loveliest taste, tinker, and I know this from seeing those beautiful furnishings and textiles over on the Decorating forum. I do want to suggest that your previous granite was on top of painted cabinets (beautiful kitchen!), whereas in your new home it will be the cherry cabinets which will be supporting the granite.

I'm having a hard time phrasing it the way I want, but basically your old "ideal" granite might not be so ideal in your new setting, on top of cherry (not painted) cabinets. Does that make sense? Your new granite might end up giving you the same pleasure as your old because it will now be in a completely different environment, with the different finishes complimenting the granite in ways you couldn't have imagined. This new granite might not have looked wonderful on your painted cabinets, but it might look amazing on the cherry.

I'm so glad brody_miasmom shared the pictures of her beautiful kitchen so we all could see the granite with wood cabinets. I know your cabinetry (wood / door style) will be different, but it really showed how lovely that granite is with wood.

What are you thinking for your backsplash and wall color?

Good luck and please let us know what else you find!

redroze, the Crema Bordeaux is what we are using in the master bath... and it's very brave of me, since I tend to be on the conservative side and it has a lot a movement in it. I do think it will be beautiful in our bathroom - no second guesses there!

rmkitchen, thank you for the nice comments! I so often find myself lost in thoughts of decorating.. and always find myself second guessing! I think I am getting some last minute jitters... I really have search high and low for granite, and when I spotted the Golden Oak, I felt it was it. I do still plan to go out and revisit some granite yards 'just to be sure'. Hopefully, I'll return 100% positive that it's the right granite for this new kitchen!

I appreciate all your thoughts, comments and photo's!

A golden granite on top of cherry is a gorgeous combination! Especially if you can find a granite with a little black in it to pull out the dark grain lines in the cherry. Add black appliances and black hardware and you have a classic combination. Be sure to add lots of natural and artificial light to keep it cheerful.

Be sure you're also looking at everything in a golden or tan color, not just slabs called 'Golden Oak'. You're familiar with granite naming conventions?...

There are different slabs listed in the Walker Zanger catalog. They also have the pretty granite you chose. You might see something in there that you will love or will fall in love with your choice. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Here is a link that might be useful: Walker Zanger Catalog

I went out this AM and went back to 5 different granite places (then tired out), and really couldn't find anything that I liked better. I searched for Vyara Gold, nobody here had it in stock (one had small pieces). This is the slab of Golden Oak aka Mudura Gold. The top part is washed out due to the bright sunlight, but the rest of it looks pretty true to color on my computer. What do you all think.. this granite with my Cherry cabinets?

{{!gwi}}

For the back splash I found this Champagne Gold tumble stone, and I would accent it with the darker Sierra Gold. But maybe the Champagne is too light and I should do it in reverse?

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

That's a gorgeous piece of granite. For the backsplash, I'd wait until the cabinets and granite are installed, then try out the tiles against it. We did that and the tiles we had previously thought would be perfect turned out to be very wrong.

Granite is beautiful! I think it will look very pretty with your cabs. I too would wait on the back splash until your granite is in. That way you can see it in the everyday light of your kitchen.