Hey Peke - I can't help with the granite advise, but I'm curious about the double oven. What brand is that?

Oh my, those ovens are so awesome!

I am a fan of light, honed counters. On the other hand, some of those granites with the blue swirls are just so, well, swoon worthy. I know-I'm no help at all!

I wondered if that was AR. I really like them and haven't ruled them out, but I haven't been able to find a lot of info on them. I love that you can get the best of both worlds with the hybrid...and the knobs. Please post back with how you like them after you've used a few times. They look great.

Oh my heavens that has to be the loveliest oven ever. Peke was it you that had a vintage french door oven? I saw it somewhere on GW but don't know where. Golum would be proud!

Peke, do your double fruitwood cabinets have a slight reddish undertone? If so, the Sea Pearl Quartzite which has a slightly green undertone may go very well indeed (red is opposite green in color wheel tones, if I recall correctly).

I saw a few slabs of Sea Pearl Quartzite and noticed two things: a) the slabs tended to be smaller than usual (rarer?) and b) a lot of slab buyers hovering around them. It's a pretty quartzite, sea ice like, aptly named.

Another green that was prompting much interest was Rain Forest Green.

Don't know about the other questions, but do you mind telling us what you choose for UCL?

Thanks and Good Luck!

Nycblue devil, I know, there is just something about those pops of blue!

Mgoblue 85, I will post as soon as I am able to use them. I can't wait.

Holly-kay, I wondered if someone would get that "my precious" comment. LOL no it wasn't me that had the vintage oven.

Sparkling water, yes, they do have a reddish cast. I think you are right about the sea pearl. I worry about the dark cabinets with the even darker granite with blue pops of color.

I haven't chosen led lights yet because I am trying to find ones that do not need a separate transformer. I found three that have built in drivers, but they are really expensive. I figured that if I wait a while, other companies will start making them and the price will go down.

Here is a pic of honed (right) and polished (left) of the sea pearl. It looks more blue gray than green in person to me, but all information says green.
Peke

I like the honed better in that photo with your cabinets. The polished looks too crisp and modern for the style of cabinets/wood you chose. It is gorgeous either way though. Beautiful ovens!

Love them both but I think honed would look lovely!

I like the honed too.

How will it hold up to etching and stains? I keep reading that honed will stain easier.

I love the honed too, I don't like the shiny look of polished.
Peke

bump

So if I get the Sea Pearl will my cabinets have enough color for the kitchen? I don't want it to be too blah. Will it be too subdued? Would any other granite go with it? It is such a soft delicate color.

I think it's absolutely luminous. LOVE it!

Love the honed and would prefer in your kitchen. Can you get a small sample to test out how easily it stains and etches? Honed is more porous. I would think etching would blend in and easier to fix if you wanted to than with a high polish.

Honed! Definitely, with your cabinets...just get it sealed, you'll be fine.

I think it's lovely. I'd say definitely honed.

Ask for a sample and put it to the test. With our granite, the fabricator wouldn't break off a chunk until we put a deposit on it...I told her that if it stained and did terrible things, it was "unsold" and she agreed. They broke off a piece and sealed it and sent it off with me to put things on it to try out.

Great! Thanks, I love the honed too, but I am worrying because I cannot test it.

I tried last week (twice) to get a sample. It is definitely quartzite. It scratched a glass tile very easily. I didn't even use a sharp edge.

We have to get it from a wholesaler. Our fabricator doesn't have any. We will have to buy the whole slab. So can't return it if it doesn't pass stain tests.

That is what is making me nervous. I can't find a Volga blue either, my second.choice.

Those slabs are beautiful! I can imagine them in Bilbo's kitchen. I also like the honed.

I am going to the slab yard this week to look at the sea pearl quartzite one more time. I think they only let the fabricator put a deposit down. I wonder why some places will give you a price and some won't. I can't get any prices in my state.

I did find out that they were calling it honed, but the tag days brushed. What is the difference between honed and brushed?

How is your search going, Peke? I made my first stone yard visit today. Saw some lovely things but leathered Sea Pearl was in a different location. I've asked them to bring it in so I can consider it, though this yard doesn't release pricing except to fabricators so I'm not even sure it is in my budget. Have you put water on it to check porosity?

The lone voice for the polished piece. I guess I'm like Smaug and love shiny objects! Looking good, especially your precious.

Hello,

Peke, wondering if you, or anyone else considering Sea Pearl has decided yet?

I saw this slab of "Leathered Sea pearl" yesterday that I really love.

I notice you call yours in the picture "honed". I've been told "Leathered" will make something more textured and more durable, but "honed" leaves it smooth but more susceptible to fingerprints/smudges/ and staining. I am thinking the one I saw was actually "honed" and was labeled wrong, it was perfectly smooth.

Just wondering if you decided to go for it & if you know much about the honed qualities, if you are worried about that...I too cannot get a sample til I buy it....seems crazy.

I love it but really want something very durable that I don't have to worry about. Its the reason I'm willing to pay more for quartzite. I love the look of the honed/leathered but if its going to be hard to care for, Im not paying all that money for it!

Homebuyer that is one gorgeous slab! I would snap that up in a New York second!

If I couldn't have a sample, I might accidentally bump into the edge of that with a smashed blueberry or dab of tomato paste. I'd be drinking wine at the time, and it might spill as I tried to clean up my mistake. Maybe you could ask whether you can torture the back, or edge, of the slab a little? It is lovely!

kksmama, lol! I am cracking up for some reason at the visual I just got, picturing me if I actually did that!!

holly kay, thanks, isn't it nice?!

Homebuyer, turns out it was brushed Sea Pearl that I was looking at.

Gigibozo did choose Sea Pearl. Maybe she will chime in.
Peke

Oh geez, there's brushed too? What is brushed and how is it's durability? Was the slab labeled something other than brushed?

My fabricator said she's looking into what the deal is with the slab I saw. I just hope to somehow know how I will know if her answer is accurate.

Thanks for the response! I'm curious, did you decide on a slab yet peke? Have you ruled out sea pearl?

Homebuyer, I haven't chosen one yet. The Sea Pearl is okay, but I would have to change my color scheme. I saw it in daylight and what I thought was blue was more green-gray.

The girl at the slab store said it was honed, but the tag said brushed.

I think it goes in this order: polished, honed, brushed, leathered. There are also other finishes like antiqued, but I don't know much about them. The worst one for fingerprints is polished.

Flevy has a beautiful kitchen with Sea Pearl on her island. It looks like polished. She might answer any questions you have.

Peke

Here is a link that might be useful: Flevy's Sea Pearl island counter

Peke - any baking in precious yet?

My Sea Pearl should be going in by the third week of July. I'll post pictures then. It's polished. I never saw a slab of it any other way. So going with what I know I like.

I can't wait to see it in your kitchen. I can't wait until I get that far in my remodel.

Mgoblue, I have not been able to use the bottom electric oven because it doesn't work. The repairman that I waited on for a month finally came. He told AR that he felt he was not qualified or not able to fix it. So AR decided to send me a brand new oven.
Peke

It is so gorgeous! Please let me know how it works out. I love the honed...cement look. I am going to search in Ma. How much a sq. ft?

It is so gorgeous! Please let me know how it works out. I love the honed...cement look. I am going to search in Ma. How much a sq. ft?

I have honed dark granite right now and it stains like crazy esp anything remotely oily. Tried everything to seal it and nothing worked. It was in the house when we bought it and we are now remodeling the kitchen and it it will be gone. Replacing with polished Sea Pearl quartzite if the quote is right (fingers crossed). It's been a process because this kitchen has extremely high end (previous owner installed) cabinets with a high gloss finish in teal blue - gorgeous but challenging and way to expensive to replace. Very sleek and modern.
Thanks to the oven forum we chose the Miele Master Chef oven (wanted that rotisserie) and warming drawer and after reading on the Refrigerator Forum we chose the Thermador Freedom Towers for the fridge and freezer. LOL we inquired about getting panels for them to match the cabinets and yikes, the cost was more than the appliances cost. So stainless fronts it is.
Everyone here is so helpful - certainly appreciate this site and the forums.

Sea Pearl is quartzite and expensive. I think it is about $40.00 sf plus fabrication costs which are higher than granite. Quartzite is very difficult to cut.

For those of you who have had leathered quartzite for a while, can you share you experience thus far? Did you also get it sealed, in addition to leathered? I have gotten so many conflicting answers from dealers and fabricators, I just don't know what to believe!

We are considering a light slab (Madre Perola/Mother of Pearl/Madre di Perla, Dolce Vita/Austral Dream, Taj Mahal, or White Macaubus), so I'd be particularly curious about hearing form folks who have had one of these lighter quartzites leathered.

Thanks so much for sharing any insights!

amycash, what did you end up with, and are you happy with it?