I think it's lovely, myself. I LOVE the granites with a lot of variation like that.

It's a great looking slab. You can make it fit "traditional" with your other elements. If you love this particular slab I say go with your heart. You can make it work.

Love it.

Long Runs? Larger kitchen? The stone is beautiful but makes a definite statement. By traditional do you mean stained or painted cabinets? I can picture this granite with dark cabinets and long runs or perhaps cream cabinets and this stone used on a large island with the perimeter out of a different more retrained dark stone. It certainly is beautiful.

That slab is a beauty! I'm guessing you can't stop thinking about it? I agree with chris and jb. It will be fine if you make it work/coordinate it with the other details of your kitchen.

Thanks for all of your comments! We will have cherry cabinets with a whiskey black glaze, earth tone painted walls, black composite granite sink...

It's a beautiful slab, but definitely a statement. There are some creama bordeaux's that have less color than that. Some even more green. I looked at a lot of it before I chose my counters. So, if that seems to drastic to you, try some other granite yards that might have some more toned down slabs.

A couple calmer ones I looked at.

Bertha...that's a terrific looking slab. Why would it not work in a traditional kitchen? If you want to be really traditiona, you could always get a formica top ;)

I think its a valid question. It depends upon what you mean by "traditional": it would probably be helpful to see pictures of the house--rooms you were happy with.

It is a nice looking slab, but it could look out of place.

I am reminded of a house I was in that was c.1910, very nice but kind of subdued throughout and they had a kitchen, and a master bath (also very nice) with intense granite and cabinetry. It was like walking from the black and white part of the Wizard of Oz into Munchkinland in technicolor. It was all nice, but there was a disconnect.

I think it is beautiful but I did have Tom Cordova who specializes in granite (from the rock blog) tell me absolutely no pink in kitchen granite and that looks like it has a lot of pink in it? Any granite that I emailed him a photo of that had any hint of pink he said *NO* .. but then I never asked him why LOL He seems to have a lot of experience with granite though so I'm trusting his judgment.

The granite looks much more intense because you're seeing it head on. One granite yard showed me how to "look" at granite - from the side at an angle with my head tilted. The granite will be a horizonatal surface in your kitchen not "in your face" like in the granite yard. It will not be as intense.

Personally I love it but then again I have typhoon bordeaux in my traditional old home. I think it also depends on your other elements - cabinets, backspash, etc. It can easily work together. If this granite makes your heart sing - get it.

Also you will probably not use the whole slab and may be able to advoid parts that may be too intense for you.

Here's my slab in the granite yard

And here's my granite in my unfinished kitchen

Bostonpam, after looking at your beautiful island, can you tell me how large or what the size is? Mine is going to be somewhat similar and I was worried about putting the prep sink in. Thanks,

I love it! I agree with jb1176 that it would be super on an island with a 'calmer' permiter stone. I'd want to use the whole slab though... do you have a butler pantry or powder room where you can use a smaller piece of it if your island doesn't use up the majority of the slab? (Got a layout?)

Mine is a traditional home (Georgian style, center entry) and I would put something like that on an island. Nothing wrong with a gorgeous focal point in a traditional home! Got pictures?

Love it. Boston I love your slab and your kitchen! I am drooling. I love the brick wall! What are you plans for it?

Amy

I did have Tom Cordova who specializes in granite (from the rock blog) tell me absolutely no pink in kitchen granite ... and his reason was????

That first slab is extremely eye-catching, which means it will dominate your decor until it is replaced. Can you live with that much emphatic patterning and color?

Kellykath - my island is 85" x 51". My sink is Franke ARX11013 (13" x 14")

Aktillery - this part of the house was an addition in the 1840's - 1860's. The main part of the house is from 1825. On the left was the original outside brick wall. The corner is where the old range use to be with the "circle" going into the chimney for venting. There was a brick floor in this area which I was trying to save but one of the workers started to take it out... oh well.

Behind the sink I will paint the brick the same color as my cream subway tile backsplash. The other walls will be painted a yellow (Benjamin Moore HC-4 Hawthorne Yellow or Benjamin Moore 2155-50 Suntan Yellow). I have exposed brick for a chimney in another room. The old kitchen had a dropped ceiling with a floor right above it. That old growth pine floor was hidden for 100 years. We're going to use those wide pine planks for the built in bench for the kitchen table.

LOVE IT! I love the movement!

I was told by a friend of ours, who owns a tile and granite company, that the piece of granite that you keep going back to is the one you will choose...he was right! Get what you like!!!

Here is our kitchen with Crema Bordeaux countertops. I wanted a busy granite to be the focal point of an otherwise tranquil kitchen.

I think the slab you've chosen is gorgeous. It's similar to the granite in my kitchen (x 4 1/2 years) and I never tire of it. Where did anyone get the idea that color is not traditional?

It wasn't the color that seemed non-traditional, but the "wow" cream colored (kind of looks like tree bark) section that will have to be our focal point to make the flow work in our kitchen. I was fine with everything but that part. We previously had a Cream of Bordeaux 2 cm slab(more uniform and without any "wow") but the 2cm edges did not come out well...so we had to pick out another stone. We don't have the luxury of time as our kitchen is in limbo with new cabinets in and appliances out and knowing that we could continue to wait and not find anything better. This is a popular piece here and is sells out within a weeks time with new arrival pieces coming in 2-3 weeks later. By the way, my husband really likes the "wow". We stayed with this type stone as it was the best color match for our house...we did have assistance from a designer on the colors in this stone.

Personally, that's exactly what I want people to say when they see my granite..."WOW"!