judydel,

JBrodie and Kpaquette both have Julia (I think you can search for their kitchen photos). But Julia looks very different from slab to slab and I think most would say reconsider buying it sight unseen if you can help it.

I won't buy my main slab sight unseen. But I'm probably going to buy two pieces sight unseen, each 30" wide x 24" deep for two hutch units. I'm just trying to cut out an extra trip to Jersey. The hutch units go down to the counter with appliance garages, so the soapstone won't be too visible there.

I have had Julia for about a year now. Here's the newly-installed, newly-oiled stone ...

I like it well enough, but there is significant variation in even the small amount of stone that I have. By the range is a more caramel-coloured part, which doesn't oil up as well.

I don't oil it all that often, I like it well enough unoiled. It doesn't hold onto the oil for a long time. It does scratch and ding fairly easily (think of dragging a heavy plate or bowl across it), but scratches and even chips (one surface chip the size of my pinkie nail) are easily dealt with using some sandpaper and then oiling.

Flatcoat in the close up your Julia is busier than I expected. In the distance shots it seems quieter. Is this because your counters have quieted down with time? Don't get me wrong, I love swirls, patterns, and even veins in soapstone. But my travertine floors are kinda busy so I think quiet counters would go better. Thanks for responding.

Here is my Julia - FYI, I got mine at Teixeira, and they had two kinds of julia - a "dark" julia which is more black than the regular julia, which was more green. I'd say mine is a very deep black green. I also agree not to buy sight unseen - at least have them email you pictures. I was told that julia takes about 3 hours to oxidize to the black after the first oiling. Mine was definitely green after the first oiling but it turned black. so I'd have them send pics of it just oiled, so you can see where the movement is, and then pics after oxidation, to see how black (or green) it gets.

Example,

slab just oiled.

{{gwi:1577070}}

Slab oiled about 4 or 5 times.

{{!gwi}}

Yes it had been oiled on oposite sides, but you can see the veining is the same. . .these are really old pics. .lol

Nice to see these pictures as I am going with Julia (and also probably will not get to pick my slabs in person).

Kpaquette - how long between templating and installation does M.Teix take? I'm hoping to be ready for them at the end of June, then I was thinking that they'd be back the following week to install, but I don't know where I even got that thought - didn't see anything in writing that would make me think that.

I just think the Julia soapstone is gorgeous. JBrodie has it in her kitchen and so many people have commented on how beautiful it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: link to JBrodie's kitchen

Hi Lynne, I was out of town and didn't see this until now. I believe I only waited 2 weeks between template and install, though they said it might be 3. BUT I'm in Newport, RI, so I think the wait might have had something to do with the distance they had to travel? Not sure.

Teixeira told me it would be one week between template and install. I'm in CT.