Definitely the first one. I want to say something politely negative about the Brown Persia, but it's just too awful.

I like the second one (the waterfall island one) with the large spots.

I like the second to last one as an interesting slab, but I don't think I would want it as a kitchen counter. It is kind of what certain kinds of bacteria look like under the scope.

Interesting how the second to last slab elicits such dramatically different responses. To me, it looks like modern art...or sort of impressionistic view of what someone else said "Trees in winter". No cobwebby or microbial vibes at all for me.

Due to the stain on your cabinets and the white appliances, my favorites are what looks good with these two items and not my favorite slabs. I like the first and the last one. The first matches the best on my screen but it may look different in person. What is the slab's name. What is the wood on your cabinets. Hope we are helping.

P.S. I also like the 2nd to last one despite a lot of people not liking it. I take it back as I just went through the slabs again and not only do these three go well with your cabinets and appliances, on their own they are very nice. There is another one I like but not as much with your cabinets.

if i had to pick one, i would go with the last one. but really not feeling it with any of them.

the first is "ok"...all the others, eh. the brown persia (cobwebs), i do not like at all. i know i could never look at that for a long period of time. i would get tired of it and it makes me hyped up, just too busy on for me.

when you find your slab you will know it. you won't feel the need to ask anyone, you will just know. you won't want to go to anymore yards or look at anymore slabs. you really will know it when you see it.

good luck, i know this is a hard decision :)

My first reaction was the same as breezygirl and KathyNY76, except I was thinking more of bats in a cave than cobwebs. Your cabinets have a lot going on, and the first one is a little calmer.

I also agree with pawa that it would be good to look at some other colors to see if you like them even better.

Good luck!

Just my opinion, but I don't like Bianco paired with a dark cabinet.
My vote is for #1.

I love the first one. Some of the others seem kind of "common" to me but that one has a different look. I like the calm pattern of it - I'm not much into "spotty" granite or ones that are overly busy and "loud". It also picks up the colors really well - or at least on my screen.

I like the first one the best. It is interesting, but not jarring.

My vote is for the first one. The next to the last one creeps me out too. It looks like porky-pine shoots or something. It definitely screams.

LOL at some of the comments, especially palimpset with the bacteria. Good thing I didn't have anything in my mouth when I read that one. That Persia is actually a lot prettier in person, but now all I see is bacteria under a microscope. ROFLOL!

Actually, we decided it's too busy for our cabinets even though it seems to be a perfect match in color.

Looks like Typhoon Bordeaux (the first one) and Bianco Antico (the last one) have the most votes. I really like both of them, but in different ways.

Pawa, I hadn't considered another color like blue, I don't know why. I'm going back to some of the places on Thursday, so I'll try to look at them all with the idea of complementing rather than matching.

Lynn, our cabinets are made of ash, but they were stained light oak in the mid '80's and I stripped them and restained them Mocha Brown. I know that name isn't very helpful. They are like a medium oak, with a slightly reddish tint. I like the bold grain of ash and this darker stain really picked it up more than that golden oak color. But it's also making it harder to find a granite pattern.

I did a mock up of all the granites I've liked so far. Here is the Typhoon Bordeax:
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I also saw some New Venetian Gold today. The guy said that it is different from most NVG because it doesn't have as much yellow in it, but it still has the white spotting in it that makes it look good with white appliances. Dh liked it at the warehouse, but not in my mock up.
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You can see all of the slabs and mock ups in my album. I made it public, so the link should work.

I took the white tray so I could see what the stones would look like next to my appliances, and it wasn't until I got to the first place that I found I left my little door at home. All I had was an old door that was still the old golden oak color. It didn't help any.

Right now I am torn between the Typhoon Bordeax and Colonial Gold, with Colonial Cream and Giallo Rio right behind, but that could change Thursday. I sure hope you are right that I will know when I find the right one. I thought I found it today with the Giallo Ornamental, and even put my name on them. Then I saw the New Venetian Gold and thought I liked it best.

Colonial Gold
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Dh likes the Santa Cecilia (which none of you liked) because it doesn't compete with the cabinets. I think it's fairly boring.
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I do know that it's way too hot to be looking for granite right now!

of these I like the colonial gold. it isn't as 'much' - looks more open. your cabs have a real 'presence' and some of the granite that also have that just seem to be too much together.

I like the first and the fourth slabs... which one makes your heart skip a beat??? that is the one for you IMHO.

I had Santa Cecilia in my last home. It was great at hiding crumbs lol. But, you can find it in thousands of homes, it's become a staple granite at least around my area. It's lovely but the others you've picked as favs work much better.

I too like the first one.

And like Pal, I actually liked the second one. But in a retro look way. The spots would give it a 50's/60's look so that would have to be what you were going for. No traditional.

Santa Cecelia looks pink.
NVG looks like concrete.

Colonial Gold isn't bad.

I REALLY like the first one. It has movement without being too busy. And beautiful coloration too. Not a fan of the brown persia (aka Cobweb/Bacteria) :)

Good luck! Keep us posted!

Just wanted to say that slab #1 makes me swoon. Really lovely.

sprtphntc, when you said I'd know it when I saw it, I didn't believe. But I found one today that stopped me in my tracks. I just stood there saying, WOW. My camera doesn't do it justice. Here is the one I saw, Orion.
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But it really looked more like this
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I asked the lady about pricing, and she said it was an exotic. I asked what that meant in dollars and she said the exotics start at $90, so this one is well out of my range.

I went back to the place that had the New Venetian Gold I saw the other day, and they had another batch from the same location, but with a wider scattering of white. He put two together and said it would be really pretty with the opposite ends seamed together. Again, my camera has washed it out.
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That one is fine. It matches both the cabinets and will look fine with white appliances or stainless. It's got enough graining not to be ordinary. It's not expensive. And I really liked the salesman at this place. He not only told me pricing, but said if it was ok with my fabricator, he could sell it to me directly and cut some of the cost. I told him I haven't been able to get the fabricator we first talked to to even call back. He gave me the name of someone he thinks does a good job, but asked me to give my first guy a chance to explain why he hadn't called back before going to his guy. I thought that was really decent of him.

Then I went to another place and didn't see anything that really grabbed me until I saw this one, Lapidus. I love it with my cabinet color. It's got a wonderful animal print like pattern, really rich colors. My camera washed it out too.
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But.... You knew there would be a but didn't you?

But, there was a funny streak running from the top right corner diagonally about 2 feet where they had filled with granite granules and some kind of epoxy. When I looked at the edge, it had a deep V on the backside, and I asked if the corner had broken off and been repaired and the guy said yes. I asked what that would do when they cut through it and he said it would be better to cut around that spot.

This was a price grade above the lower level, and even though he wouldn't give me the exact price, that level starts at $50 per sq foot. And I would lose at least 2 square feet off that piece. The next piece was the same way.

Is it normal for them to sell slabs with a broken corner glued back on?

Here's how it looks on my mock up.
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You had me at the very first one. It has movement but in a serene kind of way and it looks great with you cabinet color! And it has enought light in it to tie in with the white appliances too.

I really like that colonial gold the best now that you have it posted the second time. I also still like the Typhoon Bordeaux.

I like the expensive one! LOL The black and gold and brown really compliment the cabinets.

Sorry, but I think the other choices look too gray...at least on my monitor.

love the orion!! it is gorgeous and different!!! i think it goes great with your cabs and it will "pop".

i agree with lav. lass, the others look too gray.
but again, it depends on what you are going for.
i gravitate to more "warm" colors - grays to me are more "cool".

I really like Lapidus! I like the grey/blue in it (is there grey/blue in it?) Now that's why i'm talkin' bout.

My personal preference is to go for something that has more left-to-right movement, but that's just me.

I also like the orion! but wonder about how dark it's going to make your kitchen look.

I like the Orion too, but alas that would be like putting a diamond necklace on a pig.

Before I consider the lapidus, what do you think about that corner that has been repaired and the crack filled?

I am in the minority but I love the 2nd granite and the 9th. They are both beautiful. I think your wood tone is lovely. Good Luck!

I vote Typhoon Bordeaux (pic #1), #6, the NVG or the Orion. The Orion is absolutely stunning, but I would worry about the dark granite + the dark cabinets making the kitchen too dark in general. Wall & floor color + natural and artificial lighting levels may brighten it up enough and it be ok.

The typhoon Bordeaux has beautiful movement in it that really sets it off. The swirls have a very calming effect. It is my absolute 1st choice overall regardless of lighting, paint color, etc. The overall color is sedate and lets the swirls really be the centerpiece of the granite--absolutely lovely.

#6 appears similar in color to #1 but without the movement. It appears more uniform. It won't be very eye catching, IMO, but would be a very safe choice to make.

Orion is spectacular and if you had lighter cabinets, it would be the hands down winner, period.

The NVG you photographed appears to be one of the more unique looking NVGs out there. That is a good thing IMO. Again this would be a safe choice to make, but not very eye catching.

So bottom line, Orion is #1 but only if you have enough light in the room when you take into account the dark cabinets, Typhoon Bordeaux is next then the NVG, then pic #6. Do you have an island? Perhaps you could do the Orion on the island and one of the others on the perimeter and get the best of both worlds?

Hope this helps!

I think I need to go back to look at the Typhoon Bordeaux again. I brought home a sample and it really doesn't look like the photo, but then, small pieces never really do show what the whole piece is like.

I did a stain test on the Typhoon Bordeaux, Colonial Gold, and a gray warming trivet I've had for years. The Colonial Gold stained but none of the others did. I really thought the gray would since I have used it for trivet and cutting board and never once put any kind of a sealer on it.

I've found a fabricator. Yay. He gave me the names of 3 stone yards that he uses, so I went to one today. Nothing there thrilled me, but out of frustration, I put my name on a Amarillo Rio. Came home and did a mock up so dh could see it. It's ok, similar to NVG.
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Then I asked him to look at all the mockups I've done. Both of us like Lapidus best. I'm going back out tomorrow to see if I can find a Lapidus at one of the other two places. I'd like to find a couple of slabs that don't have repaired broken corners.

As a backup plan, I also like Steel Gray. What do you think? Better or worse than Amarillo Rio?
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I do like the Lapidus. Ask around about that filler.

of the above 2 I like the Amarillo Rio best.

I'm confused. Which one is the Lapidus? Based on all that you posted so far I change my vote to Amarillo. It lets your cabinets be the star.

the lapidus is my favorite too--I don't like the amarillo at all--it looks pink on my monitor. I would definitely stay away from anything that looks too pink or too yellow with your cabs! good luck!

Lapidus would be my choice with Colonial Gold a close second. I don't think Typhoon Bordeax would go with your color of cabinets that on my monitor has lots of gold in the stain. TB goes best with cherry or some shades of white cabinets IMO. I would stay away from stone with pinks in it. Steel gray too dark, too blah. If there is a lot of gold in your stain and it's not just my monitor then stone with blue gray would look the best if you go that route.

P.S. sometimes those funky weird spots in a slab turn out to be your favorite part once it's installed.

This is lapidus.
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Lapidus and Colonial Gold are my favorites too, but I did a stain test with a piece of the Colonial Gold and it didn't pass. So now I'm afraid of it. They said it was sealed, but after talking to the lady at the granite yard, I think it just had the resin used for polishing, not a sealer.

Yes, I like amarillo, lapidus, and colonial gold :-)
I think it's just a matter of letting these granites sit in your head for a bit before pulling the trigger :-)

When I looked at the lapidus photo my eyes are drawn to the granite. When I look at the amarillo my eyes are drawn to your cabinets. What stands out to you? What do you want to stand out?

I prefer the stone in pictures 11 and 12.

looking at your last posting of the lapidus with your cabs and then back up to the amarillo the lapidus doesn't have as tight of a pattern and lets the cab/granite area breathe. it flows - the amarillo is a more congested granite.

that lapidus looks so darn good with your cabs!

I agree Steph. I went to the 3 yards my new fabricator uses and none had a lapidus quite like the one I photographed before. They were either mostly gray or mostly the dark color. I put my name on three slabs of dark and got a sample. Brought home the sample and it doesn't look good with my cabinets. It really needs some of that gray. I got another sample of one called Golden Wave and it is ok with the cabinets.

About what I would like to be the focal point, I don't know, probably the granite. My cabinets are pieced together, we're having more doors made that won't quite match the old, so a little distraction from them would be good, iykwim.

OK so the granite will be the star, will DH agree? I ask because earlier you posted he like santa cecilia because it doesn't compete with the cabinets. So I'm thinking he wants the cabinets to draw the attention.

DH and I had a few of these conversations to sort out our choices. Once you agree on the focal point it will be easier.

Still like #1.

No matter what you do, the cabinets will be the focal point simply because of the prominent grain of the oak and the busyness of the doorstyle. You need an extremely quiet granite so as to not be visually overwhelming. Labor Day is a great time for sales for counters. Check with your local box stores for specials. We have several quartz counters starting at $36.99 a square foot, but the colors and prices vary by region. Quartz would be a bit calmer and not add to the visual complexity.

I really like #1. It has nice movement and is very relaxing.

I think you are right GreenDesigns. The best I can do is find something that doesn't clash with the cabinets. I went back today, for the last time I swear, to look at the Colonial Gold. They didn't have much, and no two from the same batch. So I looked at Giallo Ornamental and Santa Cecilia again. They had some Santa Cecilia that had a lighter background and not that pink tone.

I decided to get the Giallo Ornamental. It's doesn't thrill me, but at this point, nothing under the 3rd level does, and I just can't see spending a lot with these cabinets and this house. It would be like putting a tiara on a pig, and let's face it, our house is the pig. The Giallo Ornamental will be an improvement over our worn laminate and will satisfy buyers if we decide to sell in the next few years.

This is the one I picked.
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Now the part I thought was going to be easier, but isn't. Finding tile to go with it.

The house we bought has Santa Cecilia with darker oak cabinets--open plan with wood panel fridge, SS gas cooktop and some glass front top cabs...Thentiles are subway but natural stone---light tan...vs glazed subway tiles for backsplash...
very nice but the 7 ft island could have been total knockout with a more dramatic moving pattern granite...
In my kitchen, it would have been great to have used a black matte granite or a slate or even black corian for the short runs by the sink and cooktop but used something like Lapidus or Typhone for the island and countertop with the glass-door buffet...

Not to confuse you even more but have you considered two materials or patterns on separate sections of counter tops?

I did consider that, but dh nixed it. I finally decided what it was that I didn't like about most of the granites and it is the polka dot effect (lady at the slab yard called it the cigarette burn look) that so many of them have. They're pretty in the warehouse, but when I get the sample home, we don't like them. I guess I like a more serene look. I went back today for the last time and made up my mind. Mainly I'm just ready for this to be over but I think it will be fine now.

And the verdict???

What? You don't want to wait for the big reveal? lol

I picked Kashmir Gold.

that can be a spotty look--like my St Cecilia--I thought you didn't want that but something more flowing...
I didn't know there would be a big reveal--don't want to wait until the kitchen is done...
Inquiring minds want to know...

That's what I thought at first, and I would make the mock ups and while the granites might look ok colorwise, the movement seemed to fight the cabinet pattern.

But I saw a marble, that was like Sunny, but more gold, and the lack of movement looked so good with the cabinets, so calm and peaceful that I fell in love immediately. But it was marble, and I don't want marble. There were a lot of different Kashmir Gold slabs, some with a lot of movement and the ones I picked with very little.

I think I'm OCD enough that any distinct pattern with my cabinets would eventually drive me nuts. I don't function well with clutter, eclectic decor (yes I am matchy-matchy and my dh's insistence on a recliner that doesn't go with anything has caused many arguments), or bold colors.

It just took me awhile to realize that that was why I wasn't bonding with any of the granites. Except Lapidus. The kitchen in my next house will be built around Lapidus.

Have friend who was redoing her kitchen--she likes blue and for while throught she might try Labrador Blue but much too strong a color to go with the other colors in her open kitchen/breakfast/den...
she went with uba tuba green (the verde was too expensive).
She has white cabinets and tile flooring and wanted very little movement...
she thought about Kashmire Gold but with white cabinets and tile her daughter told her it was too bland...

We bought granite to put into house we own and were getting ready to sell...thought with the market so dead 3-4 yrs ago even more than low price having upgraded kitchen and baths would be better selling point...
so I picked NVG to go with medium dark oak cabs (original) and a light tan new larger format tiles, and tan walls...they look good but they are not striking...that kitchen as no long runs except for bar counter behind sink and it is not really focal point of kitchen....
thought in THAT kitchen having a strong pattern was more distraction and jumpy look...so went with NVG...

in MY house with a long raised counter top behind sink and long island a more dramatic pattern would have been good focal point...but I didn't get to make the choice....
so it is not just what the colors are of the elements...but also the "runs" of the countertops you will have...
short, broken runs separated by appliances or cabinets to me says use a less dramatic, more even pattern for several reasons....but I am not kitchen designer or artist...
I bet your choice will be great---but I do see your point about building a kitchen around the Lapidus...I loved that pattern when I was shopping...