Thanks mpagmom!

My husband was also enamored with our countertop. It was one of the only items he cared about in the kitchen. :)

The antiqued Cambrian Black granite is not completely worry free, but it's not bad. If my hard water dries on the counter, it leaves a water spot that I have to buff out. It takes a little pressure to buff it. The same goes for anything oily that is left on the counter. The oil mark does go away, but needs to be buffed out first. To be fair, I usually just clean the counter with water and don't use a chemical/spray to help. The water/oil marks don't show up unless the counter is wet. I only notice when I'm wiping it down... as the water darkens the countertop, providing a contrast to the marks.

I think ours was sealed, but I can't say that with 100% confidence. It just seems that way from how water droplets pool on the counter. From reading about this granite and other leathered granites, I think the best route is NOT sealing it. It seems those with the sealed ones end up having some issues.

With all that said, we would pick this countertop again.

RE: island legs: Short answer: they aren't annoying and aren't dinged up.

Long answer: I could easily fit another stool or two at the island if the legs weren't there. If you need more seating, you might consider using corbels. For us, four stools were plenty and I loved the look of the legs. The three stools on the long side of the island have lots of room in between, so there is no reason for them to hit the island legs. With that said, I don't have kids. :) I imagine if there were kids abusing the island legs, a small touch-up kit of white paint would be an easy fix.

RE: life without pendants..... I like it just fine! I have the three cans above the island wired on a separate switch if I ever change my mind, but I didn't want another hanging light (or 3) in my "great room" area. There is a fan in the living room, chandelier in the dining room and entryway mini-chandelier.... all visible from the kitchen. I just felt it would be too much and that it would make the space less open feeling.

Thank you SOO much for taking the time to answer. That's very helpful. I think I can live with that amount of maintenance on the granite. I have read about people having problems with over-sealing their black granite, and I can guarantee I won't be one of them!

Pendants are a big question mark for me. I have them now over my peninsula, so I just assumed I'd put them over the island in my new house. I've devoted hours finding the ones I like. I think they might make the island seem a little cozier if that makes sense. I also like the way they "frame a view" in other kitchens. In our kitchen it would be more likely to block the view of the humongous over-sink window that is supposed to be more a focal point. So I don't know. My husband wants to go without and I'm still undecided. The funny thing is that when I moved into my current house I hated the pendants and tried to replace them with cans. I couldn't because a 2nd floor pipe was in the way, so I ended up finding some I liked better. Your idea of putting them on a separate switch is a great one!

No problem at all. I know I had lots of concerns and questions during our build. I like being able to help others in the same situation any way I can.

I think pendants are nice accessories in a lot of kitchens and agree that they can make the space cozier. I spent hours searching for and then falling in love with a particular pendant as well. :)

FYI - the cans we have are larger than a pendant base would be (what is the part of the pendant called that covers the hole in the ceiling? that's what I mean by "pendant base.") I knew that when I made the decision. if we ever put in pendants, we'd have to come up with a solution to fill in the extra space.... a piece of wood, ceiling medallion, etc. In the end, I doubt I will ever put any in.

If you don't put any pendants in for now but want to have the option for the future, you might want to go with a smaller can.