The way people agonize over granite choices, I'd say... yes, the color DOES matter to most!

Get the one YOU like.

I don't like granite at all. Counters I have now are over 10 years old and look as good today as first installed. Had tile at my other place and again almost 20 years and still looking good.

AS long as you do not get to far out of the 'norm.'

I hate tile counters.

Keeping the grout joints clean is a PITA (let alone staining).

I agree, get what pleases you. You are the one that is going to be living with it and working on it for some time. Wouldn't be worried about resale just yet. By far the vast majority of buyers do like granite and even expect it in a home in a certain price range. Have had mine for 14+ years. Still looks great. NancyLouise

Get what you like. Buyers like me who detest granite will be taking it out anyways. :-)

Love light colored granite. Hate tile.

Whatever you pick, some will love it and some will hate it. So don't agonize too much over it.

Hi Marti8a. This is interesting as our REA is suggesting granite kitchen counters for resale. She suggested one called "Fawn-dango" something or other, and one called "Clouds in my Coffee" or what not ;-)

My main, personal concern with granite is dropping glasses & dishes. I can imagine constant explosions & shrapnel, feeling as if the kitchen should be declared a DMZ with Corell Livingware patrolling all counters.

GrandMother had marble kitchen counters. Her house was built 1894 for her birthday. They were wonderful for rolling & kneading doughs, trimming fudge, and cooling fevery babies. We had to be careful setting down hot pots on a trivet and wiping up (especially tomato) spills. She'd set a cork sheet down when doing dishes to avoid anything breaking.

If you want a specific colour of granite, get it :-) I saw one at an Open House that was almost Mother of Pearl colour. Stunning! The play of light & shadow had me mesmerised because it was unique.

Hope you make a decision that pleases you.

I never drop glasses and dishes on a counter ... the drop zone is usually the floor. We've had hardwood floors in the last three kitchens and sometimes the dishes/glasses break and sometimes they don't. The explosions only happen when the glasses/dishes hit a certain way ... if they don't then they roll or bounce. For me, this isn't something I even think about with granite counters.

marti8a, a light beigy granite will probably offend the least amount of people, but life is to short to decorate for some unknown potential future buyer!

I posted a question similar to this a few weeks ago on this forum. Spend a few minutes on the kitchen forum and your head will spin with all the talk and pictures of granite.

I too am readying for a sale and upgrading from an outdated corian to granite. In our area granite is expected especially in the price range we are most likely listing 800k.

Get what you like as you have to live with it for now. You can never guess what someone else will like.

I think granite is expected at almost any price range now. We are in a low end custom home and the houses all had formica originally, but most of my neighbors are updating with granite. Those who don't will sell as a fixer when they sell most likely.

Don't care what the surface is so long as its light.

I replaced my cream laminate counters in 2010 with St. Cecilia Light granite. But guess what? Granite is losing favor in the decor world and becoming regarded as, you guessed it...dated! I've recently seen before/after features in mags where the granite was ripped out! Gone with the wind! Soapstone and quartz and yes, even laminate (again!) is getting top billing now. The real crux of the issue seems to be the busier granites are losing their appeal, and more solid appearing surfaces are moving ahead.

So...if you want to get granite, I'd go for something that's not too busy. A lot of designers do still use black granite, which coordinates well with many different decor styles--cottage, vintage, transitional, and the sleekest modern! There are also different sheens of black granite--honed, polished, leathered, that better help express your look. Modern kitchens look fab with polished, while more earthy, rustic ones wear leather well! The good news is black granite is usually among the least expensive options too.

I take solace in the fact that my granite, while not black, has a lot of gray in it, which has replaced browns, beiges, caramels, etc., as the neutral of choice. That makes me a *little* more fashion forward. St. Cecilia Light is cream with black, gray (and just a hint of cranberry here and there!). I used Carerra marble in my master bath remodel for two vanities, so I feel the gray stone in each room provides "flow" too!

Carerra marble is a very "IN" choice for kitchens right now, and it is GORGEOUS!!! Just remember if you use it, to seal it baby, seal it, and watch out when cooking with acidic foods like lemon juice and vinegar.

I would get what you like.

I get the impression that a lot of people hear "granite" and as long as it's not too "out there" are fine with whatever it is. I don't think most people obsess about it like they do in the kitchen forums here.

There is no way to know what buyers will like in the future (or even next week!) The sheeple who watch too much HGTV will want granite and stainless steel appliances, even if it means the cheapest granite and builder's grade stainless. The Totally Kitchen Obsessed over in the Kitchen forum will have very specific ideas of what they want, and many would prefer a kitchen that hasn't been renovated at all, since they would have to pay for an upgraded kitchen that they will likely rip out anyway.

If you're planning to live in the home for more than a year, pick what you like and enjoy it. There is no way to predict what Future Homeowner will want.

Yes, the color of granite matters.

I have a strong dislike of yellowish-brown shades (baby-poop browns) such as the inexpensive and ubiquitous Santa Cecilia wherever they appear. Any expensive to change feature such as tile or countertops having that color weighs heavily on the "NO" side.

After much indecision, I have finally decided to go with New Venetian Gold. I was leaning toward Colonial Gold but a test on the sample showed that it stained easily. I know the NVG is common, but it works with my cabinets and appliances, and is very affordable. I have no idea how long we will be here. I'd move tomorrow if I had the chance, but I imagine we'll be here for several years.

Generally speaking, I find granite to be dark, heavy and oppressive. Have yet to see a granite I like, but no doubt there are some that are light and neutral so they would be okay.

I am a very neutral person and don't want to waste time or money fussing with kitchen decor. I've lived in the current house for 10 years and not changed the kitchen decor AT ALL. As far as I'm concerened, it has beautiful custom cherry cabinets (ONE small nail hole in the entire set), white corian countertop (I LIKE corian, and it used to be in mint condition, now it's beat up; the next owner will no doubt change), white appliances (prefer them), and a brick/maroon colored tile floor w/radiant heat (radiant heat is incredible). Walls are painted a light peach stock color, Kalua and Cream. All of it has been just fine with me.

I add personal touches with an oriental carpet, pictures, and numerous houseplants.

When you decide to sell, as long as you don't mind the offers you receive being much,much lower because you don't care what your kitchen looks like, terrene. And the offers will reflect what the potential buyers think it will cost (not your opinion of what the cost will be) to remodel the kitchen. Enjoy your kitchen. NancyLouise

Lazygardens, FYI, no "baby-poop brown" appears in my St. Cecilia light granite! Also, while it wasn't the priciest option, it wasn't the cheapest. Black granites (where I shopped) were always the least expensive. However, I would have been more than delighted if my selection had been the very least expensive of the lot! I love a good bargain!

As far as it being "ubiquitous," I can't speak to that...I just knew I had cabinets painted Bone White, and wanted cream and gray & black in my counter & this was a good fit. My granite has a cream background with gray and black & the slightest hint of cranberry.

Maybe color variations occur depending on the slab...

"Lazygardens, FYI, no "baby-poop brown" appears in my St. Cecilia light granite! Also, while it wasn't the priciest option, it wasn't the cheapest."

??

Lazygardens was not putting down your choice... especially since that post was 7 hours BEFORE you announced your choice.

LuAnn, I posted well before LazyGardens, on Saturday. She posted the following Monday. Maybe she didn't read my post. Who knows?

It's fine if she doesn't care for the granite I used...no countertop surface could possibly please everyone! I did want to clarify that not all St.C. granite slabs have the tones she describes, however. Some pretty sweeping statements about it were made in her post: "cheap, ubiquitous, baby-poop brown."

Well...simply speaking to the specifics I've experienced, which run counter to those descriptions.

Oops, sorry! I failed to see that...
my apologies.

No problem, LuAnn. Sorry if I sounded snarky.

No, no snarkiness at all.

"The way people agonize over granite choices, I'd say... yes, the color DOES matter to most!"

You are not purchasing a house built to order, but an existing house.

To a certain extent you get what you see for items that cannot be easily altered.

"as long as you don't mind the offers you receive being much, much lower because you don't care what your kitchen looks like"

Hmmmm....who said I don't care? I LOVE the kitchen - it's beautiful AFAIC. But I am not a slave to fashion, and also consider it a tremendous waste of resources to rip out perfectly good fixtures every 10 years.

Your statement is not logical either Nancylouise, because while the house may sell for a little less, NO improvement you make to a house gives you back 100% of the cost in the sale price, although I read that kitchens, baths, and decks allow you to recoup the most (90%).

Since this is a desirable and aflluent community, somebody would likely move in and put their own kitchen according to their own tastes anyway.

Oh, I know you won't get 100% of your recoup. costs back. When we remodel any room, not just the kitchen it is with the mindset it costs what it costs because we like it. We also live in an desirable, affluent town. Granite is expected in certain price ranges. No granite, lowball offers of what potential buyers think it will take to remodel. And the houses take longer to sell without some updating on the sellers' part. At least that is what the RA say.
As a side note, having had formica and Corian as countertops in previous homes, granite wins hands down. Durable, easy to clean, beautiful and a natural product. As stated previously, have had my granite for 14 years in this home. Still looks great. Won't be changing them out anytime soon. Enjoy your kitchen, NancyLouise

When we first started this project last year, I was convinced that Formica was the only thing that could take the abuse I dish out. But after doing my homework and visiting 5 or 6 granite yards, I have come to love the stuff. My dh thinks he likes quartz better and he was just starting to take interest in looking with me. As of today, it's all back on me again, and I think I am going to go with New Venetian Gold, or possibly one with more black in it. Seems like the black would please those who love soapstone, quartz, or granite, and would look fine with my cabinets. My search starts again next week.

If you stay neutral you'll be fine. My last house had Santa Cecelia which is similar to NVG, and the new one has dark granite. The dark is hard to keep clean.

Another thought would be to go to some model homes. They will have the choices most people like installed. You won't please everyone of course, but nothing you do will please everyone, if you are selling you are looking to appeal to most buyers.

Get what makes you happy. I bought a granite that my granite guy couldn't believe - He even went on to say "I've never seen this in a kitchen before" - I didn't care though and in ten years I hope to have a whole new kitchen LOL.

But yes, to me, the color does matter. While searching for my granite, I learned about all the different types, from cheap, china crap to exotic and rare so I can appreciate a nice slab when I see one. I don't like the stuff that is in every other house. I do like black granite. I think that would stay in style for a while.. but who knows!! Let us know what you pick!!

Ivory Sukuri

Here is a link that might be useful: more pictures

Of course it matters. If I walk into home a and the counters are hideous, it does not matter to me one whit whether they are granite or cheap Formica. Hideous is hideous and if I have to replace it, the cost the same.