After looking at what feels like every countertop option out there, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned along the way.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted a real stone. I didn’t spend much time looking at quartz because several designers I really respect recommend solid stone over man-made quartz. That said, quartz definitely has its place—it’s super durable and likely what we’ll use in the Peach House kitchen.

What I Learned About Quartzite

Quartzite is stronger than both marble and soapstone—and it’s a true, natural stone. So if you’re going for that authentic, organic look, quartzite delivers. Every slab is different, which I love. But if you need more than one slab, you’ll want to make sure they come from the same lot (think of it like slices in a loaf of bread—they might have seven similar ones, but they’re not exactly the same).

I didn’t go with sea pearl, but I loved this slab. sea pearl was the biggest wild card of quartzites if you ask me. each slab looked totally different.

The downside? Because quartzite is so hard, there are some design limitations. For example, locally, no one would do anything but an eased edge for us, and most fabricators wouldn't work with a 2cm thickness—it’s just too tough to cut and shape.

Also, the naming can get confusing. The main fabricator we looked at called one stone “Zermat,” but depending on where you are, that same slab might be labeled White Pearl, Mont Blanc, or Super White Pearl. So if you’re researching other people’s kitchens, just know the name isn’t always consistent.

And Then There’s Soapstone…

I’ve always been drawn to dark counters, so naturally, I looked at a lot of soapstone. I love how moody and rich it looks, but there are definitely pros and cons.

Soapstone is one of the softest countertop materials—it’s even softer than marble. It scratches more easily, can chip, and might show wear faster than other stones.

I also kept hearing that it’s hard to keep looking clean. A cleaner even messaged me on TikTok to say it’s the toughest material she deals with when it comes to maintaining a clean look.

Honestly, I started wondering if a lot of the “soapstone” kitchens I admired were actually black granite or a quartz lookalike.

At first, I wasn’t sold on any of the dupes—but then I saw Negresco Honed Granite, and it really tricked me. It gives the same soft, matte black vibe I was after, but without as much maintenance.

So where did we land?

Even thought I loved the soapstone (dark counters in general) - I always had imagined we would have a primarily white kitchen. I couldn’t make a last minute change to soapstone or granite even though I LOVE it. Trust me, if we move, you likely will see soapstone in that kitchen and I hope we can use it in our pantry.

We went with the zermat…I think this is technically white pearl.

This was the slab I selected. It definitely is not a bright white counter - in person you can see the gray in it, but also some warmth around a lot of the veining.

So that’s where we are now in the kitchen reno. Feel free to ask questions about counters….I thought so much about it this, I probably have an answer if I missed something.