It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of granite. But if you insist on using it in your kitchen, here are a few classic and timeless granite options for you to consider.
Granite has a bad rap on this blog, so I thought I would write a post on which granite colours I think are classic and timeless.
1. Absolute Black
Black granite is less pricey than black quartz, so if you want black countertops, this is the way to go.
Absolute Black Granite
Black is my second choice after white quartz with white cabinets because I like the contrast. And, you still have a wide range of colour options to work with for wall colours, window coverings and accessories.
2. White-ish or Gray-ish Granite
There are a few in this category. Some are pretty and light and others are too dark and murky for me.
This is Supreme White Granite. It looks lovely here but also can be very dark and blotchy depending on the slab you end up with. Remember, shopping for granite is hard. Bring a sample home with you to be sure.
White Supreme Granite
Kashmir White Granite
This is Kashmir White granite. I’m not crazy about the burgundy marks all over it but they would relate to brown cabinets if you weren’t installing a white kitchen.
In the kitchen below, it pairs nicely with the wood handles. But, I think it can also be a good choice with white cabinets.
This is Princess White granite. I had never heard of it until I started searching for white/gray granite. This is the lighter version. But if you search you will find some darker (too blotchy for me) slabs as well.
Princess White Granite
Remember though, light coloured granite is really fragile and also will need to be kept sealed to prevent stains.
I’m sure there are a few more options available but all fall into this pale white/gray category.
Is granite trendy?
Yes of course, but it’s still more versatile than the rest in terms of leaving you with the most choices for accessories, window coverings and wall colour. And just because it’s trendy doesn’t mean it can’t be considered a classic.
Am I missing any whites/grays? Post a link below if you think there’s more to add.
Related posts:
Is Quartz Sexier than Granite?
The Hottest Colour Trend for Countertops
Will Installing Granite Sell Your House Faster?
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When we redid our kitchen two years ago we went with Silver Pearl granite. It isn’t quite as stark as Absolute Black would have been, but when people look at the counters they generally read as “black.” When you look at it up close, though, you see the dark grey and black combo. We like it, and I definitely think it will remain timeless as the years go by.
We too put Silver Pearl granite in our kitchen. We have brown cherry cabinets and a light gray tile floor. I love the Silver Pearl granite as you say..in general it looks like black but it doesn’t show the dust. We put in Vulga Blue in our bathrooms and that is just gorgeous. We are thinking of building a new home and I would consider Vulga blue for the kitchen..very elegant. I’ve seen it as flooring too..and that was very pretty
I used absolute black with a leather finish in a previous kitchen and loved it…though I could really see dust on it. I agree with all of your granite sentiments…anything blotchy drives me crazy.
love soapstone if you going for a dark contrast.
pve
I love the look of black granite with white cabinets. Isn’t the upkeep for daily a bit daunting? I’ve been in several homes where it looked smeared or like it had lost its luster in areas. Great post of useful info, Maria!
We used a granite called White Fantasy in our kitchen remodel that looks similar to your White Princess. Everyone that has seen it thinks that it is marble. It been in use for 4+ years and no noticeable stains (we have not been gentle with it).
We have a grey/taupe/cream colored granite, I guess. I wish I knew the name but it was installed by a prior owner. I also wish I knew what color it was! It has lots of different colors so I am having a hard time figuring out what the “dominant” or “main” color is. We are going to repaint our cabinets and replace our “doesn’t match at all” travertine backsplash. I dream of a white kitchen but I like our granite, and I don’t think it would work with white cabinets. It’s been very durable; we haven’t sealed it in 8 years and it’s held up well.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YptDkKMaRBN5bytnPAtxUjgE1VTWJHEZoc3tZncKjF8?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/oBtICQ94PAo4XmgqIAroLjgE1VTWJHEZoc3tZncKjF8?feat=directlink
I like the colour of your cabinets! Looks great in the photo with the granite. I think once you change the backsplash it will be wonderful.
I only looked at the last photo before I commented. In that photo (closeup) the cabinet looks darker. That colour looks great with the granite. I realize it’s just shadow, but maybe a starting point?
We recently used White Macaubas Quartzite for our kitchen counters. It looks like marble and is actually harder than granite. I would have loved to use marble but did not want to worry about staining and etching. It is a beautiful whitish grey with dark grey veining – stunning especially when paired with white kitchen cabinets!
Have you seen colonial white granite. It has veining and looks beautiful with white cabinetry. I find it very similar to marble, but my absolute favorite is white princess.
For my black granite (with white cupboards and white subway tile backsplash) I used Volga Blue, which is a black granite with some brilliant shots of blue. I love it, absolutely love it, and believe my kitchen has a timeless quality.
My stonemason also says that black granite is harder than the lighter colors. I installed black that had iridescent flecks throughout it and it does not show the dirt at all. My cabinets are mid to light tone antique carved maple. The kitchen walls are a cool silvery gray which looks great with stainless appliances.
That’s the color combo I was thinking for our master bath remodel. Can you post a picture of your kitchen?
I’ve had black granite on my kitchen worktop for the last 16/17 years, with irridescent flecks in it. It looks as good now as it did when it was installed. I live in the UK and our area has very hard water, so I fight a constant battle round the sink area (belfast sink) but apart from that I am thrilled with it. Lasted much longer than any composite worktop ever has.
The solid painted wood cabinets that are currently dark green and pine need re-painting, but that’s next on our list to do!
Hi there. Your top one looks more like soapstone, which is what I have. Black with some gray veining. LOVE IT. Not hard to keep up at all. To those concerned about smudges, etc., get honed or leather finish instead of shiny. Shiny black doessmudge and show marks a lot. Soapstone is more expensive than granite usually, though the look is so classic it was worth it to me.
I have a green, pink and gray granite that kind of reminds me of salad. It would drive you crazy, lol. I don’t think it would be great for resale but I knew that when I chose it ten years ago and fortunately it still makes me happy. These simple stones are beautiful though, I especially like the whites!
My choice is always the black granite with white cabinets – I find the white too cold looking. Plus the whites never seem to match for me.
So when I buy my new countertops in the near future, I’ll be looking for absolute black as well.
I just installed Jet Mist. Just beautiful and classic .
If you find a clean slab with just a dusting of the soft white power effect in the stone, it’s just stunning!
Oh Maria, You have no idea how happy it makes me when I read that decisions I’ve made years ago (before finding your blog) were good decisions.
I chose black granite to update our existing kitchen 7 years ago. I’m starting to tire of it & would love to replace it but my husband won’t let me. At least I get some comfort in knowing it’s a classic.
I installed honed black granite for a resale job. It looks great but shows everything.
We just chose a slab of White Vermont granite for our new kitchen island. It’s a grey and white that we find absolutely beautiful. It does have a bit more movement and pattern but we chose a very subdued white quartz for the counters on the perimeter to keep the room a calm enough. I’m fairly confident it’ll be a good choice for a good long while but it can be “easily” switched out down the road since it’s on the island only.
In 2010 we remodeled our 30 year old kitchen. I liked the look of traditional kitchens with marble counters. All our appliances but the dishwasher were one year old and black so I had to consider that as well as medium stained wood floors and white cabinets. I didn’t think I liked patterned granite but ended up choosing Bianco Antico which has white, gray, brown, and black aspects. Paired with the white subway tile backsplash it is beautiful. There is great variation in the Bianco Antico’s offered so you really have look around for a nice slab.
In one of our previous homes, we had Blue Hawaii granite. It was blackish with deep blue and green specs, and absolutely stunning with the cherry cabinets. I thought it looked very classic. Here’s a picture from one of the granite companies:
http://www.oregontileandmarble.com/granite1321.html
I recently did a cosmetic uplift to a small kitchen. Fixed features were dark brown walnut cabs, stainless/black appliances and a mottled beige tile floor. The granite had to be on the light side, but also needed to pull together these other elements. I chose an Italian granite with light and dark brown colors against a background of a beautiful cream. Black and silver areas coordinated with the appliances. I know it sounds busy – and it is a very expressive stone. It is also the only element in the kitchen with movement and the basic light cream background keeps it from being to heavy. The homeowner still loves it a couple of years later and compares it to an abstract piece of art. For every rule there is the well-considered exception.
I resisted granite for years. When it came time we had admit the old counter had to go we decided granite. In my old farmhouse I had maple. I loved it but that’s takes daily maintence too. Anyway, we ended up with a beautiful gray granite “Scottish Meadow.” Our walls are a soft yellow. I’m very happy with the results. For resale that’s what people want. This is abut the only granite I’ve ever cared for. Some look like shiny plastic.
I had soapstone installed a few months ago, it’s stunning and I love it! no shiny galactic look! no stains and no chemicals!
Interesting post, Maria, but happy to say it’s only interesting and not an issue for me. Sun City West, AZ (as some other areas of the country) is slow to change so brown is still “in” and dark cabinets, stainless steel and granite countertops are a “must” for kitchen redos, but I haven’t seen a single kitchen with granite that I like and I’m not going granite when I redo mine. Rather I’ll be referencing your kitchen pics and other white kitchens. I already know I want soft white, light and bright and airy for my small kitchen/breakfast area and I love the simplicity of the quartz I’ve seen in most pictures – it seems to do its job of providing a great surface to work on without yelling “look at me” and and it lets everything else in the kitchen have its place. Seems so much easier to make a choice that one can live with for a very long time.
A black that has been around forever is uba-tuba. It is mostly black with dark green but I think reads as black in my otherwise white kitchen. The color is easy to live with and versatile but shows fingerprints terribly!
Did you know that uba tuba is not granite? lthough they sell it as such, generally.
I have some of it as well and think it very gorgeous, but hard to keep looking its best.
What is it if it’s not granite?
Yes, I have read about it, its a stone from Brazil but is most always used as a granite option. Some have complained that it chips and I have to say I do have a few small chips at my sink, but then I am very hard on a sink!
I have Volga Blue in my kitchen also which looks black with irridescent blue chunks as well as dark green veining behind the black. My husband uses Absolute Black in his retail stores & I would have to say that I would never have it in my kitchen. It is very hard to keep looking good. Even a few specks of dust or a crumb or fingerprints show up on it. My kitchen gets used way too much as a kitchen to constantly be wiping down my granite several times/day. A black granite with other things going on in the stone hides all the imperfections that happen each day in my kitchen!
We are about to do a kitchen remodel and chose Luna Pearl granite (here is a pretty good picture: http://lunapearlgranite.com/). It is white, with gray and black speckles. We wanted to do quartz, but only plan on staying in our house for another few years and didn’t want to make the full investment for quartz. I liked this granite because it does not have big waves through it like some granite; the pattern is pretty constant. The white, gray, and black color combo are allowing us to get the look I wanted with white cabinets.
Hope it works out!
Maria,
How about with a dark cabinet in a bathroom? I know you love white kitchens but what about bathrooms?
Well I’m a purist so I would still do white on white in a bathroom, There’s nothing wrong with a dark cabinet though if that’s what you prefer.
We have a black granite called Black Pearl on our white cabinets. I really like it. It has some irredecent flecks of white and dark gray flecks, but it mostly looks black. I find it no harder to keep up than the all white counter tops that I used to have. It takes a good wiping down and a stone cleaner used once a day to keep it looking great. That takes no time at all.
I am building a house and chose Black Pearl granite with antique white cabinets and having hard time deciding a wall color. I have medium-dark hardwood floors. Which wall color do you have?
Choose a colour that relates to the other rooms in your house. Unless you just want it to relate to your granite, in that case I’d choose BM wickham gray. Maria
Jet mist works great with white cabinets. I used it for a recent project in honed finish and it’s great – not too dark or blotchy. The slab we chose had subtle movement and it’s gorgeous . Reads like dark gray, somewhat like soapstone but is very durable and low maintenance.
That’s my kitchen shown with White Princess and I will tell you that the counter was incredibly durable, non-staining and beautiful. It’s actually quartzite, which is stronger than granite. It was honed and I never had a stain or etch on it from anything. You will never need to baby or be careful with this quartzite–it’s been a dream. The current slabs of white princess are much more muddied–these slabs were purchased more than 5 years ago, so back then the slabs had a more light appearance. Most of the slabs coming out of the quarries today (where this was from) are now much more gray than white.
Maria, love your blog and have been following you for years. What a surprise to read this article and see my own kitchen in it 🙂 I couldn’t be more proud or more happy when I saw you approved.
That’s fun! Your kitchen is beautiful, Thanks for your comment Michele. Maria
Michele,
I also installed White Princess (or Princess White in some stores) after seeing pictures of your kitchen! :p
People have mistaken our counters for marble before. hehe.
We installed absolute black honed granite with white cabinets in our kitchen remodel 6 years ago. I still love it, although the matte black finish shows every spill, spec, smear, etc. I’m constantly wiping and drying my countertops, but at least they are always clean. In addition, using a granite countertop cleaner 1-2 times/week is essential.
Thanks Marie for showing pics of kitchens that aren’t just white cabinets. As much a I love white cabinets, I will have to work with my maple cabinets and find a countertop that will work w/the mocca stone color in the floor. Someone said if u go with a dark floor than go lighter for the countertops? What do u or your readers think?
I would still choose the right white, otherwise you’re in more pink beige to coordinate with your floor. Maria
I wish you have more discussion on countertops with cabinets that are not white. My cabinets are an antiqued honey colored alder and I am wanting new countertops. I have aurora Corian on a walnut island and I am looking at Dreamy Marfil for the alder cabinets. I am also want to put a new backsplash. Do you have any suggestions?
HI Pamela, I should clarify that if you are starting from scratch this is the way to go. Obviously with an existing kitchen you need to consider everything else. I don’t have those two samples in front of me so I can’t say whether I think they would work in your kitchen. Your corion is pretty solid though and the dreamy marfil looks similar so make sure they are the same undertone so it doesn’t look like you tried to match it and failed. Hope this helps, Maria
I have black galaxy granite on my perimeter cabinets and I love it. It is a true black with copper flecks in it that reads black from a distance, but close up you see the beautiful flecks. I find granite, dark or light easy to clean and keep clean. I have a spray specifically for granite that I use once a week to really shine it up and clean. Takes a minute. All my granite is sealed, and only has to be resealed every 6-8 years.
In the kitchen of my last house, we had London White granite. It was pretty and not expensive, but talk about fragile… if you put a water glass on the counter, it left a grayish ring until it dried. In the current house, we have honed Jet Mist granite, which generally reads as black. It’s a lot easier to maintain.
Maria, I’m totally with you in regards to Granite. What is made out to be the top of the line surface for new homes, I feel has a dated look the second you install it!
Hi
I am just picking countertops for new construction. We chose white perimeter cabinets and have a beautiful lightly distressed black island.
My floors are going to be country cut cherry- having a mix of short and long 2 1/4 inch boards.
I like timeless things. I am trying to create a new old house look.
Was thinking of soapstone on perimeter cabinets with honed Carrera marble on top of black distressed island.
I have to put stone on a nearby fireplace . I want to make sure between the wood floor, counters and fireplace I don’t have to many busy patterns.
Your input?
Mary
Hi Mary,
The ONLY stone that would relate to Carrara would be charcoal or black and personally that is WAY TOO DARK for a fireplace. All the rest are too earthy to go with a blue gray stone like that. Hope this helps, Maria
Hi, I just found your blog. I just put granite in my kitchen a few years ago and picked santa ceilia which sounds like you would hate. We have medium brown warm colored cabinets which were in the house when we moved in. I actually wasn’t happy with the granite with my red walls but really liked it once I painted the walls vintage teal. Anyway we have no backsplash and I am curious what you would suggest. My husband likes a brown striated subway glass tile. I like it but wonder if it would look dated. Our kitchen has tons of natural light.
I am having slightly off white cabinets and Caesarstone
Raven (charcoal) countertops installed as we speak!! I love blue grays and gray greens as well as greige or gray. Open floor plans are a beast as far as wall color goes!! Right now everything is Beige 🙁 I think I can get away with the same color in the DR and kitchen becasue they run along the back of the house. Any suggestions on a great color to work in both? Thanks Maria!!!!
YOu can do any colour with charcoal countertops. Your kitchen should flow with the rest of the house so consider all the other rooms when you choose. If you just want a greige go with Classic Gray. Maria
How do you like your Raven Caesarstone countertops? How shiny are they? Easy to keep clean and looking good? I am considering these along w/ marble on my island. Such a hard decision.
I am in love with white kitchens and am building a new home. I will be putting in Medallion cabinets in white icing finish and using ceasarstone frosty Cabrera for the counters. On the island I am using a black countertop. Any suggestions as to absolute black ceasarstone vs black granite?
Absolute Black granite is less expensive.
Spraying my cabinets tomorrow. What is the best slightly off white (warm white) Benjamin Moore white to go with White Vermont Granite and hardwood floors?
Hi Anne, see this pic http://www.marble.com/portfolio/kitchens/926 it’s too creamy. Take Simply White and Cloud White, paint them up on a big sample, plunk your granite sample down and choose the one that coordinates.
Remodeling kitchen with SW Creamy cabinets (because colors throughout home are more warm) and soft white subway tile for backsplash. Floors will be medium brown hardwood. Walls throughout home virtually same as cabinets as we have stained trim around windows in open great room. What choice for timeless countertop? Looking at quartz, but do I do white, black or a cream/beige (such as Silestone Tigris Sand)?
If your cabinets are creamy then your countertops should be too. Black looks the best with white over cream. Hope this helps, Maria
We are having Kashmir White Granite installed. It was the only slab I could find that was white and was long enough for the island. I would like white cabinets. What whites could work?
I would try BM Simply White, Cloud White and Ivory white. Just paint them up and plunk the sample down and whichever one looks like they should be married is the correct white. Hope this helps, Maria
Maria makes it sound simple…because it is. It just requires a little patience and a bit more effort. Buy a piece of foam board at Walmart get samples of whites you like and do the sample painting. You won’t be sorry you did but you May be sorry if you skip this step!
I have a white kitchen and am planning on remodeling in the next month or so by replacing my countertops with absolute black granite. I have a question in relation to sinks with absolute black…what do you think about the black granite/composite sinks with the absolute black granite counters? My husband does not like or want a stainless sink. I am wondering would it be too much black with the sink and counters? Thanks.
Yes definitely too much. Maria
White princess is actually Quartzite- a natural stone (not the fabricated Quartz) and is stronger than granite. It is a good alternative for people who like the look of marble but do not want to worry about staining.
Why only granite or quartz? What are your views on soapstone? It runs gray to black, some with blue or green tones in them. Oiled it is dark gray to black. Some pieces have white veining, others are more subtle in the variations. It’s more of a ‘satin’ finish rather than the ‘shiny’ finish granite has. Impervious to stains, heat, acids. Thanks for any input!
Would Caesarstone London Grey work with soft white cabinets (Sherwin Williams Pure White 7005)? I want a classic, timeless kitchen, transitional style. I detest gray color but this quartz looks more realistic than others. I will use it for back-splash too. I love soft warm tones in beige and tans and will use that in rest of decor. Medium brown white oak floors.
Maria..I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had black granite/white cabs since the 90’s. Love it to this day. Walls/accessories have been changed many times. I have had zero maintenance issues and I’ve never actually sealed it. There are some products which might appear to make it cloudy or streaky…just knowing which to use when cleaning the kitchen makes the difference. Thank you for confirming my all time preference. Now…I am noticing my white cabs which have a slight mocha glaze on them (cabs have trim and moldings) are looking creamier than most I see in updated kitchens….but do I dare make them “whiter?”
Check out fantasy brown….the name is deceiving as the gray and white is more dominant. Some may call it a quartzite not granite. I used it with white cabinets and light gray subway tile. It is a beauty!
I used one called White Ice that I have really loved. It’s mostly white with lots of gray, beige, black and a few burgundy specs. I was able to pick out slabs that have just a few small burgundy specks and clearish white base color. I have a white kitchen and I’m hoping the granite is timeless enough for the beige specks to work with browns when they come back in. It’s perfect with my white cabinets and gray/blue walls.
I’m gutting my kitchen and master bath due to hurricane Harvey. In the kitchen, going with white cabinets, white subway backslash, black counter (thinking of absolute black or pearl black). What should I do on the floor since the counter and floors must relate? Hardwood is not an option as my floor guy could only find enough for the living/ dining room that matches the upstairs. I’ve been reading black floors are a nightmare to keep clean but that’s what I vision using. Also thinking of the same hard finishes in the bathroom except using 10″ black hexagon on the floor and 4×12 white tile for shower. Any other suggestions for flooring would be appreciated!
Love this floor: https://mariakillam.com/the-best-tile-floor-for-your-white-kitchen/ maybe just black and white classic checkerboard? You can even buy lino in that pattern. . . hope that helps, we can also hep you with our edesign packages 🙂 Maria
Black cosmic granite is pretty?
Hi you were mentioning granite choices that go with white kitchens and we were were looking at madanpalle in another kitchen we have used cirrus but it took 4 coats of sealer to get it waterproof.
Thanks for your great advice
Regards Robyn from Tasmania