Help Pick the Granite

Opinions requested, please. The pictures show the new cabinet color, new wall color and tile for the kitchen. The square granite samples are two I'm considering. Which do you think would look better?

Thanks.

The darker one is called Cosmos Brown:
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The lighter one is called Giallo Vicenza:
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Number 2!

cosmos brown
#2 is farto

I really like the second one a lot.

I prefer the first one, but I think the second one matches better

I like the first one better; the second just looks like spilled food or something--too busy. But the real answer is, pick the one you like the best; you have to live with it, not us

I like 2.

First one looks like an ancient chunk of a dead star.

Second one looks like an ancient relic from the Earth's core.

Are you an out-in-space, or down-to-Earth kind of person? ;)

Just be careful that there is no mother-of-pearl in there. After they installed our granite counter tops, they cautioned us about quickly cleaning up certain spills and staying away from some cleaners because they can dissolve the mother of pearl and leave pits.

It hasn't happened yet, but I'm still pissed that they told me that after the marble was installed.:mad2:

But we didn't get 'true' marble, we got man made marble, so if it's coming from a quarry you don't have this problem.

A

To tell you the truth, I'd go back and look for another choice. If your counter is even reasonably large the first one will make your kitchen too dark. The second one is better for color, but is way too busy. Your counters will look cluttered before you even put anything on them.

After a little consideration, I would say pick your countertops, then select wall color to complement.

My color taste is irrelevant. Yours is too based upon a 4" or 6" square of ANY granite.
The countertop in its entirety will look totally different than any small sample.
RANT/
I will offer you two pieces of advice I learned after buying a rather popular piece of granite called Shivakashi. Look at those - they are all so very different because they are NATURAL, not manufactured. You really have to look at the whole slab.
/END RANT
Lastly the darker the color of the granite the denser it is. This means that you won't have to keep resealing it every 6 months as some people do. Granite is basically a hard sponge. In a kitchen application, it is extremely important to know that lighter colored granites are more porous and stain far easier than darker ones. Pick the piece you want ONLY after looking at the whole slab - not some lil piece that they show you cut from who knows where which may not even be mined from the same place.
Just offering what I learned.

I think a white and gray marble would look best with that combination.

#2

For an example of the variations in granite with the same name see this example of Giallo Vicenza


Versus the one you are being shown.

# 2 matches better, but is kind of ugly.

I don't know why granite is so trendy these days. Formica or Corian are better, imho. In ten years, granite will be out of style, and you'll want the next best thing.

lol @ glatt - so granite is like that pale blue and pink from the 70's?

not yet, but it will be in about a decade

I'm just picturing all the home improvement shows with the hosts rolling their eyes at a kitchen with granite the same way they do with those old ugly ones from the 70's.

Personally I love the granite - Its great once you get used to it. Formica & Corian scratch and chip. I've "abused" my granite pretty good without any ill effects whatsoever. Its durability is, IMO, unmatched.

#1 would stand out nicely against the other colors.

Will it be used for the work space or for something else?

I am going with the cosmos brown. Purely based from the colors you have already chosen. :)

I kind of agree with Classicman. Although I probably won't ever be in a position to design (or buy) my own kitchen, I love going through magazines and such, and the current trend of gigantic kitchens with gigantic non-floating "islands," granite, and acres and acres of woodwork is pretty loathsome to me.

But --it's not my kitchen, and it's moot anyway.

glatt;661528 wrote:

...

I don't know why granite is so trendy these days. ... In ten years, granite will be out of style, and you'll want the next best thing.

That's exactly what I told my wife. To me, granite counter tops are like really shiny chrome wheels.

I do not like #2...at all. Although I'd be a little wary of the darkness of #1, I'm really not fond of the 'busyness' of #2.

Second one will show less dirt.

glatt wrote:

I don't know why granite is so trendy these days. Formica or Corian are better, imho. In ten years, granite will be out of style, and you'll want the next best thing.

This.

They also never tell you, when you're picking out the granite, that one piece is rarely enough to get the whole countertop, so you get these random grout seams two-thirds of the way along it, and half the time the pattern direction doesn't even match up. My best friend designed their kitchen from the ground up, and she now hates every single thing she chose, but especially the busy, dark, seamed granite countertops.

Are those samples even real? I don't think we should necessarily take them for granite.

I marble at your punning cheek

He counters everything that has been said! He probably consulted his cabinet, but he'll eventually sink under all the partitionship.

i like the first one but then again i may be biased

Granite would be a nice counter top if it were matte. And made of Maple.

And copper.

ok, I have to agree re the dating thing. Granite will be "old" very soon. If you love it and plan to stay in your house for long enough to appreciate the countertops to the point where you feel you got your money's worth, GO FOR IT. But if there's a chance you'll try to sell in the near future....... go for something that's less "right now" and that everyone can "live witth"

I like the first one, the Cosmos Brown, but it appears you already agree with me.

#1 ! It has great contrast. It recedes where the lighter one pops out. The first one would be great for accent colors. You could change it up.

Using the lighter means a you gotta love it to use it. It looks like a high commitment color ( as in are you loving it?) depending on how much you use and how large the area.