A Green Granite to Complement Dark Cherry Cabinets
Tom,
We are replacing counter tops with granite and after looking at many slabs think we like granite in the green family, the two frontrunners right now being Rainforest Green and Verde Tropical (also sometimes referred to as Verde Hawaii). Costa Esmeralda also a possibility if we can find a dark enough shade. The kitchen gets a lot of light, has dark cherry cabinets, lighter oak floor, Biscuit tile backsplash. Range top is stainless but looks mostly black with the grates. Another question is what sink to use. We don’t really like stainless (the new avocado) and would use either a biscuit or anthracite color. The anthracite would probably be more edgy but more risky. What do you think on granite and sink color?
Clay
Hello Clay,
Sticking with green is a great plan. The darker the better for dark cherry cabinets. I highly recommend staying away from Verde Tropical if it is the one from India. This stone is very deceiving and loves to fracture upon impact from fabrication or bending stress. I have studied this granite in detail because it really is quite beautiful but problematic. I found that the crystal structure, although quite opalescent and refined, is also very weakly bonded. Surface tension will cause stress fractures and be unappealing.
Rainforest Green is another story in itself. This stone is not true granite and is quite softer than the .6 on the Mohs Scale as required to be classified as a granite. Because it is in higher in Orthoclase and softer minerals, you need to use a cutting board or else you will scratch it with a knife. It is also more porous than most granites, so be sure to have it professionally sealer. If you can handle those two maintenance issues, then I would say this is a great choice for cherry cabinets. I attached a nice photo of this stone.
A dark or medium Costa Esmeralda granite would be the best choice. This is gorgeous granite which is high in quartz minerals and very low maintenance.
As you may already know, it is quite expensive, but it is worth it. Don’t be worried about the white veins, they are great accents to brighten the room and match the towels.
Regarding the sink, certainly stainless works very well but the deep dark anthracite sink, like the one sold at Home Depot, would look amazing with any of these colors. If you like that look, go for it. It would be very classy for sure. You could match the same color for the faucet or even use a gun metal color.
Best wishes on your kitchen, Clay. Thank you for supporting the kids!
