Counters!

I highly recommend soapstone to anyone looking for a countertop material. It is a beautiful natural material that is extremely dense do it will not stain, but it also soft enough that it can be cut/shaved/filed/sanded by hand if necessary. The only 'drawback' is that it takes months of use to achieve it's rich dark patina. We've been oiling our counters 2-3 times per week in order to simulate the eventual effect which is a 5 minute job whenever the counters start to 'go gray.' The end result is a surface that has a truly natural and organic pattern but has a much softer look than a polished marble.