Skip The Soapstone: Erin Napier Has A Smart, More Affordable Kitchen Countertop Idea

There are plenty of reasons to choose soapstone countertops. They are quite resistant to heat, which makes them great for cooking and food prep. However, the upfront costs for soapstone can be expensive, with an average range of $2,100 to $7,200, plus labor. As an alternative, Erin Napier has a smart, more affordable kitchen countertop idea that still looks wildly similar: black granite with a leathered finish. "We wanted soapstone, but our pocketbooks didn't want soapstone," her husband Ben Napier said about their project on Season 7 Episode 1 of "Home Town," per HGTV.  Erin added, "So we have granite, black mist leathered granite, which is the exact same look and also [a fraction] of the price." Instead of being polished, slabs of granite are given a matte, textured finish at the factory using a diamond-tipped brush to give it the leathered look.

Making this countertop swap can also make your kitchen a more functional space. Napier wrote that she chose the honed granite during this remodel for all the countertops, including the sink apron, because it can look like soapstone but is more durable and low-maintenance. Soapstone is a bit softer than granite, scoring a typical rank of 1 to 4 on the Mohs scale of hardness. On the other hand, granite will usually have a 6 or 7, meaning it's harder to scratch. So while both look great, out of the two, granite can withstand more kitchen activity.  

Leathered granite countertops are an option that makes kitchens look instantly luxe because of their texture. Erin Napier styled these surfaces as a part of a traditional country kitchen, but the material also works well with a range of styles. She really leaned into the lived-in, old-fashioned feel of the space, drawing a lot of her inspiration from the downstairs kitchen on "Downton Abbey." To create something that felt sentimental, yet usable, she carefully curated the other finishes. "I chose brown black for the enamel in a nod to antique kitchen appliances and to work with my honed black mist granite countertops (I can't believe it's not soapstone)," she posted on Instagram. 

The cabinets are painted Netsuke from Sherwin-Williams, a color she picked because she loves paint to look a little yellowed, indicating that a space is well-loved and used often. Even if your kitchen is brand new, choosing a paint color like this can make it effortlessly mimic the one you grew up in without waiting years for it to weather naturally. She also left the hinges on the cabinets exposed for a pop of style. They help emphasize the kitchen as a place to work, without being too frivolously decorative. As they are black, they also tie in perfectly with the countertops, so they aren't visually jarring against the soft yellow of the cabinets.