Helpful Sites Granite Counters Granite Gallery Home Upgrades Flooring Info Page Polished Conrete     Other Countertop Choices Soapstone: This rustic, chalky-feeling stone fits in with both primitive country and contemporary looks. It's soft and prone to scratching and wear, so it's often paired with a more durable countertop material on the harder-working surfaces. Quartzite: The hardest stone available, it has come into use in kitchens only recently, Peterson said. It's usually paler in color than granite, with soft markings. Because it's porous, it must be sealed regularly. See Rossa Quartzite at left.  Available from Slabco Marble & Granite Marble: This stone is porous and fractures easily because of its veining, so Dillick generally doesn't recommended it for kitchens. It is, however, a good surface for rolling dough because it stays cold to the touch, she said. Glass: Glass is more decorative than functional in the kitchen, Kieft said, so it's probably a better choice as an accent. It will scratch, but it shouldn't break if it's thick enough, he said. When the underside is painted, the effect is highly stylized and can be almost gemlike. Recycled glass: Chips of recycled glass bottles are embedded in concrete to create a product that resembles terrazzo. The colors are limited, but the glass chips give the material an unusual dimension. Nairn sells a version called IceStone that she describes as costly, but ''to die for.'' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mary Beth Breckenridge is the Beacon Journal home writer. She can be reached at 330-996-3756, or at mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com via e-mail.