For years I thought I wanted butcher block counters. But I always seem to have puddles of water around my sink so it probably wasn't realistic. My next thought was the new kind of tile that mimics wood - I think it's really designed for floors. But once I was in the tile showroom, I was drawn to the other stuff. And because of the vanity, I had done lots of searches in Google Images of "tile countertops" and I was seeing some that I really liked. Once I decided to use a more traditional tile, choosing it was easy - Stonepeak Limestone in Walnut.
I first thought I wanted large tiles (24"x12") with grout to match the tile but after talking to the staff in the tile store, I decided on 6 inch tile with bone colored grout. I found a couple of pictures with the smaller tile and I think it does look wonderful.