NikkiLu

Can't help you BECAUSE I still have turquoise formica in my kitchen - we put it in about 1974 - it isn't even very worn - just not shiny anymore in places. LOL

Mariposa

Quartz gets my vote~

Wanabee Quiltin

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and check everything out. Talk to the experts there and they will tell you the pros and cons. Ask about price: some are very expensive and some are reasonable. Be realistic about what fits with your kitchen cabinets and the rest of the room.

Tartan

[ATTACH=CONFIG]523406[/ATTACH]I would have loved Quartz or coriann but couldn't justify the cost for my 1950's style kitchen. I decided to go with small white tile and had plexiglass cut to shape to go over it for easy cleaning and rolling out my pie crusts on. The tile and grout stays perfect underneath and the plexiglass is easy to wipe off. It must be 10 years since we did it?

Sandygirl

Laminates are very much "in style". They can mimic granite at 1/3 the price. How I determined what to use in my farmhouse kitchen remodel were these points: IMHO.

what is the current market value of the house?
My home is modest and the value is modest too. No way was I going to drop a bucket load of $$ on the counter tops for a house that that does not warrant the investment. I would CRY if I ever moved and I had to leave the counter tops behind! I love my granite look Formica. Believe me, I am ready to move on short notice! i miss the 'burbs! LOL!


what is the period of the house?
If you are trying to keep in the period, why not use a nice laminate? 1950's retro house can use the great laminate "period" looks still available, for example. Check out the website Retro Renovation for great inspiration. Lots of renovations on period homes and not all use the hard surfaces.


what is your budget?
keep in mind that all hard surfaces will price out at 3-4 times the cost of laminate. I would have loved to have put Silestone or Corian In my kitchen reno but frankly, I did not want to spend the money. We replaced the entire plumbing in this old farmhouse and that was not inexpensive. I would not have installed a dishwasher or laundry room without replacing the old crummy galvanized pipes with new. Those pipes left a rusty film on all surfaces. So worth the $$ investment. My mantra is that the counter top should not be worth more than the whole house! Lol!

we could have moved to a new house vs. spending the remodeling $$$ we have so far! DH is living his dream. And he is paying out the nose for that dream! . ( waterproofed the basement, replaced windows, put in new sidewalks and patio..the bathroom reno is next year! Won't he be surprised!)


I am not a hard core cook. I am never going to use a counter top for a cutting surface. I am never going to seal a porous (granite) top. I am not going to set hot pots on top of the counter. I want and love lighter colors where I can see where to clean, etc.

Ultimately, it is your kitchen. Research the different pros and cons of each countertop option. You will be surprised at what each offers. better Homes and Gardens website has comparison info as does HOUZZ.

have fun! Post pics!

sandy

miriam

Do you know about retro renovation??? Those old counter tops are in vogue now days. Do a little snooping on google and see what you find.

MarthaT

We own a custom cabinet shop and most of our customers are going with some kind of stone these days because that is "what everyone else is using". But guess what I have...Laminate. I love it! For the cost difference, ease in care, and beauty of the product, I can't justify spending the extra for my lifestyle, social status, property value, etc. There are some beautiful stone look-alikes in laminates and it is much more durable than it was years ago.

As for the Corian-type (solid surface) counter tops. It is about as pricey as stone and more subject to cracking. My husband worked for a guy years ago that replaced the Corian in the area over their dishwasher twice because of cracking. They thought it was from the heat from the dishwasher making it expand in that area more than the surrounding areas. Our neighbors had theirs crack under their crockpot. I would not recommend this type of product.

Sandygirl has some excellent suggestions to evaluate your needs. The other thing I would think about is, if you are just replacing your countertops and not the cabinets, are you spending thousands on new counters when underneath are still old cabinets? If you are not replacing the cabinets, I would suggest not spending the money on stone.

AZ Jane

We went with Corian when we bought our house, they were the thing then, you know the "design" element, Phooey. If you use you kitchen, they will stain and scratch. ""Oh don't worry, you can buff that right out"" NOT! In the future, laminate!!

Sewnoma

I vote quartz too. I've had laminate, quartz and now have granite and I really miss my quartz counters. Beautiful, durable, and virtually zero maintenance - what more could you ask for?

If I ever install countertops in a house again, they will be quartz.

muskratwine

Definitely quartz!! It is very easy to care for and is impervious to stains and heat. Pricier than formica but will last forever!!