What are the current countertops made of?

I would recommend quartz. Check out this article on countertops http://akitchenthatworks.com/downloads/articles/WHG12A_Much_Ado_About_Countertops.pdf.

A Kitchen...the link didn't work. But, I too recommend quartz. No maintenance, no staining and indestructible.

Quartz. Great choices.

Current countertop is laminate. Suggestions on colour that would go well with these cabinets? We plan to keep them as is. Is there a wide variety of quartz colour options? Thanks for your suggestions!

Just put in quartz by Cambria, colour sussex, a sorta greeny grey which looks great with wood. Stunning.

Darzy, sorry about the poor link. If you go to the Arties and Resources page on our website you will find the referenced article in the Spring 2012 issue of West Sound Home and Garden magazine.

Ok thanks A Kitchen!

Another quartz option is CaesarStone. I like their off whites such as Eggshell or Blizzard. They also have a wonderful color called Lagos Azul if you want a medium color value. It looks like honed Flavigny limestone. A square mitered edge detail at 1.5" thick looks great. Good luck!

Hi jkosmack!
Those cabinets really are gorgeous! And I love the blue island! For the counters along that back wall, I'm thinking: keep it light. I like the idea of Silestone's White Zeus Extreme, it's just super white with no color variation at all. Very clean. I also like the idea of Cambria's Praa Sands. It's still light, but with striations of black and light blue, to tie in with the island. Have you thought about adding tile or another wall treatment in the kitchen to define it as it's own space?

We are in the process of a kitchen remodel and I think our range & range hood are the same as yours and our cabinets are similar. They are not custom but are IKEA's Adel in warm brown. We ordered Formica brand solid surface counter tops in "Blanco Terrazo". There is a bit of the warm brown color in it and I think it's going to be beautiful when we are finished. I think it would look great in your room too. We went with this choice rather than quartz because it was a much more cost effective choice. $2500 vs $6000 & up

Thanks everyone, great suggestions and we agree we want to keep the counters light. The current ones are a blue leather-look laminate -- not great with the rest of the kitchen. Also, the farm-style sink is all stainless. Since we're only doing a small section of counter, we can likely go for quartz or granite. What are people's main reasons NOT for choosing granite? I like the non-uniformity of granite but know that it can be more maintenance.

Also, what are your thoughts on creating a tile (or other) backsplash behind the stove and up to the range hood only?

Granite and quartz are very similar and hardy. Granite is a natural stone, therefore having microscopic pits and valleys on its surface. Its is recommended to seal granites 1-2 times a year. You can do this yourself in 20 mins with sealer from Home Depot. Quartz is man made, crushed stone and epoxy which forms a sterile, mirror like surface. Ultimately, if you are wiping down your counter tops after you cook, than I don't see the maintenance being such a huge issue. It is more about the aesthetic preference

Regarding the back splash: My opinion is no...it will become to busy, but I'd like to see what other think about that idea.

Your range already feels a bit separated from the rest of the kitchen because of the arch. I would continue the tile, or other treatment, along that whole wall with the window, and maybe even paint both sides of the arch way a similar or coordinating color. Maybe something like the image below which has white subway tiles in both glossy and matte, and a 1 inch light blue tile, paired with a shade of gray on the arch wall(benjamin moore sidewalk gray). Just an idea!

Quartz is definitely the answer, and you could go with any manufacturer. Cambria, Silestone or Hanstone alll make a quality product.

Basic cleaning between quartz and granite is very comparable--in both situations you would clean with a spray bottle and rag. Granite you should clean with a stone cleaner ONLY! We recommend Marbamist by Stone Care International--it's $10 for a quart size bottle. Quartz you can clean with soap and water or a mild non-abrasive cleaner. Many people choose quartz because there is no sealing involved since it is nonporous. However, as City Cabinet Center also pointed out, sealing is very simple. Spread the sealer over your granite at night with a rag, let it sit overnight, and then clean it off with your stone cleaner in the morning. You only have to do it once a year.

I think that a light ivory with some striations or a light gray countertop would look very nice in that run under your window. Ivory and gray look beautiful with butcher block. Since the run is so small, granite may be the more cost effective material. Quartz generally has to be purchased by the slab, and since you have such a small area to work with, you may end up paying for more material than you will use.