I personally don't like the look of different color/type of counter tops mixed. To my individual eye it looks like you are in the middle of the remodel and ran out of money. I have found a beautiful quartzite slab for our island but can't afford it for the rest of the counters. We had thought of mixing it with a more neutral color on the others and I just can't bring myself to doing it. Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

The existing counters look fine, and the situation would not be improved by adding partial granite to the mix. Granite is the same kitchen as granite-look laminate would look like a mistake and would call attention to the laminate in a bad way.

I'd just do the following:

* Declutter

* Paint walls a more neutral color - cream or taupe or even a blue that coordinates with the laminate

* Consider painting or whitewashing cabs (or leave as is)

and save your $$$ until you're ready to go whole hog. (BTW, the speckled mosaic in the backsplash is too busy for the small spaces.....I'd remove that in any remodel and just use straight field tile.)

One of those has seating. I dislike stone or glass surfaces if I'm sitting at them eating. They are always cold to the touch, no matter the weather. I feel like I should be wearing long sleeves for protection. I'd do solid surface or butcher block--it's warmer to the touch.

This is not a remodel. My floor is 12x12 tile not laminate.

I like the butcher block idea. Thanks!

Oops I meant 20x20 tiles.

Not only is your kitchen nice as it is, I suggest that you save your money for your children's education. It will be here sooner than you think.

I am going to add my two cents worth. I think your kitchen looks nice. Everyone is so into spending tons and tons of money on re-doing their kitchens and having all these high end finishes. If you have tons of money fine but so many people don't, I think many times it becomes a status thing. If your kitchen was falling apart that is one thing but your does not look like that, at all. Maybe making sure you have an emergency fund set up or like someone said, setting up a college fund for your kids would be a better use of your money, just saying. I am sounding preachy, preachy, sorry if I do. It is just I am so tired of people going into debt to try and follow the current trend. Having said all that, I would NOT mix counter top surfaces, if you are going to do it, make it all one type of surface, would look much more cohesive and it does not have to be granted. There are a lot of other really nice surfaces you can get that are a lot less expensive. Again I did not mean to sound preachy, I am just frustrated with so many people trying to impress and trying to "keep up" with the trends and I am not implying you are doing so. Even if you did nothing, your kitchen is nice the way it is. Good luck with whatever choice you make.

Love the Cat in the Hat mixed media art!

Thank you yvonnecmartin and sharon1ha. I appreciate your kind and genuine comments.

Personally, I'm tired of granite. I love the much more sustainable woodblock idea (digging up large slabs of granite from other parts of the world and bringing it to the US is not sustainable).

Going to agree with most people here. A - spend your money however you like, but B - trying to match the laminate counters with granite will likely backfire and just make the existing countertops look cheap. They look fine now, but adding a granite will show.

Switching the islands to butcherblock will upgrade the kitchen without causing a big 'comparison' between the two surface types.

P.S. I actually like the mosaic backsplash. And I usually don't.