I don't think Granite will go away for a long while. I am personally not a fan of any color that can be carried by a box store, or anything that seems to be in all the "fix and flips" - I go for the exotics. But - I also pride myself in being different and not having what everyone else has. I LOVE marble, but I am deathly afraid of hating the patina look. Why spend all that $$ and hate your countertop? My two favorites and choices for the kitchen remodel we are about to do are:

Leathered Brown Sequioa - https://www.houzz.com/photos/the-summit-craftsman-kitchen-seattle-phvw-vp~16257948

Leathered Fantasy Brown: https://www.houzz.com/photos/authentic-charm-traditional-kitchen-grand-rapids-phvw-vp~23121604

I would think very carefully about using marble in the kitchen, particularly if you are a heavy cook. Marble is much less dense than granite, and has greater porosity. Light marble stains easily. I have seen many kitchens with carrera marble riddled with faded circles of red wine or splotches of tomato sauce.

It is possible to seal marble, and there are very high quality penetrating sealers. However, given the higher porosity of marble, several applications are required (whereas a single application is sufficient for granite). Sealing can help, but it is not fool proof.

Best to stick with granite over marble in the kitchen, or spring for quartz if you truly want a no-stain surface.

I have granite and love it! I like the natural stone vs. man-made (quartz). Don't like the resin in it. I don't do trends, I do what I like. I like my kitchen just as much now as I did when I walked in here 6 years ago. Regardless of what becomes popular, my granite is here to stay!

First off, in ten years, what is "in" will change 5 or more times.

Based on your concerns, a marble or quartz surface is good. Light colorred granite just looks bad if it gets oil stains. Soapstone is great since it is sealed with oil but will be quite dark.

I read some of the responses here. Do not believe a high price quartz surface is better than a low priced quartz surface. EVERY slab of quartz surface is 93% quartz and 7% Tenax epoxy glue holding it together. They are cast in molds made by the same company; baked in "ovens" made by the same company and most likely polished on machines made by a handful of companies using polishing wheels made by a handful of companies. The most expensive quartz I work with is Cambria and it is no better than inexpensive slabs from China. In fact, the last Cambria slabs we worked with were warped. Silestone's Microban? BS. Stainproof? Guess again. I would still seal it.

With that said, knowing you may need to seal even quartz surfaces and that you won't be looking to sell for many years, go with honed marble. Do it for you; to make you happy.

John

sa6013.wixsite.com/accurate-granite

I would not go with marble if you know you will be reselling your house in the future. Granite or quartz would be the way to go. They are both durable and great surfaces. Granite requires sealing every so often and quartz requires no sealing.

Stay far away from marble, but granite is great! I don't think it would give you any issues with resale value.

I love Caesarstone http://www.caesarstoneus.com 

Check out our Kitchen Remodeling Guide to read about the pros and cons for the most popular countertops on the market. http://goodfellasconstruction.net/blog/choosing-the-right-countertop-for-your-kitchen/

This was a old post, but I noticed no one mentioned butcher block. It is always an option instead of wading through countless option in rock.

We are building right now & I chose Viscon White granite because I love the flow. It almost looks like a painting. We have that on the perimeter so that I don't have to worry about heat. On the island we chose white quartz with twice the thickness. It looks beautiful but I know it is more sensitive to heat, etc. It is also not white (offwhite) & that may drive me crazy... or not. Haven't moved in yet.

I agree with choosing what you love! The kitchen is the heart of your home & you should LOVE it. Post your after pics. Can't wait to see what you choose.

Personally, I'd skip quartz, it's trendy to me. It looks flat. I used Quartzite in my kitchen.You can't beat real stone for look, feel and depth. Quartzite is real stone that is supposed to be stronger than granite but it mimics the look of marble with the veining. Some people use quartzite white macaubas in place of carrara...same look with a harder stone. I used quartzite Renior and chose slabs that were simple with some unique features. It's beautiful!

Outdated, no. I think a lot of people still want granite. Marble does tend to be less durable. Personally, I'd go with quartz. It seems to be durable and comes in a vast variety. Surely, that would be a good compromise.

Thanks everyone! Sorry I have taken so long getting back to you. We are one week away from having our new cabinets delivered & then the reno begins. Still no countertop chosen.... I'm still struggling with my choice. We are going to use a cement look patterned floor tile, & 'quartz' seems to look rather lifeless along side of it to me. Whenever I am at a stone yard the granite always grabs me more than the quartz does. I'm pretty sure I've ruled out the marble all together even though I love it.

I have been collecting rocks & minerals since I was a teenager just because I love the way they look, mostly geodes & quartz crystals. In that respect It would make sense for me to have a 'giant collectable rock' for a countertop lol. However I am afraid of light granite after the warning from Pro Accurate Granite & their comment that " Light colored granite just looks bad if it gets oil stains", unfortunately light granite is what I gravitate toward and I cook with oil all of the time. Very shortly reno will begin and I will be out of time and will have to make the big choice for counter top, I will post here after I decide once and for all. If anyone has any more advise, please bring it on! --Thanks!!

The key is wiping up spills right away, regardless of what type of counter top one has! If you like the light colored granite go for it. More specifically, go with what you love! Otherwise, you won't be satisfied! I really wanted top down, bottom up cellular shades, but didn't get them because I thought they were too expensive. That was five years ago, and I still want top down/bottom up so I'm saving for them. Fortunately, I can put one of the shades in the loft, and I'll just donate the other one to the Habitat ReStore. I should have waited and got what I wanted. Counter tops are much harder to change than cellular shades!!! Get what your heart desires because life is too short!

Here's a link to a fantastic discussion of countertop materials started by a geologist:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2692150/countertop-geology-part-six-lets-talk-about-rocks-some-more?n=536

check out recycled glass - very stain resistant and easy on the environment. Here's one manufacturer but there are many others. The manufacturer I linked to can match any Sherwin Williams (or maybe it's Benjamin Moore) color, so lots of options. But if you go with granite, make sure you don't go with the builder grades that look like olive loaf. BTW, none of your pics in your kitchen idea book seem to show granite, at least by my quick glance. That might tell you something.

Not all of the white granites are problematic. Colors like Juparana Columbo and New Caledonia seem to end up stained regardless of how much they are sealed. The circumstances under which they became stained is unknown because I don't know what homeowners do after we install and leave. If I were to assume all customers mistreat their granite equally and I mostly get service calls for certain white granites, it is fair to assume that those particular white granites are more likely to stain. I agree with the other pro here that the epoxy fill of the face of most granites keeps them from staining. But, again, get whatever makes you happy and follow the care instructions. There is no reason to have to constantly worry about your countertops. We have enough in our lives to worry about as it is.

Granite is out. Quartz is in. True that it doesn't look as nice but it performs so much better!

what about quartzite ? we just remodeled master bath and used taj mahal. its beautiful.

Granite definitely not out!
If you like the look of marble and want to use a natural stone go with quartzite. The one in the picture is Taj Mahal in a leathered finish.

Reading this with great interest as we are moving and choosing a new kitchen. We have carerra marble in our house and while it looks beautiful, it is stained very badly after only 3 years! The thing I love about marble is that it is translucent when the sun is shining on it. Beautiful. But too easily stained!

Meredith Everett,

I'm becoming weaker and am about to 'cave in' to my desire & get the coveted Carrera marble just like you have in your home now! I thought I had talked myself into the granite over the quartz because granite is more beautiful to me than the quartz. I even tried unsuccessfully to get myself to love quartz that looks like marble....But my true love is the real Carrera marble! A woman I recently met who used to work at a stone yard gave me a 'pep talk' & encouraged me to go ahead and buy my dream marble, she had told me "it is not as bad to have in the kitchen as people think as long as you can live with the patina".

But I AM still 'afraid' of it , especially when I hear you are not liking yours so much after 3 years, and the staining you speak of scares me! How bad is it & how did it happen? can you describe? I cook heavily & will probably wind up treating the marble as they would do if it were marble installed in a working pizzeria, it will get heavy use & definitely will 'patina'. I wish I could see photos of a kitchen with marble that has 'patina' so I can see if I could live with it or not. Any chance you could add some photos of the stains/wear on your marble here to this thread?? I would love to see it and would very much appreciate it! It might help me make my decision & I need to make it very soon as the contractor wants me to have my countertop picked out. Meredith If you decide to add some photos of your marble 'patina' ---Thanks in advance!!!

This is kind of a variant of what old marble counter tops look like. Each does their own thing obviously & depends on what it is used for but this will give you an idea.

Concrete for countertops. One of my favorite materials for any kitchen that can be left natural or colored any hue.

Granite is still in style!

Granite will always be the best bang for your buck!

Granite is wonderful if the people in your house can be trained to clean up after themselves and treat the countertops right. Quartz is just as beautiful but wears better. I'd buy a house with either. You have to decide what meets your needs, not just how it will sell.

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binakay , Thanks so much for the photo of your stone! It gives me and idea of what I might expect to see if I go with marble. Not so sure about the marble right now..... I went & got a small piece of it & have been setting glasses on it & other things to see what happens. Today a mere glass of plain water left a ring on my small piece of test marble. This counter material decision is so difficult, it's been the most difficult one concerning our reno.

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Diana Bier Interiors, LLC ,

Thanks for the links on Gardenweb,

is much appreciated!

Honestly, I have quartzite and granite and have for years...NEVER have a problem and they look brand new. Check out quartzite...it really gives you the marble look in a hard stone.

I have stainless steel counters with random swirl finish. Timeless!!

I have a friend who put carrera marble in her kitchen and she puts a table cloth over her island when she has company because of possibility of staining - especially from red wine. What's the point of having it if you are so worried you have to cover it up!

I love my granite counters in my kitchen and was told if you if you want a color that is in nature get granite. If not get quartz.

I just did my bathroom and put granite in. They are beautiful and, imo, something found in nature will never go out of style. But I see quartz becoming the next Corian in 10 years or so.

Emily, I think you make some great points!

quartz just doesn't have the depth of natural stone. I think that's why I am more attracted to the more plain and uniform quartz colors. For that, it's great. Or those versions that were more popular when they first came out with the metallic or small rock chips in them. I suppose those are more dated now.

Its funny because if you if you think about it, quartz made to look like marble are the luxury vinyl or laminate flooring version of the counter world. Yet it's seen as higher end.

Your prediction about it being seen like corian might well come true.

truey, I disagree with you. Look at Caesarstone's White Carrera or London Grey. I think they have more depth than something like Tan/Brown.

However, IMO, there is no substitute for the kind of variation natural stone gives. When I remodel my kitchen, it's going to be a hard choice between granite and quartz.

Hi Susie, I was literally just at the design center looking at them today! I think they have made big advancements but they aren't to the level of real marble.

Just like they have made great advancements with LVP and laminate. Still not real.

But maybe real enough and worth the trade offs because of durability

I do not like any granite, the colors, it etches, and it stains. Soapstone for me it's hygienic, heat proof, does not stain or etch. It scratches but you can hand sand or wax the scratch out!

Too much up keep with soapstone. I prefer Vermont Slate and only from Vermont. Slate from China, Brazil or India is softer, not as durable.

Can Vermont slate be gotten on the west coast. Is it expensive including shipping? Is it heat proof, i.e. hot pan from oven put on it?

It can be trucked across the USA. It's heavy. It is high end material. Hot is ok, but trivet is best. You would send a template or exact dimensions. We can discuss template material.

Just getting info. Thanks. I will ask our granite supplier here if she can get it at some point. Not ready for our remodel yet.

Granite is both timeless and outdated. It's as old as the earth and has been used in construction for millennia. So obviously it's timeless.

But even timeless materials come in and out of style. Granite is currently out of fashion for countertops so it's also outdated.

There's another more important reason, besides fashion, to eschew granite. Mining granite for countertops is extremely un-ecofriendly for obvious reasons. Most people are selfish and don't think about, or care about, the future of the earth and the destruction of non-renewable resources and damage to the planet that occurs from producing their precious granite or marble countertops. For those who do care, there are many sustainable choices for kitchen countertops.

We had builder-grade granite in the kitchen of our last house, never again. The inability to use effective cleansers, the dulled finish from years of careless use (previous owners had kids), and the incessant sanitizing and resealing were a giant pain. I have Corian countertops in our current home, and absolutely love them. I can keep them really clean with any product I want. It's a pre-owned home and the counters were not our color choice, so we will probably update them when we replace the floor tile in a few years, but we will go with quartz.

I've had granite for 10 yrs without a single stain or problem, even after food and wine splashes that sat for days behind the toaster or utensils. Love my natural stone granite.

Quartz is trending. And looks exactly the same in everyone’s kitchen. I think it it is a trend that will join cultured marble, another man made material, in the old and ordinary category in not too many years. I used quartzite because my slabs are light on color, have movement, are natural stone. I will never see my counter in anyone else’s home. I love that it’s unique (and terribly durable!)

Construction crew is working on my kitchen right now. My husband and I chose granite. I hated ALL the quartz I looked at. It all looked like cheap plastic. I told my husband I refuse to put quartz in our kitchen. Granite is beautiful, has dimension and depth, no two slabs are alike. When it's installed the crew seals it and it doesn't need resealing for 10 years. Why put in white quartz like everyone seems to be doing? If you want to do that just put in Corian or another cheaper solid surface it all looks the same.

I agree! Even on tv remodel shows, I can spot the plastic look of quartz before they say it’s quartz. (I’m a fan of Property Brothers, but their excessive use of quartz cheapens the look of their fabulous kitchens.)

The worst are the ones that are heavily veined--they look very fake and fool no one.

If you're going to go with quartz, get a subdued pattern or solid color.

thank you very much HU-706594036 for your feedback on engineered quartz.... yes, when we touch natural stone it calms our senses

My natural stone. Quartzite, not quartz.