Yep, that's a couch peeking out of the kitchen (though not my couch), a must-have layout owing to this being the size of the living room:

This house is a demo unit. Mine does not look into walls. Actually, it pretty much looks at what passes for jungle in the northeast.

I had to take the above photos at dusk.

The bedroom closets will give you a clearer idea of wall and floor colors.

LMAO, tatts. Bwahahaha! Evidently, my panties are in a twist and not big enough.

You have 134 options. Throw out all the ones you dislike: no '50's, gaudy, busy, shiny, bling-y or marble-y. That'll get rid of 100 of them. Take the remaining ones and eliminate the half you like least (it'll be easy). Get samples of the rest, tape them to some cardboard and hang it up on your current cabinets with some blue painter tape. Stare at them for a couple days to pick one and a runner up.

I've always been partial to the textile look Formica. Flax Gauze and Jute Gauze, Neutral Weft, and Shoji Screen. Or the ones that look like rusted metal.

I like the Basalt Slate. It's simple, but dramatic. You don't have a lot of space, so you need to keep things fairly neutral with a few high-impact choices. White cabinets and dark countertops are classic and timeless for a reason.

Also, bonus points for using "natch" in a post. :)

ivory Kashmir, Belmonte granite , Ouro romano are my 3 choices.

Hi,

I second Basalt slate. I saw this in person recently and I was very impressed by the look and feel and it comes in a matte finish as well. Formica has come a LONG way from what our mothers and grandmothers had available to them.

Also, laminate counters are not a life long decision, right? If you tire of it, you can replace them quite easily and not expensively. When choosing natural stone or quartz products with a much bigger price tag I can see the decision becoming much more difficult.

Whatever else is going on about decision making on your house, this one shouldn't be keeping you awake at night. Try to put your finger on what is really bothering you about the house and find a way to move forward.

The pictures from the model show a 4" backsplash. Stay away from that. Get flat formica, no integrated backsplash. Then choose a colour from the veining in the Basalt for a tile backsplash.

I think your cabinets are lovely and it looks like a really nice functional kitchen. You'll be fine. Make a decision and move forward and then pat yourself on the back for that decision while you get ready to make 20 more.

Wasn’t that helpful now you have everyone elses picks and you still need to do this yourself. IMO this decision can be made long after the house building begins , and never choose wall color before all the other choices. You can choose counter and backsplash even after the whole kitchen is in. I have had clients live with plywood counters for weeks waiting for a fabricator to do stone so relax . Maybe it will all make sense once the kitchen is in.

It sounds like her decision is needed, that's why she's trying to get on with it. Re: opinions of darker solid color formica. I had that in an area and found it the worst. One splatter of water, every crumb.....NO..just don't . My experience is stay in a mid range of color intensity-not light and not dark.....grays or brown/tans -either are fine..... and definitely move to a more stone look variegated pattern...but Not TOO variegated or BOLD....as it looks too artificial. I find those parameters give plenty choices and I've been happy with it in the settings I have it.

With your light woods and white cabinets I think Formica’s ‘Tinted Paper Terrazzo’ which looks like a recycled glass quartz will be light, fresh, and practical. You won’t be limited in your other color/finish choices as it’s very neutral.
http://www.formica.com/en/us/landing-pages/campaign/2018/commercial/smart-organic

http://www.formica.com/us/~/media/north-america/images/decors/08812.jpg?bmw=true&fd=true

You guys are fantastic! Breath of fresh air. Many ideas and rationalia I hadn't thought of. I think I'll figure it out tonight!

Cawaps...yes, I've been especially looking at the fabric-y choices. I've actually been looking at the "Denim Twill", which my mother would never have chosen in several lifetimes (a major positive). I think the denim one will read "interesting grey"..

Thanks, herbflower on the solid dark input. I hadn't thought of that.

mvcanada...thanks for your encouragement and the heads up on the backsplash thing. I suppose I'd have to install the tile myself.. The formica is indeed the last decision; everything else is done, including the one of 3 color choices for the sustainable vinyl floors in the bathroom, which has been almost as agonizing.

The Linen White wall color is non-negotiable unless I want to paint it later. I also am required to make the formica decision now. My lender requires it.

The house is netZero, by the way, hyper-efficient, 100% solar, all ADA accessible except the kitchen.

I'll do another round of looking at formicas and then update.

#515 -graphite grafix

#7018 navy grafix

#9311 silver oak herringbone

#9527 black shale stone

#6448 infinity duotex

i gravitated to the darker ones just to give u some contrast to the white cabs and light wood tones. i get what herbflavor is saying but feel u need it.

Wow, that basalt slate is awesome! 4 reasons: I come from a state that produces ALOT of slate; my bathroom floor will be black, so a very dark formica will "pull" my mini house together a bit; it doesn't look like a doctor's examining room; I can use "pops" of fun color effectively.

It's going to the top of my list.

Is a tile backsplash easy to put in? I'd want white subway tile, on the theory that it shouldn't be too hard.

sportfanatic....your choices are high on my list, too. It seems the consensus is trending towards dark.

I also have Storm Solidz in my line up.

I'm gonna check out the silver herringbone

Everyone's helping to open my mind a bit! Funny how without a little bit of insight from other people you can "accidentally" end up decorating with something your mother might approve of.... Quite the challenge to go a different route.

I'm excited by some of these possibilities. I sure have been intimidated 'til now.

Moments later: The silver herringbone is pretty, but I have wood on floors, sills, doors.... so I need a different "medium", like "rock" or "fabric". And now I'm fixated on dark.

We did Basalt Slate in what was known in 2012 as "honed" finish. We were warned by the fabricator that it may show scratches/chips if pots are dragged across it, etc. In 6 years, there's been one scratch put in it (a pail of garden potatoes with dirt on bottom was dragged across countertop) - a black permanent marker filled it in.

We also have it in the laundry room - it's held up fine there too.

musicgalnd....those photos are so helpful, and your kitchen so cozy cute. I love the Basalt Slate in your photos, and since I have almost the same cabinets and close to the same wall layout.....

I'm too prissy to ever scratch the formica; I'll likely be stuck with it 'til my last days. Pretty much like my mother, alas, who has had the same formica since 1966: nary a scratch.

And ooh aah over those glass front cabinets up top! What a fabulous idea. My ceiling is too low for that (for efficiency during our very cold winters), but how I wish...

If it must be Formica, then do the Balsat Slate, but also price Corian in Glacier White.

Hi again

tangerinedoor, I think you can install your own white backsplash tile. You don't have a lot of space to cover and no tricky spots where you'd need to make odd cuts. But you will have to cut for the corners and around the outlets etc, so it will take some tools that you likely don't have and might not be comfortable using.

But it's such a small job that it likely wouldn't cost much to get someone to install it for you if it worries you.

Don't limit yourself to white subway. You can easily do something with a little more character and since your space is small it won't cost you too much even if you choose something that costs a bit more.

Have a look at some tile websites. Tilebar is a great place to start looking. They will send you samples for a very low price and you can try them out in person and see how you feel about them. I think you could start by looking at Calacatta marble tiles which has a white background with greys in it and I think it would look fantastic with your white cupboards and if you finalize on the basalt formica. Just a bit of glam for your kitchen instead of white subway, which while lovely and functional, isn't special.

Look at this herringbone. I'm such a sucker for herringbone - I'll do it in my own house the first chance I get! But there are so many interesting shapes and sizes you can choose.

Congratulations on the house and all its merits for solar etc, well done. I'm 100% behind making those types of choices.

White, grey or black. Pick one! I would choose choose black with a soapstone look or some small scale stone pattern.

Lighter options to the patterns sprtfntc7a suggested, look at Sea Salt and Sarum Duotex. Sea Salt might be too speckly, tho.

Nope to the question above on whether I can have a hard top kitchen counter and not a Formica laminate. But, hey, thank gosh I don’t have other types of countertops to add to my already overfilled decision bank.

Amazing how close ALL of our Formica shortlists are. The biggie I hadn’t considered (and my goal here was to be pushed beyond what I might have chosen without input) is the basalt slate. If it’s open today, I’ll try and get a sample from the lumberyard.

Gosh, mvcanada, I had forgotten about having to work tile around electric outlets. But now you have me exploring tile!

I will likely do the tile job myself....nothing else to do here during winter snow storms. I guess I’ll just have to figure it out.

Wow, that Basalt Slate looks like a gorgeous option! Formica has come a long way. Also, make sure you avoid the 4" backsplash like musicgalnd's kitchen. I used to sell countertops and they always had us include the 4" backsplash unless someone specifically did not want it. Of course, I always suggested not to include it, but most sales people will not.

Hope this helps!

Congratulations on your new home, keep us posted!

Add me to the Basalt Slate fan club.

We are finishing our basement and putting a small kitchenette in (cabinets, sink and refrigerator but no stove). We went with flipper grade white shaker cabinets (since the basement gets very little natural light) and Basalt Slate Formica for the countertops. The walls are painted SW Mindful Grey. I love the contrast of white cabinets and dark countertops so I'm very happy with our choice. Sorry, no pictures yet but the look is very similar to musicgalnd's kitchen.

Are you specifically set on Formica laminate? Wilsonart has a wider variety of choices that aren't stone looks.

Irish Linen is a classic. There's also Flax linen, Sugar Cookie, Platinum Shagreen, and Oat Honeycomb, They have four colors in a pattern called Boucle, but I think the neutral is too gray to go with the linen paint, and the rest are pink, green, and orange (which are awesome, especially the pink, but you didn't indicate you were open to non-neutrals).

When I started on the article I was going to suggest that you look into Wilsonart graphite nebula. This is a charcoal color that is not quite solid--it has some subtlety to it and I just love it. Later down I saw someone suggested the basalt slate which is similar but maybe just slightly darker. I think either one would look smashing with your stainless steel appliances, the black stove top, and your gray metal color Hardware Etc and also with your wood tones. if you do this, you might want to paint the toe kick areas black.

I know everyone here hates the 4" backsplash, but when it's done in a coved format it is.just.so.easy.to.clean. actually, I did some 2" backsplashoes in my kitchen and I write like them. I don't live tile backsplashes. If you add in the expense of tile, I think you could probably do the Corian or a cheap granite, if you like them.

Also, IKEA has some nice laminate.

In a new build, high definition laminate is the only laminate I would do. Costs about $20 SF plus installation. For about $40 SF you can get Corian, a major upgrade.

The Formica laminate formica is standard in my model of home. I am content with that option.

See the itsy bitsy living room in the photos? I could have a bigger living room for the price of the non-Formica upgrade.

Woah! I love that Basalt Slate. I picked up a sample today at the local builder supply.

Now I have to see if my builder can order that particular shade/design. I'll check in with them tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Nancy R...I hadn't thought of painting the kick plates. Did you do that in your kitchen? Photo?

My builder is gonna get me Basalt Slate formica! It didn't cost extra and it's regularly available.

[My house actually can't be built 'til spring, since the ground is about to be frozen for the winter, but all the decisions are required to be made, like, this week.]

Here is a photo for you. This kitchen is nearly 20 years old now.

Thanks for the photo, Nancy R. And it's almost identical to my kitchen. I might not be able to get white cabinets, but the finish you have might be worth a try.

See that wasn’t so hard! ....thought that was you td....happy to see another room coming together!

I swerved into getting Ginger cabinets, BUT I forked out the extra and got my white cabinets with Basalt Slate after all.

Did you nottice the beadboard backsplash in the photos of the kitchen you liked?

Btw, I picked the basalt formica without looking at the names.

That beadboard is awesome. How do you do that?

Our kitchen remodel was DIY and we didn't love the idea of tiling our backsplash - so instead used beadboard panels from Menards and Lowes. The panels are only 4 feet wide so you either need to be strategic about where you put the seams or take more care prepping the joints.

The panels are designed to overlap/interlock (sort of a tongue and groove method) - but we found the interlocking joints sometimes result in a "hump" in the wall where the seam is. We decided it was better to just saw off the interlocking end and butt the panels up next to each other. Using "Big Stretch" caulk for the seams works well (no cracks after 6 years) and it's paintable.

We used these same panels to do accent walls in living and dining room:

In the living room (above), before we perfected the method of cutting off interlocking ends, we decided to cover the seams with vertical trim boards to break up the bead board look. I didn't add horizontal trim to create squares on the wall because I don't love dusting :)

In the dining room (above), we butted the panels up to each other and used Big Stretch for the seams. There are 2 seams on the wall with the door. Ignore the orangey dining table - it was a cheap Craigslist find that's on my project list for refinishing!

I installed the basalt slate formica.... Look what y'all got me! It's perfecto!

TD your kitchen is beautiful!!!

Your BM linen white walls look a little yellow to you because they are next to the white white cabinets and trim. That’s ok!! A little contrast is nice. It’s a softer white. The white white cabinets are perfect for the black counters!!! And the little peak I’m getting of your floor... I love!!! Don’t change any of your decorating plans!

Congrats!! It looks great.