IMO you go with the laminate that has the edge that makes the laminate look like stone. You need to tell us what laminate you are using.

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Looking at Wilson Art Forged Steel.

I did an Ora edge. Not sure if that's good or what you like, and I don't have the counter yet, so hopefully it looks good.

With forged steel I would personally go with the mitered edge. It depends on what the rest of the kitchen looks like. Is it more industrial? I used a ogee because it fit the style of my kitchen and counter.

Plain post formed waterfall in a matte finish, in a stocked color, DIY cut to size and penetrations cut, is the cheapest. By the time you add a specialty edge, in a specialty finish, in a special order color, with pro fabrication and install, you could buy granite for almost the same price.

This first link illustrates the edges available. Not all shops can do all edges.

https://www.wilsonart.com/laminate-edge-options

https://www.wilsonart.com/forged-steel-4995

Since this is so very dark, make sure you have enough natural light in the space to compensate for this color.

Here are two other WA options you might want to consider.

I am so new here that I am not sure how to tag those of you who replied - I’m sorry! I appreciate the ideas. I am leaning away from the forged steel and rethinking things. I will go into the cabinet shop and look for a lighter colour. I am guessing that if the pattern ends up looking like a type of stone then I should emulate the edge with a stone type edge finish. If I stick with a metal or concrete pattern then the mitred is better?

We will have flat front natural hickory cabinets, white brick-textured tile backsplash, lots of tall windows with natural light, a 16 foot long section of table (two tables end to end), 10 3/4 foot ceilings, soft white (a hint of creaminess to them) and stainless appliances. Oh and our main lighting, aside from pot lights and a few sconces over the open shelving and sink on the sink wall, will be a wood beam with five farmhouse style glass pendant lights hanging from it. For the pantry wall and also the fridge, oven and cooktop wall, we will have upper cabinets also in the natural hickory flat front style. The floors will be a wood look wide plank LVP.

All that to say that I am concerned that I was choosing too dark a counter for a long L shaped counter. I really like the first of the two grey options you chose Beverly.

I wish I had proper pictures to show you all but it is still early in the process. We are in the choosing phase and don’t break ground until later this month or so.

I’ll be posting a question on the hood vent next!

Get granite quotes. Basic granite is dirt cheap.

I’ll take a look live_wire_oak. 😊

Shelley, 16ft is a lot of table, just curios how many people are you feeding

Localeater - bigger than average family!

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Thanks Kate E! With so many counters and having to make this new house totally ADA style, I am cutting corners with a few areas that are more aesthetic than functional at this time. In the future I will either go solid surface or just replace the laminate with a new colour or option at that time.

I totally agree! In a build you have so many selections to make and you can’t upgrade everything! We had a pretty laminate in our old house and it was great! I cared much more about floors and cabinets than I did countertops - and they are so easy to change later, in comparison to cabs and flooring!

Something to consider with darker countertops - you’ll lose crumbs and stuff in it- which could be a pro or con, haha. Our old countertop was tans and beiges speckles - and I never knew that our keurig splattered coffee on the countertops with each brew until we got white countertops because it blended right in! Ha!

The only reason we went with Corian at the last minute is because the builder did it for free to entice us to put our home in a parade of homes. He wanted to use it - but not with laminate. We said but we like laminate - I’m not paying for upgrades countertops because YOU want to showcase them. If you want them, you pay for them. And they did :) We are very happy with our Corian - but I know I would have been just as happy with laminate!

Our cabinets might be a similar stain - they are knotty alder with a husk stain. I liked going a lighter on the countertops to keep it bright, but dark is beautiful too.