Post a picture.

I love my cream colored Corian because I really like a bright kitchen where I can see any little bit of dirt on the counter. But it's not trendy; I got it for me and not for show. If I was willing to go with a dark color, I'd definitely want soapstone. It's beautiful, natural and holds up well. It will make your kitchen look luxurious and special, and stand out for potential buyers who've seen way too much of the the usual quartz and granite.

either is an upgrade. some granites are just as dated as the laminate, so it would depend on which one you choose.

quartz is very popular. would you be doing a backsplash too?

If the rest of the kitchen is 90’s too, avoid “upgrading” something that will only make it all look tired and worn, and will be in the wrong order to renovate. Keep changes lower priced. Like laminate. Or plan your more extensive remodel for now, so that you can enjoy it now.

in the bottom picture we have Corian on the island

What other changes are you planning?

You could see if you can still get the color corian that is on the island and do the rest of the kitchen.

Yes- the first thing I'm going to do is change out the hardware! I'm looking into black. Thanks so much for your input!! And I'm definitely going to paint too :)

renee, I added a few more pics in last comment that show you what your oak would look like w/white countertop and tile. and a light color wall.

I also added some before and after photos.

did you mean you wanted to paint the cabinets yourself or the wall?

Wilsonart laminate if you are staying for 5 years/or 50. Take a look!

Beth - paint the walls

soft blues, greens, creamy whites, soft grays, tans all work well w/the oak.

if you do a white quartz option, I like this combo

or this one if you like blues/greens a bit better.

this granite works well w/oak. here are some whites for the walls

OMG - thanks so very much!! I feel so overwhelmed as my whole house needs updating :( so I really, really appreciate the help!

Beth H - I noticed that in several of the pictures above they have knobs versus handles on the doors. is that outdated? I really like the cup drawer pulls but do you think they will look dated later?

Knobs are fine yours are just in an odd location on the door- a pull would use the current screw location plus one more about two inches up from the bottom of the door.

Why is one section of cabinets lower than the rest? Could those be raised so all the upper cabinets aligned?

Renee, I mentioned the handles because your knobs are weirdly placed on the doors. they're high. ideally knobs should be place evenly w/the lower rail

(horizontal red line)

But you could do cup pulls if you like, and get some larger knobs.

these knobs aren't as low as yours, but you get the idea.

I just thought if you bought some handles and drilled a second hole down lower near the bottom rail, it would make your doors look a little better. (like the handle pictured on the top door)

or, do it just like they show here.

I put new counters on my oak cabinets 4 years ago an I am very happy with the result:) I did consider the shape of my cabinets - which was very good so I knew they could handle another 10 to 15 years of use. I chose quartz because I could not find a granite that I liked with the oak except dark ones and I did not want to go dark. I also wanted an under mount sink (actually an apron front sink) so did not go with laminate.

This is my wood kitchens idea book with both new and older, refreshed kitchens:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens

If you are also considering a backsplash, then consider replacing the microwave with a hood. The hood will vent better and look prettier. It looks like you are changing out appliances anyway to stainless, so a good time to get a hood before you do the backsplash - if you are doing one. I also did a little under cabinet wiring between the sink and range - one of the best things I did. I can see better and the kitchen looks brighter.

Thanks!!

Beth H - I can't find affordable 4 inch center to center drawer pulls like those!!! EVERYTHING is 3 inch! : (

$12v (and I love the matching handles for the uppers)

https://www.kitchencabinethardware.com/amerock-bp36640-1-ashby-4-in-102-mm-3-in-76-mm-center-to-center-cabinet-cup-pull/?sku=AME-BP36640BBZ&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3__3prmW6gIV-D6tBh2-kAl_EAYYAiABEgL84fD_BwE

Amazon. black. outside mount. 4" $7.70 Dakota cup pull by top knobs. (free shipping on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Top-Knobs-M1195-Dakota-Pull/dp/B00134A33G/ref=sr_1_35?dchild=1&qid=1592865370&refinements=p_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A14771097011%2Cp_n_feature_eight_browse-bin%3A9628847011&rnid=9628843011&s=hardware&sr=1-35

$7.50 is about the cheapest I found for a 4", in this silver. Ashby Amerock at Home Depot

these aren't bad. $10.38 each.

https://www.thehardwarehut.com/catalog-product.php?p_ref=351967

The best deal I could find is a 10 pack of these Baldwin pulls. It's a dark bronze color, almost black. $121 for the 10. also comes in 6 other finishes.

https://www.build.com/baldwin-4424-10pack/s1254136?uid=2998671

you could always do something like this for drawers and doors

Black Iron. 10 Pack. about $28.

https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Valley-Square-Contemporary-Cabinet/dp/B071YCYFXQ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1592865230&refinements=p_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A14771097011&s=hardware&sr=1-2

these are about $17

Hi there,

Quartz has less maintenance than Granite (you have to seal yearly or more depending whereas with quartz you can just wipe it down with soap and water and call it good). As for price points, some quartz can be more expensive than granite. But I'd say if you find a color you like, go for it! Both are just fine for resale... but you should enjoy it while you still live there too! Make sure you go to the countertop fabricator and look at the large slabs before you pick your color. Bring a cabinet door with you to make sure the colors look good together! Hope this helps! Good luck!!

@CabAve Thanks! I am checking out different retailers and seeing the whole slabs really does help!