Laminate for the counters??? Waht is the issue you have with the quartz(stone) ????

Good morning Patricia! I’d be interested in having a solid coloured stone if not quartz/marble further down the road but right now, with three kids and a zoo full animals I’d rather do something a bit more budget friendly (the quartz also drives me bonkers am constantly polishing it lol). I’m really trying to make things work as best as I can with all the other costs…sigh lol

If it were me, I’d go super simple with the laminate (nothing wrong that choice imo) - since your floor has a stone look, I would not add another element with that same look -

this is Sail White from Formica

Thanks La La Girl. I think being in a small town there is limited access to decent product 😂 I definitely don’t want too many patterns happening but I haven’t really seen a Formica laminate that isn’t trying to look like granite or marble.

I did come across Corian at a local store but their samples were very limited. I am wondering if one of the following might fit nicely with the warm taupe veining on the island top?

@lala girl sorry I am just seeing your photo now. I wonder if white laminate would work ok even if our cabinets are white? Am so worried that it will all just be so light (especially if the walls end up egret white as well lol). I suppose I can warm it up with other items like cabinet hardware, lighting, plants?

Oh my I feel so silly I never really looked that hard on the Formica site lol. They do have solid colour filter. Sheesh. Thank you !!

Yes, do a solid color laminate. If you have white cabinets, perhaps a solid gray would be best--no pattern and no angst about matching the whites.

The issue I see with your choices, however, is that it's all too cool and monochromatic. Can you get a natural wood or wood look floor? That would warm up the space.

Yes monochromatic! I’m sure I can give it some dimension somehow:)

We originally wanted the hardwood that extends down both our staircases and our hallways but when the designer came, he advised to either rip it all out and start from scratch or move to vinyl tile which he strongly pushed us towards. And that’s ok I don’t mind :) That sample sitting on the island is the flooring that is on order to arrive in March.

Here is a photo looking into the kitchen from the hallway. I’d love to bring in a dark wood countertop but they also seem high maintenance. Lol. I did see a dark walnut Formica laminate but the faux wood isn’t really my thing either I guess solid colour it is :)

@Diana you’ve got me thinking. Maybe I can bring the mahogany into the kitchen via the countertop OR, perhaps I can paint my bottom cabinets and island a darker colour, which has been suggested to me before.

Seriously, I would take a wood floor over laminate or vinyl in a heartbeat, if the budget allows. There's nothing like real wood underfoot for comfort and aesthetics, and for resale value. That would be my choice. I've had laminate, tile, sheet vinyl and wood, and wood has been by far the best looking and easiest to care for. A vacuum and a spray with Bona floor cleaner and the floor looks like new.

Oh I get it. I agree 100% but it is not in the budget lol

I also like the carefree nature of a laminate countertop. Take a look at Wilsonart white Carrara 4924-38. I installed that in a small galley kitchen about 2 years ago. I really like it.

@Diana, we just bought this house in April and every room has different flooring (don’t get me started on the colours in here lol). When I do the hardwood, it will be a gut job to ensure it’s the same hardwood everywhere and beautiful (for resale value in 20 years - we’re not leaving any time soon we just got here and are just getting started 😊).

@Beverly, thank you! I’m going to look. Our closest ikea is a 4 hr drive. Do they cut it for you at the store ? Or do you have to do it yourself ? Thanks in advance

Thanks @S Mil I’ll be sure to check it out! 😊

So if you're planning on replacing all the flooring at some point, why not use a site-finished hardwood in the kitchen, and then replace the rest as you can afford it? It can always be stained to match at some point in the future. I have 95+ year old oak in the main part of my house, and new oak in the kitchen (10 years old) and it matches perfectly.

A big box employee told us that laminate is a NOT as durable as it used to be and would need frequent replacing. and a waste of $$. Blowing smoke up our skirt or is there something to this? Simple house and kitchen. 35 years old tract house.

@diana what does site finished mean? I’m sorry am new to all of this lol

@RN nothing beats the real materials right? Stone, hardwood. So beautiful.

Site finished means raw wood installed, then stained and sealed on site. Which allows you to select the color you want.

Oh that is so cool! We have old skinny oak in our living room…then our two stair cases and hallway are mahogany. We love it I wouldn’t want to change it. The designer from the store said it would look weird and like we failed to match something lol

Laura Anne, I should have added that I did not fully read all your posts to know your direction of color/tone. The Wilsonart white Carra has a subtle pattern to it. It was paired with wood cabinets and flooring. It’s a bit of a chameleon that I think could work with either brown’s or grays. In this case warm tones.

Thanks @S Mil! We are looking for something in a solid warm grey. Between the veining in our quartz and the subtle design in the flooring I don’t want things to get too busy. Yikes ! I am going to look it up tho! 😊

Want to chime in here for Corian. I can afford marble, quartzite, whatever I want on my counters but chose to go with Corian, which also happened to be inexpensive. It feels a bit more solid to me than laminate and cleans like a dream. (I tested everything under the sun and it cleans so well - even permanent marker!)

I'd get a nice solid light grey Corian. And, BTW, I love your flexible attitude. You seem to have a great grip on what you can afford and that you can make it look really nice.

Oh Kendra, thank you! I had never heard of Corian until recently so greatly appreciate your feedback. And also, thank you for that compliment sometimes it feels like a struggle. My sister and her husband build and design homes for a living. It’s nothing for them to gut and go. I’m in a bit of a different position and that is okayyy. Am enjoying learning from everyone. One piece at a time, right? :)

I would use either the narrow strip oak or the mahogany in the kitchen. If you have both, then no need to replace either, but don't add a third type of flooring.

Oh heck no I would never lol

Thanks for the help with the wood, I learned a lot 😊

IKEA doesn't cut countertop. They are fairly easy to cut. Make sure you purchase a tube of color matched sealer when you place seams together. Follow the IKEA instructions for cutting so the edges are smooth.

Laminate in general comes in two grades Vertical Grade and Horizontal Grade. There's a reason laminate has been used in restaurants and hotels for decades. It lasts. If you want a laminate that can be applied to a postform edge, then the laminate has to be Vertical grade. It is thinner so that it can curve.

Companies like WilsonArt premanufacturer all types of countertops that can be special ordered.

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

https://youtu.be/h_v9yIBEGuk?si=TIag5cuIwD82UoI3

You rock - thank you ! We’re going to check it out.

Corian is terrific but can sometimes be weirdly expensive in some spots depending on availability - I just mentioned that since I think you said you were in a smaller town -

lots of good ideas on this thread - something simple that’s in the budget is always a good idea :)