Hmmm what about wood? we just did a black walnut island and i’m a fan (we ordered a custom one off etsy - crazy easy)

Are you happy with the way the wood island top is wearing? I’m worried about how much use it will get.

I see some places still advertising Caesarstone Blue Lagos ( I googled it and was surprised to see it is more brown than blue based on the name!).

So if you think you want to match it - talk to some local stone yards and fabricators to see if they might have a slab or even a partial slab that would do your job.

Beyond that.....I'd consider a colour that coordinates and doesn't have a lot of pattern in it. You could look at Corian - Travertine Firenze or Dune Prima, Sandstorm or even Cirrus White). (Sorry - can't get pictures off their site that will cooperate. Corian (link).

Caesarstone has others that might work too - you'd need to get samples and try them in your space to see if the combinations make you happy.

Lucilla or Bianco Drift might be nice.

Soapstone would be another option you could consider.

Wood would be gorgeous too as suggested above. With the proper coating on the wood - it should work well assuming this wouldn't be your main work surface.

Looks gorgeous

Thank you so much - I really like the look of this, and it gives more of a furniture feel to the room. Great idea!

I too was going to suggest a wood top. We have Boos walnut top in our kitchen that see a ton of use. We've had it for 4.5 years and it is in great shape. I oil it a few times a year with Boos products. Very easy to do. Yes, it does lend more of a built-in furniture look. I love it.

@la_la girl nailed it. A warm walnut countertop will make a huge, positive impact.

Selecting the material is important, but just as important is figuring out how the new buffet will merge with whatever is on either side of it. What are you doing with the little jut-out on the right? How does this area blend into the kitchen? What does the island look like now and what exactly are you planning to do with it? You want to make sure that whatever you do to renovate this whole are works as a cohesive whole with the existing kitchen. You might show photos of the entire space to get better advice. Have a plan for the whole space before you do anything.

I cannot see wood added into that mix I would proably look for the match first and if not found then the same as the new counter you have to get for the other island change . Plus the fact you already have a lot going on in the space . BTW Love the idea of the change but with a new largr island is this the best use of that space ? I need to see the whole kitchen in good light.

Before reading this, everyone take a deep breathe, hold..., now exhale...Ahhh. Okay, here goes. If you want wood but are concerned about wear, take a look atWilsonart products. Their wood look products are incredible. There are a lot ofoptions and colors. I needed a 12" counter for a family room cabinet and found a countertop at Habitat Reuse that I thought was walnut. It was new, not sure why it was donated, but it is stunning and it's Wilsonart walnut (hidden on the back of the countertop was a control sticker identifying it with a lot of digging). Even my contractor friend who builds multimillion dollar houses couldn't tell the difference. Laminates/veneers have come a long way.

@tozmo1 gave you a great idea.

Thanks everyone for your great ideas and especially MV - I didn't know slabs might still be out there. Now here's the bigger picture - the area is T-shaped - mudroom to the left and kithen to the right. The buffet and island are in the middle of the T extending into the family room.

We have lots of family close by and it's not unusual to have 12-15 for dinner, but I feel the booth has become too confining with one long table. The photos show a planned larger island with surround seating, but I may miss having a table. Right now, everyone congregates around the island even tho there's plenty of seating at the table.

I don't yet know how the countertops will meet - I'm hoping that my cabinetmaker can create a separation or box the area in to make it look more intentional with either woodworking or cabinetry on each end. I've included an ai of the basic buffet remodel.

The drawings also show a fixed smaller island in the mudoom. It's a busy main entryway and right now it's just a bench but very functional.

This is a pretty complicated kitchen layout - FWIW I find the large square islands hard to live with (our airbnb had one a few summers ago and practically had to lay on it to clean the center) - it would be nice to know your aisle widths, they are a bit blurry on the layout above when enlarged

Here are some places that show having stock on the Blue Lagos.

Caesarstone Canada is showing it on their site.

https://www.caesarstone.ca/fr/inspiration-gallery/rustique-en-i-cuisine-avec-caesarstone-4350-lagos-blue-2015/

https://marble.com/quartz-countertops/4350-lagos-blue-caesarstone/858

https://newteckitchen.ca/shop/countertops/4350-lagos-blue-by-caesarstone/

I'd get on the phone right away to Caesarstone customer service and see if they can bring it in for you. Or maybe they can track down a slab at one of their locations. Even a remnant might be enough for your space.

I'm seeing it on Canadian websites so maybe it is still widely available here.

Good luck and let us know how you do!

Not going to sugar-coat this, the proposed plan is not good. The island/table is way too big for the space, and cuts into your work area. The long skinny island is not really practical. And you have traffic patterns cutting all through the entire space. From your photos it looks like you have 2 kitchens. Not seeing the mudroom at all here.

Like lalagirl, I'm very confused by the entire complicated space.