What did you end up deciding on??? I am looking at the same combinations.... I don't want to spend the money on the granite/quartz, as I am so used to moving(we are military, getting ready to retire) I am certain I will get bored in a 5-10 years. I will feel better about changing out the counters about that time if they aren't so expensive. With the way trends come and go, nothing stays in style very long. I like the option of changing.

@juliewilds1 We gave our cabinets a fresh coat of white paint. Installed a new countertop, new appliances, painted the walls taupe, installed new flooring, changed the hinges and the hardware on the cabinets, and added uplighting. (Note on the uplighting. I had cabinets with railings like this. Very outdated. We tore them out and added a crown molding at the top. This hid the led rope lighting I snaked all across the tops of my cabinets. We installed outlets at the top that you cannot see for the rope lights plug into and we installed a switch to control the outlets. Honestly. It is probably my favorite part now and it was a very cheap option with a lot of bang for the buck!.)

The renovation has been just about a year now, plenty of time for me to get use to the changes . We installed Wilsonart Cafe Di Pesco , although I still like the uniqueness of the wood I originally posted, but I just couldn't find the flooring to offset it and I honestly got tired of looking. I can say that Cafe Di Pesco hides any spills very well ! I have to look closely to see bread crumbs, sugar, tea, etc. that someone has left behind. It blends very well with my taupe walls, but also my new stainless steel appliances, and my new flooring. I had an almost pure white kitchen (walls, cabinets, flooring) for 20 years, so I was ready for the change and color! The only negative thing I could say is that I do wish it came in another finish rather than just antique, as I would have preferred it to be a little more shiny. I have heard that the shinier the finish, the easier to see scratches, so over time, I may come to love the finish. I didn't have an unlimited budget and I knew I didn't want anything I would have to spend time resealing. Overall, I am happy with our ultimate decision. I also installed Mannington Omni HD flooring in Thunderstorm .

My husband is former service and now my oldest son is serving. I totally understand where you are coming from where you get use to changes in your life. The only constant, is change. That is why I looked at a cheaper option like formica. I can get a big change without spending a budget I didn't have. I would rather have gotten my updated appliances, that quartz or granite. Don't get me wrong, they are gorgeous. Just not practical for me and our situation.

Good luck and a warm thanks your husband for his service, and to you for supporting him.

@rdmickey... Thanks for the update. I would love to see a picture of it! I love all of the choices you made. I have a few samples of the Wilsonart, but they didn't have the Cafe Di Pesco, but I will order one... It looks beautiful. I agree on the finish, but my kitchen will have 14 feet of countertop right below windows, so I am looking for something that isn't shiny and shows all the dirt like the current Corian does. I am getting white cabinets, as they keep me honest with my cleaning, but I just cannot do a counter that shows everything... It makes me crazy overboard shining it. I am going to check out your floors, thanks for the idea.
Thanks for the info and support.

@julie. I can say Cafe di Pesco won't be shiny and hides anything well ! I have a lot of countertop as well. Granite would have broken my bank account.

The first photo was just before renovation. Same white everything, appliances, walls, cabinets, flooring, etc. We had just hung the plastic, but I think you can follow ok.

The next 3 photos I just snapped with phone tonight walking in the door so it was getting dark. Let's say the only thing white now is my cabinets and accent pieces on my chairs.

Good Luck !

We are now getting ready to redo our bathroom. Sigh....time to make another ideabook.

That looks very pretty.... I do love the uplighting! I love all the light from the doors! What a great kitchen!