Formica Butterrum granite?

Thanks for being brave enough to even touch this one! Your suggestion is a top contender. Attached more recent photos.

With there being so much wood and the nice peach paint, I would really try to go with something darker..blacks & mid to dark grays both with some white in them. You never want too much of a good thing. Countertop with the colors of what you already have in the room..just could be the tipping point of too much. This would also leave the options open for different wall colors later...and for resale should you ever move.

Click to look at photos of kitchens with black countertops

https://www.google.com/search?q=pictures+of+black+countertops&espv=2&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ZukyU_WfDpDMsQTtnYHoAw&ved=0CCoQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=639

No way you could learn to love the tree? I think it would be gorgeous, sanded down from the high gloss like your beautiful floors, if the walls and cabinets were white (you already have white appliances, and it seems Mom is looking for lightness), but obviously you'd have to love it to keep them and it sounds pretty certain that you don't.

Still, I'm attaching a houzz search of successful installations in case you want to peek through it before tearing them out:
http://www.houzz.com/natural-edge-wood-counter

Ultimately it's your home and your call, just wanted to make sure you see their potential with white cabinetry before making your final decision.

Stained concrete. It's your house, not your mother's.

My faves from that search:
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The butternut granite has a lot of gray in it. The samples with gray tend to detract rather than enhance what 's already there. That's my problem, well one of them!

I used Golden Sun granite in my kitchen. It has feldspar in it which would match your paint color perfectly.

You have to live with and love your kitchen, so at the end of the day, trust your gut on what speaks to you.

That being said, I really think that putting a brown or golden countertop with the current color of your cabinetry will make your kitchen look outdated. If you don't like the idea of anything white in the kitchen, would you consider painting or staining your cabinets a light espresso or a dark walnut? That would give you a much wider range of countertop options (including salvaging the wood countertop).

The wilsonart cosmos granite would look really pretty on dark cabinets. I don't know what your budgetary constraints are, but you could also add glass to the cabinets on either side of the windows (~$200), which would make the kitchen feel lighter if you're adding a lot of dark colors.

I should have added that I'm one of those people that gasps when on HGTV they say they're going to paint the wood cabinets!
I had secretly considered (as in, hadn't introduced the idea to Mom) painting cabinets a cream color with a glaze, and that really surprised myself. I've spent so much time on concentrating on replacing the countertop that I hadn't considered other options. What I don't like about the "tree" is I have to question how sanitary it is and the shortcoming of being able to put anything hot on it. Those of you that are supporting the idea of sanding the gloss off the counter, how would you seal the wood? Would you stain it? Any suggestion I will greatly appreciate.

The gloss is probably an epoxy finish similar to one used for boats exposed to salt water. As such, it is sanitary, as long as you keep it clean. VERY hard to sand off, and must use a respirator when doing so, plus all the dust all over everything!

I would keep the counter top and the floors. Paint the cabinets white or espresso OR Espresso on the bottom, white on the top.

So far, this photo has won me over, AND Mom likes it too! Keep the ideas coming, it's very interesting to hear your ideas. Point of interest...we have the same rug in our kitchen!

I like the dark countertops too!

If you love the natural wood of the cabinets, the dark granite is the natural choice. Check out the Verde Uba Tuba, the Butterfly green and the Black Galaxy. They have a lot of life in them.

I'm leaning more towards quartz or maybe even marble. How do the three different products compare in price and wearability?

Marble is porous and will stain, not ideal for a kitchen. Granite requires annual sealing. Quartz requires no sealing. We went with quartz, Cambria has some awesome designs.

Thanks for giving me some kind of direction. You have been very helpful!

You may want to visit some showrooms in your area to compare countertop samples with your cabinetry.

If you're in the area, come join us for breakfast at our showroom and check out our free kitchen session every 2nd Saturday of the month: http://leichtnewyork.com/how-much-will-your-kitchen-cost-class-registration

Best of luck! Feel free to write or call us if you have any questions.

Not sure where you are but Costco here in Canada had the best price on quartz when we were shopping.

Many great ideas here... I would change the fan up also.

lol another solution for great countertops is to use the laminate that looks like granite. This really gives you the flexibility for wear and tear and just looks more pleasing! look at the one here http://www.web-don.com/our-products/laminate-postform-countertops/wilsonart-laminate/

So much for the marble. Vetoed by both hubby and mother. Mom thinks it's too elegant for the rest of the room. She might have a point. I would like to detach the peninsula and make an island perpendicular to the sink counter. I just can't see so many steps from one side of the cupboards to the other. Don't want to settle on countertop until the peninsula vs island is settled. Am I foolish for wanting to bring the counters closer by using the peninsula to create an island?

Dark hardware would be nice on your wood cabs with a dark counter

Sorry, I meant parallel to the sink counter!