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[jlkz]

@151949

@Reever

You can check my granite counter tops too:  chips and small chunks appear where glasses and other items have fallen.  I would never get granite again !

In our shore place which we redid after 30+ years, the small kitchen has a textured Formica which looks like granite.  We ran it up under the top cabinets for a clean look:

[BirdieGal]

@jlkz

That’s laminate? Wow!

[sfnative]

Just read a few comments, but will add my two cents:

My largest teaching facility went through a $5.5 million dollar renovation a few years ago and when it came to the microscope stations, I knew what I wanted for the dual-level surfaces.  Well, the company making the entire individual units (12) thought better (!).  They showed up with a prototype, which had an entirely wrong "countertop" type material on it.  Boy, did I lay into that guy.  He thought he knew better than me.

The moral of the story is:  Regardless of what you may think, or what HGTV or any other houty-touty TV-streaming-or in-print media may "think" about what's "cool,"  that's just it, they THINK they are creating COOL and expect you to swallow it hook, line and sinker!

Regarding laminate counters these days, as others have stated, there are some really, really great options out there that bear looking into for sure.  Corian or like surfaces, including granite, are great for bakers, as they tend to be cold.  However, upkeep of granite can be a pain for some.

We lived in a house for nearly 20 years with laminate that I never changed out.  Why?  One portion of counter (with the kitchen sink) had an end that was nearly a yard square and was terrific for baking and cooking prep.  That laminate was indestructable.  I wish I had that house and kitchen/breakfast room back!  (I'm now stuck with laminate which has a slightly roughened surface for effect, as it's meant to look like sandstone, but is rather awful.  The previous owners attempt to upgrade.  We're stuck with it, as the bucks don't exist to make the change.)

Bottom Line:  My recommendation would be to take a deep breath and let your sister do her thing.  If you can, put aside the huge sales pitch all those TV shows pitch, because that's what they are, sales pitches.  They're meant to be educational and design worthy, but, let's face it, they're doing a sales job on their audience.  We all need to listen to our minds and hearts, not the hormones that get all stirred up when we watch something on TV.

[Love my grandkids]

No suprise from this OP! It's really none of her concern unless she is paying for it, which I doubt. Why get so het up about someone's counter choices?

[ccassaday]

This is formica Belmonte Granite. This is what is going in my bathroom. I love it.

[stevieb]

To tell you the truth, I'll take it a step further. I don't even care that the new Formica options so closely approximate stone. Trend or not, I'm not wild about the look of a lot of stone in the kitchen. I do like certain marble and other stone options, but in small doses, perhaps on a baking counter or a small island, but that's all I'd want, if even that much... I'm also not into the current trends of installing stainless steel or concrete for counter tops...

One of my cousins recently redid her kitchen and she opted for Formica in a beautiful French blue. She opted for the sort of retro square edging, skipping all the avaialable choices (waterfall edging, etc.). The kitchen is primarily blue and white with touches of brown and it looks beautiful. Stone or stone simulants are not necessarily for everybody. She modeled her kitchen based on one that one of our aunts had years ago, and while I wouldn't say it looks 'retro' at all, it's a very distinctive and appealing look and it looks like a kitchen, not like someone was trying to make a kitchen look like something other than what it is...

[Mustang Shar]

@jlkz

I WISH I'd seen this post a few months ago. I'm almost done with my kitchen remodel, I got Quartz counters for $4500 and that was a great price. But, seriously had I looked at the new laminates out there, I think I would have chosen it if the price was right! 

[Sooner]

If you get good, quality real granite I don't understand why people think it is difficult to care for.  Some of the lighter colored "granites" that are coarse grained, yes, they can have some issues.

We had granite (dark) for 25 years and never had it chip, scratch, or marr and probably didn't seal it five times.  It never lost it's shine, didn't soak up any stain, and had hard use from a family that cooked all the time, chopped, rolled out, and in general gave it hard use.

I know a lot of people don't like granite and a lot of people who have bought something sold as granite but not really the hard grade "granite" may have reason not to like it.  

I also don't think laminates really look stone because there is always a pattern that repeats.  

So to each his or her own choice, nothing wrong with whatever you like, but I can say that the granite has been a real joy and pleasure for us to have in our house.  It was well worth the investment up front. 

[spot555]

I just went to a site that showed the "new" formica, & it's very nice!

[NicksmomESQ]

   When I redid my kitchen I put in formica countertops. They look like granite & wear like iron.They still look brand new years later.Friends who have granite countertops still mistake my laminate for the real thing!!