Laminate countertops. I think Laminate is almost a four letter word to new home-buyers. While it is well known that granite, quartz, and the lovely marble are all components of a dream kitchen, don't cross off laminate quite yet. The new products out there for laminate are not what they used to be. So long are the days of Harvest Gold. Now we are onto products that make it almost impossible to tell without touching the material that is is not stone. Marble countertops have always been my absolute favorite. I had visions of an all-white kitchen smothered in giant slabs of creamy marble. However, we all know marble is one of the least practical options out there. It stains and scratches, and also costs an arm and a leg. I came across a blog post a while back that was titled "Kitchen Renovation on a Budget" and featured a gorgeous marble countertop. I thought - yeah, right... marble on a budget. That is an oxymoron. Upon further reading, I realized the blogger had used Formica Marble Countertops. What??!! What is this magical product? I literally had to do a double take at the photos. No way that is laminate.
Gorgeous, right? This is the Calacatta Marble from the Formica 180fx Collection. These patterns are different from traditional prints as they are actually blown-up versions of the real thing. It can be found at Lowes (make sure to check local stores for availability) and only costs around $100 for a 8' x 4' sheet. I have a feeling the price will rise as soon as this catches on!
Don't get me wrong, I love real stone as much as the next gal. However, there are certain scenarios where spending so much on a real slab just does not make sense. We are in that boat for the Myrtle House. While I would love to throw in sparkling stone, for the area and house, it does not make sense financially. We would never see that return on investment and would be over-spending for the area, We considered butcher block as another option, but the maintenance involved was less than appealing to me. Also, this house may one day be a rental property and I won't have to worry about them being damaged. These laminate countertops will last you a long time and give the grand look of marble without the high cost.
So what are your thoughts? Would you put these counters in your house or do you think I have lost my mind? ;)