Funny that you guys started to discuss this just when I am about to start this same project myself. Here are my findings. First off, if you plan of putting a counter on top of the new 3.8 cu ft FL, good luck, and have your pocket book ready. You see, the deepest "standard" counters are those for kitchens, at 25 1/8". Assuming that one leaves around 5" of clearance behind those newer FL machines for vents, air circulation, heat, etc, then you are looking at about 30"-35" of depth, depending on how flush you want the counter to come to the front of the machine. Having said that, there are 3 prices for laminate counters in the stores (like Home Depot). The counters you see in the store in stock are the cheapest, and will cost around $10 li ft. If you need to pick a finish that matches say the sink counter top in your bathroom where the machines are also located, then that is considered a custom order, even if it is a standard depth. This will easily double the price to $20 li ft. Now if you want to order a non-standard depth so that it goes from the back of the wall to the front of your new FL, then you are looking at $35-$50 li ft, depending on type of finish like rounded vs sqaure front edge, back ledge or no ledge, etc... Keep this in mind when shopping for a counter top. I would like my counter to cover the machines completely, so I might have to bite the bullet and order the more expensive counter top.... Again, I am talking about a laminate counter top, no fancy materials here.... I am from Canada, and here is what the local Home Depot quoted me in Canadian dollars for the 3 options.. 1) In-Store counter (limited finishes) 25 1/8" (standard depth) X 6 feet = $68 CAD Custom order counter (you choose the finish) 25 1/8" (standard depth) X 6 feet = $132 - $150 CAD 30 Csutom order counter (you choose the finish) 30-35" (non standard depth) X 6 feet = $222 CAD I believe the last option of non-standard depth only allows for a square front edge finish. If you want a rounder edge in front, like that found on your kitchen counter, the price jumps to $500 CAD, since the guy said that they have to charge for a full 4X8 sheet, and then cut the custom size from there, in order to get the rounded front edge... One other option you can do, which my brother did very nicely is lay down 2 sheets of plywood (for extra thickness), and tile the top and sides, looks really nice, but is a lot more work...

I would do stainless and quartzite purely for the reason there is already a lot of wood. I would do the same material in the same run if it were my kitchen. I don't see myself needing to spray down the kitchen. That being said this is your space and do what you like with it. If choose to mix up the run I would stainless on either side of the range to end of uppers/the set of drawers area. Then I would do the quartzite on the rest. Or you could do the back run stainless with quartzite on the island. The other thing you need to consider is the amount of stainless appliances you have in your kitchen. You do have enough warm feel from the wood to pull off a stainless steel counter. Here are some pictures of stainless steel countertops with different mixes. [eclectic kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104) by san francisco architect Andre Rothblatt Architecture [traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by sydney media and blogs A Beach Cottage [traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by denver kitchen and bath Exquisite Kitchen Design [eclectic kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104) by atlanta architect Soorikian Architecture [modern kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by hong kong architect Original Vision Limited

Every choice has pluses and minuses, in the end you have to choose which plus and which minus matters the most to you and/or which have an easy fix (like using a cutting board under the crockpot; at work we have an extra piece under the big coffeemaker). budget mattered a lot to me (and I hated formica) so, I ended up with a lesser expensive granite and am very happy, no sealing or extra work for the stone I chose. I had formica previously which looked like h#*! from the day I moved in and didn't get better (except that I could use bleach to remove stains) so those of you whose formica looks like new after 30 years must be taking appropriate care -- using cutting boards (mine had little cuts all over) and so forth -- where my previous owners did not. But, I read that formica now is much better quality than what was installed 30 or 40 years ago. I looked at Burled Beach and liked it. It looked a warm sand-ish color on my samples in my house, but I saw a demo kitchen of it at a big box store and it was a warm greenish tone (I still liked it) under their fluorescent lights. You always have to ability to STOP and make changes unless the cabinets are all already made. If he is just now starting it might not be too late -- call him now! PS do you have an IKEA near to you? Most counter materials are less expensive there.

It really depends on the size of the island and it's prominence in the room. I have gray cabinets and Glacier White Corian countertops on all my perimeter counters. Since my kitchen is small (and enclosed), I don't have room for a "true island" so I have an Ikea island cart. It came with a solid birch top. The cart itself was in natural birch, but I painted it black as I wanted it to sort of "float" in the kitchen. I have oiled the heck out of the top and do it every 6 months or so. It warms up the wood considerably. I also have mid-brown hardwood floors. I'm not a "matchy" girl so I didn't want them to match and actually wanted the island top to be a bit lighter. The kitchen itself is "warmed up" by using polished bass pulls on all the cabinets, the warm brown hardwood floors, and by some display polished copper. That's really all it takes.