You'll find that Cultured marble is generally less expensive than other solid surface products and if you have a local manufacturer, it can be custom sized so there is no waste having to buy full panels. I have been doing cultured stone showers for 20 years and there is no more durable or easier to clean surface. Mainly because there is no grout and it has a permanent sealant. As far as the issue of looking dated: For vanity tops use an under mounted sink- the Kolher 'Caxton' is an industry standard with a cultured stone top. This will give the look of natural stone especially if you can get it with a dropped edge or at least 1' thick. The older integral sinks did crack around the drain-typically due to a chemical reaction to plumbers putty. But the gel coated products have improved tremendously as far as no yellowing and being very abrasion resistant. Again as far as getting a more time-less look, go with a solid white shower/tub surround or very subtle swirls. Cultured granite gives you a more typical solid surface look, but I prefer a GLOSSY surface since it is so much easier to clean than a matte finish. (Soap scum doesn't stick to it) Another timeless look in the cultured stone product line is TruStone. It's a gel-coated cultured marble that goes through a photo fusion process. It looks just like natural stone without the cost, weight, and porosity. If you have a local cultured marble manufacturer, they may be licensed to provide TruStone. Here is a link that might be useful: Trustone Products

Win, win. How good is that?? -Babka

Wow! Thank you all for responding. You gave me a lot to think about :) awm03- your vanity is beautiful!!! I love that! beverly- is that your bathroom? Gorgeous!! I also am not fond of the ogee edge, gsciencechick. Yours looks great! lol- I still don't know what to do! Looks like I need to price it all out. Another reason I like integrated sinks is bc honestly, that's one less thing to buy, or 2 in my case bc we have a duel vanity. So not only is sold surface more $$$$ but I would need to add on an extra ~$400 for undermount sinks.

I installed my solid surface shower walls over drywall, not even greenboard, and put the custom solid surface pan over the wood subfloor. If you leave an 1/8" between wall corners and pump them full of color matched silicone, it allows for panel movement without leaking. Another of the advantages of solid surface in the shower, besides lack of grout to maintain, is the labor and material savings of waterproofing. Plus the foolproofery.