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

I had three bathrooms in my last home, all cream colored cultured marble. Yes, it can be easier to clean, but the silicone sealant can get moldy and stain. It also tends to need re-caulking fairly often in spots. When used for a vanity top in a bathroom with heavy use, it will get a "patina" (fine scratches). The manufacturer overall did a high quality job and finish, however, I didn't want to have cultured marble again. I found it "O.K". We are currently building a log style home. My husband wanted cultured marble again, despite the fact that I wanted to try a beautiful tile shower with minimal grout lines. Newer grouts and materials are "supposed" to be much better than in years past. Since we are having all natural products in this house and no sheetrock, I felt with my vintage style sinks it would look wonderful. Long story short, we put in a white on white cultured marble shower, six feet long and four feet wide. I absolutely hate it. It looks like a hospital shower to me and the vintage sink makes it appear even more like plastic. Different shower person this time around. He didn't do what I would call a great installation and the walls are scuffed up. He claims this can be buffed out, but in reality this takes off gel coating. After spending a LOT of money, I want this shower ripped out and something more aesthetically pleasing put in. Sandy

We used polished White Thassos marble in our niches (top, sides, bottom in three bathrooms, plus shelves in two baths). We also used it as border tile on our MB tub surround (but it doesn't really get wet during showers as it sits outside the shower curtain liner, and curtain itself). I sealed it all when it was installed, and that's pretty much it. I use a "sealed natural stone-safe" spray cleaner (7th Generation Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner). I spray it on, let sit a few minutes, and buff off with a microfiber cloth. No rinsing necessary (I do try to wipe it all off, as I'm not fond of the lingering scent left behind, mostly in the corners). As far as I can tell, the WT still looks perfectly fine.

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.