you might want to check out quartz counter tops, too.

If you don't want granite, don't let yourself be bullied into it! There are plenty of us who don't want it and have other, very beautiful countertop materials.

Corian is very useful as a countertop. You might even consider stainless counters to tie in the appliances? And quartz is a great idea too.

I love my corian in my bathrooms. How ever, be advised that it can scratch. I don't notice it in my bathrooms, but I probably would in the kitchen. One is white the other an almond. I also had corian in my previous kitchen but it was a grey with white dots so it was more forgiving.
I think a qhite quartz would look nice too.

We had corian in my house growing up - in the late '70's it was the latest coolest thing. I am sorry, but IMHO it's dated, and I know others will disagree, that's why it's MHO. Also, I just love the natural beauty and durability of granite. Get one with movement in the pattern, and it will be carefree. I have never noticed noise in my granite counters. I have heard that some people have said it's cold, but I haven't noticed that either, and I am in the Chicago area. I believe you cannot set anything hot on Corian or it will get burn marks. Do you have teenagers? Nuff said.

Have you been to a granite yard? Before you decide anything, take one of your cabinet doors and go to a reputable and large granite yard. You may fall in love with something, and your decision will be made.

There are lots of surfaces to choose from. Do an image search for 'white countertops' and see what pops up :)

I have white Corian counters and I really, really dislike them. I find they stain easily. Most stains can be removed with an abrasive but I haven't had success removing all of them. My 10 year old and 6 year old account for a lot of those stains. Can't set anything hot on them or they'll scorch. They also, to me, look very plasticy (is that a word? lol). Mine look dirty all the time. The only time the counters look clean is immediately after I clean it with 409. Stark white shows every single crumb, smudge, print, everything. If you really want to do Corian, I would rethink solid white and get something more forgiving. Not sure about this, but I've heard that it is very pricey too. Hard to imagine with all the counter choices out there that there isn't a better choice.

don't have pics to go by, but for blue with stainless, I'd do some wood counter with some speckly white/lightish formica in some other area to mix it up.

I have been having the same conversation with my DH and KD during the planning stages of our 30 yo kitchen remodel. In our neighborhood granite is expected but I'm not a fan. I was originally presented with two choices either granite or quartz. For various reasons I just don't see those working for us. Weve decided on solid surface on the perimeter and soapstone for a showpiece on the island. Also IMHO I think if you choose a current color and edging that it won't look dated. Get what you think will work best for you and your family. That being said I've had a hard time ignoring all the comments made by well meaning friends who have turned their nose up at my decision.

I think we're putting RecycleTop, a recycled paper product (originally used as skateboard ramps, so durability isn't an issue), on our perimeter counters. It's fancier cousin, EcoTop, comes in a color called 'snow white', and it's lovely. Other paper counter material darkens with age, but both of these are UV stable. Can take some heat, low water absorption, scratch resistant. Pretty cool product.

What about either a butcher block counter top, or, eek, marble. As you described your kitchen carrera marble popped into my head. I know alot of people don't like marble in their kitchens, and it's not carefee by any means, but it could look fabulous with what you are planning. Let us know what you decide!

I originally wanted white solid surface for my kitchen. I got samples of two- one was corian and one was samsung. I took them both home and easily scratched them with light knife use. The display kitchens in the big box stores that has solid surface all showed scratching. We decided against it.

Corian is nice but for me Stone is nicer. Quartz is a
perfect option for wanting the uniformity of a solid color
or pattern but having the feel of stone.

I do have some pictures of blue kitchens that might help
you narrow down some ideas.
~boxer

We have Corian in Rain Cloud which is predominantly white, but has streaks of gray, a tiny bit of taupe and has black flecks in it when you are close up. It has not stained one bit after having it for 10 months. I can see a light scratch here and there if I am looking really hard for them, but they can be buffed out. It is not stark white, so it is forgiving for a stray crumb or water spot. I like how it feels less hard and almost silky. People who see it for the first time end up stroking it while they are talking. It is also less cold and less noisy. Things are less likely to break if they fall on it.

My pic does not show how much color is in it, but you can get an idea.

I do love a lot of granites and stones, but we ended up with Corian. There are pluses and minuses to every surface. We are happy with our choice but could have been happy with others too. For us, it works nicely and was a great material to give us the look we wanted and the functionality. I was hesitant because there are a lot of naysayers, but once we saw it installed in a display kitchen, dh fell in love and convinced me to have an open mind. I liked it a lot and had to get over the idea of Corian, which in older styles, looks dated. Once I gave it more thought, it became the one for us... I should also add, that we had also seriously considered a very pretty laminate by Nevamar, marble and soapstone. There are many routes one can go and none are wrong.

I love dianalo's counters. That pattern always reminds me of Danby marble.

I think corian is a great surface. Yes, it can scratch, but not easily in my experience. As circus said, you really should get what you want. Trends come and go...

There are so many different granites - it doesn't have to be a cold look. There are some beautiful gray granites with blue specs which are reasonably priced such as avion blue. Blue eyes is very pretty, but more expensive. And baja blue is top of the line. Before ruling out granite you might want to go to a granite yard and see what you like. You can google these three suppliers in NJ: Dente Trading in Cedar Grove, International Granite and Marble Corp. (IGMcorp.com) and Everest marble in Clifton. Each have granite samples on line. No pricing.
I am an avid cook as well as an interior designer. If you are looking for function, granite really is optimal. I stays cool to roll pastry dough and kneed bread on. You can put hot pots down without worrying about damaging the counter top. I have had a granite island for 28 years and not a scratch on it. I think for longevity, function and beauty there is not a better material. However, if you don't like granite then you should choose a material you like.
Good luck.