We went with Corian Rain Cloud recently and really are happy with it. It has a calm serene look and feels warm and smooth. I love how the seams are almost nonexistent. In fact, I had planned our kitchen to have so few seams, I am almost disappointed that we only have 2 short ones. I love to show people where they are and see them try to figure it out.
We love the look or marble or granite, but dh fell in love with the RC Corian display after endless searching for a countertop choice. Our leading contender prior had been a very cool laminate that we would have put on with chrome edgebanding for a vintage look. I guess we are not the typical homeowners, lol....
We really would have loved marble, but do not trust our young sons to take care with them. Soapstone is also wonderful and we love the granites with a lot of movement. I also think a wood counter can be gorgeous.

We get a lot of surprised looks when we say the counter someone is looking at is Corian. It doesn't have the old style look that people think Corian does. It might be because this "pattern" is less speckled and more wavy than others. I also think because people expect a more rounded and thin edge and we chose an eased.

We got ours at 40% off while Ikea was running a promotion, so the price was about what an entry level granite would be. I'd say they were equal in price normally to a step up granite.

Here is a pic from my cell for one counter:

I have a Coran countertop in my updstairs bath ~ Burled Beach ~ and absolutly love it (esp. the integrated sink).
This colorway is gorgeous ~ warm, subtle with a little pattern to it.

That being said, I just purchased Delicatus Brown for my kitchen and am looking forward to having it installed.

jody

If buyers are looking for granite and granite only, they won't want corian. I have seen plenty of disparaging remarks here about it.

That said, I like my Tumbleweed counters a lot. Tumbleweed, Burled Beach, and Rain Cloud are all of a similar price point, and all have a directional "flow" to the pattern. Prices vary by location and timing; when I ordered mine 3 years ago they were slightly less expensive than the 3cm Uba Tuba granite on my island. Today the granite would probably be cheaper.

If I had built this house to sell, I would have chosen granite, only because I think it's a stronger selling point than Corian. Since I built it for me, I put in what I liked best. When I die my kids can rip it out, haha.

I am waiting to move into my new-to-me house and considering corian. It currently has granite tile, which I do not like. It is pretty, just not me. I don't like shiny and I hate grout.
The layout is such that granite may be too costly because of the bow windows at counter height. That would require 1/2 hexagon side and not sure how expensive that would be...corian is man-made so may be easier to mold (less cost).

I think it is also regional. The color choices of Corian keep expanding, so it must have a market segment. Compare this to the plain colors of laminate offered by Formica which have decreased dramatically over the last decade. Since Dupont continues to expand its offerings of Corian I can only assume it does have a market, although not in some regions, and not particularly in this Forum. I personally think it is a good material, although I have not spec'd it for a kitchen. But for that matter I have not spec'd granite either. (Soapstone, Quartz, and Laminate have been what I have used.)

Corian and granite are similar in price until you get up into the exotics. For me, corian screams huge plastic sheet which I can not abide. I don't like the feel or the look of it so if I were buying a place with it I'd offer less knowing that I was going to need to get rid of it. I've had it and hate the integrated sinks, nor is it impervious to damage as it is often toted to be ours cracked near the stove top and had scratches and stains.

But stone and plastic are not your only options. stainless fits in any kitchen and is an ideal work surface for any needs. Wood is nice (I wouldn't do an entire kitchen in it myself but it's pretty equal to corian in function generally.

I have Swanstone and love it. Great for pastry-making, a cinch to clean, not cold/shiny/etchable, and the seams aren't almost invisible...they ARE invisible. Our RE partner, who doesn't like Corian or Swanstone, tried to find where the seams were and couldn't.

Like idrive65, granite's got the 'cool and trendy' vote where we live. But back in 2003 granite was more expensive than Swanstone, so I got what I wanted and saved money as well.

Realistically, we have so overimproved our home, there is no real point to putting granite in for resale. Whoever buys our home will be buying completely upgraded systems (electrical, water, sewer); full landscaping with double patios and a large storage shed/lanai; a modern open plan with private hillside views out massive picture windows; full master suite (rare in these 2bd 1940's cottages) with massive closet and storage space.....and an updated kitchen layout that will work just fine for plastic-haters while they save their money to replace the unfashionable laminate cabs and Swanstone. In the meantime they can put up with easy maintenance, lots of storage, and a multi-cook layout that works.

In our starter neighborhood, you're lucky to get a DW that works, let alone one that has been put in according to current code with its own GFCI circuit.

What one person disses, another person values. You're not going to please everyone all the time, so get what YOU value, because you're going to be living with it for a good long while. RE is not the 'buy and flip' it used to be; traditionally it has had a mediocre ROI barely above inflation.

What sells is good maintenance (or the appearance thereof), overall good design and well-crafted materials. I can't tell you how many open houses I have been to where the final 5% or 10% was left undone, ruining even the best materials and design. Or where awkward design changes were made in the name of 'improvement', making the traffic pattern feel clumsy and disjointed.

I know a lot of people who have bought homes in the last 10 yrs. Only one couple bought their home specifically because of the kitchen. The rest all bought for other reasons, and some of them have remodeled their kitchens and some of them are still saving up to do so.

So don't worry about this material vs that material. All countertops have their pros and cons, so decide what your priorities are and pick the one that works for you and your budget.

When I remodeled my bathroom 2 years ago, I used Avonite, another solid-surface company, partly because I wanted the integrated sinks. I really loved it, but now that I just put granite in my kitchen, the Avonite looks plasticky to me. I don't think I'd choose it again.

I think it really depends on personal preference and one's frame of reference for that locale.

Love my Corian enough to have it be the only thing I kept when remodeling my kitchen (in process). I know someone said, "Not indestructable", but for me, it has been just that. Virtually indestructable. That's through 4 kids, much abuse, and 20 years! And it is great for rolling dough.
I agree that seams aren't difficult to find- they are impossible to find. And I think the look depends on the pattern, Mine doesn't look or feel plastic-y at all. It looks like stone to me.
That being said, if budget wasn't a concern, heck yes I'd get granite! It's stunning and top of the list for many. I truly love the stuff, but when you are trying to keep the budget in the black, you make decisions that are a compromise between wants and needs. I absolutely wanted granite. I absolutely didn't need granite or the 3-4k it would have set me back!
Do what you please!

Like everything, it is all about personal preference. One person's eyesore is another's jewel. For our recent kitchen reno we were open to anything. We narrowed it down to quartz or granite and eventually went with granite due to its depth and richness. To be honest, Corian was never in the running. For us it did not look or feel natural or rich (for lack of better terms). Again, though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder :)

I'm putting Corian (Moondance) in my stepson's/guest bathroom with integrated sinks although they will be white. Loved it the moment I saw it, very serene but at the same time, it has a lot of depth. I am having granite in the kitchen, marble in the master bathroom and if I can find the exact shade of Jersusalem Gold limestone that I had in my previous home, that will go in the powder room.

I don't like the way my Corian has held up in the kitchen. I would consider silestone or Zodiaq(by Dupont) as an alternative to granite. I had seriously considered replacing it but I have a tile backsplash and the company I was dealing with said that had to be removed in order to template. I don't know if all companies would say that but I started to feel overwhelmed and gave up.

I don't dislike corian and in my area it's as acceptable as granite, but it's a LOT more expensive for any of the nice colors like raincloud. I guess it depends on where you are. Here, granite prices have plummeted, and quartz has come down a bit, but corian is still selling at top-of-the-frenzy prices, making it one of your most expensive options (unless you get the plain white), so it's not a contender for me. I like it, but not enough to spend that much on it.

I am having a hard time getting used to the sound/feeling when I put a plate or serving bowl down on our new granite counters. It sounds and feels like the glass or china I'm setting down would break if I'm not extremely careful. (Haven't broken or chipped anything yet, though!) I don't get that feeling from my friend's Corian counters. So, perhaps this might be a consideration for you, too.

Most buyers have a perception that Corian is cheaper, even though that is not always the case. They perceive stone, any type or quality, as having cache ...almost to a bizarre extent, imho. In fact, the near uniform quest for granite on HGTV (globally!?) is partly souring me to the product ...

I don't like anything synthetic, especially for the look I am going for, so I would not use Corian. I do have to say I took a cooking class where they had the Corian rain cloud and I thought it was a great looking product. I was really surprised. I didn't know what it was. I think it would sell better if it were much cheaper to stone, because it is very nice looking.

I like Corian. I just used it in our hall bath, replacing the marble that the PO had there. Yes, it's obviously synthetic, but I like the clean, fresh look. It doesn't look like stone (and I'm not wild about the patterns that try to look like stone), but it's not a cheap look, IMO. It all depends what look you're going for, and it went well with the room for me.

I was a bit surprised by the price, though. I had thought it would be cheaper than granite, and it turned out to be more expensive than some of the granites where I bought the vanity, and almost as expensive as the quartz I put in the master bath. Just because something is man-made doesn't make it automatically bad, just as there are some absolutely atrocious looking granites and other natural materials. It's all a matter of what fits with the room.

Palimpsest,

For me, I don't like or have vinyl windows either, and my only broadloom is wool sisal.I doubt many people would be able to tell the sisal I have is in anyway unusual, but people can tell fake stone.

I do like some synthetics that proudly proclaim their man made origins, like Formica. My first choice countertop was aqua linen look Formica, but it no longer is made.

It is not so much synthetics per se, it's synthetics that mimic, that I think people find off-putting, since they usually do a poor job. I think corian rain cloud is an exception to that, but I still can't see why people would pay more for corian than stone.

Love the visual...

I don't know about relevant but around here, once you hit a certain price range, buyers want and expect granite. Corian is not going to be a selling feature over a certain $. I had it in my last house that I sold a few months ago and our buyer was happy about the counters and especially the amazingly awesome large, integrated sink. It was such a big bonus because most other houses in that range have laminate. We are having granite installed in new our house, partly because we like it and party because we do have to consider resale. I'm a little worried about the undermount sink with the granite though...I dearly miss my integrated sink.

Sas had a big point in that some granite is great and some is just plain ugly. Some Corian is prettier than others.

To me, our pattern, Rain Cloud, does not pretend to be marble but it has a marble vibe. I'd like it less if it were trying and failing to look like the real deal.

We could have done quartz for only slightly more, but the seams bothered me. The feel of the Corian was silkier and smoother and was not cold to the touch. I think the man-made quartzes are right for many applications, but they would not have fit our new kitchen as well. We wanted a more modest vibe and stone and quartz was pushing it to looking more fancy than we wanted. In my next life, I will probably have wood cabinets with marble & wood counters, but am happy with our choices for this house and this look. Not everyone is trying to make their kitchen look high end or like they spent a lot. We wanted to make ours feel old time homey as if grandma were whipping up an apple pie and coffee at any moment. I wanted more of a blue jeans kitchen than formal wear.

I was probably a bit of a snob against Corian until dh fell in love with it in the showroom. I would not have looked closely at it if he hadn't responded to it like that. His instant love for it made me stop and try to have an open mind.
We know people will assume it is less expensive than stone. Our Marmoleum was similar as I think people hear "linoleum" and think it costs less. A tile floor would have been much cheaper. We chose both materials for their function/looks and not to impress the neighbors or future buyers (though our choice of Marm did not work out IRL, our reasoning for getting it was sound). In fact, having something others don't have may be a selling feature in itself. I have been noticing kitchens at a much higher level the past few years and only have seen a handful with Corian and none with Rain Cloud. People want special, and its uniqueness, in our area, may appeal to someone. If they are like me, they would not have chosen it on their own, but may be swayed by seeing it in person.
I would not list it as a feature on an MLS form (space is tight), but would proudly put it on a highlight sheet which the buyer gets when at the house. Years ago, ceramic tile was a big deal for flooring and was something noted proudly when selling. Now it is old hat and we don't make a fuss about it. Granite may be popular forevermore, but it may also have less cachet since even the less expensive houses seem to have it.

Yes, it's always surprised me how people have this automatic "oh it's plastic" reaction to the word Corian, yet get all excited when they see Richlite or Paperstone, which are nothing more than recycled paper suspended in....plastic resin.

Richlite especially has the nice matte look and soft feel of Corian and Swanstone. Lovely colors, too. I saw their R50 color in an actual display counter and was surprised how lovely it looked, especially in daylight. I'm not usually much of an orange/rusty brown fan but it was beautiful with dark wood cabinets.

We also have the raincloud corian .. the cost WAS quite a bit more than the estimates for granite .. however, we were more than willing to pay it .. cuz it IS absolutely gorgeous ....

There was corian in the old kitchen and it was a pretty solid countertop, never had a gripe and it was easy to clean. There weren't a lot of color options available at that time so the install color was kind of creamy white. It is also in an upstairs bathroom here which is kind of a aqua blue. I don't see the NEED for granite, corian is a great surface. But for resale value...if that's what you're looking for...granite is the way to go IMO.

I had Corian installed at my last house about 25 years ago. At the time they only had white and bone. The installation was terrible and the contracter went out of business so we couldn't get any satisfaction although we still owed him some money on the job. The seams were very visible and over time the sink cracked. I called Dupont and spoke to several people but they never got back to me. After a few attempts I just resigned myself to living with it until I could change it. After several years I saw an ad in a magazine touting Dupont's 10 warranty on Corian. That gave me the impetus to try again.

Miracles happen! I got someone to come out and look at my counter. He was very apologetic and replaced the whole counter and sink (20 linear feet)and upgraded to a new pattern. It looked wonderful with no seams and was a real selling feature when we sold it a few years later.

Bottom line--Dupont does stand by it's product once you reach the right person.

Thank you very much for your responses! I really appreciate the input. If the cost is a wash, I'll be going with granite for resale value purposes.

I just had Corian Cirrus White installed yesterday..In the new house, I just wanted an softer look. Just had the walls painted SW Buff. Its light and airy and beautiful. We are downsizing and I want easy care.

Pal...I don't care for vinyl floors, hate fake wood and you don't even want to get me started on vinyl siding or windows. Especially in a historic home! Childrens toys can be plastic. I prefer a house that is not!

Coffee shop around the corner has what looks like "rain cloud" it's quite sharp looking. Taste is always very subjective but let's be clear that the notion that wood or granite are somehow an indicator of some sort of discernment or "good taste" is pure bunk. Reality is that in certain markets you may struggle to have buyers recognize the value of materials they may not be familiar with.

Buyers are free to make adjustments on offers based on their subjective tastes (whether it is a dislike of Corian, granite or something else) but the market will decide whether sellers need to entertain those offers.

Latex paint is made of plastic, and stainless steel is as processed as any other man-made product. Ceramic tile doesn't come out of the ground painted and fired.

I have vinyl siding, composite decking, and Azek trim on my house. Love it! Previously had cedar and you couldn't pay me to go back -- I will never have to scrape or paint again. I liked the feel of my old house's resilient vinyl floors better than the $1/sf ceramic tile that improved it for resale (and broke numerous jars and tumblers). I'd have it in my bathrooms here if everyone hadn't looked aghast at the very idea of it, and on cold winter mornings I wish I'd stood my ground. Not because my choice is better or worse, but it would have been based on MY desires instead of someone elses. I think it's sad when people feel pressured to do otherwise, and it's offensive when people say, "Eeeewwww plaaassstic" about my Corian counters. I don't say "Ew, morgue" about stainless or "Ew, operating room" about all-white kitchens.

we just got new corian counters...the pattern is Mojave and it is one of the cheaper ones ("B"). it was 39$ sq ft installed, which would have also purchased a cheaper granite. DH would absolutely not consider stone of any type and we couldn't afford stainless, so this was it if we wanted undermount sinks. the best thing about putting this in our old, underheated kitchen is that it is never cold to the touch like stone would be. we did not get the integrated sinks though, instead we have undermounted regular stainless steel sinks. we're definitely in a formica neighborhood so we are feeling pretty snazzy with our corian

igloochic, I absolutely love what you do with your homes....but I would never buy or live in them. idrive65 and others are right, not everyone wants to have 'classic traditional **real** stuff.' I admire it, really I do. But I don't want to take care of it and my architectural preferences are very different.

It makes for a more interesting world that we have the freedom to choose to take advantage of the wide variety of materials available and combine them to create our own individual styles.