Do you care if it looks like the counter and floor are the same material? I think they might with the frontrunner. Not saying that's bad or good, but something to consider from your own viewpoint.

The funny thing is, I was about to vote against the frontrunner, because it looks so much like the flooring, then looked in my own kitchen and saw that I am not one who should point that out as a problem, since my own are quite similar!

I really like the Tuscan Marble for less contrast with the black appliances and a softer overall look. I prefer the bottom sample of the Santa Cecilia to the lighter one, and from what I see, your top choice is nice, too. Really, I don't think you can go wrong, because any of these you show will look nice with both the floor and cabinets. The next thing I would do is find some backsplash options and let the best combo win. It's no good to have your favorite counter if you can't find a backsplash you like to go with it, which is why I like to make all the choices as a package, and not leave the backsplash til last.

When you say brick, do you mean in shape, color, or both?

Maybe it's just the lighting, but the Crystaline Pearl is reading a little on the pink side against your floor tile on my monitor.

Any chance you could post pictures of the two Santa Cecilia samples against your flooring?

I'd call Formica in the morning and request larger samples of those - and any others you might like. they're free.

and i'd go online to Wilsonart side and order samples if any are from them. the really large ones they charge 1.00 for. they are worth it.

they'll be to you in about 4 days. until then look for the backsplash. I don't like the idea of a brick one tho.

I can totally get why you're happy with the crystaline pearl- after looking at tons of samples you can get frozen with indecision.

But, in my opinion, (and you asked for it - right?), it's way too safe. I have no problem with going for laminate, I'll probably be doing that in my basement kitchen/craftroom, but I personally think you could get some WOW factor with a countertop that provided some contrast to your flooring rather than blending right in. Have you thought about the soapstone look alikes? (Sending you in another direction completely...) If it HAS to be one of the above four, I'd go with the Tuscan marble Formica (but would like to see it against your floor too.

I agree with the other posters, that it may be a great idea to find backsplash now too, unless you're thinking of waiting a few years. I'd nix the fake brick though, I'd look for a splash of texture- either shiny ceramic or glass to add some vavoom. We had laminate in the old kitchen and the previous owners had done a fairly nice BS in tiles on the diagonal- I was always surprised at how many compliments I got on that backsplash!

Okay, here are two more pics. One is morning sun, the other is under our lights, so you can see them under both.

No, it doesn't have to be these, but we really can't go dark - old eyes, need light and the black appliances would be too dark.
Actually, I had the larger samples and then threw them away when no one here wanted them, and we thought we'd do quartz! Stupid! So yes I re-ordered some. The crystaline pearl actually also has a touch of green to it, and gray and tan as well as white.
The Santa Cecelia gold looks much golder in real life - it's sort of washed out for some reason in these photos. DD nixed that one saying it's too gold. But, maybe I do need some color??
Oh this is hard. I think it'll be easier when I get those samples. If I choose a formica yes I'll have to call them cause they don't offer the big ones like WA does.

I'm not digging the Crystaline Pearl, either. It is too similar to the floor which is a look I find to be... um, unispired.

I find the Tuscan Marble too grey which doesn't help you with your quest for a light kitchen. That leaves the Santa Cecilias, which I like! I prefer the lighter on but if you go with brick the darker one might be a better choice as it appears to have little flecks of rusty red.

As raehelen mentioned, a soapstone-look counter would look nice with your cabinets. Look at Wilsonart Oiled Soapstone. I know you want to keep things light but it a great look so I thought I would mention it. Also, dark horizontal surfaces (counters and floors) don't darken a room nearly as much as dark vertical surfaces.

Nicole

I'm glad to hear the reno is back on! My favorite of the 4 is the light Santa Cecilia - I think the gold is too gold and the others are too dark/too close to the floor color, plus you said you wanted light. Onyl thing is you have to find backsplash that would go with it. I don't know if I'd do brick anyway - or were you talking about subway tile in "brick" pattern? Maybe white subways?

I know you don't want to hear this, but my first thought even before I read the above thoughts was soapstone laminate. I think it would look great with your appliances. When we were trying to decide what to do, I had a sample of the soapstone laminate and I thought it was gorgeous, but ended up with granite. Do you have under cabinet lighting?

Yes, we'll have undercabinet lighting.
DH nixed EVERYTHING on the dark side, saying even the Wilson Art Bella Capri was too dark. I also liked the Formica Butterrum Granite, but was scared it's too busy.
I guess another consideration is that we'll have a seam because one counter top run is going to be 14' long!
Do you think such a long countertop should weigh in here? Will too much of the repeating pattern show if I choose a granite lookalike? Hmmm that sounds like another reason to go with the Oiled Soapstone?

Both DD and I's first choice was a darker more dramatic counter top. Give me some MORE things to tell DH to talk him into that oiled soapstone!

I also like the Santa Cecilia gold best with your wood and floor. The Crystaline Pearl is fine. What I'm seeing on my monitor is that the Pearl tends to undertones of pink and green that might be a bit dreary at certain times of day. OTOH, I'm assuming your daughter has seen the samples in person and probably knows more than we do when she says the gold is too gold (I still like it). What that might also mean is that it's too dark.

I'm just thrilled that you've found a way to make it all work out with your budget.

Do you want to stick to a stone pattern? Have you looked at Ivory Brushing? I went through all the decks a few months back. The most dramatic ones are the dark colors and a lot of the lighter ones tend blue. Unless you want to do the onyx, which I think may be too pink for your finishes. :)

Hi southerstitcher

I know what you're going through. I'm in the same boat as you trying to find a laminate counter. I'm pretty certain(90%) that I'll be going with Bella Capri but I'm still hesitating.

Out of your choices, I like the Santa Cecilia Gold the best. I have a lot of little samples and I held the SCG next to a cabinet that is similar in color as your wood choice and it wasn't bad. I think the SCL is too light and the Tuscan Marble too gray. I'm not keen on the Crystalline Pearl. I think that one would go well with white cabs.

Also have a look at Formica 6218-RD Creme Quartzstone and 6223-RD venetian gold granite. They are both on the lighter side.

I also find that the finish is important. I noticed that you have a matte finish on your samples. I really like Formica's RD finish and Wilsonart's HD.

If you have a lot of light in the countertop area, you shouldn't have to worry about the area being too dark if you went with a darker laminate. I find that with the light laminate that I have now, I can never spot the little crumbs.

Did you see diy dirk's kitchen? It's gorgeous with that dark laminate.

Having looked at your additional photos, the Santa Cecelia Gold gets my vote also :-)

I keep coming back to the Tuscan Marble. It stays in the family of colors of your floor without being the same tone, and it looks good tonally with your cabinets without going dark.

I like the idea of a darker caountertop with the black appliances, but I think the SS dark is harder to pull off (unless the cabinet stain is not set in stone). You will have a visual weight of dark counters with medium-dark cabinets against a fairly light floor. If you have good light and an airy room to begin with, fabulous, go for it! If it isn't, I would be careful with this combination (I am not saying it won't work, but it is a harder combination in general to pull off in a small space or one that has a lot going on).

pllog, thanks for being thrilled for me. I hope it's back on anyway. I like the SC gold too, but I'm worried about getting a granite look that moves so much in laminate. I mean, with a 14' run of counter, it might repeat too much. And you are right in that so many look pink or blue. I had to nix the onyx because of the pink, yes.

hondagirl DD and I LOVE the Bella Capri. It is very pretty, but I nixed it cause it was reading too pink on the light parts in my kitchen, but it's still in the running in case I decide to rebel and go darker.

What about this sand crystal? I know some people don't like the spotty look, but this appeals somehow. Less boring, and some color. Has some black spots too.

Ooooh!! I like the sand crystal!! The one online, at least, doesn't have the pink and blue problem, and it has lots of texture without looking like it'll have a noticeable repeat. I haven't seen the full 8-foot sheets of these--if there aren't repeats within a sheet, you could do a granite look--like you got two neighboring slices from the same deposit. That's the way people buy 'em anyway!

If Sand Crystal goes with your floor, I think it's a winner. It has a lot of depth and character for beige. :) And I think the lack of directionality might actually make it easier to live with (says she who is making her counters into a patchwork quilt). I just hope it's not too dark for your DH. It looks like more of a medium than a light.

" I also liked the Formica Butterrum Granite, but was scared it's too busy."

I HATE busy on my countertops... and i'm planning to get Formica's Butterum! I nixed everything i saw (somehow i passed over Butterum or just got so tired of looking for a plain one?)lol! I think I was driving my sister nuts too. She has a busy counter (granite - like zeus or sunny gold?).

it seemed every light rather plain one I saw that i liked (in a magazine or online) I didn't like when I went into a store to see the real sample (or got sample in mail). I was so discouraged! I like light counter tops and NO spots (I'll think it's a bug or a crumb - or won't even know the difference). But my kitchen would be very vanilla the way i was going as my stove, sink, fridge etc are all going to be bisque and my cabs are a med light woodtone. very blah...and I wanted a very plain (beigey) floor (so i can see spots to clean, bugs/scorpies etc). I wasn't budging on that one because I run around barefoot inside. and i think a dark floor would made me feel closed in (I hate that idea also).

and i don't remember when/where i first noticed butterum but with my cabs and the bisque it looks great! (held samples up around my sister's cabs, sinks etc).

and i decided I've been too plain / playing it too safe for yrs and needed to get away from that. i needed to jazz it up a bit. and i don't have that much counter space so I think it'll be fine for me. I have about 3' to the left of my sink and 1' to the right of it... about 4' to the left of my stove and 1' to the right of it. It'll be broken up by several ft of bisque on each wall.

Haley Comet has butterum and posted a pic the other week. she's gonna post more when she gets a new camera...

I'm glad you haven't given up also!. just work at it as you can. working toward your goal...and the counter top is a big hurdle to get past!

btw - I use my laminate samples. right now i have one on the table next to my cpu with my coke glass on it...

Oh I wished I'd kept my previous samples!

Rubyfig, I kept going back to the marble too! But, I decided this morning it doesn't make my counters or anything pop. It also may be falling into the too bland department. But I may use it in my bathroom.

I love the butterum granite, and the bella capri. I should have said "I was scared Dh would freak". They are both still in the running if I go darker.

Desertsteph, well you are a cyberspace sister for sure. I did the bland floors on purpose too. I'm like you in that my tendency nowdays is to play it safe, but that's because of DH. He's very bland, a white wall person. I on the other hand, had "dusty" apple green walls in my last kitchen :).

plllog, thanks for the feedback on the sand crystall. It does indeed have lots of depth, and I think the repeat won't be as noticable on my long run, as well as the seam. I know lots of people won't like it - because many don't do spots! I am still waiting on more Wilson Art HD samples to come in. I wish there were more I liked in that finish.
I threw out the crystaline pearl. I figured something out. It looks great small, but larger I didn't like any of the crystalline series when I'd ordered the large sheets before. Crystalline Braun for instance, looks great small, but larger, it looks like compost!

Yes, it's actually now or never with this kitchen is why I decided to downgrade instead of waiting on the perfection. Laminate was my first choice anyway.