diymom:

I've been in the countertop business for 30 years. I can't recall a man ever winning this battle.

A glossy finish will show more water spots and any contaminants on it. I'd still vote for the Seaglass. It's absolutely gorgeous in person!

I don't like high gloss most anything
certainly not a counter top

You can order free 8" x 10" samples in the standard finish. May help.

I'm not loving either one of them: Your choice is okay, but it's such a common pattern/color, which makes it kind of "been there, done that". On the other hand, I like his color, but I think his finish will show every bit of dirt and water spot.

We did laminate 8-9 years ago, and it's not unlike your pattern -- but in a dark green. It's also Wilsonart. It's fairly well scratched in the best prep area -- that is, the area that faces out towards the breakfast table and has the best lighting -- and the pattern hides some of the scratches, at least at first glance.

I have a sample of each, the Sea glass came in high gloss finish and I cannot get another finish for the sample. The sample is where my hubby decided he loved it. I'm worried the sea glass won't look as nice in another finish like the textured gloss.

Can you get samples of the sea glass in a different finish at the place you will getting the counters from or directly from the manufacturer? I would not select a countertop material if I couldn't first see a sample of it in my own home.

if you are looking at laminate for budget reasons, the hd patterns are not budget friendly. i too checked them out and realized that they were very close in price to granite. obviously granite has a wide range of prices but if you find something you like on the low end, it will probably be very close to the hd laminates.

I agree, gloss will show wear and heavy use areas, and stone can be a more economical long term decision, as laminate can actually be quite exypensive these days. Stone is forever, if you plan on staying there a long time.

There are other plusses to laminate though, like softer and quieter to work on, absorbs rather than refects noise, generally nonabsorbent.

Laminate doesn't etch either. I think you can get the HD laminates in both gloss and matte finishes? Not sure, never having had the HD laminates. Supposedly, the HD and Aeon laminates are more scratch resistant than the standard types. Our last laminate counter, which was the standard type, lasted 27 years with barely a scratch. Although I wouldn't call laminates a forever counter, I don't think anyone wants the same kitchen for the next 50 yrs anyway. Yes your stone will last, but the cabinets will, over time get worn and you'll probably want to do some updating when that happens. There will always be something new, today's trend is tomorrow's dated. Lovely as stone counters are, kitchen designers will eventually try to convince us they are dated, otherwise, why would you replace them? First, we had wood counters, linoleum counters, laminates, ceramic tile, now its stone. Can't imagine what the next trend will be, but rest assured, KD's will come up with something to keep us updating and spending.....

Wilsonart HD has aluminum oxide in the top finish, making it much more scratch resistant than standard laminate. You've got a sample. Try to scratch it with normal use like dragging a coffee cup across it. It's tough as nails. That is why Wilsonart can offer a gloss finish in it without having the disclaimer that it is for a vertical surface only.

Formica gets around the scratching on their gloss surfaces because that "vertical surface" disclaimer is in the fine print. People do the Blackstar Granite all the time on regular counters, and because it's Formica, yes, it will scratch a bit, and yes, if you have hard water, it will show water spots. So will granite. If you get anything shiny, it will show water spots if you have issues with your water.

If you want a basic granite, you can get close to a HD laminate in pricing. If you want anything else, maybe not. It depends on your actual layout.

Oh, and the Seaglass is only in the gloss finish, as far as I'm aware. That was how it was introduced anyway, and if they've changed that, I'm not aware of it.

Sea Glass is one of Wilsonart's 'Premium' laminates with the Aeon finish. It is not one of their Hi-Defs so it's a little less expensive. Under $3 per square foot for the laminate material.

Plastic laminate manufacturers, especially Wilsonart, have not been sitting on their hands the last few years. Modern laminate is simply not comparable to anything a decade or more old.