Yea, the counters aren't in bad shape at all. Except there's some water damage around that wood trim. Which is also the part I hate the most. That trim! And with wanting to paint the cabs white, I can't leave that and I don't like the look of that part painted, either. You know how you walk in the room, and something just stands out and as eye sore, making you not like the entire room. That's what these counters do for me. I really wouldn't mind the kitchen at all, if it weren't for those. Heck..I'd probably not even paint the cabs, (a whole other fear there). But, the green with the red paint kills me. If we don't get them done in the next six months, we're painting the kitchen again. Just to get rid of the red and green. It's funny, one of the reasons we bought this house a yr ago over some of the others, was because of the counters. I was so sick of seeing the same granite everywhere, this was a nice change. I think if I could go to a granite yard, pick out a beautiful slab I'd consider doing granite. But, I'm really just tired of seeing it in every single house I go to. High end homes, to middle of the road ones like mine. I have no choice but to do something cheaper, from a box store. And I just can't see doing the thin, little granite slabs all the builders and flippers do around here.

We agree with much of what was said so far, and would definitely suggest a counter made from Polished Carrera Quartz. It looks very much like marble, but is low-maintenance and stain-resistant. As another project idea (and something that would widen your countertop possibilities), painting your cabinets a lighter color could be helpful. I know you said you just refinished them (and they look very nice!), but painting them a lighter and brighter color may still be worth considering at some point.

I like the first choice too, but I admit I prefer warmer tones. The last is what everyone is doing, predictable and certainly wouldn't be a mistake. Here's the thing that you should know before installing the counter. I would take the sample that you choose and look at BS tiles. It seems like this would be so simple, but I can't tell you how many people install the counter only to be stuck with finding a coordinating tile.

thinkdesignlive Thank you. The floor in the room adjacent to the kitchen is birch wood. I don't have much choice in terms of the floor than to put tiles. The tile will be going in the kitchen, the entrance, the hallway, the kitchen table area and the mudroom. The floor needs to be redone in that our tiles are cracking. The trim all over the home is white. So far I have picked the Olympia Glam series Tortora a neutral, good-for-traffic area tile. ( see picture above ) The wood of the kitchen cabinets is in good shape, but some doors need to be refreshed. The wood in some doors is getting bare due to water damage or lack of varnish in some areas. Luckily, I found someone willing to do a trial in my powder room cabinet to see what it would look like and whether he could refresh the cabinets. I would love to redo a full kitchen however I was quoted $ 70000 just for the cabinets if we still want wood. I agree with you that I am all over the place. I will follow your suggestion and create a new inspiration board. Thank you for this suggestion.