Advice on choosing a countertop for our kitchen cupboards?

Your budget may influence your options for your counter top. You can get granite in many different colors and finishes but it is very costly. Corian is another option with many more color options and is mid-priced and very durable. Laminate is the cheapest option but has drawbacks besides your not being fans - moisture can cause damage easily to the subsurface of the counter.

Another option is ceramic tile or other tile products. Again there are tons of options for colors and finishes available. Cost will vary by tile used but it can be expensive. Also, if you are trying to keep the "old" feel of the house, tile may not look right for you ( I personally am not a fan of tiled counter tops)

I am not a decorator but I would think you would want to keep with a lighter colored counter - something in a beige like others have suggested. However, depending on how much natural light you get in your kitchen, the black might not look that bad - several years ago I assisted in setting a black granite counter in an old and small kitchen with dark cabinets and because of lots of natural light they looked great in there.

The biggest suggestion I can give is to take your time and think through every option before making a decision. You do not want to go through all the work only to not be happy with what you installed.

I hope this helped with your question.

I agree, the black will make it look very dark and u dont want that. Its a kitchen, so the most light will make u enjoy being in there. As far as granite goes, I like "bainbrook brown" Also, I have see people put almost a grayish granite in there kitchens and it looks really good. I suggest not doing too dark or too light, kind of stay neutral with the colors, but also something that stands out. Good Luck

I agree with you that the black granite would be too dark.

Go with a lighter color for sure -- perhaps in the beige color range. With your dark oak cabinets, you need to keep the counter tops a light color.

There is so much too chose from....go searching and have fun.

Your kitchen sounds fabulous!!!! :)

Check out Wilsonart online. They specialize in laminates and have some very striking colors/patterns to select from. You can also order as many samples as you like for free. They should arrive in about a week or so. I think you will be pleased with the choices available.

Granite is the only way to go. We take pans out of the oven or off the stove and set them down on the counter without pads underneath them all the time. They can handle the heat.

We've been happy with our Corian. We used a counter cleaner/polish on it that made it just shiny enough. Granite can look VERY sleek and shiny, probably not the look you want. It come in lots of colors: http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/THD/design.h...

Here's a link to all the colors (sandstone would look great in your kitchen!)http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/THD/colors.h... We got the ogee beveled edge (really adds to the look)

i lock myself in the cupboards when ive done the shopping,its a great scare tatic for when the kids want to raid the cupboards!

Look into "soapstone."