mike wrote:
Corian is on the outs partly because it looks too plasticky. It's
also too easy to scratch, despite it's alleged renewability.

Granite has to be sealed, so that has opened up a market for
engineered stone like quartz composites. They don't stain, and many
varieties look very much like natural stone. The more natural it
looks, the less likely it's going to look faddish in the future, in my
opinion.

Stainless is an expensive workhorse that shows scratches. Some
complain that it looks too sterile or industrial. Concrete seems too
prone to cracking to be ready for prime time. It also needs to be
sealed to prevent stains.

Sunday papers the last couple of months (since the financial implosion)
have been reporting a resurgence in sales of Formica for new
construction and remodels. Cheap compared to about anything else,
reasonably durable (at least compared to the average time between
kitchen remodels for those with excess money), and as long as you avoid
the tacky butcher block patterns, can be attractive enough for a real
working kitchen (versus a never-used and seldom-seen-by-company show-off
room.) And if you do tire of the color, but don't want to change
layouts, and the cabinets are in good shape, it is cheap to change out.

--
aem sends...