"Al Fresco" > wrote in message
...
> If you were building a new kitchen, what kind of counters would you have?
>
> I like stainless, but I know it will scratch up eventually. I'm
> thinking I should get something like Corian, made with a seamless joint
> where the wall meets the counter, with the Corian running all the way up
> to the bottoms of the cabinets.

I think that running the corian up the backsplash is too much of a good
thing. Solid surface material is nice, but it can scratch and burn. They
always tell you that it can be repaired and polished, and that is true.
Still, you would most likely have to have someone repair it unless you are
very handy and some repairs can only be done by licensed vendors because the
manufacturer won't sell the color matched adhesive to the public.

I would go with granite if money is no object. It won't be a lot more than
solid surface if you don't get carried away with fancy edge details. I have
tile and like it a lot. The only consideration with tile over granite is
that you have grout lines. That isn't a big problem is you use large tile
(like 12 x 12 or 24 x 24) and use dark grout that is properly sealed. I
like tile on the backsplash no matter if solid surface, tile, or stone is
used for the counters. It offers a break from a large expanse of counter
top material and there are limitless design options.