My house came with pink formica countertops. When we could afford it,
we had that taken out and replaced with solid granite. It is easy to
keep clean and nothing damages it. I absolutely love it! I wanted
soapstone initially, but the woman who was helping us with our choice
demonstrated that soapstone scratches very easily - you can scratch it
with a fingernail. So, we have beautiful granite with flecks of mica
in it. It has a lovely pattern. My kitchen is now a place of cool
tranquility and just walking into the room has a calming effect if you
have had a bad day.