What do you think of when you hear the word “laminate” when associated with kitchen countertops? Are you picturing your grandmother’s countertop post WWII, or a tacky green countertop that seems to have stepped out of the 1970s? Maybe you’re thinking of Alice preparing dinner on the Brady’s burnt orange countertops.

To all of those thoughts, we say this: First of all, the fact that your memories of laminate countertops stem back to many different decades just goes to show that the material has been trusted by families and businesses for many years. And, on top of that, forget your previous memories of what laminate looked like – it has come a long way while homeowners have been taking a hiatus to drool over granite and quartz. Technological advancements have done beautiful things for laminate countertops.

Consider laminate

If you’re planning a kitchen or bathroom remodel, and countertops are on your list of updates, get rid of your previous thoughts about laminate, and give today’s new and improved laminate options a moment of your consideration.

Advancement in technology has allowed laminate manufacturers, such as Formica, Wilsonart and Pionite, to create beautiful, more affordable options for kitchen countertops. While you can still get standard laminate options, today’s laminate countertops are also available in high definition and 3-D designs. Not only can you get solid colors, but they also come in hundreds of patterns and textures to help you achieve the look you seek – from granite and marble to woodgrains and beyond.

Now, you may be thinking "yea, but they have that ugly dark line around the edges, so everyone will know they’re fake." But, we’re happy to say that recent advancements have allowed laminate manufacturers to step up the edge game. Not only has that infamous dark line been removed, but laminate countertops now come with more edge profile options than ever before – mimicking and surpassing the edge options of natural stone tops.

So, yes - laminate has killed its prior reputation of being dull and outdated; and it does a great job of doing everything a countertop material should: It is stylish, heat, moisture and stain resistant, affordable and easy to install. That’s why you shouldn’t dismiss laminate without giving it a fair chance. Who knows – it may complete your style needs better than any other countertop contender would - and at a fraction of the cost.