A little over a year ago we had new laminate countertops installed in our kitchen. I’ve had some questions about how they’re holding up so I figured I’d do an update on our Formica Argento Romano laminate countertops.
We went with laminate for a couple reasons. The major reason was because we live in a starter home neighborhood. I’m guessing 95% of the houses in our neighborhood have laminate countertops. And to check my guess, the other night I went online and looked at about 15 homes that have sold in the last few years in our neighborhood and all but one had laminate countertops. So I feel like if we had splurged on solid surface countertops, we would make a small fraction back of what we paid for them whenever we sell this house.
With that said, laminate is a fraction of the cost of solid surface countertops. We paid $1,400 for about 55 square feet of countertop space (that includes labor). So the laminate came out around $26 per square foot, which is a lot more economical than $100-$225 per square foot for granite.
The countertops have held up amazingly well over the past year. To be honest, they still look brand new.
We haven’t had any issues with staining. In fact, I’m surprised by how stain resistant it is. If I spilled a little red wine or dropped some grape jelly on our old laminate countertops, it would take a couple days for the stains to come out. But with our new countertops, everything wipes up with no trace of a stain.
What’s nice about the Formica Argento Romano pattern is that it hides basically everything.
We always use cutting boards, but I did have a knife slip once while I was chopping vegetables. It made two tiny scratches that no one can see unless they’re looking for them.
You can see the scratches in the photo below. I used a 1 inch pin for scale.
And speaking of hiding everything. I put the pin down and couldn’t find it for a few seconds. I had to eventually get eye level with the countertop to see where it was. But I take that as a pro vs a con.
At least twice a month, I like to polish the countertops. It leaves them looking shiny and feeling smooth.
I also use this stuff on our laminate bathroom countertops.
The edges have held up well. No chips, scratches, or dings to report.
I’m still really happy with the E2000 edge we went with. It helps give the appearance that the laminate is real stone.
I’ve had some questions about the etching, like if food gets stuck in the etching. The answer is no, we haven’t had a problem with food getting stuck in the etching. And I prefer the etching because it gives the countertops a more realistic look.
You can see the etching in the light spots.
We used clear silicone caulk around the edges of our kitchen sink to keep water from seeping in. While we were at it, we also used the clear silicone to seal the space between the countertop and the wall. We wanted to make sure that in case a glass of water spilled or some water worked it’s way behind the sink while doing dishes the water wouldn’t pour down the crack and into the cabinets. The silicone has held up well.
After having the countertops installed we talked about a backsplash. While I’d like to put one in, it’s not currently at the top of our list. If we do end up putting one in, I’d probably go basic and do a white subway tile with gray grout.
Yes, I still have the tiered stand. I did a post on tiered stands, which you can find here.
In conclusion, I’m still very happy with our choice with laminate and with the Argento Romano design.
Susan says
May 10, 2016 at 10:00 AMThis is good info b/c in the next year or so we plan to update our kitchen with new countertops , flooring etc.
Julie says
May 10, 2016 at 10:08 AMThey look great Chelsea….good job. This house is the first time I have had granite and while it’s nice, previously we had a great laminate (looks exactly like yours) and it held up beautifully. My only issue with the granite; in both the kitchen and the master bath we have 2 cracks already (and neither of us can remember ever dropping anything on the counter)!!!! Granted, they are almost undetectable due to the color, but I know they are there and it doesn’t make me happy. Never, in all my years, did I have a crack issue with laminate! LOL Have a great week.
Kathy R says
May 10, 2016 at 10:50 AMI have laminate in my kitchen and we put granite in our new remodeled bathroom, so I now have both. When it’s time for the kitchen, soon I hope, I will be going with quarts. I do not like the maintenance of the granite and the laminate stains and scratches too easily.
Christine says
May 10, 2016 at 1:34 PMWe just ordered our laminate counters for our kitchen, I wouldn’t have even considered it without seeing your first post about it.
Kathryn says
May 10, 2016 at 2:04 PMI think laminate countertops are far better a choice than expensive solid granite. I just can’t see putting all the money out for something that needs care like it does.
Wendy says
May 10, 2016 at 5:15 PMWe built our house 8 years ago and chose laminate and they still look beautiful. With a young child who loves to cook with us, the laminate is perfect for us.
Tina says
May 10, 2016 at 8:41 PMYour kitchen is beautiful.
The counters look great!
Thanks for the update.
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
May 15, 2016 at 8:24 PMOur house is 17ish years old and has the original laminate countertops. I’d like to replace them and these look fabulous! I will probably go with solid surface because that’s what’s being done in the houses in our neighborhood as they get updated. That and stainless steel appliances. Stopping by from Motivation Monday and hope you’ll linkup with us at Small Victories Sunday Linkup too, open all week long!
[email protected]'sView says
May 17, 2016 at 11:19 PMI think it all looks fabulous and is super smart in value! Happy to visit from the hop!
Sara says
May 18, 2016 at 6:01 PMCountertops look great. They look like real granite! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday~
Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods says
May 24, 2016 at 4:07 PMSuch pretty countertops! They look just like granite to me. Thanks so much for the cleaning tip!
Thank you SO much for sharing your post on The DIY Collective! Please join us again this Thursday!
{Big Hugs}
~ Ashley
Rebecca West says
May 25, 2016 at 2:10 PMThis looks a doable update for diyers! Thanks for linking up at Welcome Home Wednesdays, hope you’ll be back again today!
Alyson Dunlap says
July 20, 2016 at 11:29 PMI’m considering laminate instead of granite too….yours looks VERY nice!!! However, can you show me a picture of the corner where the laminate seam is? How conspicuous is it?
Becky says
September 30, 2018 at 9:33 PMWhere did you purchase your laminate and did they install it thank you
Jennifer Robinson says
October 31, 2018 at 10:19 PMI’ve had my laminate countertops for 5 years now and love them. We are building a lake house and using them there too because we’ve been so happy with them. Our edges are all trimmed in wood. It gives them a custom look. With the money we saved on countertops, we were able to do custom all wood cabinets. My color is Labrador Granite.
Lynne says
December 17, 2018 at 9:54 PMI have had laminate countertops for 35 years. Though 4 kids, hundreds of home canning sessions, pie baking, cookie decorating, beer making, etc they have never stained, and still show few scratches. We are in the process of planning a remodel, and are going to install laminate counters again. I just can’t justify spending all that money on something else. My sister in law is replacing her 5 year old solid surface countertops already because of cracking, and 2 other friends have had similar issues.
Wendy G says
March 28, 2019 at 2:36 PMWhat is the style of the edge? Is this a D Edge?