Solid Surfacing Expands Options to Compete with Natural Stone. Kitchen Staple

Low-maintenance, stain-resistant, and non-porous qualities make solid surfacing a practical kitchen countertop choice. But what happens when high-end materials like granite become affordable?

Competitive prices for natural stone are making consumers wide-eyed at the thought of owning a countertop they weren't able to afford in the past. In response, solid-surfacing manufacturers are introducing attractive options to rival the more high-end look of stone.

Natural Looks

Manufacturers are offering a widening breadth of color and texture choices for solid surfacing; tones that mimic other man-made materials, and natural elements are most popular.

For example, Staron Surfaces introduced the Tempest Stylist line, which national sales manager Dale Mandell says "rivals the look of natural stone and quartz because we use polymer technology to give it depth and reflective particles."

Likewise, the burnished hue of Formica's Artifact series imitates bronze and copper, with its red-brown tone and amber highlights. The firm's Mystera replicates natural stone with colors and patterns that duplicate the veining in marble, granite, and travertine; the Terrascape line features 24 neutral tones that look like marble.

Still, despite the natural-look expansion of solid-surfacing lines, some kitchen designers say some homeowners will only accept the real deal. "There has really been a big switch to the natural stone products over the last few years," says designer Lisa Anderson of Wards Kitchens and Baths in Omaha, Neb. "It's mostly aesthetics. There is connectedness to the natural environment more so than with the regular pattern of a solid surface."

In upscale homes, solid surfacing is not popular in kitchens. "Our experience is if anything it's in bathrooms," says remodeler Jerry Burdi, owner of DJ's Home Improvements in Franklin Square, N.Y.

"I think it's a great product in bathrooms and people still like it in bathrooms," adds Joan DesCombes, president of Architectural Artworks in Winter Park, Fla.

Trend Watch

Mimicking the natural look of stone is only one way solid surfacing is holding its own in the kitchen.

Rather than imitating nature, Formica's Mica series is instead reminiscent of Bakelite, the first plastic of the Art Deco period that designers used to make colorful home accessories and jewelry. The retro-inspired colors are highlighted with fine silver "mica" particles, including pearl mica, vintage green mica, and amber mica, which are swirled in circular patterns.

The use of translucent surfaces—a trend that dominated commercial settings—is now being found in the home, says Alan Hubble, the new construction marketing manager at DuPont Surfaces. DuPont's new Corian Illumination series, for instance, offers five icy tones that allow more light to pass through than other Corian colors, making countertops more translucent.

Manufacturers also are catering to the green craze to catch the attention of ecologically minded consumers, who value certifications and recycled content more than natural content.

DuPont's Terra collection includes some colors certified to contain a minimum 6 percent pre-consumer recycled content and some that contain a minimum of 13 percent. Meanwhile, the LG Eden collection features six natural colors with at least 12 percent pre-consumer recycled materials. During the manufacturing process, LG regrinds imperfect sheets, later using them in standard line colors instead of sending them to a landfill.

Avonite's Studio collection from the Recycled Products Group contains a minimum of 40 precent pre-consumer content. There are eight products in this group and more under development.

"This [recycled content] request is being seen residentially and commercially, and is getting very popular," says Jonathan Fore, director of marketing communication for Swanstone. Fore notes that Swanstone hasn't produced surfacing using recycled material, but the company is working toward that goal.

Price Shifts

As natural stone prices fall and solid-surfacing manufacturers add aesthetic applications to compete, the cost difference between stone and solid surfacing is narrowing. As a result, a large segment of consumers will turn to laminate because of its unmatched lower prices, says Hubble.

According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association's 2007 "Kitchen and Bath Industry Outlook Report," in 2007 more than 2 million granite kitchen countertops, about 1.9 million laminate kitchen countertops, and 1.3 million solid-surfacing kitchen countertops were installed by contractors nationwide. In terms of price, the Freedonia Group's October 2007 industry study states that in 2006 laminate was $13 per square foot, solid surfacing was $42, and natural stone was $66.

Manufacturers hope that by introducing new green qualities, translucent shades, and colors and textures that mimic natural stone, solid surfacing will continue to reserve a place in the kitchen between laminate and granite.

Nevertheless, some pros say manufacturers still can do more. "I think they need to ... see if they can make the product more interesting and dramatic in terms of finishes and thickness," concludes DesCombes.

Maura Dieringer contributed to this report.

Swanstone's Space

"How do we compete with granite in the kitchen?" Jonathan Fore, director of marketing communication for Swanstone asks, and then answers himself, "We don't try. Let granite have the kitchen. We'll beat 'em in the bathroom." In response to competitive granite prices, Swanstone switched all of its focus to the bathroom, offering solid-surface tub and shower walls, shower floors, and bathroom accessories.

Swanstone

Swanstone. The Prairie series, a line of eight granite-textured colors, is available throughout the manufacturer's solid-surface line, which includes sinks, countertops, tub and shower walls, shower floors, and vanity tops. The materials are created through a process of compression molding under extreme heat and pressure, making the products more resistant to heat, cracking, and expansion, and up to five times stronger than other solid-surface products, the manufacturer claims. 800-325-7008. www.swanstone.com.

DuPont Corian

DuPont Corian. The Terra collection features 25 solid-surface colors, including an array of warm neutrals and jeweltones, which are partly made of pre-consumer recycled material. The product, which carries Greenguard certification, is non-porous and can be removed, re-cut, and reinstalled. With proper cleaning, surfaces do not promote growth of mold, mildew, or bacteria. 800-906-7765. www.corian.com.

Formica

Formica. Available in 68 colors and patterns, this non-porous solid surfacing is water- and stain-resistant, and all small surface scratches can be sanded out, according to the manufacturer. Real Concrete, in the Tradition collection, provides an alternative to cast concrete countertops as a gravel gray shade. All colors are available in sheet stock or molded shapes. 800-367-6422. www.formica.com.

Staron

Staron. The Tempest Stylist color series introduces 10 new colors—radiance, glimmer, Sonoma, starfire, goldleaf, whipoorwill, zenith, prairie, sandpiper, and confection—that exude larger translucent particulates to imitate quartz and natural stone. The series carries Greenguard certification. 800-795-7177. www.staron.com.

Avonite Surfaces

Avonite Surfaces. The Recycled Products Group within the Studio collection is Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) certified and has a minimum of 40 percent pre-consumer recycled material. Eight colors are available, including two new options, summer (top right) and crater (bottom right). 800-354-9858. www.avonitesurfaces.com.

EOS Surfaces

EOS Surfaces. With a 3-centimeter thickness, countertops made with this material do not require built-up edging and take 75 percent less labor time to fabricate and install, according to the manufacturer; as a result, the surfacing's price is comparable to conventional ½-inch-thick countertops. It is available in a spectrum of colors varying from translucent hues with quartz-like depth to organic and matte textures and tones. 800-719-3671. www.eos-surfaces.com.

LG Hi-Macs

LG Hi-Macs. The manufacturer has unveiled 18 new Macs colors, including amberglow, dorado, eucalyptus granite (pictured), kaffa, moonmist, powder, shasta, vetro, and zaffre. Palm and wallflower, two new shades with a minimum of 12 percent pre-consumer recycled acrylic, are additions to the environmentally friendly Eden collection. The remaining seven hues mimic everything from concrete to a sandy infusion. The surfaces are Greenguard-certified. 877-853-1805. www.lghi-macs.com.