Kitchen Counter Samples

I mentioned the other day that we're thinking of replacing our kitchen counters. I'm pretty sure we're going to go with laminate again because we've been so happy with it. I love being able to use any kind of cleaner on it, from natural cleaners, to Clorox Clean Up to my nightly wipe down with vinegar and water. It doesn't stain, you can leave water on it for weeks and it won't do any damage and the new color choices are spectacular. The new edge options are my favorite part. Instead of straight or just rounded edges, you can get the Ogee Edge. 

In fact, I still love my current counters, I just don't love the edges. I should have paid extra to get the Ogee Edge in the first place. Note to self: Spend a little more in the beginning and get what you want, rather than paying a lot more in the future to replace the whole thing. 

I thought I'd share some samples I received to show you just how far laminate has come. And by the way, I didn't lighten or edit these in any way because I wanted their true colors to show through. The Milano Amber color is from Wilsonart, but all the rest are available from Formica.

I brought out this sample I already had of our current counters in Milano Amber color...

And here are the new samples I ordered...

The one below, Ouro Romano, is one of my current favorites...

For awhile, I was trying to decide between Ouro Romano and Argento Romano. But I wanted a combo of greys and creams and the Argento Romano is more black and white. P.S. All this "romano" talk is making me crave pizza. ;) 

My other favorite is River Gold. Here are some examples of Ouro Romano on the left and River Gold on the right...

You have to keep in mind, these aren't continuous samples...meaning they aren't cut from a single piece of laminate. They're all from different pieces, so the colors don't flow together like they would in reality. 

Ouro Romano on the left and River Gold on the right...

Here are some larger examples of River Gold I found online...

More River Gold...

It's pretty, right? And can you believe it's laminate???

It's so hard to decide. I think Ouro Romano is a little more traditional, while River Gold is a little more updated and interesting. 

I think Ouro Romano has the perfect amount of creams and greys...

Just for reference, here's a huge sheet of Ouro Romano at Lowe's...

They just happened to have it stocked right next to my current counter color, so I had to snap a pic for comparison... 

Ouro Romano on the left, Milano Amber (my current counter) on the right. 


A big sample of Ouro Romano...

Here's a close up of the Ogee Edge that we want on Ouro Romano...

That edge makes all the difference to me. 

Okay, one last time. Here is River Gold in my kitchen...

And here is Ouro Romano...

I tested both samples with Clorox Clean Up, Lysol Anti Bacterial Kitchen Cleaner, Vinegar, Green Works All Purpose Cleaner and even RED FOOD COLORING! There wasn't a problem with any of that and the food coloring even came right off with bleach. This is why I love laminate so much. :)

I already posted some pics of each on Instagram and took a vote to see which one people preferred. I'm curious to see if the same one wins on here too. I'll let y'all know what the fan favorite was. :) 

So what do you think? Ouro Romano or River Gold? Please leave a comment with your favorite. Thanks! 


~Lisa