... go see some marble samples, I'd say.

I have Daino Reale with Torreon polished travertine on floors and in shower and its really pretty. Bronze trims.....

Maggie this is a tough one. You need to consider who will be using the counter and what types of bath products the counter will be subjected to.

Composite stone is great for spills and natural stone comes in so many variations it can be over whelming to pick one. Choosing a counter top should fit the feel of the home or start a new direction. Counters can be a feature statement or blend away with the walls and tile work.

I am struggling with this same dilemma as we speak for my en-suite and daughters bathrooms. My gut is leaning to an old school tiled top. My budget can't afford solid stone and I think composite stone would look out of place in my home anyway.

If budget was not a concern then a choice slab that both my wife and I loved would be our first pick. Picking a slab is like choosing clothes or perfume - we all have our own tastes. If this is your home buy a slab that makes you smile and one that makes you want to touch it - look at it. Stone is like art and many can even be back lit.

Go shopping - visit 4-5 spots. Bring in your measurements and look for a end piece. If you find the perfect slab - buy it. Even if you have to buy the whole thing...

Happy Shopping Maggie

Maggie check out this site.

It's some pretty stuff...

Here is a link that might be useful: Ribbon Glass

I don't think you need to worry about granite being passe in 1-2 years. For other ideas, however, often the materials that are used in ultra expensive (multiple million dollar) homes trickle down to the rest of use in the future, so you might get some ideas from looking at those homes.

Have fun, there are some beautiful materials out there...love the ribbon glass John!

Also, seeing more matte surfaces these days... whether stone or stone tile etc.

Wow, John did it. I am floored.I know I have seen this in a showroom or I dreamed it.Eggplantlady, I have seen your comments before and I agree with the part about John hitting it on the head.

Cinnamonsworld. I saw some cultured porceline (marble sez brother) that I loved. Who said that is not right for a vanity. Daltile.com has this for the floor sez brother. But why not for the vanity John.
Carrie7 that sounds so interesting and would blend, as John said, into walls and the hallway. I'm going to have to look it up but you are in my ballpark.

Who sez travertine can't go on a vanity? Who is going to stop us from thinking out of the box. I am strongly agains "gran it" in the vanity because it looks like kitchen. You all have opened a world of possiblities I have never seen on here. Thanks for getting right to the point everyone. You are who I needed on this post. Now to copy all of you and send to bro.

If budget isnt a huge concern, Pyrolave, which is enameled volcanic material that comes in lots of colors. Kohler makes some prefab tops in a limited assortment of colors and sizes/shapes.

Palimsest this is beatiful. As Cinnamonsworld said there are more matte colors coming out and this has both matte and gloss which I love. This sets the bar very high but this must be durable if there is a coating over it.
Will look in the DC area for both this and the ribbon glass.
Also want to see what Carrie7 has. I think I will like it.
Thanks so much for your brillance on the subject. Hugs, Maggie

How about semiprecious stone counters if you have the budget for it?

or mother of pearl?

Pharoa, I like the top one.Now that I look at the 2nd it is nice too. Can I afford it? I don't know.All of you have counseled me to pick out what I like and not worry what people will say. So, look at this site filled with beautiful choices.
Pharoa, How would I describe this if I called around? Thank you so much for putting this up here for me. I count my blessings with people like you.

1. This is from Caesarstone - http://www.concettous.com/
It is white quartz in a resin. They have other gorgeous semi precious stones.

2. This is from china. http://www.chinesemosaic.com/ Dont know if you can buy it locally but they may arrange a shipment for you. I would have used for my bathroom walls had I known about it. Instead I used glass tiles.

You want the newest? look at one of two extremes in vanity sinks. Either one on a furniture style vanity-- either a vessel sink, which is basically a bowl with a drain in the bottom, or one of the (almost) flat sinks. Either one with minimalist plumbing fixtures.

Bill, I think the same way you do.Had a question about
vessels on here and got the thumbs down as being passe. You missed it and I know you are on here helping out all the time. I have a 50 inch sink and brother living in house in TX said no way because it is too small for it. Here in Alexandria,VA they are all around. I like the flat sink too. I want to look for smaller vessels and that sink again. Furniture vanity. Neighbors have done that with antique furniture -stunning. You got it all. I just talked about that. I live in a really nice size condo where people have done a lot of high end things. People in houses keep talking about making our rooms look bigger when that is so unimportant for us condo dwellers. No need to fool the eye. I say play with it.John Whipple has done that with lighting and niches. Very cool.Wish he would show that picture here. Thanks,and yes minmalist plumbing features. My contractor had that idea too. He's waiting 4 these "issues" to come back into focus. You are the best Bill.Thanks.
Pharaoh, thanks for taking the time to look up the addresses. It is so beautiful. I have my decorators right here and I love it. You all keep me going. It is true.

Normally I would absolutely say to choose something YOU love, but if you are only going to be there for another 18 months I think it makes sense to give more consideration to what appeals to buyers. I love all of the materials people have suggested (except tile; I hate the idea of cleaning grout on a horizontal surface), but I don't think everyone would agree because they have a modern vibe and judging from the photos people post on this site a lot of people are more traditional. In a condo, they will probably be more open to modern finishes, though, so maybe you'd be OK with the more creative materials.

Note: If you do marble, do a honed finish because many liquids etch polished marble.

For what you are thinking, I'd vote for marble or a quartz like caesarstone or something similar (there are cheaper variations out there.)

There is a problem with etching with some of things that can get spilled in a bathroom so if you think that's going to be a problem, I'd rethink marble. For resale, Marble seems like it will be around for quite a while. After all, marble has been used in baths for centuries.

I looked up the caesarstone and liked it. Not knowing the difference in prices, I would guess this is a little more
reasonable. Thanks for sending this thought my way annie.zz.
BTW, I am having a hard time gettingon this site. I know they have had some probles here at THS but it connects so slowly. Getting in, going to Home forums and then to Bathrooms is a long process compared to other sites. Just a comment. Hugs, Maggie

Just a quick note for anyone reading this thread that is loving the Mother of Pearl idea. If you order it from overseas you will need to pay shipping on top of material cost, but that is not even the half of it. Because it is a Natural Shell the Fish and Wildlife people will want to inspect it. They are in Alaska, so your order will be detoured to Alaska. There it will wait for inspection. They only work 1 day a week so while it sits it gathers storage fees. See where I am going with this. There is absolutely no way to tell how long it will sit and what your really in for. You can do a search on here for Mother Of Pearl and you will find Kate she got nailed with fee's. I had a little experience in this cause I sell Jewelry and order from overseas and anything with Mother of Pearl got to see Alaska and then I had to pay this huge extra charge from UPS over and above what I had been charged for shipping. FYI beware! If your counter is small say 4 feet and under I like the idea of using a large piece of tile be it porceline or natural stone from the tile store. You can get tile now in very large format and make a counter out of it.

Whoa, thanks for the extra information. You are a gem.Smile
Sorry, I didn't answer sooner. I can't get on here easily. I'm glad to have your wisdom and the time you took to help everyone - especially me. I still like the idea of tile too, jjazzy. I'm either sick of seeing the following or ahead of my time. Don't like stainless appliances in the kitchen because it really doesn't coordinate with wood or many granites.And I don't like granite in the bathroom because it looks like so many kitchens I have seen.
Got that out and feel good about it too!!!. Thanks again.
Your friend, Maggie

When I re-did my master bathroom 1 1/2 years ago, I used Marblux, which I custom ordered from Lowes. It's marble that can be made to look like granite. Mine has a integrated bowl and after 1 1/2 years, I still LOVE it!! We are building now and I plan to use it in our bathrooms because of how well it's held up. It's also pretty inexpensive. Go to Lowes and check out the samples they have there!

Here is a link that might be useful: Marblux

Swhite, thanks for your advice. I will have to go to Lowes as the link you gave me was considered malware by Google.Afraid to try again.

" It's marble that can be made to look like granite. "

Just to clarify, Marblux is cultured marble, which is not the same as marble. Cultured marble is a man-made molded composite product made with marble dust and resins to achieve a look similar to real stone. (That's not to say cultured marble isn't a good product; it's actually less porous than real marble, which makes it more stain resistant than natural marble -- a plus in the bathroom.)

-- Eric

This is not at all related to marble, but includes glass, is probably cost prohibitive, but I absolutely love the aqua.

Here is a link that might be useful: vetrazzo