It's exciting to be planning changes, but I have to ask, are your cabinets really 25 years old? If so, please examine them very carefully. There are a lot of poor quality older cabinets that it would be a shame to lock in place with such a permanant choice as stone. How is the finish? Are the drawers still solid and working great? Are they the individual modules that are screwed together or are they built in place cabinetry completely open inside down the whole run with only the face frame as the major strength in the cabinets? Is the style one that you want to keep for the next 20 years? The color?

Stone is such a beautiful but permanant choice, that if you are thinking of putting it on top of older cabinets, you need to think whether or not those cabinets can take the weight, as well as are they "worthy" of new tops. Some are, and some aren't. I hope yours are, but it's the very rare 25 year old cabinets that can take new countertops without looking every bit of their age and then some when contrasted with the new countertops.

My cabinets are 1988 solid oak custom built in a local cabinet shop by an expert craftsman. I love them as much today as when we built the house. They are solid as a rock. I plan to get new hardware and change a couple of the corner lazy susan units.Otherwise only one drawer is showing any "wear" on the fronts and I have experience with that touch up work. I took down the "spindle/rail" along the cabinet tops and am having the scalloped trim over the sink replaced with straight.Stainless appliances including a new induction stove are less than 2 yrs old. We plan to be here at least 10 more years and I am confident these updates will take us beyond that. You brought up some good points..thanks for your input.