We love Corian® for countertops, sinks and shower surfaces and wanted to give this flexible material its praise. Granite and Quartz gets plenty of press and sometimes other hard surface materials take a backseat in a client’s mind. This post is to recognize the value Dupont Corian® as a prime player and why.
Corian Countertops Offer Us Diversity
When it comes to manufactured countertop colors, there is no solid surface material that offers a wider color palette than Corian. There are 118 different designer colors of Corian that range from Designer White to Deep Nocturne Black. We have many clients asking for various shades of Black and White to blend well with their painted white kitchen cabinets. From my perspective, I like variety and appreciate the subtle differences in a color scheme. Corian has at least 22 different dark greys and blacks to compare with paint swatches and more than 30 white & grey hues for us to compare. Now that is variety. And it is not just black and white with Corian. Younger homeowners are looking for kitchen countertops in earthy browns, greens and bolder colors we have never considered before.
Corian Countertop Colors
Corian's Color Selection Tool is not great but wanted to provide you a link.
Corian® Sinks & Shower Walls
Corian® is great for the bathroom too. Because Corian® is non-porous it does not allow liquids to penetrate. This is great news for
bathroom designers that are looking for materials that prevent bacteria and mold from getting into seams and surfaces. When Corian® looks clean it really is clean. Corian® sinks are a perfect addition to your bath or kitchen design. There are varieties for both under counter installations and Corian vessel sinks that rest on top of the counter.
And using Corian as shower wall
material is a very under-utilized idea.
But why not? It makes perfect sense to consider Corian over ceramic tile. It creates a sleek single flowing surface, without the usual visible joints that can collect dirt and moisture. The day-to-day cleaning is made simpler thanks to the inconspicuous seams. Corian® Solid Surface is non-porous, prevents dirt and stains from penetrating the surface and gives your shower a very classy look. It easy to clean and very hygienic.
Corian vs Quartz vs Granite in the Kitchen
Corian and Quartz are both excellent options for kitchen countertops. Both are what we call manufactured stone materials. Corian® is a brand name from Dupont that dates back to 1967 for their Solid Surface Countertop. It is made up of 66% natural materials and 34% synthetic polymers, pigments and bound by resins. On the other hand, engineered Quartz is made almost entirely (93%) from Quartzite and about 7% of the composite is a mixture of binding agents, colors, dies and resins. We compared
Quartz vs Natural quartzite in this post. Now we install more quartz countertops than Corian countertops. It is a personal preference that has more to do with support and availability. You can make your own comparison based upon the features below.
Granite for countertops has long been the top choice for homeowners that seek a return on their investment and the recognition of their peers. It tends to be higher priced because the demand is also high. Granite is 100% natural quarried stone and most is sourced in the US from quarries in Vermont, Virginia and South Dakota. As you can see from our comparison below, granite is probably the most durable to scorching and very hard to scratch but it does require maintenance to keep it looking luxurious. We don’t install much granite because we like the color flexibility and granite can be harder to work with during installation.
So we do love to use Corian and Quartz in homes because they tend to offer clients more variety than quarried stone. There are several other engineered stones we will explain about in future posts. When you are ready to design a new kitchen or bath, we ask that you reach out to Lisa Tobias and we can talk more in depth about your specific desires. Our phone number is
(609) 466-1445