It wasn't long ago, maybe the year 2000, when a Realtor would gush to a prospective homebuyer: "The kitchen's got Corian countertops!"



Fast-forward to 2005: "The kitchen's got granite countertops!"



And in 2009: "Of course the kitchen has granite countertops. (Yawn.) Why wouldn't it?"



Countertops quarried from Mother Earth continue to dominate the kitchen-design market for a variety of reasons. And what used to be found exclusively in homes of the wealthy is now in places such as manufactured houses and the bathrooms at Burger King. Even in these tight economic times, the market share of natural-stone countertops continues to grow.



"They're a dime a dozen anymore," says Roland Leveque, owner of Designs in Solid Surfaces of Southwest Florida.



"Everybody does granite now," says Tony Leeber, owner of Cornerstone Kitchens in Lee and Collier counties. Just five years ago, fewer than 15 percent of Leeber's customers chose granite. Today, that number is 55.



So dominant is the natural-stone look that even the laminate-countertop makers such as Formica and Wilsonart have introduced expansive lines of patterns that mimic exotic rock. And while the used-to-be-hip, solid-surface alternatives like Corian, HI-MACS and Staron are still out there, some say they're as outre as that avocado-green refrigerator in your garage.



Leveque says that Corian, to remain competitive, has lowered its prices by as much as half in the past year.



At Home Depot in North Fort Myers, displays show that Wilsonart laminate is $25 per square foot; Corian runs from $46-$61 per square foot; and Stonemark granite is $49-$75 per square foot.



A richer look



So why granite? And why did it spread from the BMW crowd to the Buick crowd?



Leeber says the big reason is that several international companies are now mining and producing it - most of them are in Brazil and China - so the competition is more fierce, and the prices have gone down. Also, he says, ten years ago only two companies in Southwest Florida installed granite, so they could pretty well charge whatever they wanted to. Those days are gone.



Leveque says that 80 percent of granite sales are based on vanity; people buy it for the same reason they buy Coach and Gucci and Grohe faucets: it looks impressive. And each piece, because it's created by Mother Nature, is a nature-made work of art.



And while natural stone costs more than the alternatives, some say it's a good investment. When Sandy Dolence of Fort Myers wanted to remodel the kitchen in her Cross Creek home, she considered all types of counters.



"But we all know at the end of the day, your house is going to be sold at some point or another," she said. "Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, and everybody knows that granite is the thing to have now."



Leeber points out another reason for granite's dominance. As he walked with a reporter through his employee lounge, Leeber stopped to examine a faux-stone laminate countertop that held the coffee maker. He traced his finger along the edge, which was white because the pattern had worn off.



"Junk," he said. "I don't even have a laminate counter in my showroom anymore."



Other ideas



Indeed, granite is hardier than laminate countertops, but it is also porous, and if you don't seal it properly once a year it can absorb things like red wine and oil and become permanently discolored.



It also breaks, says Leveque, and it's difficult and sometimes impossible to fix. Owners are at the mercy of Mother Nature, who decides the location of each natural fissure, and the strength of each piece, based on the minerals.



This is one reason quartz countertops have become more popular in the past few years.



The quartz product is part natural, part manmade, a concoction of minced quartz pieces and resin. Whereas granite might have more undulating, random patterns, quartz looks more uniform, like it's been thrown into a blender then poured into a form. And because it's manmade they can tinker with the content and offer more variety in color.



Unlike granite, it isn't porous and susceptible to stains. It's also stronger because of the resin. It's also 20 to 30 percent more expensive.



"With quartz, you can have stone and that nice heavy feeling, but without the problems," Leveque says.



Granite and quartz should dominate the market for awhile, Leveque and Leeber say. But, says Leveque, the natural products aren't for everyone.



"In some houses, granite is like driving a Rolls Royce into East Fort Myers," Leveque says. "It looks overdone. When I walk into a kitchen that's small and modest, I try to talk them out of it."