Solid Oak Top or Decent Laminate?

[obsessedwithinteriors]

Am I mad to consider solid oak for worktops in kitchen with children and not a particularly careful husband? Just can't fall in love with the laminate look.

Why oak? I had Iroko in previous kitchen and have just had it installed in the current one. Fabulous
But I wouldn't do wood next to a sink area.

PIL love their wooden worktop. They reckon it's indestructable -because you can sand away any damage.
I'm not as keen myself - as BL00 says, around a sink isn't great. PIL have water marks and some distortion/swelling around their sink.

We've got oak-effect laminate in our current (rented) kitchen and it's OK, but has begun to lift at the seams - I wouldn't choose it myself.

Go for the oak and Osmo it, extra duty around the tap and sink. It will last longer than laminate.

I've got Iroko and it's beautiful. I have 2 small messy children and we live on a farm. The beauty of it is that if it gets a stain you can just sand it off and oil it and it's like new again.