I say don't. My friends looks bad after two months. Stained with white circles from water damage. However , hers doesn't look sealed or oiled well enough. It's quite raw looking. Some woods must be more suited then others. If you don't have children and don't leave anything drying or wet on your benchtops it would be ok.

There is Quantum Quartz 'Cloudy Bay' which is a lovely stone similar to Caesarstone 'Oyster' and doesn't show too much up as it has markings in it already. Also you could consider Caesarstone 'Clamshell' which has a small amount of white & darker greys through it. Hope that helps.

Don't 2 pack anything. Think of it like a plastic bag covering the wood. If there is any penetration to that bag the sub straight is unprotected and can not be repaired. I have a scratch on my jarrah bench that I will repair in the next day or so and will post the outcome.

1 will look lonely and lost, unless its a stunning chandelier, while drawing attention to its self and away from the kitchen overall. Don't forget that lights are there for a purpose and 3 will provide a much more even illumination of the workspace.