Hi I just thought I would leave a comment about the visibility of joins in reconstituted stone such as Caesarstone tops on islands longer than 3 metres. From a patern point of view; by selecting a style that has a fine grain certainly helps with reducing the visibility of a join. As for the join itself, the technology and tooling used to make such joints has come a long way in the last 10 years; therefore if you use a Kitchen Manufacturer who uses up-to-date stone fabrication methods, then such joins can be next to near invisible. Below is a kitchen we made with an Island that is over 4.3 metres long and has a join through the centre; where the join actually has to be pointed out to be seen. We have seen Kitchen Manufactures use the two height method but you really don't have to do this to achieve a long island. If you would like a long island, then you should not be put off by having to have a join; careful selection of your material, manufacturer and planning can achieve great results. Hope this helps anyone reading this article and the comments above.

We have black pearl granite. Been in around 10 years and looks as good as the day it was installed. Easy to clean and doesn't seem to mark or stain. I would however not use black again as I think white would of looked much better. Granite being a natural product can't be matched up as easily down the track if you decide to add more benches and the like. Each batch can potentially be different.

I would get an upholsterer to do a couple of long foam cushions for the seats - colour would very much depend on the rest of your home, but teal would look good there (and so would navy).

Not really adding anything new here, but I would consider painting the recess behind the fridge dark, and pendant lights over the island, but not not necessarily dark pendants, something lighter to tie with the rest of the room, brighten it up a bit and define it more as its own space. A large fruit bowl (white?), plant, vase etc on the benchtop will make a huge difference on its own as someone suggested. I would play with that a little first to see what difference it makes before making big changes. Lighter stools could also make a big difference. Put a bit of fabric/clothing etc you have around over the seat pads and see how it would look with new colours to lighten them up too. Your room seems really close to being fabulous.