As long as it's well sealed it shouldn't be a problem! What's the rest of your kitchen like? Have you explored stainless steel at all? Check out a story we have about surfaces here: https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/kitchen-benchtops-worth-baking-for-stsetivw-vs~34850053

personally I know it is modern but I do not like the wooden addition to the bench. I would suggest you just carry the bench (black marble if you can afford it) so that it has a greater over hang and serves the same purpose as a breakfast bar. To me the wood currently looks an eyesore.

where are the existing kitchen cabinets and exact position of the sink (and dw?) stove and fridge? ..please include the length of all walls for better understanding of the total space available......but, assuming that the whole end wall is about 3.6m and the existing kitchen cabinets run along the bedroom wall about 3.6m? (with stove sink and fridge?) having matching kitchen cabinets installed under the window with a matching tall 1m wide pantry cabinet in the corner (no more than 60cms deep to allow doors to open without projecting past the corner) would give the best results ...anything else is just a free standing cabinet and with the new cabinets (and new counter and doors for the old kitchen?) you'll have a streamlined new kitchen with three times the storage and counter space with patience and enthusiasm the new cupboards could be made out of flatpac cabinets available in most Hardware stores

I've long been concerned about the formaldehyde in laminates, which also continues to outgas after installation, but until recently questions about it were met with a blank stare. A few years ago I was pleased to see a sign in the kitchen section of Masters making a claim regarding that (I think it was the first time I saw the E0 rating?) but when I asked for information about it no-one knew what it meant and eventually they suggested I talk to their 'supplier' which turned out to be the hardware supplier who knew nothing about the laminates. Very disappointing when retailers of better safer products fail to take the opportunity to educate customers and promote those products. Good on you Anne Marie for wanting to ask intelligent questions. (I could start a whole new thread....)