Hi Marc, have a look at this new story from architect Dom Bagnato for inspiration: https://www.houzz.com.au/magazine/how-to-build-recycled-and-discarded-material-into-your-home-stsetivw-vs~31393879

What about snow in the Ceasarstone for other benches. I can't afford the nuvo however have come across porcelain maximum. Have a look in here for pics. It looks identical to marble and apparently is cheaper than Ceasarstone. I'm struggling to find anyone that has used this though for feedback. I did speak to a distributor here in Sydney and he says it's easier to clean and is heat resistant. Waiting on pricing from our stone person and if he's comfortable to cut it etc.

Yes, I find ceramic is worth paying extra for. Always pros and cons: *Acrylic can discolour overtime and may get "chalky", cleaning does tend to be the main cause for that. *Acrylic can stain quite easily but like Polymarble you and buff/polish it out however you do run the risk of damaging/dulling the outter surface of material making it much more susceptible to deterioration. I have never come across ceramic staining however hairline crack or crazing can occur ( usually in very old basins), rather easy to keep clean. Which every you decide never, ever clean with anything rough -I find warm soap water and soft cloth is best.

I'd suggest that the first thing on the agenda would be to come up with an actual design. If there are going to be big changes, you might want to think about a kitchen design specialist. Once you have your design, decide on a budget. That will tell you roughly whether you're looking at granite countertops, caeserstone, corian or laminate. Same with cabinetry: everything is a function of price. By all means, have a good look around kitchen places to see what sorts of surfaces are available, and what appeals to you. And don't forget appliances. Ultimately, though, most of us are constrained by budget.