My dear departed mother was never much of a drinker but every Christmas morning the two of us would have some form of champagne cocktail. Often a Mimosa, which went down a treat. BUT the year we tried a champagne and strawberry liqueur mix was a disaster. Well not for mum and I, we giggled through until mid afternoon when crashed for a nap. When we woke we realised the peas went unserved, some people had the wrong presents and there was something very charred in the oven. The family still talks about the year we were too tipsy to cook lunch. This year it'll be straight champagne (and after 8 years I still miss her dreadfully).

Yours do look very nice but don't forget there are 1000s of homes with laminate bench tops with cook tops sitting directly on them. Don't think that the sides of a BBQ get hotter than a wok burner. I do like your first pic, the more compact one. What would be the approx cost sans BBQ?

Personally I'd be very careful adding stacked stone next to the dark bricks. I think stacked stone can work next to rendered areas to provide contrast/add another element but next to dark bricks it could easily look too busy/too much. It's your home though so do what will make you happy when you drive up to it! If you're dead set on the stacked stone then find the brick manufacturers location and ask to speak to one of their designers for an opinion/options. If they can't help then ask brick manufacturer for the addresses of some properties in your city that have used your particular brick and check a few out. They will usually give you some addresses if you explain what you're trying to do. I'm sorry to have not answered your question as to what colour stacked stone to use. Good luck, exciting times for you.

not recommend this brand at all !! we had bencthop in Cimento just for 2 month and already stain everywhere and hard to clean. call their rep come out and they try to clean for an hour and does not help. request a discount or refund and they been very rude to us and told us just go to VCAT they don't care!!!! Very disappoint why my stonemason are recommended this brand to us. we should just choose caesarstone even pay a bit more money but you can have service & quality.