What a great look you are creating in your new kitchen with all the mix of materials. I just love slate floors. I would suggest you need a much earthier colour in the stone for your benchtops, in regard to the latte tones, something like the organic patterned Clamshell or Shitake by Caesarstone would be great. If you are going with real granite or marble, something like River White granite, which is still fairly white and light in colour, but has some beautiful, organic markings in it. Make sure you view a larger piece before you make any decisions. Good luck!

Hi Joaney & Lainy I also use only windex on all my bench tops. The granite I had before was a white with a few burgundy streaks and gorgeous highlights through it. Can't remember the name, might have been River White but not sure and I found nothing stained it at all. The marble in my bathrooms I have now look very expensive and impressive but I know every single mark on them even though a visitor mightn't pick them out. In my kitchen I now have Caeser stone and if you want a virtually indestructible bench top this would be it. I have blackbutt timber floors and as they have a lot of color, I chose all white in the kitchen with just a tiny fleck. I just love granite because of the beautiful grains you get running through it.

Unfortunately I don`t sorry I was in the middle of cleaning and never took another photo but there is a large difference. Yes this i buffing but its very fine so no scratching at all. Caesarstone would only recommend there cleaning product but I wanted to share that there is another product out there that works.

Thank you everyone for your comments. I have decided to go with a white stone, most likely Caesarstone Intense White, but will be visiting the various stone showrooms over the next week or so to look at other whites (in light of the comments about the starkness of the white options I posted). Looking at a crisp white with a little movement that doesn't clash with the floor and texture of oak panels. Thanks again! :)