Hi elinitha, this will be the laminex impression decor 'weathered oak' which has both visual (white ingrained) and tactile texture. It will be used horizontally in a beach house. This colour I would recommend your timber feature also, as it looks natural, as in no staining or lacquered aesthetic, and as a finished product, no maintenance, fading and is more durable than a genuine timber product.

I say don't. My friends looks bad after two months. Stained with white circles from water damage. However , hers doesn't look sealed or oiled well enough. It's quite raw looking. Some woods must be more suited then others. If you don't have children and don't leave anything drying or wet on your benchtops it would be ok.

I would have two low-lying wall-hung side boards build - for both the dining area and the living area. I would have them built in the same blonde wood of your island bench. This could be great storage space (eg for toys and/or table napery). Your dining area needs either a large fabulous pendant light or a tall centrepiece on the table (be sure to complement (not match) your kitchen pendants if you go for this option). Definitely move that fantastic rug to the lounge area. The lounge should be a low modular style - love your idea of the green, which I would bring into the dining area too with a plant and window covering. Bring some of the black, white and wood colour through via cushions and lamp tables. Above the wall-hung side boards in the living area, choose a large contemporary artwork that you love. Good luck!

Ok, so we don't need engineered stone in our kitchen, as we have it there already, but we just had more of the same stone installed in our new powder room & ensuite to match the kitchen's earthy colour scheme. We do, however, need to choose a natural granite for our alfresco kitchen as engineered stones are not covered by manufactures' warranty in our situation. So, I stick with engineered and natural stones for the long term bench top of choice.