I think the marble naysayers have jumped on the bandwagon without really living with the stone. I have statuary in my bathrooms and love it. Most stains can be removed with a simple baking soda and water poultice. Acid etching is harder to deal with since it removes the polished surface, but its part of having a living stone in your home. If it becomes too bad, you can have it repolished. With a darker stone, you won't have as many issues as a white marble. In order to really know if you can live with it, I suggest you get a small sample of the stone and do some tests. Here is an example. http://www.dohiy.com/2013/04/21/marble-countertops-the-post-acid-test/ Please note that she used bleach and oxyclean to clean the stone after her test. Stay away from both since they can etch the stone just as much as an acidic food. Instead, clean with a ph neutral cleaner like isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), and for heavy stains, the baking soda poultice mentioned above. You have to remember that marble has been used for centuries as flooring, table tops, countertops, etc. throughout the world and most of these installations are still here and aren't stained and etched to the point that it has been ripped out and replaced. Just think about all of he luxury hotels in Europe and how many times they have been exposed to Hangover type guests without any damage.

I don't think you can go wrong either way. I have white flat front cabinets with white counter and marble backsplash and I think it would look equally as good with a grey counter. Actually the one good thing about using grey over white is that you don't have to worry that the whites will be off in tone (my counter is warmer than my cabinets - not so much that it bothers me, but I can tell).

Hi, I love the look of marbles as kitchen counter tops but am hesitant because of the problems with staining. There are lots of vitrifed glazed floor tiles which give beautiful marble look. Is it advisable to use them as kitchen counter tops? Since they come in 4x2 ft size, the number of joints will be less. Will they be chemically safe around food? Thanks in advance

Hello Vinayak, wpc sheet with acrylic laminate will cost you the same as natural stone like green marble of common shade granite. The second option is more sturdy then the first one .