It just seems like an odd suggestion to me. Grout isn't expensive in and of itself. The labour to remove the grout is the most expensive part I would think.

that's what I meant. The cabinets below and above the counter can be finished with a light toned wood grained laminate. if you feel that is too plain, another option would be to go with light wood grain below and plain off white above. Maybe add a couple of wood grained shutters above also to break the monotony

The hassle with square wood-look tiles is that they look too artificial. The only way to avoid that would have been to lay them with the grains alternately- vertical, horizontal- in a chessboard pattern. However, you do get tiles in 6" x 24" which you can lay in a break jointed pattern as shown here. They mimic the look of decking planks

Hi Shivam, The first two are natural stones whereas tiles are processed in a factory and are usually thinner than the stones due to their natural composition and individual strengths. As far as the stones are concerned, marble is softer and more porous than granite with few exceptions. Marbles are more often used in India as flooring materials whereas granite is used more often for kitchen platforms because of its high resistance to heat and stains, as compared to marble. Tiles come in a wide range of finishes and grades, along with its cheaper pricing, making it a more preferred option for budget conscious constructions. These are a few key differences, for an in-depth comparison you can always browse a few websites. I hope this was helpful :) Regards Ar. Nilanshu Kadu W.E.I.R.D