Thanks!!! That looks lovely...!! Unfortunately the white counter wont work for the kitchen im planning - abundant turmeric in Indian cooking precludes any soft colour.. Went out today and got myself a black countertop with white veins (I HATE granite), and am now planning white shutters to go with it instead of the grey... Any other thoughts? Am not mulling over the backsplash...

Quartzite has good water absorption property, now a days u can get good treated sealed finished quartzite tiles , u can use in the wet areas. Granite on other case is highly resistant to water absorbtion. If you have these two particulars with you , go with granite. (long term use will leave stains)

Hi,  Go for Jet black granite for counter top. It would look classy with your white ceramic wash basin and beige wall tiles. And go for above counter wash basin.

One Follow-up question.. Is there any strength issue with 20mm Granite slab over 40mm Granite.. Are the 20mm granite slab prone to chipping or crack on normal usage.. Usage would be like, chopping vegetables, keeping hot vessels,.. The normal usage what happens in normal indian kitchen.. I just want to be sure that I decide based on experts judgement (like you), as people are just throwing their opinion based on their guess...