Take a sample home and put lemon juice on it. What you will find is that the etches on dark marble show up white. Not at all attractive. And that's why only the white marbles are truly popular for kitchen counters. They show etches much less than the dark ones. Possibly use it as a vertical accent somewhere in your home (NOT a shower), but I wouldn't use it on any horizontal surface. Maybe a gorgeous full height backsplash where you have no uppers on a wall....or in an entry way directly facing you as a focal point. Think of it as art, not a work surface.

I am so happy to see you here! I will have to go back and see if i can retrieve my posts... thought I would make them into a little book for my daughter, with photos. Quick run-down on the bathroom (not travels, no time) - The kitchen has a rather elegant sliding door with beveled glass panels. Painted white, since this was the original colour. GD's new bathroom has the doors I had picked earlier; i thought of polishing them but decided sprayed automobile paint (on a resin primer) would wear better. Especially since it is such a small bathroom, and she is so splashy. I have this finish in my kitchen and it has lasted 15 years now. A tad chipped here and there, but only needs a wipe down once a week. Same finish for the balcony doors, also split like the bathroom. We have a new wardrobe, a study table with built-in shelves, and a small chest of drawers for her odds and ends. I want to re-tile the tiny balcony, more as a little statement. Currently we are looking at Portuguese tiles, though I did think a mosaic with a funky cat might be nice. Let me see the costing. The room will be painted a neutral adobe, with bright white woodwork and an off-white ceiling. This means she can go wild with cushions and covers. Other changes in the flat; We have changed the glass in the master bedroom and living room from small cramped panes to a single pane for each section with a 1" bevel all round. Doubles the cost of the glass, but looks so elegant! The air-conditioning is being re-located. The compressors were all mounted in the bedroom and living room balconies, which looked terrible and meant the balconies (very narrow, only 30" deep) couldn't be used for anything. Not even plants. So they are being moved so that the compressors can be mounted at the rear of the building. two down, one to go. Now we can put in some nice plants, fishtail palms etc. The kitchen counter on one side came out intact and will be reused elsewhere. I am planning overhead storage, cupboards, and a draining cupboard for plates and glasses. Right now there is no dish washer, though a place is earmarked, but for now I will put in a cupboard with steel racks for cups, glasses and plates, all hidden behind pressed glass doors. This is all in the planning stage.... Pictures in a little while, they are mostly on my ipad and don't transfer well to the mac. They come without numbers... so I have to rename the or something. Somebody tell me how to do this!

You list is all "stone" products. Stone products are natural. The durability is guaranteed with stone. Stain resistant...remove marble and granite from your list. Both can stain and etch and both will do this with "flooring" more than they will with a counter top. Gloss levels all change...but it will take years to do it. All stones have maintenance = homeowner needs to work at keeping stone looking good. Stone = expensive. There is no "benefit" for "reasonable" when working with stone. They all cost plenty of money. Stone is expensive. No way around it. If you want "glossy" that doesn't stain for a "good price" then you have forgotten to mention the BEST option: porcelain tiles. Porcelain will do everything you want for a lower price. Stone is expensive, it can stain (especially "oil" stains) it will "etch" or lose gloss level with certain liquids (acid based liquids will do this) and they all need to be maintained and eventually need repolishing to maintain "gloss". Durable is all you can expect out of stone. The rest of your wish list belongs with porcelain tiles.

Hi Shubhani. It would help to know more about your taste -- there are no pics in your ideabooks. So all I've done here is play around a bit with an idea. I think you could mix styles, use rich colours and fabrics, use some dark wood to tie in with the kitchen, and generally make the room gorgeous. http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Furniture-of-America-Estella-Retro-Peacock-Blue-Sofa/9922917/product.html https://www.wolffurniture.com/furniture/upholstered-chair/club-chair/459018493 https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/free-flow,2403670/ http://www.moaroom.com/moaroomshop/en/wood-bamboo-pendant-light-lamp-silver-jewellery-jewelry-design-david-trubridge/74-snowflake-light-natural-bamboo-light-design-trubridge-pendant-lamp-shade-wood-art-nature-snow-winter-inspiration-designer-nz.html