Thank you for all your comments. We have been looking at the black granite composite made by Franke but is triple the price of Blanco. Was concerned the black composite would scratch etc. will probably go two stainless steel, because as previous poster mentioned the blacks are never the same. Sure I will be back for more help or advise.

A company or contractors who install radiant floor heating might be able to help you. The idea i have is this : An electric heater that hugs the underside of the granite. Granite though is a dense rock. How thick is it. For a bench i'm thinking at least 1.5 to 2 inches. It might take a while to heat up though.

I would consider something light with some other colors to mix in like this. http://t.homedepot.com/p/Silestone-2-in-Quartz-Countertop-Sample-in-Mont-Blanc-SS-Q0220/203674451/ I like the wood paneling and would paint it a white with a warm feel to it. A white will reflect a lot of light from your large window. I wouldn't paint the window casing as it might tie in better with the rest of the house. Good luck!!

Hey, we just got a new granite benchtop. It looks like there is a missing piece. Can this be fixed? Also what causes this?