Also what type of cladding would anyone suggest?

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.

Also take a look at Room and Board....they have several tables with different wood finishes or wood/steel/metal bases and a good selection of various tabletop materials. Also if you prefer a wood table, an area rug underneath the table could also help to break up all of the wood too.

Hi Michelle - It looks like treated pine to me, and looks as though it has been recently built. If you did nothing it would fade to a grey colour within 6 months or so. This would probably blend in with the house quite well, and you wouldn't have to do a thing! Otherwise I would stain it - there are lots of stains on the market - see if there is one you like. A dark one would create a nice contrast with the house and make the fence look more like a feature. Good luck!