~$400 including expedited shipping. My GC just had his regular countertop guy do them, which wasn't great.... he had trouble making clean cuts. If I were going to do it again I would have pressed for someone with expertise to cut them. You can see in the image that the facing is not made of the stone peak, because too much was broken during the cutting to make the mitered edge. I'm a little bummed, but mostly pleased with the surface (which is the important part) thus far.

This made me laugh: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/09/seagull-turns-orange-after-falling-into-vat-of-chicken-tikka-masala I couldn't copy the picture, but it's hilarious.

Well that is an interesting picture. I can assure you that hanging wall gardens are all the rage and that is a great idea but they can also be high maintenance if exposed to high winds / sunshine etc. I have seen some lovely fake ones that would do just as well. You could also have a few pots with additional greenery. As you say your view is not "great" maybe you can have a creeper in one of the pots that can weave its way through the railing. I probably wouldn't go for one big chair as it could dominate the entire space. I would consider a table with a couple of fold-able chairs .... something that is comfortable, inviting if you have friends over but can be placed in a corner if you just want to open up the space. I do not think you need a carpet and but maybe some fancy outdoor tiles will look just as nice. You want it to be easy care and weather proof. Do you need or wish to incorporate a washing line? A pull out one from a wall will be perfect that way you can retract it back when you are not using it. If you deck gets too much sun, you may want to consider some shade shutters. I have seen them called 'plantation' shutters. GOOD LUCK

Ouch, Lancewood! Nice read, FORM :)