Marble are both non-porous thus it would cause etching and corrosion. Besides that, marble are high maintenance materials. Marble requires proper care and maintenance. Acid should never be used on marble as it shall loose its shine. Marble should be regularly polished over a period of time to give it a new look. If proper precautions are not taken the marble becomes yellowish in colour. Italian marble is usually very soft and prone to cracks. Proper resins have to be used to make the surface strong and solid and avoid further cracks. Proper sealants should be used in marble flooring as the marble is highly porous and prone to staining. It absorbs stains very quickly especially kitchen stains hence are not appropriate for kitchen counter tops. In the long run, wooden looking tiles (made of porcelain or ceramic) would be more practical. You can also consider marble looking quartz. You may check out the D & L series of iQuartz range. If you're based in Singapore you may call Stone Amperor in +65 87879029 for more information. If you're based in Malaysia you may contact AmpQuartz in +6017-7320149 for more information.

The wall gaps to the cupboard carcass could easily be filled with scribed strips - this would be standard for a new fitted unit anyway. Gaps to side of sink may be more of an issue as they could collect water, but I guess that's a standard size sink and you'd have a hard time finding one to fit perfectly, so again a scribing strip in a water resistant material could be the way to go.

if you lighten the cabinets etc, then the stone will appear more prominent. if that is what you want, that is fine. I sensed that you did not like the current counter. I would contact a marble/granite installer to see if they think that the cracks can be filled and polished out. it is pretty common to do this on new installations if it is feasible. they may try to charge you as as much as you would spend on a fabricating a counter out of a new slab if they did not do the original installation.

Hi Alice, that's a really good question - challenging dilemma with a strong limitation (no hacking!) but I believe workable. Would you consider making changes to the backsplash? Adding some strip lighting will help too. Given the pink checkered floor tiles cannot be changed, I'd favour going for very neutral and clean looking cabinetry - to reduce visual clutter and bring in some harmony. Regardless of colour of finish choice, I prefer cabinetry that's not see-through. How about natural wood finishes: All-white with wood countertops might work as well: I leave it to the professionals to give their advice!