The manufacture won't be able to help you here as that manufacturer is Mother Nature. The fabricator won't be much help either, as the stone is performing as is it's nature to perform. It's a well known issue that honed black counters show every bit of oil based touching and hold on to the oils in their texture. I'm surprised that you didn't come across this information in your research for your counters. Sealing doesn't really help, as the culprit isn't the porosity of the granite itself, as black granites are almost completely non porous. The issue is the honed texture that traps the oils. It's the difference in a wood surface sanded with 80 grit sandpaper and 150 sandpaper. One has more surface area to grab you because of the coarser finishing. Black granites are dense enough that sealer won't penetrate and can actually exacerbate the "stain" issue. Some people have had good results from removing the sealer and then using Method granite cleaner, as that puts down a silicone oil coating that minimizes the appearance of oil stains. It is supposed to be safe for food contact surfaces, but I wouldn't make a sandwich on a counter treated with it.

People are likely to tell you to do a search--which is a good idea. There have been several threads on this in here and I definitely found them helpful. In the meantime, I can tell you that I have carrara on my perimeter countertops. My GC and KD both said "NO WAY" in the beginning, but I forged ahead! Mine have been in for about six weeks and I love them. The biggest cons you'll hear are staining and etching. I haven't had any staining issues at all. My husband left a lid from a margarita mix container on one counter and it did etch (acidic). But I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who can find it. What you'll generally hear on here is that if you're willing to live with some "patina" meaning some etching and possibly staining (though there are poultice recipes that people seem to have great success with), then marble is a great choice. If you want a completely blemish-free surface, it may not be for you. Definitely do a search on here, though--and good luck!

@Sophie, The more I look at Pyrolave, the more I think you're right. @Everyone, btw, in case anyone's wondering, this is Roger Ailes' home in Florida.. http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/real-estate/g9229692/roger-ailes-palm-beach-house/

I’m not sure about trends per se, but I’ve always painted north facing rooms, darker by default, in deeper shades. You can paint a north facing room bright white and it will look dingy because it’s a north facing room. Just give in to the darkness on that side of your house, and celebrate light in your south facing rooms. In your case that would mean a darker foyer, and lighter LR and DR. Gold is a good color to avoid, almost always. What other colors are in your rug? Become photo handy. Then google your granite and look at images of kitchens that designers have painted, that have your granite. You will learn a lot about the possibilities. What I’ve learned is that green granite and white (or off-white) cabinets means you have two colors in your kitchen. One of them will be your wall color. Almost every image with that pairing has white or green walls. You picked a beautiful, powerful granite. It runs the show.