I don't mind the polished pink granite for horizontals, but man it bugs me for the struts. Too much of something.
It doesn't look good.
The 3 spaces between rails is nice for the double-wide. I like that a lot. It will be interesting to see these at the right height... I may try some of that when I get back.
Drew's an architectural genius, maybe he can weigh in here.
[edit]: I didn't see that last image before, but the top looks way better.
[edit2]: Maybe a combo of both. My venerable stone bricks get the respect they deserve by supplying the struts and support. The top... whatever y'all decide is the way to go.