I might be too late to respond?
If not.. I would tile around the bench. No further and nothing else... it seems a waste of money?It is a glam look with little practical application unless it is a moisture protection thing? and you arent living in your laundry (unlike some of us

..
I would also run the rail full length. oh. how. i. wish. a) it will look more uniform and be less noticable. b) that is a whole chunk of rail space! c) it will be great above the sink if you need to do stain removal or have things drip dry.
Love it.