I agree with all the above comments. I'd also like to say that I think you're putting too much emphasis on the need to be creative in order to create a kitchen you love. I don't think so. You just need a vision and you seem to lack one now. Spend some time looking at kitchens like magazines, here, Houzz, and just plain google kitchens and look at images. Save every picture of a kitchen that speaks to you and makes your heart sing to look at it. Once you get a big pile of photos, sort through them and try to determine what features keep popping up over-and-over again in them. Narrow down your choices into a smaller pile. Keep doing this over and over until you have a small pile of photos that really excite you. Those can become your vision. Now you just have to recreate it in a way that makes sense for your space. It doesn't help you to find out what specific blue someone else used. Lighting in your home, what direction it comes in through your windows, your latitude/longitude/altitude, other colors in your home, the colors right outside your windows, etc., all will create a different look to the color in your own kitchen. So, instead, once you have found colors in your inspiration photos that you want to explore, go look at paint colors, pick a few that look like they might be the same as your inspiration photo. Buy several sample sized of a few different colors that might work, then bring them home and paint different boards with them. Then put the boards in your kitchen and see what they look like in different types of light. Only then will you begin to get a feeling for how that color will look in your kitchen. Once you've narrowed down to the color you think you want, paint a large board in just that color and, again, view it in different kinds of light over a period of time in your kitchen. If it sings to you in all lighting situations, go for it. If you post photos of your kitchen here, you will probably get some great input. Good help with colors and such can also be found at the Home Decorating section. Don't stress about this. Have fun with it. I don't think anybody makes the best decisions when they're stressed and being stressed will make a somewhat challenging project even harder to accomplish. So, really, try to enjoy the process. It can be as fun as enjoying the finished project.

Please post pictures there is no other way to get help.

That's not a good gray - way too dark and "somber". I have a gray kitchen and I love it. It's SW Repose Gray and it's a lovely light color that pops with white woodwork. You're talking about spend a lot of money on a kitchen that has its issues. Can you actually open the door of the refrigerator all the way - the one up against the door? Believe me, I understand about wanting to make it better when one can't afford to gut it. I did that TWICE before I finally got my new kitchen 32 years later!!! No two-tone in this kitchen. You want to keep it neutral and calm. You don't really want to draw attention to anything part of it at this point, so keep it very simple. And don't spend too much on it. It's a functioning kitchen - just save and save until you can get what you want.

The 4" piece is pretty easy to pry off. score it w/a box cutter(score the caulking holding it) and very easily pry it away. (use a piece of wood or a rag to keep the pry tool from damaging your wall. If you google this, there are plenty of videos and tutorials online. Do this and then do your tile. the pre cat lac is good. that's what I had done on mine. as of the mega color. I'd say no. Just do them all white. If you do that weird shade, you're locked into that color for as long as you have the kitchen. if you must do a diff color, do a darker neutral color What about Kingsport Gray (BM) I think I like it w/the countertop. grab a sample of this one too. have him spray it for you have the company spray a sample door for any color you want. even that greige color. (which I really don't think you should do) your hardware, do all handles. it looks better. I don't mind the silver,. or you could do this Cosmas Black nickel (Amazon) This one is Repose Gray Revere Pewter Look at the right column. Mega Greige and Incredible White look like they go together. or, try Eider White with Repose Gray. Mega greige has more taupe tones to it. If you must have a gray two tone, try a few of these other colors. that mega greige has too much taupe. maybe get a few sample pots and try them on a piece of similar wood and see how they look in your kitchen. Make sure your bulbs are 4000K take look over here and read all about paint colors. she has tons of info on everything from grays, to painting oak cabs, to picking colors depending on which direction your light comes from. https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/category/the-best-paint-colours/neutral-gray-greige-cream-and-white/