When we moved into our house it was almost all white because the elderly p.o.s probably paid someone to whitewash it to sell. They painted over bad sheetrock and wallpaper. It looked ok at first glance, but one of the best parts of doing the reno was to finally have some color. If a house is white for a scheme, it comes off better than if it is white because it is easier to paint the walls and trim the same color. You can tell the difference. I think if you want a light neutral and don't want the creams and beiges that have been very popular, I'd try a pale yellow. It looks great with wood floors and antiques and mixes well with a full range of decors. We painted an apartment in our first house and even though we had male tenants over the years, they all commented on loving it. It works best if the trim is a pure white to have some contrast. It gives you color without hitting anyone over the head if you go very light toned. I have used it when recommending to builders and flippers what to paint for the main rooms because it is cheery and subtle. Blues come in and out of fashion and beige and cafe au lait have been big for a while, so will be on the way out soon. Greens can be hard to coordinate if you want flexibility (although I love a nice green). Pink and peach take real commitment, and a thick skin if used outside of a child's room, and a pale lavender is also one that can limit the materials used with it (no maroon or reds work well with it, IMHO). White can actually be harder to match because of the many tones to white. When I used a pale yellow in my house, I made sure that nothing of any significance in the room was yellow, so there'd be no clashing. It worked as a back drop for the stronger colors of the antique furniture or white wts. It is the prettiest color to put alongside oak floors, to me.

The measurement is of the counter, not including the doorway. The cabinet to the left of the hood is 15" and to the cabinet to right of the hood is 27".

Stinging nettle - exactly why I'm always telling people common names are confusing! :)

Spruce is not the greatest for salt tolerance. Juniper is better, or tamarack/larch. There are two kinds of salt problems, salt in the soil from road runoff, and salt spray from slushy roads and snow blowers. Tolerance for one does not mean tolerance for the other. Lots of info. online about what species of tree tolerates which condition. Consult that first before deciding on a species. Lastly, lots of organic material in the soil helps counteract salt IN the soil. But it is not a miracle worker. A berm will probably help deter salty runoff if done properly with that in mind. Good you are thinking about this in advance!