French vanilla #1 Ambrosia #2 With all that darkness, and the business of the small brick, I think something contrasting/light and not too busy will look best. Re. marble, I keep reading lots of good things about how honed marble isn't so bad at all and can be cleaned up easier than the glossy kind...and that a little show of wear is tasteful due to the "patina" (cough cough - people love to say that, I know) but you might mention that to the hubby and/or show him some threads that have SO many happy marble owners raving about it. That said, I get why he doesn't want it - I'm just pointing out that I've been reading a lot of positive posts about marble. In fact I'd get it myself, if everyone else weren't! Hahaha...

Yes, definitely try out a bunch of color boards before deciding -- colors are so tricky and can look so different in context as opposed to on the computer screen. Whatever you choose, you will certainly wind up with a gorgeous workspace. I do recommend getting your chosen color made up in Benjamin Moore's Aura paint (they can match any other brand's color exactly) - it goes on so beautifully and is very washable. I'm loving mine in my kitchen, which by the way is an antique yellow that took about 8 tries to get right -- so don't be feeling bad about one little blue goof!! :)

I googled Spanish houses and found a bunch of images but the numbers keep changing on them so I can't reference them. The ones I like had dark trim around the windows. I know you just want to paint the door for now, but later down the road you might consider painting the fascia white or to match the tiles and then paint the window and the pergola that dark green color. I found a picture of a color that is something like that caramel apple, but maybe a little lighter. That would also work with the dark green. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/205/spanish-village_11771.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hickerphoto.com/spanish-village-morella-11771-pictures.htm&usg=__bvXdh2zaJ5TFliT6X_VNVPxM2qk=&h=311&w=468&sz=37&hl=en&start=48&zoom=1&tbnid=Q2ERDMXvti0grM:&tbnh=147&tbnw=217&ei=f-e4TbPSEMrq0gGrvPz-Dw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dspanish%2Bhouses%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DZMJ%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1289%26bih%3D609%26tbm%3Disch1%2C1163&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=641&vpy=296&dur=3275&hovh=183&hovw=276&tx=137&ty=141&page=4&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:48&biw=1289&bih=609 (I'm sorry that link is so long.) I think it would be cool if you planted some espaliered fruit trees or shrubs along that long wall on the left. With some soft up-lighting that would be very dramatic at night.

Try two colors on for size (paint two boards and lean them up against the cabs and on the floor about a cabinet door size....Ralph Lauren parchment and ralph lauren writers parchment (which is lighter than parchment). Both colors match your corgi's belly :) And would flow well, offering a soft creamy tone or stepping up one level to a rich tan. They don't have too much pink or yellow in the tones so they should compliment your granite (which is gorgeous). In particular I think the writers parchment might be best. One other color to consider is ralph lauren again, called startched apron. Don't judge it by it's paint chip (it's no where close). It has just a hint of pink in the ivory but not enough to turn on you with the counters I don't think. I think it would work well with the tiles :) And again, with the corgi's :oP It would be the lightest cream I'd use in your kitchen.