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Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Pics

I must be missing something obvious -- the new cabinets photo shows a countertop already??

That aside, when I read light maple, I thought of grayish tones. Maybe that fits into your idea of dark and neutral. That seems to be what's in the picture already, so I'm a little confused by the 'new cabinet' picture.

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As for your kitchen, the cabinets are beautiful. If you have your cabinet door and a piece of your floor, bring them with you to a stone yard. Go with your husband and test out yours and his idea on the choices of stone color. At times, the salesperson from the stone yard may even give you some direction. Don't forget to bring a camera with you. Take some photos so you can review them later.

In my case, I did similar to what your husband said. My floor is Saltillo (Mexican) tiled. So, I sticked with a terracotta color for the backsplash and countertop. I didn't want the whole kitchen to be 1 color. For contrast my cabinets will be painted in gold texture such as the photo below.

And here's my floor and my granite bar countertop.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

By the way, cute 'lil boy =)

If it were my kitchen I'd go with a black counter top....of course I'd want granite or quartz LOL. I've seen others on the kitchen forum who made there own concrete counter tops, not sure if you are even interested but it's a $$ saving idea for a solid surface.
I think a dark counter would make your cabinets "pop" and your back splash could be an additional highlight.
Sounds like it will be very nice : )
saskatchewan girl

So is the cabinet photo just an example of your cabinet color? I'm assuming so, with the flooring difference and all.

What I'm not clear on is what you mean by 'darker but still neutral.' Do you not see the red-brown as a neutral? I would, since it wouldn't be an introduction of a new color, and it's the color of wood and your floors...Still leaves you open to add more color(s) elsewhere. But, I think you could find a color that is a bit softer, more neutral brown than the floor color, but in the same ballpark, that would make you both happy. I also like the suggestion of charcoal gray to offset the warmth you already have so much of.

Thanks for all of the replies guys! Sorry for the confusion about the new cabinet pics. The cabinets right now are part of a basement apartment. We no longer need the income from that and need a big open space for kids down there without a big kitchen.....plus I need a new kitchen upstairs! So the cabinets will come upstairs instead. We are a young family with 4 kids and this was a great option for us to have a new kitchen/cabinets without a crazy big budget. As you can see that wall is being removed and since it is load-bearing and full of plumbing/ducts and electrical that has eaten up almost all of our tiny budget. The kitchen downstairs right now has blue countertop and accents and I loathe it. The dark brown/red DH has picked I don't consider to be neutral.....I am afraid with one long wall of it it will look like a big chocolate slab. I thought a more mid-toned or lighter brown/beige would be a better option, but I don't want everything to look washed out. I guess in my head the kitchen will need something to tie the floor and cabinets together.....or should I just treat them like 2 seperate entities? The colours DH likes are: Formica Walnut Quarstone and Wilsonart Brazilian Topaz. The colours I like better are: Arborite Mississippi Bedrock and my favourite Arborite Montana Sunrise. I don't have links to the colours but maybe someone knows them?
Cheryl

And there's something wrong with a big chocolate slab? Yum! ;-) (We have a room in our new house that looks like it was painted with chocolate syrup, so maybe you won't want to hear from me!)

I agree that tying together is a good idea. But in the scheme you want you'll have a strong floor, light cabinets, lighter backsplash, and medium counter...All light on the top with the dark floor. If you want the floor to be a separate, grounding element, I guess this would work. However if you DON'T want the floor to stand alone, and particularly stand out, I think you need to bring some strength of color into the upper part of your room to give more balance with the flooring. I'm afraid the top will look blah...But it's a personal preference thing and just my own opinion.

Here is a photo of a house my husband's class built...My dd did the interior design for this one (she's the one who chose our 'chocolate' paint), but it's maple, cherry floors, and a darker brown counter...Just in case this helps. I will try to find out which laminate it is, in case it's one of your dh's choices.

I think it might be the Brazilian Topaz. Maybe you can see a little of the detail on this edge.

We like our basalt slate laminate by Wilsonart. It's got texture and interesting tones of grey to black (looks dusty actually). It was DH's choice--I wanted a granite-look laminate--but it looks good with the maple, and is kid-proof so far, so we're very happy.

Thanks again everyone!

I have decided that I really like the look of a contrasting dark countertop with the light cabinets.....they just seems to "pop" to me. What we now have to narrow it down to is whether to go with a warmer dark brown/reddish colour or a cooler dark grey colour. I think I will have to go and see a few more larger samples to really make a decision. Now we just have to get the electrician in, frame the bulkhead, scrape the popcorn ceiling, repair and paint whole kitchen ceiling, fix floor where wall was removed, remove old cabinets from upstairs and downstairs, install new cabinets, order countertops and install and paint.........Gee all of that really seems feasible by Christmas! LOL!
Cheryl