If your local IKEA is like mine, the countertop samples are loose. How about seeing if you can carry a sample of the countertop you like over to a gray cabinet? IKEA has a nice gray finish on some of their cabinets (I don't mean the metal-looking ones.)

Since you're painting your cabinets, though, you have bazillions of white and grey choices. You can probably find a version of white that works with your floor. Maybe if you can post a pic that accurately shows the color of your floor, someone here can make some paint suggestions.

This is ours - love the combination (soapstone and similar to BM Silver Chain paint).

Well, if you are painting the cabinets you can choose any shade of gray you like. You aren't limited by what a cabinet manufacturer offers. If you want dark cabinets and dark counters, I'd be sure there is plenty of light in the kitchen, windows, overhead and undercabinet lighting. A light backsplash would brighten it up too. Personally, I love a light gray cabinet, or you could do 2 tone, darker lowers, light uppers. Paint gives you so many options, hundreds of shades of gray, with different undertones. I remember when I painted my bathroom cabinets white, there were limitless shades of white from which to pick. Good luck!

I've seen it look great but the other surfaces were light reflective to sparkle or shine, glass in the upper doors, super shiny tile backsplash, shiny metal edged picture frames, stainless appliance with little to no black and great lighting.

if you are using your existing cabinets and are pretty certain about laminate...I would not want to restrict myself to Ikea's offerings. I don't think you have to get the 4 inch strip across the back, if sourced elsewhere.....the pricing can't be all that different if you get a sale at the big box places and have wilsonart/Formica and maybe other brands available to you. I think I'd be a little more courageous than gray/black stone and gray cabinets. how about some color for cabinets ... any color family you like...maybe a mixture on counter surfaces - Ikea butcher block..... for one area...with formica elsewhere. How about trying a more standout backsplash. You're keeping floor and cabinets....big savings........just "go for it" somewhere.

You can get laminate counters without the 4" backsplash anywhere laminate counters are sold, you are not limited to Ikea.

Thanks everyone. We're trying to keep the costs very low because we intend to sell this house in about 2 years. We live here so I want a more functional and kitchen but don't want to spend much money on it.

I know you can get laminate countertops other places but they are more expensive. We can buy the Ikea countertops for about $400 and have them installed for about $200 more by our carpenter friend. I've read on this forum about laminate quotes being only slightly less than granite. Could we get a mid-range laminate without a backsplash for less than $1K? Our kitchen is and to give a frame of reference the estimates we got for granite and quartz were $5K.

Because we're selling the house soon, we don't want anything too adventurous. I just want it to look nice and the buyers can invest in granite if they want. The buyer will want this house because it's the most affordable one in a nice neighborhood and is move in ready.

Our goal is make these improvements out of the housekeeping money, so to speak. Meaning we pull nothing out of our savings.