We have a traditional kitchen but similar colors to yours---white Shaker perimeter and dark cherry island. Our perimeter counters are a dark green granite with a lot of "movement" and the island is a white guartzite called luce di luna. The quartzite is a real stone, slightly harder than granite I'm told but I'm not sure, and at least in our area a bit more expensive. It is, however, very calm and I could see it in a modern kitchen such as you describe. When we priced out granite, quartzite, and zodiaq we found the price difference for our kitchen was really rather negligible so we went with the granite and the quartzite but if the zodiaq---I think it was misty carrera that we were considering---had been much less we would have used that instead of the quartzite. HTH.

terrilynn, I am confused about what to do for the island and also the desk/coffee bar/bar area. I'm going back and forth on wood or soapstone for the island. I'm pretty sure I want wood on the desk and soapstone on the bar/coffee area. (just for maintenance purposes). I'm not sure if I do the base colors on the other areas the same as the island or different. We aren't doing any stainless except for the range, but that desk is pretty cool! Lavender, thanks, and I love the idea of red accents. I hadn't really thought that far, but that will be perfect and will blend with the rest of our house. I guess I need to figure out if I can really do the painted island and how much maintenance that will be. Here are my options, in case anyone else is as confused as I am: 1. Wood colored island with soapstone top 2. Sage/light green island with soapstone top 3. Sage/light green island with wood top Desk: something with a wood top....I'm thinking base should match the island, unless of course the island base is wood tone, and then it would either match the yellow cabinets or the coffee bar area. Coffee bar/bar: definitely soapstone top- either yellow cabinets like the rest of the kitchen, green, or wood colored. I'm even confusing myself, so if anyone is following this, I'm impressed, and thank you for any thoughts!

Thanks - and I was planning the white perimeter uppers and lowers with a darker quartz counter top ( i like the darker charcoal -matte finish- on top of the white cabinets)and the light gray island cabinet with marbled quartz top. I do love a dark gray cabinet but I have a small kitchen and worried it may be too dark. We are a family of 5 with three messy kids - although they are getting older and less messy lol. Ill have to look at the stained gray - i just dont like to see the grain of wood in cabinets. This island below has the pendants I will do (I'll do 2 smaller Hicks pendants). I like the look of this island and top and the white cabinets with dark quartz in lower pic what do you think?

orPaint the trim around the door a nice crisp white (use a semi gloss enamel like BM Advance.) Paint the window and trim in the same white. paint your door black or Iron Ore. remove that valance. Replace the cabinet hardware to a matte black or a brushed nickel. try Pale oak on the walls, and two of these others for the trim/door color or for under the window you could do a built in bench against that wall (see pic,,,ignore the L shape. you would just do the single bench against the wall) and find a rectangle table to push up next to the bench. add two chairs for the other side