Think about the style you are going for the home overall and your taste.

Are you a modern person that likes simplicity = you can consider slab doors or shaker in the whites and the wood looks.

Are you a more in the middle (transitional) who like a little modern and at the same time traditional aspects = you can consider shaker doors and if in your budget inset doors.

Are you a traditional person = you can consider a shaker or a door with a raised panel or applied molding.

As far as the color depends on your taste as well. White is a timeless color. It does highlight imperfections, scratches, dirt etc. Do you have kids? All things to consider. There is more maintenance required for the whites but they will give you a lot more mileage versus a set color.

If you are a lover of the warmth of wood tones then you can definitely go with that as well. More forgiving than the white. Wood tones are coming back too.

if you are a lover of color then you can consider a color in a painted cabinet. Lets say you like blues, I would try to keep it as neutral and monotone as possible like Hale Navy that has greys. Easier on the eye versus a royal blue that is in your face all the time and can eventually overwhelm you.

One of the most important things to consider is the amount of natural light and other lights inside the home especially the kitchen. Lighter colors will yield an open feel, darker will yield and enclosed feel.

Go with what you like and the style of the house and you will be on the right track. I hope this helps. Show us your progress. You can choose neutrals or whites in the permanent items such as a kitchen and add the color in the paint of the walls. If you tire of the color you can always repaint to freshen up your look. :-)

I think you need to go with what you love. When you say grey, do you mean a greyed stain or painted grey? People here will tell you grey is on the way out, but if you love what you pick, it will not matter when design trends come and go. One of the most stunning kitchens I saw as I searched for my look was a kitchen with light grey cabs and satin gold pulls...just did not think my house could pull off that look.

In my case my DH wanted darker grey cabs but we compromised by doing a custom grey-brown stain for lower and island cabs with bm dove white uppers.

The more you look at samples and Houzz pictures...I think you will start getting a sense of what you love.

I would not put in "darker grey floors" in a house. It dates it and will make re-sale difficult. Stick with medium brown site-finished hardwood floors. They go with everything you could possibly put in your house or your kitchen.

I would only use gray cabinets if nothing else in your house is also gray. No gray walls, furniture, rugs etc. I have gray cabinets but they're in a separate kitchen (no open concept in my house, thank goodness!), and no other room in my house is gray.

The photos in your idea books are both beautiful. It seems you are attracted to two-tones with one being gray. I see white on an island in one photo and white on upper cabinets in another. When you say you don't like white, do you mean you don't like ALL white? The medium brown floor in the second photo is lovely.

You're pretty well set on the countertops? Go to Pinterest and type in "Pretty kitchen with lighter marbled countertop". Then make a new file ... and go straight through and pick the first 25 kitchens that appeal to you ... don't over-think this; just click/save what you like ... and tally the cabinet colors you've chosen.

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As has been mentioned, gray has been played out. When you say you are thinking darker gray floors, is it because you like them, or because you've seen them in Houzz a lot? I am not trying to offend, I am trying to help you avoid a color choice that you may not really like but were influenced by seeing it all around, and that a year from now you might regret. But if you say "I've always wanted darker gray floors because I love how they look", that's different.

Is this kitchen more separated or more a part of a larger area? If it's part of an open area consider the impact it can have or whether you'd prefer to have it blend in with the remainder of the area décor. Where do you want the focus and how do you feel the tone of the entire area is best served.

Hire a real Kitchen Designer. You really need expert help. Beyond pop fads and cliched styles. Making mistakes costs way more than hiring expert help.

I don't know, Sophie. I've seen some really cliched, in fact quite hideous, projects in the NKBA publications. Agree that a KD useful most if the time, but no guarantee of good taste.