Kat - Thanks for the compliment. Our perimeter counters are soapstone and the island is marble. The marble still makes me nervous and I continue to etch it (which is not highly visible on the honed surface, but I still know they are there). The inset cabinets were an absolute must for us. We did tear down construction in an older neighborhood and wanted to have some elements of the 1920s-1940s style consistent with the neighborhood. With the kitchen being visible from the front door, it needed to be both pretty and fairly authentic. Sure, I lost a little storage space by doing the inset, but the look is exactly what we needed.

SW Creamy is one of my go-to exterior trim colors. You should test it and see what you think.

The first thing I would do is get a counter depth fridge in that small space and since the space is tiny I think the same as the walls could be a good idea. I certainly would not have done black appliances and with the new cabinet color they will even be more of an issue so think a lot about this change.

Simply White in flat looks a little different than Simply White in semi-gloss. Are your cabinets semi-gloss or eggshell/satin? The difference in sheen changes our perception of the color. My point being you could just paint the walls Simply White and there will be some contrast. If you want more contrast, look at Floral White OC-29 and Soft Chamois OC-13. Soft Chamois for me is a little too bright in a south facing room but brightens up rooms with different exposures. As with all paint, the only way you're going to know what is going to work in your space is to sample.