I love your oak kitchen however it appears to not have much natural light. So if it was my kitchen I would stay with lighter color choices for the backsplash and counter, ones that are not too much darker than what you have now. Especially since you will be going with stainless appliances. You could accessorize with darker or more vibrant colors.

I am a fabricator. The various quartz slab manufacturers have spent a lot of effort trying to make white colors that mimic stone like Carerra marble and some of the quartzites. In the case of the marbles there is a substantial advantage in the material properties (scratch resistance, stain resistance, resistance to etching) for the quartz products vs. the marble which compensates somewhat for the fact that the beauty of the marble is still unmatched. The quartzites, however, are extremely durable and IMHO still have a substantial advantage in appearance particularly if you take the time to select your particular slab(s). There is a tool in the stone industry called a gloss meter. It measures the "depth of the shine" for polished materials. The quartz products will measure in the low 40's while most polished natural stones will be mid 50's or higher. To the consumer this difference is best described by the comment that the natural stone looks "wetter". If you want a polished look the natural stone will be better, This difference is obvious when you put a sample of like colors of quartz and natural stone side by side. my 2 cents.

I am obsessed with large format subway tiles (4x16). I'd try to match the white for the tile, and maybe pull one of the lighter gray colors from Brittanicca to be the grout color. Depending on your floor maybe you could pull one of the lighter colors as your paint color- this way you'll have some contrast without taking away from the Cambria! I'm attaching a photo of 4x16 with a contrasting grout!

@Lisa I do have a question for you! The thing that concerns me about Cambria is the heat comments. I would never put a hot pan on any countertop. BUT what about things like an All Clad Slow Cooker? Moccamaster or Nespresso Coffee maker? Instant Pot? What things like this needs something under them to use? Air Fryer.. I would think Vitamix would be fine? I think it would look awful to always have something under the coffee make or Vitamix. The other things are not kept on the counter. I have never had to use something under them with the granite countertops. I don't Have to go with quartz. If I do go with quartz it will definitely be Cambria. I thought about going with marble but I am a messy cook! I still want to see your blue when I go back to the beach. (My husband seems to be set on Cambria white! But that might be more due to him being tired of ldiscussions about the countertop.)