If you'll cut on it, butcher block. Or laminate. ;) I occasionally cut a slice of apple or two on my old stuff, but I hated it and wanted to rip it out. Seriously, don't cut on the counters. Keep a large cutting board stationed near where you prep. As Dianalo mentioned, it's bad on your knives. It dulls them, which leads to more cuts on fingers because a dull knife is a dangerous knife. Given your list, I recommend wood. Thought about that at all? Not shiny, usually not modern, can be rustic, casual, cozy, and not speckled. I have a black walnut island top. I LOVE it. I do not cut directly on it.

I design and build a lot of kitchens but to me this is personel preference.You are the one that has to look at it every day and nobody on the internet can help you make that decision.I really like what you have picked but it's hard to tell without seeing what goes with it?

You need a comprehensive design plan, and budget plan. A successful kitchen will live within those limits. It can't absorb 5 different budget busters, nor can it deal with 5 different ''must have because I'm in love'' elements. There are a lot of right choices for the different elements that neither bust the budget nor shout ''I'm the star''. Learn how to put together your kitchen with those, with your superstars then carefully selected to fit into those surroundings. That may or may not mean choosing a counter that you love, since you state that the range and venting were your ''must haves''. You can't have it all. Decide what are the musts, within the overall context. Not as each element as an individual. That is T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Remember that none of these pretty things will ever love you back. Some can perform better, and that is always worth considering as an ''upgrade'', but not if it blows the budget, or skews the other choices. For instance, a 14K refrigerator shouldn't even be on the table if that choice makes you consider skimping in another area, like not choosing a pro to correctly install your floors, or you decide to skip adding lighting. "Splurges'' should NEVER mean that another element gets shorted to below a reasonable standard.

Here is the shop address and pictures of the valances I had made. They’re lined, the pattern in the larger one is matched up so it looks like one piece and the seams are under the sashes. They’re beyond perfect plus the turn around time was great and they returned all the unused fabric to me. Sorry, the pictures don’t show them very well. Oh! And if you find a style you want that they don’t have on their site, just ask them, they will most likely be able to accomodate you. I plan on having valances for my walk in pantry and our masterbath made by the as well. https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheIvyTrellis?ref=l2-shopheader-name