Given the tones in the kitchen, I think you are right to be concerned about the advice you got. I see a lot of samples, and while I like popular gray and perfect greige, we have to find something warm enough to deal with what is. You have dark wood floors, warm creamy off white tile entry floors, and travertine tiles/ st.cecilia type gold granite.
You can go gray through the front rooms and use something truly yellow back here and do a new yellow and gray color scheme, with off white cabinets ..
but the way it flows, I wouldn't do that unless I saw a great photo of the different dijon tones and off-whites you might use in your kitchen up against the stone and splash. That seems to be a bolder approach than the neutrals you requested.
So, if you don't want these things to come off yellow, using some green based neutrals might be the warmest cool alternative. I didn't ask what your upholstery tones are .. but these greens are such fresh neutrals that they work with most things.
In kitchen and room adjacent, test sw cargo pants - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7738-cargo-pants/
and on remaining walls - the lighter shade sw canvas tan
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7531-canvas-tan/
I would recommend some sage tones for your cabinets if you are painting - white is too stark with the tile/granite combo and high ceilings . . green will feel custom, neutral, warm without being cutesy .. these lovely olive tones - test sw garden sage, sw san antonio sage, more olive - - or lighter yet, sw koi pond
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7736-garden-sage/
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7731-san-antonio-sage/
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW7727-koi-pond/
The trick here is that the yellow in the green resonates with the gold and creams and yellows and so colors sort of sing together even though the green neutrals are technically cool colors.
Also, must advise trim and ceilings be a warm white. Don't allow painter to dictate unless he is experienced (if he asked you twice about the grays, i'd trust him more) a bright white would have been right for gray but is bad with your things . . something warm like sw ivory lace will make a major positive difference Until you change your entry flooring, backsplash and stone, bright whites will only clash.
Q