Some other views of room

Looked at surfaces and prices -- house is primarily a rental and used laminate 9 years ago. Has not held up well, so need a more durable surface. Granite is the better combination of durability (for rental abuse) and price point by several thousand dollars. But you make a good point about a lot going on and maybe I should lean toward granites that don't have as much veining, variability. Which would be good from a cost standpoint as well

What a lovely kitchen! I would choose a granite or quartz that has blue-grey tones, as a counterpoint to the rich warm wood tones. I also suggest painting the island panelling white, so the counter won't appear to float. As for the backsplash, because you don't have a lot of area to cover and have an otherwise neutral scheme, you could do just about anything, put I like your unified look, so I would go with discrete tiles that will not compete with the view from outside, like white glass tile. Pick a granite that works with the wood and cabinets first, then pick tile backsplash.

I wouldn't do the gold tones. I think those are very traditional and not beach. Either a solid quartz like has been suggested or of that's not in budget a granite with whites and greys.

Since the home is rented, use caution when choosing granite, as some are more prone to damage and staining. I may be wrong, but light colored granites stain easily, while heavily veined slabs are more sensitive to chips and cracks.

May I suggest quartz? Very durable. I agree w stork @ alot going on w wood. Quartz also lends itself to being able to do something fun on the backsplash. And at the end of day, it is a beach house....comfortable and relaxed.

After living with thermofoil, I am not a big supporter. If stains get into the plastic, they are difficult to remove. Also, moist heat will make the thermofoil separate from the wood over time. I have peeled off and taken the buckled plastic to Home Depot, and they color-matched the paint to the old thermofoil. The mdf wood underneath doesn't even need sanding, but this is an upkeep issue you should be aware of. Also, I used Starry Night black Silestone in my white beach house kitchen, and it looks fabulous. It's almost indestructible and needs no sealing, as granite does. This is a lovely room!

I think you should look at some stained concrete tops... and get a couple of large indoor/outdoor area rugs to break up some of the wood. Nice beach house there.

Hadn't thought of the gold tones as 'traditional' but excellent point. One designer suggested them to bring out warmth of wood, and I was afraid blue/grey would clash with the wood tones. I think of the blue/grey tones as more formal. I will reconsider that, for sure, and keep looking at pictures. Thanks!

I wouldn't worry about it being formal - with the wood and your accessories and the white cabinets I think a solid will look appropriate for the beach. Also if you rent out quartz is easy to take care of.
http://houzz.com/photos/2106328

Just thought I'd pass along a suggestion: Caesar Stone (Quartz) in Desert Limestone with a honed (non shiny) finish. That is one of the finalists in my coming kitchen redo! Then have more fun with the backsplash!

My sister put bianco Romano granite on her counters. They are beautiful. Her kitchen is a similar colour to yours.

Stork, I disagree with your designer about the gold tones. We have golden oak floors and gold tones stone mantle in our open plan kitchen-dining-living room. Our first try at decorating was to add a warm, golden beige... which turn out looking the color of peanut butter!!! We now have a cooler shade of white on the walls and shades of blue as accents. This looks much better.
If you add gold tones, you will end up with an Adirondack lodge effect instead of a beachy feel that you have now. Cool shades will not feel formal if you treat them in a modern way. Sustainable Dwellings suggested concrete counters which I think are a great idea. To me, the wood treatment in your space has more of a swedish feel than an American cottage feel, so I would keep it pared down - no fancy finishes.
I am sharing a picture of our newly renovated kitchen. You can't see a lot of the floor and compare to the cool grey floor, but at least you can visualize cool shades with white cabinets, treated in a modern way. We mimicked the look of concrete counters with maintenance-free quartz instead. Hope it helps :-)

I still love the recycled glass counter I posted a picture of above...reminds me of sea glass you find on the beach...

I also love the recycled glass top, but more importantly, I would use a paint in that watery pale glass blue-green for the walls behind the cabinets. And the glass itself for the backsplash.
Any almost-white granite would be a good choice, and I don't think it matters what kind of flecks it has in it. A kitchen is usually viewed from a distance. Take your samples and look at them from 15 feet away.

Beach Style Kitchen by Traverse City General Contractors MA

This Dune View kitchen above gave me some help -- my cabinets will be white but I like the green/blue for my own backsplash or paint, and it looks good with all that pine...much like mine will be.

Don't think I could dare try recycled care for care/maintenance/abuse in a rental unit, so still leaning toward granite, possibly silestone

Oh, forgot about the rental aspect! No one does tile anymore it seems, but that would be most repairable option. And are there granite tiles out there?