I commented about how much I love Sarah's House on the Buzz Board yesterday. Here is a great example of how Sarah used all sorts of textures and colors for a contemporary country house. She usually starts with a fabric and finds the rest of her palette from there.
This is not a kitchen, but if you have any doors into the kitchen, you may want to replace one with a salvaged one, or paint it a fun color. Also, this type of rug would be good for you.