Cambria has a wonderful quartz that has lots of caramel, beige, white and BLING...some embedded crystal rock....called Windemere. I used it in my master bath. See photo attach. They also have lots of other colors that might work, but it would all depend on the backsplash..if you do white tile on backsplash, maybe pick up a grout color that is also found in your countertop. Cambria is a bit pricey, but amazing...never stains, doesn't need sealant, and is guaranteed for any cracks or chips. I was able to get remnant pieces for my job.

How close is your kitchen's size to the photo? I really think it's possible to keep your project within budget, with Fireclay tile, as long as your kitchen isn't massive. You will have to keep your flooring budget in check, as that could get very pricy. And you will have to be savvy on the install/contractor price. Finally the countertop budget could wipe you out of cash if you don't control yourself. So all the other decisions have more bearing on your nude. than this tile. The tile is small potatoes. Plan on setting aside $2,500 to pay for Fireclay tile. This will be much more than enough. You can even estimate your tile expenses now as Fireclay posts it's prices online and you can measure your tiled area now. If you order through your designer or contractor, you get 10% off.

oh! well, if you like the look of your inspiration photo, then I think you've sort of answered that question. I don't think your cabinets look that different from theirs. in general, I worry about large expanses of dark counter in a space that might not have a lot of light, as it can make the room feel darker. however, plenty of people use them to great effect, and making sure to have a light backsplash can keep the kitchen from becoming too cave-like. however, a light counter can look really lovely. to me it reads just a bit more contemporary, but your kitchen already has more of a transitional than a traditional feel, so perhaps that is something you'd appreciate. I'm currently redoing my own kitchen with cherry-toned cabinets and near-white quartz counters (with a light gray stone backsplash), so this is a combination that's pretty close to my favorite. you can't really get white granite, but you can get quartz that's some light shade, including many that are made to look like marble, so that could be the way to go. don't see marble with cabinets like this too often though. anyway, good luck with your project!

Hi skjaclark - thank you for the kind words! Both my upper and lower cabinets are painted with Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray, but in a lacquer not an actual paint. The backsplash is a cement (also known as encaustic) tile from Cement Tile Shop (I bought them online at cementtileshop.com). The name of the tile is Cannes III. If you decide to consider this or any cement tile, I'd be happy to answer any questions, and I would also recommend researching the material by reviewing the houzz design dilemmas from the past - there are quite a few old posts that will help a lot. It's not a material to be afraid of, but it does require different prep and installation, and depending where it's being installed, it may also require some different steps early in construction (long before it's time to tile). Also, for what it's worth, I found that most of the sites selling cement tile do not have pictures of the tile actually installed in a room, making it super hard to envision what it will really look like. However, I eventually found that instagram was a good source for actual room photos. If you search on #cementtileshop you will find many photos of gorgeous tile installations.