hardwood flooring throughout on lower living room and we are open to any flooring at all in kitchen, dining and living room, which are all on one floor

thanks for photo - look for a slate look tile floor that runs in the gray family - a mid-tone gray porcelain 12 x 24 would be as modern as these finishes are - run it across the sink in a running bond like the splash to echo the lines. I see a very blue-gray / primer tone on the backsplash / wall / upper cabinet. I think you want white uppers and charcoal lowers so this space doesn't get too dark. ben moores rock gray would be terrific on the lower cabinets - http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/rockgray
the stuff you have up is too blue . .
if you don't want to go white up top, select a pale gray - bm whisper will give you contrast back to any white trim at doors (or go charcoal for that - bm flint would be a good choice)

All dark gray is too dark - all whisper gray could be a good option - with all of this, you are going to need to add undercounter lighting (before you close up the backsplash - plug in leds available at local homestore can switch a double outlet to outlet plus switch for the undercounter) and you'll need more lighting overhead too - dark colors add drama and are very masculine and contemporary but you need to be able to see. Consider adding kitchen linens in orange or yellow when you are done - display tangerines in a glass bowl, etc.

thanks so much! Yes, the first colors we painted (only one coat) were totally wrong, so that is why I am back to the drawing board! I was thinking of different colors on lower cabinets as well, I was thinking of light gray on top and black on bottom; do you think that would work? We did put in undercounter lighting. What color do you think for the walls? And I did bot understand this comment if you don't want to go white up top, select a pale gray - bm whisper will give you contrast back to any white trim at doors (or go charcoal for that - bm flint would be a good choice) can you explain what do you mean by trim on cabinets?

I forgot to ask can you suggest a white that would work for the uppers?

Thought you might have trim at doors or I see the piece over the sink - some people paint all the trim around the windows different from the cabinets - I think you would be better off with bm whisper on the upper cabinets rather than white. White that will be good with these tones - bm simply white = nice and crisp if you want to do white uppers. Tuxedo kitchen - don't go black below - the charcoal is a tad more sophisticated and a lot easier to keep clean . . the darker you go, every spec of dust and dirt shows.

oh, you are right, there will be trim around window, so perhaps I will do a white as you suggested; and what do you think for the walls?

so bm whisper upper cabinets, bm rock gray on lower, white trim around window and trim above sink, and I will await your advice on wall color. Thanks so much!

Think I'd take the stainless backsplash all the way up to the cabinets.

With the dark gray countertop you could do white cabinets to brighten the space:

Cork flooring would be a nice organic touch:

I did white uppers and black lowers but ended up changing it all to white. I was just too dark with my dark floors (I've attached a pic of the black/white). As for paint color, I used Snowbound by Sherwin Williams and love it. I ended up painting the walls Light French Gray from SW (a color I adore). I'm very into light and bright these days and love the look of an all white kitchen. I would post pics but I'm in the middle of redoing the counters and things are a mess right now.

Can you get more tile and take it all the way up to the bottom of the cabinets? What are the other colors in adjoining rooms? With the white, gray and stainless you can do a muted aqua on the walls.