I disagree that you can't do natural materials in a modern home. I think if you want to do a modern stone you should steer clear of the "basics": Uba Tuba, St. Cecilia, Tan Brown, Black Galaxy. Have you looked at soapstone? A grey soapstone or a soapstone oiled black is a very modern look. It's one of those stones that has been used for centuries (traditional, won't go out of style), but is very in vogue right now in modern homes. We've seen a huge increase in demand for soapstone.

White is not too light if you like it. When decorating your kitchen, try not to pick light or dark. First pick the materials that are beautiful to you. A white kitchen is not objectively better or more stylish than a dark and vice versa. Different people are drawn to different color schemes. For instance, I like darker colors like gray and black in the home because I find they calm me and help me relax. My daughter, on the other hand, loves bright, light airy rooms and colors because they lift her spirits.

If you do go with a man-made counter, do an elegant quartz like Cambria, not corian. Corian is a dated look, and I predict that even some of their new lines are going to look very dated within the next 5 years.

I've attached some soapstone pictures I found that look modern. I've also included a picture of some natural white stones that have a marble look (not actually marble) that might look good if you wanted to go light. You should also check out leathered black granite, which allows you to have the modern solid black look without the mess and cleaning nightmare that is super polished black granite.