If you don't want to find a white to play nice with the appliances, I suggest a light gray -- it's neutral and classic and will give you a huge selection of new counters. You will have to replace the backsplash when you rip out the counters (and you don't want the low backsplash of counter material anyway), so you can find a white (maybe glass) for in there to keep things light.

Go collect a bunch of counter samples and paint chips and get thinking about cabinets and counter combinations (and seeing them all in context with your floors and lighting). The rest will follow.

Thanks for the input acm. I admire gray in other people's homes but find it too cool

in mine. Spent hours today at Lowes and Home Depot looking at samples and paint chips as you suggested and may go with Martha Stewart's 'Ocean Floor', a colour on a line of her cabinets for the paint colour on mine. It is a soft gray/green and paired with a marbled countertop with a white vein in it should tie in nicely with the white appliances. Leaves me to choose a backsplash and wall colour and deal with the table. Moving forward anyways. Tried twice to post the laminate sample and it shrinks to this small size both times.

wait until the cabinets are painted and the countertop installed. then pick splash and paint. Too hard to try and match without seeing it in your lighting.

Good advice. Better to go slowly and end up with something you really like. Thanks.