Well, there are stones that have gray and brown flecking, so you might look for one of those for your counter. I've used one with a brown matte glass backsplash and gray floor tiles before.

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Cement color gray quartz for counter, and a mosaic with gray white and tan in it.

I have plenty of white kitchen (seems everyone is into white :) ), have a look :

http://www.redecor.me/interior-ideas/kitchen

I would keep it simple and do the same stone on the backsplash. I suggest looking at a manmade quartz in a pattern that mimic's marble and book match.

Where are the browns? If it's just the paint that's easy to fix.

You have a clean slate to make your kitchen really pretty. My advice would be to not get hung up on brown or gray but look for beautiful granite and a backsplash that compliments.

What are your floors? Are they the same throughout both areas?

My advice, do what you want in the kitchen. Don't be tied to the family room. You can always paint the family room to coordinate with your kitchen!

Hi Amanda,

I have an open concept myself. So I know about your issue. But your kitchen is the heart of the home. Whatever you like there that opens to the rest of the space, will have to follow.

Furniture?

I just finished a project with an open floor plan where the kitchen is completely open to the Living/Dining area. The color scheme was white and gray. As your cabinets the ones in my project were white, I used a light gray quartz counter top and a custom match gray glass back splash it looks amazing. Since you have browns in the other areas I would select a quartz that looks like marble with gray and beige tones to work with the rest of the area and you could use either a glass back splash matching either the gray or the beige tones in the quartz slab or glass mosaics in the two tones.

You did great Amanda, I like the three selections. Place them in the back also so you can visualize the back splash too. The one that your kids like and the one your husband likes are less busy and softer in look, it just depends if you want to have more movement then go with the one in the middle. Either one will coordinate with the rest of the space. And you are very welcome!

I think I like the natural, soft look of the right best. But if you're the one who uses the kitchen most, you get the final word.

If you are not sure about the backsplash the safest would be to go with a custom match color (they can match one of the tones of the granite you select!) glass backsplash they even do the switch/outlets plates in glass!