There are a lot of ways to go. I wanted light - and I think I showed you mine earlier. My oak kitchen is in my "my pics" idea book. If you like the dark, you can go with a dark granite or quartz too. I've heard some complain about a type of black countertop that shows fingerprints - not sure which one it is. Get a sample of whatever you are seriously considering and give it some "kitchen abuse" to see how it holds up. Warm woods do best with other warm colors or black. You can have some gray in your countertop (I have a little) but don't go too far with gray as the new popular grays really weren't made for warm woods but for white cabinets or very dark cabinets.

Look for one that reads warm and resembles an "old fashion" marble - not the quartz with the large veins running through them (Exp - Cambria Britannica), but maybe LG Minuet - I'm not sure if it is warm enough for wood. Take a door with you and visit several kitchen and bath stores. Even the home center stores have quartz on displays. Menard's quartz are actually name brand quartz sold under their own Riverstone name. Home Depot has some LG and Silestone so hopefully you can find some different ideas on kitchen displays that would help you see the full effect. You might not order the quartz from the store with the display, but you can see a big piece. I believe most people who get granite go look at the individual slabs and pick them out.

In the olden days marble was placed on wood washstands and on wood cabinets / hoosier cabinets in victorian kitchens, and that was what made me feel comfortable with my choice. My countertop is not strictly speaking a "marble look alike" but I frequently get asked if it is marble.

Here is another kitchen done with a "marble like" counter - it can give a vintage feel - which you may or may not want. Unfortunately, the name of this counter is not listed in the pic:

Victorian House Remodel, Alameda · More Info

Here is another kitchen with a lighter countertop - this one is granite. Specifics are in the post:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4512247/finally-finished-with-kitchen-updating

The problem with keeping a heavily grained oak is it's never going to look up-to-date no matter what you add or how much money you throw at it. But....the grain can be sanded and filled in, then painted. You need to make the oak go away.....then decide on counters and new cabinet hardware.

Your Oak cabinets are fine, Not everyone likes painted cabinets. Its a personal preference.

jhmarie...I love your countertop...did you order yours from Menards? Did they install?

I'd go light. There are plenty of options that have cream or white bases and then lots of pale tan and gray elements -- find one that ties in the tones of your floor, and that will automatically make it all cohere. Should be easy to tilt the kitchen cooler or warmer from there.

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I would suggest LG Viatera's Soprano if you like the look of marble. It is a warmer white with a little gray and gold so it should compliment your existing finishes nicely.

kjoy - Yes - I got them from Menards, but they do not install. I found my own installer. He services all of Iowa and ventures off into surrounding states if you are in that area. I wanted to go with a K and B so I would not have to find my own installer, but none in my area carry LG. I live in a college town - not that many K and B stores.

It was not any cheaper to go through Menards. The quartz is less, but when you add in the install, it comes to about as much as a K and B, which usually includes the install with price. I knew "Flaked Pearl" was "White Pearl" because the sample I ordered was an LG sample, and there is an LG Hausys label on the underside of my quartz. Not all of Menard's quartz is LG. I know some are HanStone. I did get my 11% rebate:)

Just used The Cabinet Shoppe in Marshalltown to do our counters and we were soo happy with the professionalism and the advice. We chose quartz. One person came in and measured the space. We paid extra for their crew to come in the morning and remove all the old stuff and haul it away. In the afternoon, the fabricators came in installed our new countertops. There were incredibly skilled as we have a corner situation with a slide-in stove. They work for Cambria out of Cedar Falls, but do Color Quartz, which is what we choose, as well. We have custom built cabinets for our small kitchen and they are oak. They could never be replaced with the stuff that's out there now. Hope this will help you make a decision. It's worth the extra money to use local tradesmen rather than a box store.

You really scared me...I was thinking that was your new countertop.

You can go in many directions. Are you wanting to go with granite or quartz or some other surface?

Love the Taj Mahal granite with just a hint of the tan tones that would tie in with the floors and cabinets

Yes, agree with Humming that new cabinets pulls and knobs would be nice.

Soft iron pulls and knobs would be a great choice. The first two on the left are more understated.

Changing the knobs is a great idea. For the tops there is tons of marble-look quartz and I think that would make it perfectly. There is also quartzites like the Taj Mahal, Chateau Blanc and White Macaubas that I think would make it look stunning. Depends on the budget. Quartz has tons of options that would really look amazing.

New knobs would really update things! Just for reference, "Taj Mahal" is not granite, it is actually Quartzite. Quartzite is absolutely gorgeous, but considerably more expensive than granite or man-made quartz.

i would say silver

I'm in the midwest. I do kitchen remodels. The heavily grained oak is not coming back into fashion. White oak, quarter sawn oak is trendy....brushed brass is trendy. Yes I think it's horrible kitchen trends change and people buy into it. But....it's nothing a coat of paint can't fix. I never suggested throwing away cabinets.

Congrats on your upcoming kitchen project, Jamie! Picking out new countertops is very exciting. To complement your cabinetry and floor, we would highly recommend Windermere, which has a lot of natural colors to bring out the woods you already have in your home. Here are a few photos to inspire you:
https://www.houzz.com/photos/commerce-township-first-floor-renovation-transitional-kitchen-detroit-phvw-vp~15593180
https://www.houzz.com/photos/open-concept-kitchen-traditional-kitchen-grand-rapids-phvw-vp~9701199 Another great design choice would be Kentmere, which you can see in this photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOC3_ZeBlEr
If you like the look of marble, try Dovedale as it offers a little movement with natural taupe veining. You can discover all 141 Cambria designs on our website and read about the benefits of quartz, including easy cleanup and durability. We hope this helps you find a countertop that fits your style. If you have any questions about Cambria, please let us know.

Yeah, Dovedale should be one of the samples you pick up...

YES, DOVEDALE from Cambria and Misterio from Pompeii I think are great options

When you do decide on your counters don't let them tell you that you need the 4 inch backsplash like the one in the picture above. The fabricators like to tell you that you "need" the 4 inch because their measurements don't have to be as exact. You will probably be adding a tile backsplash so the 4" will just chop up an already small area into two distinct parts for no reason. Your tile backsplash is all you need.

See the difference? This....

Or this....

Quartz is made from natural products like sand but is not naturally occurring. Quartzite and granite are both formed in the earth just like marble.

Quartz can be as expensive as varieties of the the natural surfaces. They are all good and they all have + and -- to be aware of.

The soft iron pulls/knobs are the opposite of what you have now. They would give your cabinets a whole new look. It's perfectly fine and even preferable to mix metals. So, stainless fridge and stove with soft iron pulls is a great look. It's less match-matchy.

Just noticed that the cabinet hardware was exactly like mine, which I replaced with brushed nickel to coordinate with appliances and light fixture. We must have had the same "mind set" designers here in IA. :)