Was you home built in the 70's? I ask because mine was, and I had similar dark trim. It was pine wood stained dark and so I painted it. I would not necessarily paint pretty wood trim, but pine is not a valuable wood. You might find painting the trim white helps the colors work better.

Pale oak is light enough that I think it will work with all the rooms. In my own home I have a creamy light beige with just enough color to set off my white trim. I will leave the paint help to those more experienced:)

If you plan on changing out the countertop down the road, consider holding off on a backsplash. The backsplash comes last and may be damaged when changing out the counter or there may be a gap between the older backsplash and the new counter.

When you change out appliances, consider getting a small microwave for the counter or retrofitting another cabinet with a microwave shelf. A dedicated vent looks better and works better if it is possible.

You can get an inexpensive piece of butcher block to use rather than the quartz until you are ready to do all the counters. I had butcher block on my island for several years till I changed out countertops and it worked great.

My own oak kitchen is in my "my pics" idea book. There is an older pic with the butcher block and a newer one with quartz on the island. I also have a Whitehaven "short apron" farm sink which can be installed on a standard sink base cabinet. My style is vintage with a touch of French Country, so perhaps not your style, but the counters and backsplash are flexible style wise and might give you some ideas for down the road. It is just one of many ways to go.

Do not do a mosaic glass type backsplash. Wood cabinets look best with a simple backsplash. Also, be careful of cool grays and warm wood tones - they don't bring out the best in each other.

Thank you for the tips! Your kitchen looks awesome! Yes- 70s all the way! And we are replacing most of the dark trim with new white trim. I sort of want to keep the dark trim in the large dining room-living room doorway and above the fireplace. Not sure.

I was not going to spend a lot on the backsplash, as I know it will be temporary. However, maybe it's best if I just use paint for now.

I love your sink, I will look into that.

I'm not a huge fan of the butcher block as an eating countertop. I like it for true floating kitchen islands better.

We removed the top part of the microwave vent to see how it worked. The new microwave will fit much better in that space.