these are the photos of the two marble slabs that we have found for the island and the backsplash. The statuario eternal silstone product is much more subtle . The Taj mahal slab is pictured below and has nice brown and white to tie in with cabinets and floor.

With the taj mahal would you do the cabinets and island white or do a stained island?

This is the eternal statuario by silstone. When I viewed the large slab in the show room it is very subtle but the photos on line seem more pronounced in the veining.

All white, I’m personally not a fan of two toned kitchens in a smaller space. Keep it light & airy.

Yes thank you. I am looking for the light and airy look and then I worry that it will become washed out instead of light and airy.

I think you can combat your worry about "washed out" with wall paint colours and accessories.

I like the Taj Mahal and I also like the Silestone. I assume you are aware of the upkeep and maintenance issues that marble brings - although it really is gorgeous.

Look for posts from Beth H who is amazing at offering really lovely choices for tile. Tilebar is a great place for choice and they have a good sample policy so order a few in and see what you think, but choose that after you've finalized your counters and they are installed.

With either the Silestone or the Taj Mahal, you may be looking for a light grey tile for your backsplash. Of course, there are other colours you could choose from too and maybe a more colourful choice than grey will help you get over the worry of the room being washed out.

I'm finding that my own preference is longer tiles, not just the regular 3 X 6 subway size but something a bit more elongated. My all time favourite though is herringbone. I know the choices are overwhelming, but do some browsing in Houzz pictures and see what really jumps out at you. Think about what makes you happy, rather than worrying about making the "right choice" or worrying about resale etc.

This picture might help you envision what I'm thinking. Taj Mahal is so warm & cozy to me, especially paired with a backsplash similar to this one. This looks like Encore tiles or Fireclay for the backsplash. The silstone is much cooler & much more maintenance.

Taj Mahal would be my choice -- hands down!

mark rachel posted a perfect example. Taj is beautiful. slabs are diff, so look around to see what you like. this one is leathered

both of these are Taj

when it comes to splash, you have options so i'd wait until it's installed before deciding.

when you said washed out, that's exactly what all this white will look like

it's pretty, but there's no color.

compared to this one. I love the personality, and all the color and life in this one

I realize, it's a little over the top for a lot of people, but it certainly isn't boring.

If you still want the white on white, then how bout something like this for the island

It's marble, but it's stunning in a waterfall fabrication. next to you oak floors, white cabs, and gold hardware, it will be a fab addition.

it's called, Bianca lasa vecchia. if I can find a slab of it, I'm going to get it!

Thank you Beth H. such a helpful and informative response. Your examples really highlighted your comments and for someone like me who has such trouble visualizing it was awesome. I too love the kitchen with the black range hood. It is still bright. Black is a bit bold however and I don't really want grey cabinets. Could I get a similar more warmer feel than all white if I stained the hood to match the light white oak floor( of stained it a dark brown) and had a more interesting counter top material? What could I do to get a similar look but not use black?