Hi! We're preparing to finish the bar area of our finished basement (the water pipes we had run when we built the house have been sticking out of the wall for 3 years). We're planning lower cabinetry on this righthand wall, with a small L that will come out for 2-3 counter stools for some extra seating and to make the space more functional (as opposed to just being cabinets/storage -- we don't really need it for that, it will just be nice to keep some cups/supplies/board games etc).

We're putting in an under-counter fridge and a prep sink as well. It's a walk-out basement so want this to be really functional for seasonal and post-beach drinks/snacks (there's also a TV & sofa down there to the left, plus a treadmill/exercise area to the right). For reference, the wall that the cabinets will go on is 10ft, and the space is 14ft wide.

My questions:

1 - the whole rest of our house is pretty consistent -- mostly white shaker-style cabinetry (not all identical, just a similar 'style'). We sort of want to stick with white cabinetry (I think painted grey would be blah, and the hubby doesn't like the dark grey stained), and just do an economical dark grey granite countertop. Is this a good/timeless option? Boring? Can't-go-wrong?

2 - how can we make this feel more like a rec/bar area and less like a little kitchen? I thought maybe some wall shelves above (for plants/decor, which is sort of anti-kitchen). Thoughts?

Thanks!