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). I'm posting a pic of the space and my oh-so-fabulous sketch/design showing the general layout we're thinking...

Need some help with best design/color on cabinetry and countertop. 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? We're near to the beach & love the coastal sort of style, so I'm toying with some tongue & groove paneling on the seating area (per my amazing sketch ;)

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). What makes is feel more like a rec area? Thoughts?

Thanks!