hard not to stick w warmer or at least neutrals with honey oak and maple floor. You can go right into the whites to keep a lighter clean pretty look. Blacks? grays? not so much, if it were mine to do...lighter looks are always nice w older cabs that are staying.. .... but if you have a lot of light/window/daylight ..soapstone or dark leathered granite [ just maybe]..... there are a lot of whites w cream within so it's not all brown and cream, as you state. Backsplash can be found in a simple glazed ceramic tile... a shade of off white, when you get to that. Have a look at granite /corian samples and post a few that you like. Find a local stoneyard..