Clarifying--no need to spend so much money on granite--this looks great.

Nothing fancy! Just a Formica or Nevamar product with a wood edge. The key is to avoid the flat colors, and chose a textured swatch that has some life to it. Also, you will likely be forced to use a deck mounted sink: chose one that has a mounting detail you like. Cast Iron or Fireclay sinks can be a good choice with laminate as they have a bit more over-counter presence than Stainless Steel. This particular SS sink had an attractive rolled edge with enough dimension that it looked nice on top of the counter.

I'm a native New Englander; have never (in more than half a century) seen a blue kitchen ceiling. Porch ceilings, maybe once in a while.