@magspag Thanx for the advice. We wanted to save some cost by not replacing the floor tiles, as well as save by retaining the upper cabinet in its current grey shade. Guess we will go for all-black for the cabinets: both below and above the counter; and put in a new counter-top that contrasts--maybe, a light coloured granite or slate. Examples for this color-scheme are in the ideabook

The color of walls of your kitchen completely depends on the color of your cabinet, but you can opt for white color as that color is plain simple and goes with any color cabinet. But in kitchen while making food there are many things like smoke, grease or staging of oil or masala can make the color of wall look dull and bad and it gets more dull after every cleaning, whereas by applying wallpapers, your kitchen will look much more younger than paint and wallpapers can also survive almost 10 years if maintained properly. A few wallpaper Ideas that i can suggest for your kitchen are:- Modern wallpaper - Modern wallpaper designs are not constrained by any particular patterns or fashions. A wallpaper pattern featuring exotic fruit or animals is just as likely to have a quirky lobster theme as it is. Other possibilities include 3D geometry, abstract florals, and odd ornamentation. The wallpaper will have more effect with modern furniture. Retro and vintage- When the kitchen walls are decorated with antique and retro patterns, a certain whimsy and nostalgia are added to the space, creating a really particular feeling. Flower Power themes, arty or modern designs from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and large geometric patterns are characteristic for this. Brick and stone patterns- Materials used in country/historical kitchens over the years that are indestructible but also incredibly cosy haven't lost any of their attractiveness and function flawlessly in 21st-century kitchens. Stone appearance wallpaper styles, such as brick, sandstone, clinker, or even concrete, emanate a feeling of solidity and sturdiness while yet having the potential to seem completely modern when paired with the appropriate furnishings. Marble- Superior marble is the epitome of subtle elegance. The best option to realise gorgeous and glitzy kitchen decor ideas is with deceptively genuine, costly imitation marble wallpaper models. Marvelous effects are produced for walls by contemporary, inventive marble forms and colours. Tile Design- Numerous kitchen design ideas are derived from instances in nearby and distant other nations. These are only a few instances of the vast possibility offered by tile imitation wallpaper. Other possibilities include artistic Spanish Majolica-style tiles, oriental decoration tiles, Delft tiles from Holland, and Roman frescoes.

I didn't realize it was a faux stone pattern. There is nothing you can do to hide the grid pattern I am afraid...However, as it is recessed in a niche, I am inspired by your windchime pattern to think of adding eyelet hooks on the top and bottom that align with the vertical grids and uplight them from behind...This idea but with less vertical rods, and then uplit to give an effect like the second picture...

Their are many tiles in market for exterior. I can help you show the look of those tiles that you shortlist. Just send me images and name of those tiles