You have a great opportunity to go eclectic. So using very modern and colourful elements for the kitchen - modern storage cannisters, a vase, lights, toaster, even mixer, you start to introduce shocks of colour and shape that jar with the expectations in a traditional kitchen. In this image see how the chairs just add a touch of cheek to cheer up the kitchen...

Effectiveness is influenced by capacity of unit. If you are trying to mount a 270 cfm fan more than 30" above cooktop, then it may make noise but will do little to clear the air. If it is 1000 cfm, then it can be higher than 30". So the answer is "it depends". Most people don't mount them more than 36" above the cooktop unless it is a really high powered unit.

Your choices don't flow well to me. The flooring in your photo is pretty (very dark...are you okay with it showing every footprint, smudge, and dust bunny? If so, that's fine). From all of your options there I would do white cabinets with the Himalaya White granite. But you said ignore the granite. :) I would go for the gray cabinets with white quartz everywhere in that case, but personally I'd worry about gray cabinets being very dated in a few years. Is there another quartz option that you could pair with the white cabinets that is light in color and maybe has some movement, like LG Bianco Drift?

easily available. best to visit a large laminate stockist near you to see whole sheets in reality. They would stock other brands too and sometimes the lesser known brands can have a better collection.