@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

M soooo sorry for late reply as my little one fell sick n v wr sooo tensed but he z doing good nw ... Thxxx... Kristi for ur deep concern :) . Maine is closed kitchen with wide opening which opens in a small dining area which is again not a proper dining area :( it's just a passage wr v hv to make our dining :P adding pics.1 of model flat of my appartment n pic.2 of my flat ( before alteration) U asked about so I don't knw exactly what I should tell as I am not a professional but ya I am trying to give my whole flate a contemporary look with bit classic touch as my husband like modern n I love with classic

Thanks!!! That looks lovely...!! Unfortunately the white counter wont work for the kitchen im planning - abundant turmeric in Indian cooking precludes any soft colour.. Went out today and got myself a black countertop with white veins (I HATE granite), and am now planning white shutters to go with it instead of the grey... Any other thoughts? Am not mulling over the backsplash...

high full length shelves sort of block the view and create partion in the continous space. sink is too close to the shelf? fridge? believe me when you are working that close to a shelf it keeps on hitting a person's elbow. the shelf would become inaccessible to the person making food because it is so far away. try to demarcate between different work areas and how they would interact with each other. like spoons plates etc, near the half island or more accessible to the person using them. range too near the sink.