Kitchen Conundrum.

I pride myself on having pretty good tastes when it comes to home decor.  My home may not show it, due to lack of funds, but I know what I like when it comes to decorating my house--despite being one of the most indecisive people you'll ever meet.

However.  My husband and I are planning a kitchen remodel in the very near future....and I can't make decisions to save my life.

Here's my kitchen, in it's current state.

I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but it's a U-shaped kitchen.  It's completely closed off from the rest of the house, unless you're sitting at the dining room table and looking in.  The cabinets are far too light for my tastes (especially combined with the light flooring) and I'm just ready for a change.

This is what I immediately fell in love with:

The two tone cabinets are pretty much the most fabulous thing I've ever seen.  I'm obsessed.  So that's been decided (by me, anyway.  Marty's boycotting this project....anyone want to come to my house and have a painting party in my kitchen??).

Anyway, here's my plans for the kitchen.

Biggest change I want to do?  Paint the cabinets.  I have the colors picked out already, but more on that later.  I'll be painting the upper cabinets one color, the bottom cabinets another and I'll be switching out all the hardware on the cabinets and drawers.

This wall, to the right as you're walking into the kitchen, is going to see the biggest changes.   Use your imaginations here.  We're taking the fridge out and putting it on the opposite wall (picture to come in a second).  Obviously, the bottom cabinets are going to be painted.  But we're also going to cut the entire wall in half--starting at the stove--and creating a bar area.  This allows:  1.  more seating, but more importantly, 2.  a view into the living room when in the kitchen.  I cannot tell you how important this is to me, as a mother.  I know I'm only a few steps away if Avery's calling for me from the couch, but if I don't even have to leave the stove to see my child while I'm making dinner or doing dishes, this is a no-brainer in my book.

This is the third, and final, wall in our kitchen.  These cabinets are going to be taken out....the top ones are probably going to the garage or laundry room, and the bottom ones are just going to trade places with the fridge (see the above picture....above this one. lol).  I'm tossing around the idea of painting the pantry door.  I've seen it on Pinterest and I LOVE the pop of color.  And I'm already painting the cabinets....what's one more thing to paint??

Now.  Here's where I start getting confused--getting the paint colors I've picked out to match with a countertop AND a backsplash.  *cue spinning head*  Bottom cabinets WILL be painted Behr's Juniper Berries.  Top cabinets WILL be painted Behr's Burnished Clay (note:  don't look this color up on the Internet.  All of the websites made it look brown.  It's definitely NOT brown...it's more of a tannish/greyish white).

Options on countertops (as of right now...subject to change):

I like this.  Grey countertops are really what I had pictured in my head when I was envisioning a new kitchen.  Problem?  I cannot find a backsplash that looks good with all three of these colors together.  Also, this countertop only comes in a "Matte" finish.  We were wanting a glossy finish.

When we first looked at this sample, I wasn't really feeling it.  But the more I look at it up against the colors I've picked (and this picture doesn't do the colors or the sample justice), I'm liking it a whole lot. It looks more expensive and more like granite, in my opinion--because real granite is NOT an option right now--and it comes in a glossy finish.  Problem?  I cannot find a backsplash that I LIKE that goes with all three colors.  This color matched a bunch of tans and browns.  I am not a tan or brown person at all.  

Marty and I have looked at Home Depot and Lowes, and aren't loving any of the options we're seeing in the backsplash department.  Anyone have any (reasonably priced!!) suggestions on where to go and look? 

What do you think?  I know these aren't the best pictures in the world, but are you leaning one way or another?  I'm anxious to see what other people think when they look at these two options.