I have thought about some sort of white cabinetry too but could it look a little odd with the rest of the house, as the house is rustic? My second thought was maybe oak cabinets with a light granite bench top, which would be the safer but maybe not so modern? I really don't like the look of painted bricks. I have seen some very nice brick wall kitchens on Houzz but my kitchen seems to have more bricks then most and a lot of the kitchens in Houzz mix plaster in the room, which looks amazing but I can't do that. I have found a great fabricator for the granite. I have also found that granite isn't much more expensive then Engineered Stone so I would rather go for the real thing.

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Surely you have a basis to start, as you would definately know what you like and don't like. Start collecting images either online on houzz or pinterest, but also from magazines, this will start to form a picture that you can start imagining rooms from. Kitchens and bathrooms have built in fixtures that being semi permanent will be the hardest thing to select. Again draw inspiration from images and don't fuss over what's the kitchen trend of 2015. That's a gimmick, the trends are driven by you! The consumer, and they change as th year progresses, the tip is to stay true to your own tastes while learning and taking on board new and innovative things of the moment. If your thinking about a space that you want neutral and modern, then natural tnes and textures in your materials is the way to go over colour choices. Natural finishes include raw materials and tones, like timber, stone, concrete, glass and steel. Then there are textural and tactile elements that either have a visual or actual texture, like fabrics, again natural fibres are on trend like linen and suedes. Patterns at the moment are either organic or geometric. Organic are natural soft forms that work well with natures colours like greens, reds and blues, while geometric patterns are most dramatic monochromatic or tonal. start with these ideas, and think about fads, what's in right now most trendy will fade away quickest, so unless it's really you, thi about longevity and good design.

Your view may be the wow factor- You may be better to put your wow into the splash back as ultimately it is less expensive to change. A total rebuild has many areas for cost over runs so with a large area, I would look at your overall budget and how much you are allocating for bench tops - This will help determine what you can afford and ultimately your choices. Depending on the surface dark benches can be harder to keep looking clean. I suggest you borrow some samples and bring them home - wet them and wipe them etc