The floor tile is basically a flat colour there's no vein or pattern at all. It's the bench that has the pattern. We already have a skylight and the only other area we can put a window has an a/c unit unfortunately. The other walls have rooms on either side. It's tough. I found another tile yesterday I love. But from about 11 until 3pm, the entire island bench has this yellow hue to it. I think because no direct sunlight is hitting it?? But mornings and evenings it looks lovely! I might just have to bite the bullet and go with how nice it looks for the majority of the time (mornings and evenings). That's when we are most there anyway.

It can either look really dramatic or too dark, depending on the size of the room as well as your other components. I've attached a couple of images of our work using dark tiles, the smaller bathroom we have surrounded the bath with dark tiles but then balance it with an extra large mirror to bounce the light around the room. The larger bathroom we have taken the floor colour way onto the wall but used a different texture on the walls for drama. Hopefully this gives you more of an idea but you shouldn't to nervous of the room being dark, it's where you can create a contrast as well as textures. Look forward to seeing what you go with in the end.

It's the floor colour that's the main problem, neither one thing nor the other, and certainly wrong with the benchtop. Leave the wall tiles if you like that sort of thing and find a way of covering the floor probably with laminate planks on an underlay. We have a European Birch golden coloured timber floor but softer grey splashback and it looks fine. It's not an award winner but the floor and cabinet carcases had been there twenty years and it was affordable. Don't even think about painting the floor or putting down mats but a clear plastic runner in front of the sink works well for us.

I will be the loan naysayer and go: Vinyl Plank timber pattern tiles. I did these in my kitchen and they helped make the room. Used Karndean, but any European brand should be fine (avoid American and assume they are using American or worse if they don't say the country of origin). http://www.karndean.com/en-au/floors/landing-pages/new-looselay-longboard?gclid=CjwKCAjwspHaBRBFEiwA0eM3kQ7eEFPH5FlK2IwV3o7ZsbbmJ19srG0OM_tWK5dhPMNyDdwxGPUr4BoCoYcQAvD_BwE Caveats: Ground must be FLAT. 100% flat, ruler FLAT. If not you will have to level. If flat, you can lay them yourself. Our floor had to be levelled and it was tough. still got a few high patches and gaps because of that. However I have done it on a concrete surface myself since and it's beautiful. Benefits: Nice and soft on the foot. (less ankle pain) single tile replacement. Looks fantastic. No PVC glue fume issues and fairly resilient. Do be wary though of metal chair legs scraping the floor. Waterproof! when installed right with no gaps! (why I would choose them in a kitchen over timber or Eeek carpet!.... Yes previous owner installed shagpile carpet in the kitchen).