In one of our past homes, we had one section next to the stove that was butcher block, but the rest reg. There is def upkeep to one & doing a small section is much easier than a whole top. Wilson Art & Formica have some really great new laminate choices---for example, if you like granite look, you can get it with these but a matte finish which reads better in a country kitchen.

I know it's been a while, but I'd love to see some images of the end result!

I am going to be the odd man out...I greatly admire dark painted vanities: charcoal, navy, dark grey, even a mid grey, but I certainly understand restored timber would also be beautiful. If you were to do this, I would also paint the mirror frame in same colour. I am not sure you will achieve a particularly good result by painting the decorative tiles. For one thing it would be almost impossible to match the colour to existing tiles perfectly. I did this recently in an old kitchen (using linen colour chalk paint) and the outline of decoration still shows, and I painted the entire backsplash. In saying that, it was a good temporary fix for our purposes. The painter who painted the interior of this same older house recommended I paint the rather ugly old kitchen floor tiles, and he named a paint but I can't recall it just now. I like your idea about painting your floor light grey. I viewed the drivenbydecor link provided above in another post and was impressed with the results. It's worth a shot. Would also contrast beautifully with a dark painted vanity, hint hint.

I think that it will look too busy with the contrasting cabinetwork and the patterned tile on the floor. But then Australian tastes and styles in kitchens tend to be cleaner and more understated than our American cousins. I would keep it simpler, with a plain large format tile to make cleaning easier and to visually expand the space. Your current tile is very busy and probably hides grease splatters very well. Best of luck with your considerations, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls