actually, I look up charred oak - is this it? if it is can i suggest not red but somehting natural toned, like the rugs by Armadillo & Co

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

There are never right and wrong answers to this Cath....it can also become actually more confusing when you're not 100% and you get various/conflicting additional advice/opinions and then have to filter/distill the choices/options/opinions down to a final decision........when all else fails, trust your instinct/heart...you should "know" when it feels right....people sometimes ask why/how have I made a particular decision or move one way or the other, and sometimes my answer is simply "because it feels better that way than the other" - when it comes to design sometimes your "technical head" is your enemy ;)....sure the bench top material could look awesome as a splashback, but for you specifically the blue tile may be the better option, where it started and what you are drawn to......have you considered options such as a grey/earthy bench top? I've seen that done recently on a job (not mine btw) that combined with blue splashback tiles that you wouldn't expect to work on their own, but for what they were going for it was a perfect complimentary match.......when you get stuck with the decisions/palette resolution, sometimes freeing up and considering a lateral option is the answer to moving forward getting the balance and breathing space required

What is the length of your kitchen island bench? I would suggest it depends on the shape of the pendant lights, but usually they are installed 900-1000mm apart. So in general terms, 2500 bench have two, 3500 bench have three pendants. It seems like you have enough colour going on already. Have you thought about brushed chrome. This would then match your rangehood, fridge and other appliances.