Bluemeeru, yes sink is on left next to dishwasher, which is next to the fridge. I never wanted a sink on the island for the same reason. Water splashes and there will always be something drying on the island. I like the option of having a totally clear island if I need it. Yes, I was worried the sink was too far from the cooktop but it works well for me. I did consider putting a narrow sink near the cooktop just in case I needed water during cooking but left it out in the end. The distance from my sink to the edge of the island is 1.5m. Dishes get taken out of the dishwasher and are put away in the drawers in the island nearest to dishwasher side, as my island is 3m wide. From there it is easy to take them out over the island to the dining table or serve the kids who sit on the island for breakfast. It’s 3.8m from sink to centre of cooktop, which could be considered quite far. I suppose I have gotten used the distance.

Hi Debbie Your new kitchen sounds lovely - a departure from average white!! A soft grey would be good, so long as it contained the blue tone you have chosen for the island. Would you consider a grey/green eucalyptus colour for the cabinets? Or a laminate that copies stainless steel? That would show as blue, to flatter the island colour. Have fun & let us know what you decide.

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

I wonder how much time you might have to spend cleaning the roof behind the parapet, perhaps the rain will take care of that, leaves?. If you were going to use these spaces as terrace you would need to adjust the height of the parapet or add a railing, if not the height of the parapet could be reduced