You may need a personalized mix of stains to get the colour shown in your inspiration photo. Ebony can look like "painted wood" it is SOOO dark. Jacobean is moderately dark with hints of green in it (often used to tone down red oak). It is not as dark as you think. As Patricia mentions - you probably need another professional if he uses Minwax and doesn't do water popping. You will have the professional do a full sanding job. Then they will put down (with water popping and a coat of finish as well) a colour patch in several different options. You will then take a day or two to decide which one you like the most. The professional will then sand out the colour patches and then apply the stain that you have chosen. You view the unfinished floor prior to application of 2-3 coats of finish (2 coats if a sealant is uses...3 coats if no sealant was used). Ask your flooring guy what finish he wants to use. That's always a good way to judge the level of craftsmanship/skill the person has. A low grade finish (like Minwax) can indicate a lower grade professional (not always....but it can help you understand what you are purchasing for the price).

For me, the dark floors are HELL to live with. I'm not a cleaner...but I HATE the look of a dusty floor (probably because it makes me feel like I really *should clean...and I hate that feeling). Dark floors show every smudge, every whisker (human or otherwise), every dust mote, every bit of dander (90% of all indoor dust particles are skin particles = dander). The closer you come to the normal/natural colour of the wood, the MORE FORGIVING the floors are for 'surface dust'. You just can't see it. At this point, it appears there is only ONE THING missing in all of this. You need a single coat of finish (the finish you will use to complete the project) to see if the FINISH alters the appearance. You do that by using a 'raw' bit of wood coated in finish + all the samples coated in finish. If you see things turn ORANGE then you know you are going to have issues with the light grays. Please put down a single coat of finish and one section over bare wood as your comparison. We'll take it from there.

I love subway because it's classic. I will say that because you have a waterfall counter you should be leaning modern on your backsplash, so if you use a rectangular tile (subway comes in a lot of different sizes these days), stack them instead of bricklaying them for a more modern effect. I like the different shapes as well. As a previous commenter said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so you will ultimately have to decide what appeals to you. The backsplash is the least expensive part of a kitchen to replace (next to cabinets and counter), so I don't think it is as high stakes a decision as the other more expensive elements. I know I tend to get more decision paralysis on expensive items, so maybe this will help you. :-) What you have so far looks great. I don't usually like dark cabinets, but they really work in your space.

I’m planning on painting the trim and walls the same white. I loved White Dove inside a business that I visited. I’d only seen in the mornings. This past week, I went in with a western sunset - which the two largest rooms in my house will receive - and it White Dove had a green tint. I have spent numerous hours reading that Chantilly Lace is a neutral white, but I do fear that it will be too stark for the timeless traditional build (not necessarily art & decor) that I want for the home. I picked up the quart of WD & CL and a peel and stick, but the hard wood floors have just been done (yes, before the paint, not my choice but my contractor availability). I’ll pick up Simply White to add to the collection. I’ve used SW Greek Villa & SW Alabaster for a past remodel, but their undertones were too creamy yellow. Thanks for taking time to reply.