Generally it has to be Quartz, though we do love others, as sometimes they can give the right feel for the design you want. Different metals can look amazing and Quartz can't replicate these. We are just starting a project that has mainly Quartz but one side of the island will be copper . . . Can't wait to see the finished look

Thanks ‘Man about the house’, we hope to house the boiler, but as it’s non-standard size (it’s a commercial sized boiler) we are exploring doing a bespoke cabinet with a standard door but this depends on the cost! I like the idea of a light and airy kitchen - will definitely explore this. For cabinet doors, am now thinking perhaps f&b ammonite coloured doors but worried that grey won’t be in fashion in a few years so perhaps looking at colours that are more classical/light such as f&b old white or James white. Currently testing these colours on our kitchen wall! Will post pictures when am home.

Agree with Daisy but you can't go wrong with plain white. Yes they are expensive but so practical. No maintenance and it will last forever. It also has broad appeal and will lighten your dark units. You then have a perfect monochrome base for any other colours you wish to add.

Would you consider a natural stone or a porcelain like Dekton? Dekton have some really beautiful colours that lean more cream and would work really well with your existing kitchen. Have a look at the options available. https://www.cosentino.com/en-ie/colours/?utm_campaign=&utm_content=&gad_source=1 Quartz worktops (particularly white :/) are actually a lot less stain resistant than what suppliers lead you to believe, and also can chip quite easily on the edges.