Hello Trish, How this idea works best is when the top cabinets are situated on the same colour background... In this way they blend... I like the two tone look but prefer cabinets that are squared off rather than rounded as they are. Also if it was me i'd have painted that pull out tray and personally don't like the plate storage open cupboard.. Separate shelves would be much nicer. Consider more interesting handles... Strip leather would be a nice look here.. Or something brassy which is great on dark colours... For a sleek look touch open mechanism hinges. The same two tone can be done in the reverse if you want a dark look overhead.. It all really depends on the aesthetic preferred.. In all cases go for a matt finish.. :))

Sorry I didn't mean it has to be grey, it was just an example, you could do any colour family which takes your fancy. I personally wouldn't paint the arch rather paint the entire room in complementing colours. Like Minnie said, if you click the colour on dulux (and farrow and ball and I'm sure others) it will give you suggested colours. This might be a nice starting point. Personally in that space, I'd use a tonal combination but there isn't any reason why you can't be bolder e.g grey then teal.

Just reading the comments and suggestions on here shows the capacity for lots of variations possible for a design in this size of space. Have you considered investing some time working with one designer - who you can work with to produce a layout that ticks your boxes and then shopping around with the finished plans - (this is the kind of service we provide ) it may be a bit less confusing than several people ‘having a go ‘ - although it’s always great to get others opinions on Houzz, and of course it’s lovely that they are offering you this help at no cost. But might be worth considering, as you will be living with the results for a long time! (If you click on my name or icon it will take you to my pro page - with some examples of past projects and some reviews from some of our clients.)

Perhaps there are different independents? Not promoting ours (l work for one) but we normally come in cheaper than Wren, Howdens, B&Q and Wickes with better products too. Wren are definitely sales heavy so l understand where you are coming from. People get sucked in with the finance but it’s all added into the price. DIY Kitchens rate good for price comparison if you are happy to do it all online.