Kitchen Update

My aunt is looking at updating her kitchen cabinets and countertops. Right now, it's very bland and not really "her". She brought some samples to our Passover seder, and after we all gave our recommendations, I offered to do a quick Photoshop mock-up of my idea.

Here's what the kitchen looks like now:

As you can see, it's very narrow, and has little to no natural light. Any sunlight it gets comes through that open area above the sink, which leads to the back room. The wall of bookshelves and cabinets spans the entrance to the kitchen and the back room, where it houses the TV.

My aunt likes a very neutral color palette, so while I am normally drawn to color in small spaces, I know it's not for her. The samples she showed us included a white cabinet, a gray cabinet, and a few faux marble Ceasarstone colors. In such a narrow, dark kitchen, we thought gray on top and bottom might be too dark, but white cabinetry with off-white faux marble seemed just as bland as the kitchen is now. To add some visual interest while staying in her favorite palette, as well as trying to lighten up the space, I pulled this together:

Inspired by looks like this kitchen I found on Apartment Therapy:

(source)

What do you think? Do you like the look of two-toned cabinetry, especially in a small space?