Restoring the Old Girl

Back to the future II
Please don't get me wrong. I love a beautiful, expansive white kitchen as much as the next person. There is something fresh and clean, and appetising about white. It makes all food look great, however......if I see another all white kitchen I'll scream.
It's getting to the stage where I think, if you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all.
I plan to use some white in the kitchen, but I don't want it to look like it's been soaked in bleach for a week. And if I leave a tea towel and a dirty coffee cup on the bench, I don't want the look to be 'ruined' (as in interior decorators the world over stamping their feet and throwing their arms in the air).
Here are some photos I referred to, to get used to the idea of using colour in the kitchen.

As you may have detected, I love grey, but I'm using that a lot elsewhere in the house. I love the look of stainless steel with dark timber. I also love exposed shelving, cold, stone bechtops. I like a kitchen that looks like it sees more action than someone just walking to the fridge to pour a glass of wine.

In my mind I'm seeing patterned mosaics, open shelves, stainless steel drawers, a stone benchtop, and the piece de resistance, the butler's pantry.

I'll let you know how it all comes together.