Lighting - pendants over the servery bench should be another feature that complements your chosen kitchen surfaces. So whilst I love the copper pendants in picture 1.. They could work depending on the rest of your decor and would be a highlight in a neutral white/timber kitchen = Good! If you choose copper you would complement it with a couple of copper bench top items. These are beautiful! (I collect copper because I love it, my kitchen pendants are silver, I renovated to sell in the next 3-5 years) You will see a picture starting to form in your mind and there is nothing wrong with making a statement with your lighting. I found that when I wasn't sure I would get a very strong sense of what was right and what was wrong for a space, then common sense or passion would determine the outcome! Here are another couple that might work, look her on Houzz under lighting, search pendants, then have fun looking!Timber tones with black or white to complement your cabinets... or Statement white pendants for a bit of quirky fun! Your personality can be reflected in your lighting and accessories creating that point of difference from the predictable white on timber look. Plus don't forget the power of greenery to punctuate the theme!

To me it looks like it would be better to have a smaller kitchen as being a 1 bedroom place the living/ kitchen area is quite small. I think having the essentials along the bedroom wall is good but the island makes the living area too small in the first plan, and in the second the cabinets make the walkway too narrow. I would put sink, fridge, oven along the bedroom wall then make any other bench and storage space more like moveable furniture to make the living area seem bigger. The kitchen may be able to be shut off behind doors (a bit like a euro laundry) when not in use to make a much bigger living room, especially if it isn't used a lot.

The all black kitchen looks scary as. Maybe because there's no lightness in there at all.

Eh ? You want white or off-white or similar ? Your kitchen is white and off-white , with quite a light wood . And a nice red toaster . I have noticed the toaster , and commented on it . You have purchased the toaster . Other people will notice the toaster , and comment on it . Because it is the only mildly interesting thing in the kitchen . Dark grey doesn't sound interesting , but charcoal does , so I am hoping it is closer to charcoal than dark grey . Am I overly optimistic ? Can you swap the dark grey for black gloss , because I suspect black gloss subways would look quite good there , and tie in the oven and cooktop too . Now what would happen if you were stuck with the grey or charcoal , and went out and bought a dozen crisp white subways , and a dozen Red subways . Get your 30 or so charcoal subways , and lay them out in a rectangle on the floor . Take 6 out in a reasonably random way , and put white ones there . Then take out another 6 , and put red ones there . Depending on the grey/charcoal , it may look crap , or it may look okay . If it looks okay , put the dozen grey ones on the top , take a few more away , add more red and white . Overdone ? Underdone ? Have a play . Don't like it ? Get all the grey ones , and 'stand them up' ( lay them vertically ) . Lay a line of red ones horizontally across the top , another line of white ones horizontally across middle . Swap them . Don't like any of them ? Get some brownish Tavertine Tiles , or an Orange ( or red or yellow or citrus green or your favourite colour ) glass splashback . Experiment . Put the on the bench and imagine . Thats what I'd do anyway . But I wouldn't do only dark grey , and I probably wouldn't do charcoal on its own , but I'd see first .