keeping it real (help!)

i'll be honest, like any other design-loving person, when i show photos of my home online i carefully clear away the all the detritus of real life (stacks of magazines, dirty socks, cat toys, ac's beer cans). i've rarely shown photos of the parts of our home that still have a long way to go. but today i'm going to keep it real. our kitchen needs a lot of work. a lot. i've been stimied by the hideous grey tile and countertops in the kitchen for 2 years now and it's rendered me helpless in trying to find a way to bring it all together. what color makes icky grey tile look good? so, in the interest of moving forward i've tried to focus on small projects to keep me busy. this week it's about finding a good fabric for our bench cushion and windows. i have an offi bench box in there and wanted to make a little cushion to bring some color and pattern into the room. but i figured, while i'm asking you guys about the fabric for the cushion (and something that would match for the windows), i'd invite any other ideas you might have. feel free to bring it on. here are some details that i thought might answer any questions that come up:

• i love my lime green le creuset pot. i'd love to keep the main colors black, white and lime green
• the wall above the stove isn't strong enough to hold a pot rack or anything heavier than plates or a picture
• i'd love to put some shelves in for my cookbooks, but where?
• i'd love to do something pretty behind the sink but can't come up with anything. the ricky dink mirror is a nice way to open the space but it's not made for that space
• the main walls need to stay white because they share a long wall with the living room and no molding to break up colors. but i'm open to squares of color...or maybe chalk paint?
• i've thought about a wall of colored plates but i don't know...

[fabrics, fabrics, anyone? dots from repro and hancock, beige and yellow linen from purl, and of course, kelly wearstler's signature trellis print]

[if this picture isn't keeping it real, i don't know what is. this is what you see when you walk in the kitchen. help! how do i hide the cords and make this pretty?]

[more fabrics. clearly i'm obsessed with something dotty or bold...]

[the space above the oven. can't handle anything heavy but could use something pretty. maybe a nice window treatment and an arrangement of colored plates?]

[barf. barf barf barf. this space needs help. chalkboard paint? shelves for my cookbooks?]

[maybe this would warm things up?]

[a love hate relationship. love ms. jackson, hate those damn grey tiles.]