A couple of things were done today.  First of all, the formica backsplash was glued to the wall.  Its color is "bone white", which is to say, it isn't white.  I chose it because it is a light color that will reflect the undercabinet lighting well, but will also go well with both the oak cabinets and the green countertop.   It is also present in the tile pattern.

More cabinets, more backsplash.

The other thing that was done was the installation of the two 36-inch base cabinets against the north wall.  These are twelve inches deep, so they won't interfere with walking through the kitchen, but will add a lot of storage to the room.