kitchen counters & backsplash

I am in the process of trying to decide what counters and backsplash I want for my kitchen.  I have  my heart set on butcher block, but am running into some problems.  First off, I priced them at Lowes and they want almost a thousand dollars for them. That seems a little pricey just for butcher block.  I can't find any other place in my town that sells butcher block counters.  I checked Ikea, which I would have to drive to Charlotte to get to and they have them really inexpensive, only a fourth of the price of Lowes.  Then I ran into the problem that they don't carry a piece long enough for the length of my longest counter, which is 100 inches long.  96 is the longest they carry, so I am trying to figure a way to work with the different measurements of wood.

Here is the counter I am thinking of getting at Ikea.

Ikea Numerar solid oak 

They have different types and colors of butcher block to pick from, but I think I like the oak one above the best.  Here are some pics of what more of their counters look like at Ikea.

This one looks closer to the color I would like.

This one is too light I think.

This one would match my walnut floors, but I think it's too dark for the kitchen.

Right now I have a shiney plasticy laminate counter and backsplash that's a real eye sore.  It is hard to tell from the picture, but up close and in real life, it just hurts my eyes.  

This is my kitchen.

I really love my kitchen cabinets.  It was one of the things I liked most about the house when I first looked at it.  I love that they were custom made to go all the way to the ceiling and I love the boards used to make the doors that give it sort of a cottage look.  I also love love my porcelain sink! It is the longest sink I have ever seen in a kitchen. It measures in at 44 inches across. The tile floor is ok, but my biggest complaint is they are COLD in the winter time.  

Here is some kitchen candy for your viewing pleasure.

Here is a beautiful kitchen from one of my favorite blogs.  She has the Ikea butcher block counters, too.  Doesn't it look beautiful?

I want a kitchen faucet like this one has. 

Countryliving.com

I am leaning towards the white subway tile. 

If I do white subway, I would most likely do a darker grout like this, sort of a pale gray colored grout.

Here is a full shot of the same kitchen.

So rustic, so beautiful.

This one's adorable!  Love all the baskets.

I  like how the bottom cabinets are painted green and the top ones are white.

Now this is a white kitchen. I love all white, but I think I still like how the warmth of the butcher block breaks it up a bit.

And last but not least, this has got to be my dream kitchen.

Yum.  Just yum.

Ok now wipe the drool off your face.

Do you think my kitchen would look good with the butcher block or something else?  The white subway backsplash or something else?  I would love to hear your thoughts as I make my decision.