1/2 Kitchen Reno: Inspiration

So we're currently in the midst of a half kitchen renovation. One side of the kitchen has an island complete with barstools graciously left behind by the previous owner and a baby poo brown crackly accent wall. I'm kicking myself that I don't have a better straight-on photo of this wall in all its glory, but it is what it is. Regret is for the weak, right?

We aren't ready time or budget-wise to do a full kitchen reno, but we've decided that we just can't live with this look a minute longer. Here's the plan that we came up with on a budget:

1. SHIPLAP. I miss our wood plank backsplash wall from the kitchen of our previous house, so we decided that this would be the perfect place to add a splash of shiplap. The wall is recessed on both sides, so we won't have to come up with any awkward solution for the ends or anything.

2. Redo the island. We want to cut down the island to one height (right now it's part counter-level and part bar-level), replace the countertop with some sort of reclaimed wood/butcher block, and paint it. I'm leaning toward black at the moment. We have a LOT of white going on in the house so far and I love the drama of a little splash of black here and there.

3. New stools and dramatic lighting. I'm not sure what style of seating we're going to go with for sure, but I'm definitely leaning toward something with a back for comfort purposes. I really like the metal cafe/Tolix look, or some sort of bentwood stools. Lighting-wise I'm also torn. I love more traditional fixture like this and this, but also could see myself going more modern like this or this. Or maybe something in between? Decisions!!! Which way would you go?

Image sources: 1 . 2 . 3