Start with Deep Charcoal on the cabinets. It is a near-black with just enough softness to feel calm instead of harsh, and in a kitchen it grounds the whole room and makes everything around it look cleaner. Lower cabinets in this shade give you a modern, grown-up look that still hides scuffs and fingerprints far better than a pale finish ever could.
To keep it from feeling heavy, wrap the walls in Soft White. It is a warm, easy white that bounces light around and lets the dark cabinets breathe, so the space reads bright and open rather than closed in. Then bring in Warm Oak as your accent, on open shelving, a butcher-block counter, or bar stools, to add a natural, honey-toned glow that warms the whole scheme up. Put the charcoal down low, the white up high, and let the oak show up in the spots you touch every day.