Currently in our kitchen we have darker brown cabinets and a redish/dark brown flooring. The backsplash is a mix of browns, tans and cream colored tile. Our current countertops are are the standard heavy particle board stuff and the top color is a mix of gray swirls with some white. I was talking with my wife and I mentioned that I do believe (given enough time ;) ) that I can make us some nice butcher block style countertops. What I was thinking (and I can't manage to find any pictures of online) was doing a darker (not super dark) stain on the wood, then going over that with a coat of white stain so that the browns and whites come through. I would do some sanding at the end to get rid of some of the white so that everything isn't totally washed out and then would seal it up. Will this work? Is something like this practical for the kitchen? The idea looks great in my head but I don't want to dive in and then realize I have made a massive mistake.

I am gutting a shower stall. You can see in the picture that there is a false ceiling. I am guessing that may have been to allow for a recessed light. Insulated attic is right above. Do I leave the false ceiling or is there a reason to remove it and go right up to the ceiling floor joists? Thoughts?