but I'm lost
when it comes to colors. I'm going for a typical contemporary look -
nothing too out of the ordinary, but that looks elegant. The floors in
that room are a dark brazilian cherry and the walls are light tan. As
a general rule, I tend to prefer light colors, but if that would make
it not go with the dark cherry wood floor then I am flexible on that.
Any suggestions as to tile type/color?


Anything "natural" would be fine. Light may be better than dark since you
have dark floors. If you are using natural materials it will have a texture
and variable color. If you use a man made tile, I'd tend to stick with the
earth tones. A splash of color in a border or insert can look good but since
you want elegant, you know already to avoid the gaudy.