In that pricerange I'd look at Bosch, LG, Fagor. Seem to be the nicest made/prettiest/most features for the money. If you really want white (personally, I wouldn't recommend it because cleaning is a real pain) then your options are much more limited, I'd look at Kitchenaid maybe. If you haven't done it already, try doing a search on ajmadison.com...you can narrow it down to 30" smoothtop electric cooktops, no induction, and then by pricerange and/or color, and see most things on the market. That all said, I have noticed that their are a *lot* of discontinued model/open box/floor model electric smoothtops from the "luxury" brands at my local outlets for such things...I think their current un-hipness and the recent surge in induction's popularity has resulted in a lot of extra stock out there. You could probably get a really good deal on one of these, putting it into your pricerange, with a little bit of legwork.

Art in your home is a personal choice. Your home is your private space, and it should reflect what is important to you--only you--not strangers on the internet. What makes a statement about you? What makes you interesting to other people? Build on that. IMHO, your new 'wall art' is more appropriate in a doctor's waiting room; it's too generic for a home (unless it truly reflects something about your life). It means nothing to me, hence my reaction to it. And triptychs bug me. But if you (or a friend) had taken that picture while on vacation, that puts a whole new spin on things. I would get rid of that mirror in a second. The only thing it's reflecting is a lamp cord. That is the worst place possible for a mirror. Put it some place where it reflects something worth seeing.

So the bed stays where it is I think the four-poster bed doesn't work in this particular situation. I would replace the headboard with one that is upholstered, low, and simple in design to allow more light from the windows in the room. I would consider a 'bed crown' or corona to address the window treatment and the bed at the same time. These can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. ( see an example of simple short drapery rod used to hold the drapery panels.) Or the crown can be a cornice piece to hold the fabric in place.

I agree with the other commenters here. It sounds to me like you want to make some updates without doing a complete renovation (understandable). It also sounds like you may want someone to make suggestions for materials, color, etc.? This community can do that, but unless you hire a designer, you will still need to do a lot of research. In other words, I see two options: (1) Hire a designer = spending a bit of money for expert advice and saving you time and possible agony over decisions AND getting it done right; (2) Doing the research yourself = saves a bit of money and requires lots of time and decision making. FWIW, I also think it would help to nail down your preferred design style (if you don't already know) and how much work you are willing to put into maintaining materials. That will help you narrow your options quite a bit right off the bat - you'll figure out what to rule out right away. There are doubtless tons of articles right here on Houzz to help you with that. If you go the DIY route, I recommend going to a local home design showroom. Start by strolling around to look for inspiration ideas. You can also work with someone there to get ideas for materials and pricing. I don't mean a big box store, but more like a Studio 41 if you have those in your area? Provides a "one stop shopping" experience to look at options for updates you can do without redoing the entire kitchen. I agree a different countertop would have a big impact - everything is very dark right now. And yes, a vent hood over the range vs the microwave will also really help. You might also consider updating your lighting. I can't tell what you have currently - looks like a ceiling fixture and some minimal cans but not sure about under cabinet lighting, etc. Lighting can really help to modernize and brighten a space. It can be a little $$ to hire an electrician (assuming you can't do it) but worthwhile for aesthetics and functionality. (Now that I have proper lighting on dimmers, you'd have to pry it from my cold dead hands.)