I hope someone sees this and lends some advice! We weren't expecting to have to stay in our house as we listed it but now we are staying. Long story:( So, the countertops MUST GO! I need help with an inexpensive but good looking solution. We are likely taking out the 6" backsplash behind the cooktop and the riser so that the countertop can come out just a tad but not so many cuts. Maybe make it another seating area. I've received quotes on Giallano Ornamental granite @$28-30/sqft which comes out to a LOT! lol! Looking at quartz but omg. I'm overwhelmed to say the least. Black appliances stay; sink needs replacing but thinking staying with stainless but undermount. Thanks for any advice! The cabinets are maple, floors are Acacia EVP by Lumber Liquidators. Painting cabinets could happen but our cabinet guy said he'd cry since they're maple. HELP! and Thanks!

Depends on the rest of your furniture and the natural light of the room. Do you need white paint to bounce more light into the room? Would a darker wood tone work better with the furniture? A couple coats of a darker poly and stain like Minwax Polyshades would be easier than sanding priming and painting to get a nice painted finish. But a warm white would work with your brick. If you have matching oak furniture try some removable wallpaper to back inside shelves to lighten it.

@arcy_gw, yes, I don’t like the stair spindles either. The plan was to paint them, but the painter did not feel I would be happy with the result because they are heavily distressed and where to start and end was problematic. Or maybe he was burned out. We will likely replace the stair railings down the line. @jjam, the hardwood floors are actually white oak, not red oak, as originally suspected. We used the Bona system: Bona NaturalSeal x 1 coat, followed by Bona Traffic HD Commercial Extra Matte x 3 coats (2 would have sufficed - the third was precipitated by a goof that couldn’t be fixed with spot coating). Love them!!

what colors do you like? I love blues and greens. I hate reds/browns. blue/gray could be a cooler hue of blue, but not actually gray. you have to pick the right one that works w/your wood tones. do the oak floors need to be refinished? Is the top coat scratched/worn? are there bare spots ? does it look tired and little worse for wear? If so, call out a wood flooring specialist (or two) and have them give you some estimates on refinishing. That should be done before picking a color for paint. (or countertops) From what I can see in the photos the floors look very yellow. that top coat may have ambered over time, making the wood appear more yellow. And I can see some scratches and beat up portions. I'd get them redone if I lived there. You could opt for a slight darker tone Or, a more natural finish. Bona Nordic seal But, I kind of like this one. Rustic Beige by Duraseal I photoshopped it here, showing you painted white bookcases (gave you two) I replaced that current mantle with a better looking reclaimed oak beam, and that red furniture just has to go! you want something a bit more neutral,,, you like any of this furniture? Natural oak floor^ natural and textured items. Here's your blue grays, with natural woven items, lighter wood, white walls This is a ton of maple ! after you decide on your floors, and get some furniture, decide on your colors in here. What if you painted the inside of the display cabinet a dark wrought Iron (this color is Iron Ore, SW) and brought in some soft gold handles (not knobs. you have tall cabinets so do some 6-7" pulls) and pendants? All of that would look amazing w/the above lighter furniture. you see how it's done here? the daker book cases? In your room, you could do the rest of the walls, around the fireplace even, with this softer white (I believe this is BM Swiss Coffee at 75%) I love the look of this room w/the natural red floors. (and yes, yours oculd look this shade) the other direction. see the matching dark island? (this is Studio McGee. look at her photos if you like this style. Emily Henderson is another one to view) If you opt for a lighter floor and the wrought iron island color, this color sofa w/the textured elements would look nice Here's your blue/gray soft white wall color and sofa, natural texture elements. Bluegray rug, soft whites, light camel sofa, lighter floors. You could paint over the brick to a white, wood beam mantle, and I gave you blueish gray cabinet color w/white upper shelving. looks like this Up to you what you want to do!