I must jump in because I have a sort of similar scenario with lots of wood in my kitchen. I ended up really liking my oak cabinets (circa 2003, not 1980s) after wanting to paint them for years, so I have left well enough alone. We have an island we built with a butcher block top which is very close in color to the oak cabinets. AND we have new oak floors in a color very similar to all the rest of the wood. It's not like a denim tuxedo! One would think that this would all be too much wood, but everyone thinks it looks really nice. (We do live in a wooded setting and the kitchen gets tons of light, so I suppose it might look different in a different sort of setting.) I went with a real color on the island - quite a bright blue. The wood is warm in tone - not truly orange, but orange enough that the blue is close to being a complementary color. And the walls are a soft warm yellow. (Other accessories and artwork bring in these colors, as well as terra cotta, too.) I think the color on the island breaks up all the wood tones.

So my input mainly has to do with suggesting you not paint the cabinets - but it's hard to say with certainty whether that would be a good idea in your case, since I haven't seen all the wood tones. Island color....Hmmm... I think I'm stumped without actually seeing the other colors. But I still really think you might be able to find a color which will allow all the wood to work together.

Lizzie

I actually may keep the perimeter cabinets in the oak. Both for ease of upkeep and to avoid the job of painting. So I am glad to hear it looks good in in your setting.

I think the island does need a color.

My daughter thinks something red leaning to terra cotta. The paint colors are very tricky!

I would like to find one I think works. If I can't then I will have to go with a brown-black just for ease of selection. But wall color is tricky too

Please keep suggestions coming!

I have a lot of wood in my home, some pine, some oak, lots of honey tones. We just painted the sitting room an edgy, modern green and just love it. Anyway, there are some of photos of the recent paint escapades on the linked thread, and you can click through the photos to see more on my flickr account. Colors include a taupe that works well with the oak, and a nice red.

Here is a link that might be useful: mabeldeldine's house colors

I was thinking green for the island would be nice too. It would look good with the oak, as well as the white if you decided to paint them.

I'm mainly stumped as to color because of the color of your counters (cream) and the wall color (deep grey.) I think depending on exactly what colors those are, you could do a green, an eggplant, some sort of terracotta, or chili pepper red.

The deep gray walls are not on the kitchen. They are in the adjoining LR. DR.

I am looking for a kitchen wall color as well.