It really is just paint.....took down the old fur-down, added crown molding to cabinets and ceiling.....that is it. I think I got a lot of update for just a little money! I won't say it was easy, (primarily because I painted the insides of all the cabinets too), but it was worth it. I really do like it. Thank you for your compliments!

Thanks for the comments. I really like that idea and I had thought about moving the range to that wall but couldn't leave it under the window. We have a 60 year old house with a brick exterior and having the window bricked up was going to be too difficult/costly. Besides the light that comes in that window is really good as it is east facing. Given the plan you have above, what would you recommend for the open space to the right of the cabinets to the right of the fridge? Something to fill that in a little bit more but not restrict that opening as you said? Also, I forgot to add into the original questions about cabinet height. Our ceilings are 92", which leaves us with some awkward options between 30" or 40" tall cabinets from Ikea. In the original plan I am using 30" cabinets with space above them on the range/fridge wall and then 40" ones to the right of the sink. That only leaves 16" between the countertop and bottom of the cabinet. I don't want to do that next to the range and I don't think it would be to code, but do you think that would be ok with the section of uppers next to the sink?

Staining would require stripping the existing finish and that is a ton of work. It is also tough to kill the yellow undertones with just stain. But it can be done. Do you have a spot that isn't visible where you could experiment? I might try using some Ebony (black) and see what look that might give you. But I would not want to do all the wood that way, just selected spots like the fireplace surround. I would start with that and that is a "manageable" space. Preparation of the surface is the key to any surface change, so consult with your local paint shop (Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore) and their key person can help you determine what of their products would work best and how to prep for that product. Good luck. I wouldn't attempt this myself, I would hire a pro to do this. A lot of work for sure.

Help! We are re-doing our kitchen and I need to choose a cabinet color for my maple cabinets. Our home is the Tuscan style from the early 2000’s, so I do want to go with a warmer color. My walls are SW divine white. I like a bit of a darker beige or cream than Divine white to offset the lighter LRV of 72. Has anyone tried SW Natural Linen, BM Natural linen, BM Clay Beige, BM White Sand for cabinets? Also was thinking of Accessible Beige, but afraid it will be too gray. My kitchen is north facing, with minimal light. Our floors are noche travertine. We are going with a lighter granite or quartz and maybe Cle’ tiles for backsplash.