Since this is an open space can you provide information about the adjoining rooms - style of furnishings/colors/wood finishes/fabrics, etc.

It would be helpful to know what style you are trying to complement. The table/chair set looks New England-y to me, but the fan/light fixture above looks more Southern/Floridian.

Is there a regional style you're hoping to gravitate toward? Are you going for a country or suburban feel? Do you need finishes that will be kid friendly?

If you can give us more of what your vision is for the space we will be able to offer more specific suggestions.

Do you have a pic taken from "further out"? It would give us some ideas for that open space if we could see how it relates to everything else. What might also help is to draw it up (to-scale) so we can see the measurements.

Here are a few ideas to take or leave as you see fit (preference or budget-wise): Have you considered crown molding on the tops of the cabinets? It doesn't have to be elaborate, it could be something simple...but it would give the cabinets a more "finished" look.
Painting them would be nice if you like white kitchens. I don't think I'd paint the island black unless you paint the perimeter, though. For some reason a black island w/the existing cabinet color seems jarring...but that could be just me.

One thing, look into how much work DIY painting of cabinets is...some here say it's not too bad but others have said it's a lot of work... If you paint the cabs cream, consider replacing the countertop w/a gray laminate (hear me out)...there are some nice ones out there. I think the gray would tie the black appliances in and would also hide stains & scratches! (We had a gray laminate in our old kitchen that hid everything. If you looked very closely you could see stains here and there and a few scratches, but you had to really look to find them.) With the cream cabinets, I would worry that the countertops would look "off"...but it depends on the paint color you choose. I know you don't want to replace the counters, but I wanted to give you reasons for doing it anyway...but it's up to you.
This would cost more and I don't know if you could do it, but look into replacing the cabinet above the refrigerator w/one that's as deep as the wall next to it. That would help reduce the look of the refrigerator sticking out like it does. Is there room for a 3/4" finished end panel b/w the refrigerator & the cabinets on the right? If so and you replace the cabinet above the Ref, consider framing the refrigerator out w/an end panel b/w the refrigerator & cabinets and attaching the new cabinet b/w the wall & end panel. The end panel would give it more of a "built-in" appearance. If there's room b/w the wall & refrigerator, then I'd also put a panel there as well...but it's not as necessary.

Note that the built-in look would also help mitigate some of the "black hole" effect some here have said black refrigerators sometimes have. If you replace the countertops, consider lowering the pony wall so it's the same height as the counters. That will open the kitchen up a little more as well as give you extra room behind the sink, give you room for "staging" food to the nook, and give you more work space in general. (You might consider getting rid of the pony wall altogether and putting a stool or two under the resultant overhang. But, that will depend on what's inside the wall, if anything, and it will mean re-installing the cabinets since I'm sure they're attached to the pony wall.)
Replace the outlet covers w/covers that are a better match to the wall color. As to the one on the island, either find one that matches the cabinet (wood & grain) or perhaps go w/black since the appliances will all be black. If you paint the island, then match the outlet covers to the paint color.
Consider replacing the faucet with a pulldown or pullout faucet (the one you have now doesn't look like it's a pullout.) Do you need the airgap to the right of the faucet? Most DWs today do not but some municipalities (mainly in CA) require them to pass inspection. If you don't need it, then consider replacing it with a soap dispenser to match the new faucet.
Simple pendant lights over the sink area or pony wall?

Just some ideas...good luck!

I guess everyone's entitled to their opinion, so here is mine.

If it were my kitchen I would.....

1). Paint the cabinets the cream color with a glaze.

2). Order or have made matching end panels for the island, base cabinet next to the sink, and the upper next to the sink to give it more of a finished/custom look.

3). Tile the backsplash.

4). Paint the dishwasher white for now and eventually replace the appliances with stainless or keep them white. (I think I like white appliances alot better than black with cream cabinets.)

5). Replace only the island countertop and give it more of an overhang on the end to add a barstool or two to add more of a presense to the island. (Paint it black if you want. I think that would look ok.)

6). Incorporate black accents like knobs, lighting, and pendants over the pony wall.

That's it.

"...It's not quite big enough to extend the island b/c the basement door won't clear it..."

Be very careful about putting an overhang on the island...you need to have room not just for the overhang but also room for doors opening and for traffic behind the seats & person sitting there. That's why we need more information...will more of an island fit or won't it?

If you could do the full depth panel on the side of the fridge, you could probably use the over-fridge cabinet you have...Just pull it forward.

Have you looked into the cost of painting appliances? Are you having it done at an auto body shop, or do you have a different plan?

Do you have enough storage? I could see putting an attractive cabinet across the end to hold dishes, and this would also kind of block the view of the sink area, or at least draw attention away from it.

I was actually referring to the narrow end of the island where the outlet is. Maybe the picture is deceiving, but there doesn't appear to be any obstructions in that direction.

Thanks everyone!

I've included the floor plan which gives the dimensions of our main living space which hopefully is more helpful.

As for questions:
I don't know what our style is. The kitchen has no style, as you can see! Hence, my wanting to paint it and make it more our own. I like the morning room table and would like a rug for under it, when I find one I like. I am also on the lookout for a piece for the back wall--which will probably be a black piece of furniture that we can store wine/glasses etc in, if I ever find what I like!

As for the island: it's not large enough to add an overhang, as the pantry is right behind it. And further out is the basement door, which is unseen in the pic, but you can see it in the floor plan. I've toyed with adding counter space on the other side of counter, just past the DW, and having an eating area there. DH says no b/c it will be a pain to walk around to get to the Morning Room, which is where we eat all meals now. What do you all think? Our house is not very large, and he worries that if we add a counter/bar, it will make the house even smaller.
I'm also including our family room...which is not finished yet. That's been a work in progress as well. DH picked out the couch, which is too big for the room, so it's been frustrating!

Is this all too much to consider? Some days I feel overwhelmed by not having a house that I love. I have learned though to not let DH have any decisions anymore!! :)

I do love the idea of adding trim to the top of the cabinets--we've talked about doing that for a while now, but DH is working a lot, so when he has the time, we'd like to add that.

We do have enough storage, but I like the idea that Rhome gave. I'm only 5ft 1in, so the top 2 shelves of the cabinets are useless to me! Above the fridge is out of the question!! LOL

I'm not sure we could take out the wall behind the sink. There's not a lot of "dancing room" as is.

Ok, here are more pics if they are helpful:

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Thanks!!

Ok, so I know that my 4 year old could probably do a better job than me...but...(LOL)

this is the world's worst attempt, but here is what I'm kind of thinking...if you can bear with me. I tried to add an extended island to the right.

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I know adding an island means tearing up the counter...which is money I don't *want* to spend at the moment, but what do you all think? Based on the dimensions, do you think it could/would work? I feel like the house looks funny b/c we have this empty eat in kitchen, so I want to fill that space, without making the house seem too tiny, and I think it would be tons easier to feed the kids at the island in the mornings before school as well. Also the added cabinet and counter space (within my reach!!) would be a huge perk.

Any thoughts, other than how bad I am at coloring!?!?

Someone help please!! :)

Leave the appliances alone. It's VERY VERY hard to successfully DIY paint appliances, and it can look way too "handcrafted" if you know what I mean. You can pay an autobody place to spray finish them, but's that not that cheap, and you'd be better off saving those $$ towards their eventual replacement. The white looks better with the white cabinets anyway! Black appliances can look nice with white cabinets, but it's a really difficult look to pull off well without looking too "opposite matchy matchy black and white diner" looking. Stainless would be a much better choice than black, as it reflects it's surroundings and blends in better.

You have room for a substantial stacked crown molding, and that would do wonders for making the cabinets look more upscale. Finishing off the cabinet ends with applied doors or molding would also look a ton better than the flat panels. I'd alo think about expanding the island length with some shelving that would hold a MW in a base cabinet and get rid of the OTR MW. Take down the cabinet above it too and put up a pretty chimney hood. I'd leave the backsplash alone until you can replace the range with a slide in version and then remove the 4" backsplash and tile from the countertop deck to the bottom of the cabinets and all the way up the wall of the chimney hood.

Do you have measurements for the distances in the pic below?

(Green lines are for reference points only)

Current Island Dimensions =
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Have you thought about adding a "new" island in the "Dinette" section? Maybe have a portable one...although that would mean no electricity & a fairly small size....but that might be OK....

buehl-I don't at the moment. Sorry! That would have made sense for me to measure of course! My head seems to be on a bit backwards at the moment. I'm going to be gone for a bit now, but when I return, I will hopefully get the measurements. Thanks for your kindness and help.

Cream, white appliances, the crown molding and
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Can be as simple as unfinished bookcases, painted.

For starters I would get rid of the ceiling fan if you can do without it. A simple chandelier won't make the room seem formal, but will add much needed styling to the room.

A rug for the table would help anchor that room.

As for appliances, I agree with other posters that black is too stark. White or stainless are good options. If you do replace the range, go with a slide-in model which will help unclutter the lines above the countertop. A counter-depth refrigerator, while a bit more expensive, really streamlines the kitchen.

I agree with bmorepanic's suggestions.... the existing cabinet facing is very plain.

My final recommendation is to hire a designer to help you with color selection. A designer doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars for consultations on colors and tiles selection. You can probably get some great advice for under $300. You just have to tell them what you can spend.

First of all, I absolutely LOVE the windows in your morning room!

If this were my kitchen, I would paint the perimeter cabinets (make sure you do lots of research on the best way to go about this--check out the paint forum here-- and have a practice door.) If you want to extend the cabinets from the pony wall, painting the cabinets would allow you to blend different cabinets together nicely; however you would then need to replace your countertops or match the existing c-tops. If you entertain that idea, check out the newer in-stock laminates. Home Depot has a charcoal-colored, textured one that is really nice and very affordable. You can order doors to match the style of your existing doors. This would also be the time to order matching end panels for your island and cabinets. I would add a stacked crown molding to the tops of the cabinets for a more custom and finished look. It is the details that set each kitchen apart.

If the perimeter were painted cream or off/white, I would have the island mimic your table (beautiful, by the way!) black with a butcherblock top. (You can get this at IKEA of Lumber Liquidators very inexpensively.) You can add furniture details as well to mimic your table.

I would NOT paint the appliances. I would leave them, but I would definitely consider getting rid of the microhood, as LWO suggested. I would either have a smaller microwave on the counter or under the counter. I would save the $$ for new appliances down the road.

I would tile the backsplash and add some pendant lights over the pony wall and swap-out the ceiling fan for a complimentary fixture over the table.

Just my two pennies. ;^)