The slab you've posted a picture of is very pretty, but one word of caution, even though the colors are neutral, the movement of the stone can still create a challenge when it comes to the backsplash. If you're drawn to more simple glass or white brick ie something solid, not so much, but if you start looking at something like a mosaic, problems will arise.

I get completely overwhelmed looking at backsplash ideas. I'm going to wait till everything else is in place to decide what to do there. I really don't tend to anything busy, though. But, ultimately, anything - even super simple, will be so much nicer than the nothing at all I've had all these years.

I love that granite but it is VERY busy and you do have a lot of angles (at least five cuts, maybe more), so make sure you have a very good fabricator placing the temples. Also like lurk says, you will have to pick a very, very simple back splash or you will hate it.

I've used this company before - in my bathroom which was much simpler, but they did a great job. And they did my neighbor's kitchen - although it was pretty straightforward, not with the crazy angles. It's a doozie. If I end up lowering the bar to the level of the countertops, it will be a little less for them to deal with.

Check out http://beforeitsnews.com/diy/2013/01/upgrade-builder-grade-oak-cabinets-without-painting-2448134.html

http://www.remodelaholic.com/ideas-to-update-oak-kitchen-cabinets/

Or black

Or look at some of the IKEA oak kitchens

Geez, hubby hates the idea of lowering the bar. So I'm back to worried about how this granite (any granite) will look from the front door. Never bothered me when the countertops were so neutral but I worry that it'll be like "hello, welcome to my kitchen!" I'm tempted to knock on the door of the house around the corner that's the same model and see how much my eyes are drawn to her kitchen, lol.

I would definitely knock on your neighbor's door. When we were thinking about doing our kitchen, I looked at a few neighbors with the same style home, but also I was nervy enough to ask to see their friend's kitchens as well if other names came up in the conversation.

People love showing off their renovated kitchens.

Right now you are looking at the granite vertically. I don't find your choice particularly busy. Yes it has movement, but it seems to be almost monochromatic.

We put a similar granite in our bathroom it has oranges mixed in and a little bit of cream but the movement is very similar. I wasn't expecting it to, but It does look a little different horizontally as opposed to vertically. Do you have a name for the granite you're considering? I think it would be really pretty with a simple glass backsplash and I don't think it would be a problem from the door either.

Suggest making a list, in priority order, of what you dislike and like about your kitchen and let that help guide your decisions. It is so easy to get caught up in the details.

Another poster had used general finishes milk paint and she did it by hand. It looked flawless! I cannot find the post right now, but here is a link to a video. Paint Video

i like the granite!! it wouldn't be too busy for my taste, tho i would pair it with a simple glass tile backsplash probably- definitely choose the backsplash later- i agree it is easier to choose a backsplash when the granite is already installed and you can see the granite in your house, in its horizontal spot as a large slab. i would definitely change the color of the cabinets tho with that granite...

i also would leave the seating area at the ht it currently is--

In your situation I would pay for a kitchen designer to help you realize your ideas on paper / computer images. Spending a little time on the front end with a professional designer will make a big difference in your finished product.

I painted my oak cabinets, put in a similarly busy granite and raised one side of my peninsula (the view from the front door is straight into the kitchen). Painting was time consuming, but not overly difficult. I didn't use any special paint, primer, or sealer and the finish has held up fine over the last four years.

No, I don't have the typical GW/Houzz white Shaker kitchen. But I hated the oak all over my house, and couldn't justify spending $40k to replace perfectly good cabinets.

A bucket of paint costs nothing. I say paint your cabinets, live with them for a while, then move forward with counters and the rest :)

I would find a countertop in a formica that you like. Your brown floor and your cabinets are neutral. Make the countertop without the 4" backsplash area. Then find a tile for the backsplash that you like. Pull out colors from the countertop that you like for the wall color and backsplash. Change up the door handles. Make the kitchen the most it can be with what you have. Sometimes the smallest changes really do yield the largest rewards.

I, too, painted my kitchen cabinets - not my first project. I had 70's dark brown (not a good brown) birch cabinets which were a PITA to paint. However, the difference was night and day, and I'm so glad I did. I used oil based paint and they are indestructible. Oak is so much easier to paint - I did my kids' bathroom in milk paint and it was fast and it looks amazing. Seeing all the beautiful white trim in your living areas, I think white cabinets would be beautiful, IMO.

link to thread about General Finishes milk paint with pics.

Maybe it's my monitor but, to me anyway, the problem isn't your cabinets but your wall color. The undertone really fights against the oak. I know you've said you can't just paint the kitchen, but you've also said you'd really like the change the colors in all of the adjoining rooms -- so why not spend your money (or your time) there? The granite is really pretty but I don't think you will really be happy with the space until you change the background.

Yes I agree the whole color scheme for the entire space should be addressed/decided on first - again it may be my monitor but it looks like already there are too many random colors that are not really relating well - besides the oak cabs, Im seeing a yellow soffit wall color, off white (?) walls, blue chairs, dark brown espresso floors, light cocoa around the breakfast bar, rose pink in adjoining room, other wood pieces of different tone, etc. and adding the granite while beautiful would add another disharmonious element (on my monitor it looks pretty much gray).

I would start with the elements that can't be changed and go from there .... and I disagree that the brown floor is neutral - its definitely brown. Sure, it can act as a neutral in your space in combination with other colors, but it is definitely brown, and unless your wall and other color choices work well with the brown, the brownness is going to stick out like a sore thumb. Countertops should either acknowledge the brown or at least not compete with it (carol b's blue/white kitchen with dark brown floors and caminnc's brown counters/knobs are good examples or more harmonious color combinations - imho)

I just wanted to point out that I see no grain in the wood, so I think these are maple cabinets, not oak. That's good news if you decide to paint them.

I just looked at some new Formica patterns that are nothing like the old ones. I'd consider those since you are juicing beets. My husband juices nearly every day and it would certainly stain less hardy coverings.

To me, the goal would be to get the most value/bang for your buck. There's no particular reason you need marble or granite counter tops unless you just love the look. These polished stone counters can be stained and damaged way too easily for my taste and the intense way I use my kitchen. There are quartz composite options available, Corian, and also new styles of formica. I wouldn't go granite or marble just because everyone else is. In fact, unless I hated the countertops, I wouldn't replace them. What do you dislike the most? The colors or the styles? To me, the biggest issue in that kitchen is the colors don't match very well and there are no patterns or mixes to tie things in together. The walls, cabinets, counters and appliances are all separate entities and there is nothing to create any kind of cohesive flow to the room s. To me, the blue chairs, beige walls, yellowish cabinets and white appliances and countertops just don't match very well. I'd try and figure out which of those colored things I liked, and then keep those the same and change out the colors of the other things to match those. If you LIKE grey and want to paint your house walls a more grey color, then why not?? That to me would go better with the blue chairs. Then maybe you can find a countertop and backsplash that ties in the grey walls with the maple cabinets. OR, keep the backsplash and counter tops and then stain or paint or change out the doors of the cabinets to go with the grey walls. I agree with the other posters that say you should spend some time figuring out your color palette first, and then figure out how to best convert to it. I'd start with photos of color combos of open concept kitchens that I liked, and try and figure out how to create it in my own home. Color palettes drive me crazy but they are pretty important.

I agree with Mayflowers that your cabinets are more likely maple than oak. I don't see any oak graining at all.

I agree with those that suggest doing nothing to the cabinets except replace the knobs with something darker to tie in the dark floor. The problem with your kitchen is that there's no contrast anywhere. I'd start with paint and a backsplash and I bet you'll see a world of difference. Right now it's just blah.

Looking at the colors you've chosen for paint, flooring and chairs, it would seem you crave the cool, grayed, fresh look that is popular. Something more modern looking. So I would continue with what you've started in that direction by painting the cabinets a light color. That will also blend in the bright white appliances, which look stark and out of place.

If you can manage some glass doors, that would really change the look and lighten the wall of cabinets. Maybe have them flanking the range?

If you're able to change things, then do what you'll love, don't just make do with what you have.

I agree with mayflowers, those cabinets are maple not oak. Here is my before and almost complete after. We changed the paint color, painted our lighting to match the hardware, added new hardware on the cabinets, lowered our bar by the sink and added new granite counter tops. We are still waiting for the backsplash tile to arrive. Changing the elements as so many have recommended it a great place to start, yet still expensive. You haven't said what your budget is, but things add up fast. This was more costly than we thought it would be but we are very happy with our new kitchen.

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Nothing is getting wet, the silgranite sink we installed is deep and very little water has been on the bar. Lowering the bar is the best decision we made with our kitchen renovation! Good Luck! FYI, there is discussion in Kitchen similar to yours and you should see a renovation by someone with just new counter tops and backsplash. Here is the title:

Decision Time - Emerald Pearl or UbaTuba granite countertop

Sure the lowered bar looks nice, but I don't see the dish drainer that will always be out with pots and dishes drying on it as well as the dirty dishes and pots and pans waiting to be washed. The raised bar hides those things, especially when the bar is the first thing you see as you enter the house.

I have a divided sink. I keep my dish drainer down in one side of the sink, so it doesn't show. I hate all of that clutter up on my countertop.

Your kitchen is designed so all the prep is on the peninsula, so I would lower the bar. I think every kitchen needs a wide counter for spreading out, which makes most kitchen tasks easier. With a one-level counter, you might change to a slightly deeper sink. Mine is 8" deep--go too deep and you have back issues. We move everything to the DW instead of piling them on the counter. We hand wash a few things every evening and they sit in the dish drainer overnight. I've had only a few spills behind the sink in four years, and the water only travels a few inches. I have about 16" behind the sink, which you'll have too for seating overhang. It also gives you a place to set up a buffet.

My kitchen feels so much bigger! We took out the drywall pony wall to eliminate the seating which we never used with our dining room so close.

That ugly before photo was from the previous owner.

While your new bar is very nice, I see much more kitchen clutter than with your previous set up. I think your previous set up is far from ugly.

Is that addressed to me or pschr, Oaktonmom? My before photo has nothing in it because the bachelor owner hardly used the house. But the trash can is quite a design statement, don'tchathink? The peninsula clutter in my photo is fruit, which is now in a bowl on the right side of the stove. The old raised bar did collect clutter.

Oaktonmom, the before photo of my kitchen was totally staged! I wish I could show you a picture of how it "normally" looked. It was a drop off bar so to speak. I never had a reason to clean it off because everything was out of the way. I have been doing a much better job keeping the bar cleaned off since we lowered it.

Mayflowers, love the kitchen redo and I totally agree with you about lowering the bar! Best decision we made with our kitchen redo. Our sink is deep enough that stuff can easily be stored in it until it makes it way into the dishwasher. Our kitchen is less cluttered, we have a larger work area, and we tend to sit and eat at the lowered bar more than we ever did with it raised. Good luck with your redo Cynthia L!

We just finished a major master bathroom reno. We couldn't find any granite we liked readily available, but I know we wanted to go with gray and white with movement. So I started looking at tile, paint colors etc and got no where fast. The gal from the granite shop suggested I wait until I had chosen the granite because everything would revolve around the shades of gray and how much movement. She was right - once we had the granite - I could easily make the decisions for everything else. It delayed us a month or so but worth the time in the end and much less frustration. So, I suggest you decide what is the one thing in the kitchen you want to change the most and is it going to be the focal point, as the granite was in our case. Then decide what look you want and go from there. That focal point will probably be the most expensive cost as well and you want to get it right the first time or you won't really be happy with the end product. Otherwise, trying to make other decisions without that one major piece in hand is just spinning your wheels. My opinion for what it is worth!

I think you've got great cabinets to work with, whether you decide to leave them as-is or paint them. The trick is working with the white appliances. If you want some good photo inspiration/ideas, here's a link to an article, it involves white appliances and painted cabinets and how to choose countertops and other products to coordinate.

1. http://www.kylieminteriors.ca/kitchen-ideas-decorating-with-white-appliances-painted-cabinets/

If you want to work with your existing cabinets, you might find some colour ideas in here helpful...

2. And while this article is about oak, you'll find the tips helpful for your wood as well (which looks like Maple)... http://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-paint-colours-to-go-with-oak-wood/

Hope some of that info helps!

~Kylie

And here's some affordable countertop ideas that are BEAUTIFUL! I put one of these in my own kitchen (on the perimeter) with a Quartz island as a way to balance out costs and I LOVE it. http://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-new-era-of-laminate-countertops-and-why-they-rock/

:)

I purchased Formica High Definition (granite look) counters immediately as soon as they came out 13yrs ago, from Formica when we remodeled our kitchen. They lost their shine immediately, and Formica would not help me at all with them. I am stuck with these ugly, dull, no shine countertops today. I have hated them every single day that I have had them, but I paid a lot of $ for them back then, and couldn't afford to change them. I cannot wait until I have the $ to get these FORMICA counters out of my house. I will NEVER purchase a FORMICA product again. I have learned the hard way that they do not stand behind their products at all. All they care about is the $ that they make at the initial purchase...forget about any follow up.

Please keep in mind that the technology for countertops has changed A LOT in the last 10 years (as with everything!). They have refined the finishes and discontinued the ones that aren't good as far as I'm aware. I'm sorry for your terrible experience!

That does not excuse the way that the FORMICA CO acted, when they would not help me or replace the counters. My experience with their company and their product is an example for all of us with regards to how they treat their customers. If Formica doesn't stand behind their product, it doesn't matter how good or improved the product is, it only matters that they don't care about their customers when there is a problem!

OP, it sounds like you know what you want and are going for it. I think you'll get there. I have one caution when thinking about lowering your bar counters. Make sure you have enough counter space against walls so that appliances and tall items can be placed there. I also have a very open kitchen that is visible from the front door. Though I have a huge U-shaped raised counter area with tons of room, plus a large island, I only have 6 ft of counter against a wall, so all of the appliances, etc do not fit there. I need that raised bar area to hide some of the taller items and keep them from being visible from the front door. On another note, I love your white appliances and would trade my SS for them if I didn't have dark cabinets. Good luck!

Here are some Before & After from my daughters Previous home.

Not helping much because they went with brown tones. That color looked best with the cabinets.

AFTER - Only change with the cabinets was darker hardware.

Wow NHB, your kitchen looks great! Love the new hardware!

I agree if the OP is going to paint the kitchen white she should consider using a dark countertop. I personally would probably use a deep color for the bases and a light color for the tops. Maybe add some glass here and there.

BTW Cynthia, we bought the cheapest cabs from HD that you can buy and yes, they were oak (yours are definitely maple) and I painted them. If I can make these crappy cabs look decent you can definitely make yours look spectacular! Here is a photo of our butlers kitchen with the cheapo cabs painted and granite tops.

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I guess I don't understand the backlash against oak. I think that I'm one of the few people left in America who still like it. We have had light oak cabinets in our kitchen for 13 yrs + and I still love it. Oak is a very hard wood, and a kitchen that is light and bright is easy to be in. I think that's your kitchen is going to be great. I love the granite that you picked out. The important thing now is to find a color that you like. I would go with the med shade on the paint chip so that there is some contrast with the cabinets and counters, plus a cool knob that you love. Take your time finding just the rite backsplash. Your kitchen is going to be great!

If it were me faced with your goal and constraints I would order new paint grade doors for cabinet uppers in the same profile as your lowers and cut for glass. Then I'd paint all the cabinets a light warm grey with a satin finish (I wouldn't worry about the color going out of style any time soon) and use a white frosted glass in the uppers. I'd mount 5 inch brushed nickel pulls 3 1/2 to 4 inches up on the door frame. I'd have the granite honed so it has a more of a matte finish and and I'd use a 4 inch granite black splash- nothing else. I'd paint the wall below the bar with a low sheen paint in a color to match the cabinets and I'd also investigate trimming out the soffit with wood molding and painting it to match the cabinets. I would not lower the counter because I wouldn't want to see that much of the stove. I'd paint the bar stools and the kitchen chairs a shade or 2 darker gray than the cabinets. If replacing the stove is an option I choose a slide range rather than a free standing.

Thanks aktillery9 . The kitchen WAS my daughters house, but my color idea. I did the painting. She, husband and child recently moved into a new older home. They will have to put in a whole new kitchen in that house eventually.

Your pantry has always been one of my favorites! So pretty and large.

nhb22 and aktillery9 beautiful job on both kitchens!