you already have the backsplash with the 4 inch counter material. take out the travertine and leave it painted.

I hate travertine tile with a passion. It always looks one way in the store, and completely different installed. I’m sorry you went to the expense and trouble of installation only to dislike the final result, but if you do a search for travertine tile on this site, you will see you are not alone.

If you are not going to paint the cabinets, what would you like to do?

Does your husband want to keep the cabinets as is, or just keep the cabinets? If he wants to keep them as-is, my first thought would be to swap out the hardware to something without a brown tone (perhaps polished nickel?). If is wants to keep the physical cabinets but doesn't care about the finish, I'd look into the feasibility of painting them.

I can't comment too much on the backsplash because it is hard to get true colors on a computer monitor. On my monitor, it does not look that bad and I've seen so many that are worse:)

First, consider a change in paint color. I love blue - its my favorite color and major color for accents in my home, but it is not the best kitchen paint color. It will take two coats to cover it, so you might want to try a lighter neutral, maybe a cream or a white with either a beige or gray under tone depending on your preference. That will help you visualize without competing colors.

If you do decide to change the backsplash, at least some of the best possibilities are not that expensive. It is true that it is best not to tile above a 4" splash, but people do it all the time, especially if they have a laminate counter and the 4" splash cannot be removed. Two possibilities are beadboard and subway tile. Here is a kitchen that also had wood floor and light countertops and did beadboaed. Notice also this kitchen has some glass front cabinets. You can have the panel removed in one or more cabinets and replaced with glass to reduce the amount of wood:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4512247/finally-finished-with-kitchen-updating

Here is subway tile:

I wonder if he would be ok painting only the uppers, not including the tall cabinet on the left side of your microwave? It would definitely bring a lighter feel, tone down the brown and your husband would still have the warmth of the natural wood tone. I would pick a white as close as possible to your counter top. Paint is cheap and you still have time to have that done even before Thanksgiving! I'm saying this because I have redone my oak cabinets multiple times and I know what is involved. I always use the best Sherwin Williams cabinet paint with a good quality small roller and a quality brush.

PS. It would be easy to add some crown on top if you decide to paint the uppers. MDF crown is cheap, paints easily and your cabinets would appear taller. Good luck!

I'd paint those cabinets when hubby wasn't looking. It's a very dark, dreary kitchen.

You have to be careful with blue and oak so that it doesn't start looking like an 80's country kitchen. It should look nice with the right accessories though (and maybe another fun accent color). I actually don't mind the backsplash samples in your first photos.