I don't have any good up to date photos of my kitchen which is (shudder) STILL a work in progress, but to summarize- I did keep my oak cabinets (I loved them when I picked them out in 1990 and I still love them.)... removed soffits, added crown molding, changed hardware, changed countertops to dark granite, added pendant lighting, and did a tile backsplsh(porcelain tile but it looks like travertine). I am waiting on undercab lighting and the BIG wait is figuring out wall color. I will try to find a pic or two but they really dont do it justice, it looks much better in person. honestly.Oh and I think we may have the same range and microwave. I am a big believer in updating and not ripping out if it will work. I think this will be more common thanks to the economy and I think it is wonderful... Didnt want this thread to fall off. If I can locate even a lousy pic I will post it later.

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.

Several things..the island will feel less contrived if you were to replace the table with a round. The current square brings too much attention to the angle of the island. Either replace the foyer wallpaper or re-do the wainscoting to match the two—tones in the d.r. If you decide to replace the foyer paper be aware of background white/off-white/creme, etc. when choosing your paint color. I agree new fans without lights is in order. I think once you have all elements in place then would be a good time to reselect your lighting. Lighting has a huge influence on the overall look you are trying to achieve. Your home is lovely and has a very nice lived-in look. Good job!

Thanks for the replies. Cat, Trim in the kitchen is the same oak. In the living room is ultra white. Elllaphant, I like the idea of a grey-blue, if its light enough. But Yellow I cannot do. I painted my old tiny apartment kitchen yellow once and it still haunts me. Thanks so much anna thats a great article i'm studying it well!