I think maybe I would paint the walls a lighter shade of the same color, and maybe change the shades of the pendant lights so they are lighter and brighter. I also wonder what kind of bulbs that you have in your light fixtures. Could they be a higher wattage? That would brighten things up a bit. I also don't see a backsplash. A backsplash with some lite reflective glass tile would brighten things up a lot I think. When doing the backsplash, I would add a metallic piece to it. The shine from the metal in the backsplash along with the glass tile will reflect a lot of light and bounce it around some. You might also consider getting some clear glass shades for the chandelier over the kitchen table. That would also bounce some light around. I have a lighter shade of gold in my kitchen and family room and I love it too.

Sorry to bring up an old post - i'm hoping the OP is still around - my wife and I are looking to refinish our cabinets using this gel stain. It appears your cabinets are the exact same color and construction as ours. Our concern is even though the front fascia and doors appear to be real wood, the sides are laminate paper. Were your cabinets the same way? If so, did you notice a difference in finish color between the laminate and wood? How many coats did you apply? I took an old bool shelf which is the same color as the sides of our cabinets with laminate paper over particle board and when I went to stain it with General Finishes brown mahogany, it came out way way lighter then your door picture above which I assume is real wood. With the attached picture, each quarter in the test piece is a different sand paper grit. Top right is 600, Top Left is 400, Bottom left is 320 and bottom right is 150 grit. The more course, the darker it was we found. I personally like the 400 grit sample, but i'm afraid the doors and fronts won't match once stained. Hoping you can provide some advice! This post was edited by adgjqetuo on Mon, Jan 12, 15 at 15:00

If you and your hubby aren't DIYers and you have a large, busy family life, gel-staining your cabs may be more of a challenge than you anticipate. Sweat equity is a great way to improve one's home with little money but even a project billed as easy may not be easy for people who don't DIY. Hubby and I are DIYers but even so, every project takes us longer than we think it will. If you decide to take this on, get sample doors and test your technique first before tackling your kitchen. Love nosoccermom's idea of replacing a few door panels with glass. Have you considered quartz counters? I think Ceasarstone Pebble (medium gray) or Raven (charcoal) would look good (I see gray in your tiles but it could be how it looks on my monitor and not the case IRL). Caesarstone Raven up close [Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by San Francisco General Contractors Mascheroni Construction Caesarstone Raven with oak cabinets [Eclectic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104) by West Linn Interior Designers & Decorators Julia Williams, ASID Caesarstone Pebble up close [Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) Caesarstone Concrete (very similar to Pebble) on IKEA Adel Medium Brown, which has has reddish/orange undertones. [Modern Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Rockwall Design-Build Firms Modern Craft Construction, LLC It sounds as though the floor's maintenance is primarily focused on trying to keep the polished look. Instead of polishing the floors, can they remove the sheen - hone them - and seal them? Wear and tear should be less noticeable on a non-shiny surface. Honed surfaces are generally more prone to staining than polished but since the tiles aren't uniform in nature, stains will probably blend in. Good luck!

To vintagestuff - that is a good point about the sink on the island, but... I never cook. I mean like sometimes for weeks I don't cook. So, while I recognize that concern, I am not too worried about it. There is rarely anything in my sink and I don't mind the sink being seen from the family room. to wilson853 - I am definitely looking at hoods, I think it changes the look a lot, and I like them. We are definitely considering adding the fascia and crown. I have that in my current kitchen and I love it! To chess: actually, I am not considering that beautiful range in the pictures. I am looking at a pretty cheap LG :-) I don't need expensive appliances, just decent and stylish. To BPatHome - We do not know if the post-pantry weird stuff was original, we can't find an original owner. I can't imagine why they liked that back then! It's kinda weird but... it's mine soon lol