Paint the walls in a light creamy off white color, the upper cabinets (?) and def. the island in a lighter (creamy/off white) color, replace the backsplash (a combination that will bring in the countertops and the upper cabinet colors together) replace your island lighting with either two or three (depending on the length of your island) pendent chandeliers, and finally change the cabinet pulls and handles to a brushed nickel.

I would not spend any more $$ replacing countertops, sinks, etc. Live with the kitchen for a few years and then decide on what to do!

Hi Nicole. We recently had our kitchen cabinets re-painted. This is not an inexpensive job - you'd want a professional who takes the doors and drawer fronts to the shop and then sprays the boxes in place. This is going to be in excess of $5,000.

In your place, I'd paint a light neutral wall color (not grey if it clashes with the cabinet and floor color). Counter stools in a light neutral color, a new light over the island (or maybe just a cylinder shaped globe?), and can you remove the shelf over the stove without damaging the cabinet? After that, stop and live in you new home for a year before you undertake any other changes. You will refine your vision over time, and be realistic about how much that vision co$ts.

If you like modern those cabinets are never to going fit that vision while they are that color. Like many others suggested, I would paint them. They seem to be sturdy and in good shape. So it would be a worthwhile investment. Beyond that the only other issue I see in your kitchen is the floor. That and the cabinets really hold the space back from achieving a modern look.

Changing a Tuscany Kitchen to a modern kitchen is like putting a square in a trangle, due to all the raised panel doors, crown details, decoative molding.

Paint can only change but so much.

Now, you can definately brighten it up by painting & doing some things to update it. It will be more of a french country feel, but not minimalist modern.

Here's some photos to see what it would like if painting raised door lighter with your floor type.

Here is some light shaker cabinet door styles, more "modern" due to less raised lines with your floor style.

Something to also be aware of is the lighting with the paint sheen & reflection of terra cotta floor color onto cabinets. It has the potential to look slightly pink or beige.

So, get a door sample done before doing anything. Take the door sample, put it on floor & rest it up against existing cabinets. Look at in daytime light & nightime light. Do this on every cabinet wall, because light is different throughout.

If you love true modern, I would not invest much into current. I would do a total remodel when it's possible, so you can have your kitchen wants, not the past owners tastes lingering.

My italian friends have a similar kitchen now. They would love this kitchen as is.

Congratulations on new home.

Your cabinets are gorgeous. Paint your walls, not cabinets though you could paint the island. Save up for new, light-colored countertops that work with the floors and backsplash with mainly cream but with warm gold/reddish/gray tones. In the meantime, get light-colored counter stools and new pendant over the countertop.

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The cabinets look to be in good shape, they just need to be painted a light cream color (and no, painting them will not cheapen them). And the back splash has to be redone, and not with subway tile. Do not paint the walls gray. You have a warm tone floor, so stick with warm tone colors. You are not going to be able to make that kitchen into a "modern" style without totally redoing it and spending a lot of money, but you can "modernize" it by updating the cabinetry and the back splash, as well as all of the little things (like the light fixture and bar stools, etc.)

There is nothing "Tuscan" about that kitchen. It's a bit dark, but looks to be a very high end traditional cherry kitchen, circa 1990s. I would not paint the cabinets--they are beautiful wood, and doing it correctly will definitely "break the bank". The most cost-effective changes would be to paint the walls, replace the lighting, and get new bar stools. The next step would be to lighten the backsplash and replace the round window with a rectangular transom. The hardware is perfect for the cabinets, I'd leave it as is. Not being a fan of shiny speckled granite, I'd probably change that out to a honed black granite, soapstone, or white marble or quartz. Lastly, I'd change the flooring to hardwood, brick, slate, or a black and white check pattern.

Here are some beautiful kitchens with dark wood cabinetry for inspiration:

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If that were my kitchen, I'd paint the island a nice creamy color, add a cream backsplash, and change light fixtures, knobs, and granite. While changing the granite, I'd put in a single bowl sink. (Well, I did say "if that were mine..") Since "tuscan" isn't your style, I assume those aren't your barstools.

Just getting rid of the big, dark blob in the center of the kitchen will do wonders, imo. Unless you have $50,000, I'd embrace the kitchen and learn to love it. It's got loads of character.

I recently moved into a house and couldn't afford to redo the kitchen with all the other things I wanted to do. The original cherry cabinetry was in excellent condition, so I added a cream island, changed granite, changed knobs, and changed to a single bowl sink. :) I love it! It doesn't look like everyone else's kitchen.

Wow your kitchen is beautiful... This is a challenge to change. My instinct says... Keep the high end cabinets and spend your money on changing the counters, backsplash, hardware, light fixtures, and even the very Tuscan looking floor tile. HOwever that may not give you what you really want. I just know that painting those beautiful cabinets may not give you what you want either. What is your inspiration? What is your budget?

When you say ...We like light, bright and modern. Do you mean modern or contemporary? I ask because these different styles are often interchanged. Modern vs Contemporary and this might help you determine what it is about your kitchen that you could update while staying true to those high end cabinets. Mid-Century modern is going to be hard to do with those cabinets.

Mid Century Modern below

Magnolia: Mid-Century Modern · More Info

Photograper - Aviad Bar Ness, Architect - karen goor · More Info

Ideas that might make your kitchen bright white and light... Keep the cabinets but change the floors, counters, backsplash, hardware and light fixtures

Below are some dark cabinet kitchens...

Maybe just change the hardware, counters, backsplash and light fixtures to add some modern or contemporary but keep the wood.

Kitchen · More Info

Notice the light fixture and counters really change the space.

Portland Modern Tudor Kitchen · More Info

A bit more traditional but changing the floors to wood and counters make the space fresh

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There are 1000 of photos of beautifully painted DIY white kitchens so I won't post them here but rather research the idea to paint. Below are some struggles. Learn all you can so that doesn't happen to you if you decide to paint

[Peeling paint on painted cabs[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/just-painted-kitchen-cabinets-now-the-paint-is-easily-peeling-dsvw-vd~2485050?n=47)

[Paint is peeling help[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/painted-kitchen-cabinets-are-peelinghelp-dsvw-vd~4635158?n=28)

After you figure out what your budget is and what you REALLY want to do. My suggestion is to live with your kitchen for 1 year....Okay 6 months. Live with the space for 6 months while you study, research and understand your kitchen. Learn what you love and what you really hate about the space. And then tackle your renovation. Maybe in 6 months you have the budget to sell those cabinets and start over fresh. Or maybe you discover changing a few little things makes the kitchen the space you can truly enjoy.

Good luck on your new house

~boxer

Your kitchen is beautiful, but I can understand your wanting a change. I would select a new color scheme for walls, counters, backsplash, and accessories. For counters and backsplash, my choice would lean to neutral creams. Remove all the wrought iron. I think that replacing the stools in a softer style would be pretty. Do you need a hanging light over the island? I would try without one before I would replace it. I wonder if the large corner piece with the mantle shown on the right side of the second photo can be altered. It seems a bit heavy. Maybe taking off the mantle or painting it which would be a project that I would tackle only after I made other easier to accomplish changes. I also see a bookcase in this photo that looks like a nice piece. Would you consider painting or replacing accessory wood pieces like it in a color that you like or cream/white? I am looking forward to seeing your update as it comes to life.

Hi Nicole,

Congrats on your new home!

I see what you're saying in regard to the Tuscan Style, wanting change, and not spending a ton of $$$.

It's not going to work and will leave you frustrated with your results unless you do a full gut reno. The millwork continues over to a desk area, the space is huge and this will be costly. This style was clearly built into the house and doesn't easily lend itself to change.

For now? Ditch EVERYTHING that has wrought iron, the pictures, stools, plates, roosters, etc. Change out all the lights to LED and remove any superfluous trimming without harming the cabinetry.

Changing out your backsplash, counters, floor, painting cabinets, new hardware, and new light fixtures will be $$$$$$ at the end of the day.

Save your $$$ until you can afford a complete reno if you truly cannot stand your new kitchen. It really is a beautiful kitchen, but completely understand that it is so orange/yellow/brown from floor to ceiling.

I am amazed at the people recommending you paint your cabinets white. Easy for them to say sitting in front of their laptops or devices. As a couple people have mentioned, painting wood cabinets is difficult, and expensive. And unfortunately more times than not, does not look that great afterwards. You'd need to hire someone who really is skilled at this, and even then, after a couple years, you may get chips or bleed-through of the wood. It's just not worth it, especially in light of the excellent condition and lovely cherry color of the cabinets.

I like the suggestions Janie Gibbs made to remove all wrought iron and fancy trim, change light fixtures as you said, and the chairs. Decide what your budget is, but I'd recommend you redo the backsplash and counters if you can afford it. Look on Houzz for photos of cherry cabinets with quartz counters and you will see how good that can look.

Changing the flooring will be a much bigger project than changing the counters and backsplash, so I would not change the floors until after the counters and backsplash are replaced, and then I'd re-assess and decide whether it's worthwhile to take on the flooring or not.

Your house is beautiful - and I consider the kitchen traditional not Tuscan - but I don’t see how you can turn that kitchen into modern without a full gut, including cabinets, flooring, that window...and then you have to also consider the rest of the house. I don’t get idea from door trim you are dealing with a modern style house.

So, honor the style home and those lovely cabinets. Do not paint them. Change the backsplash to something simpler and lighter, and maybe consider switching the counters to a lighter quartz. Cherry/dark wood cabinets can look wonderful with warmer white marble-look quartz.

Embrace your beautiful house. Start an Ideabook on "transitional kitchen cherry cabinets" for many examples of how to modernize in a way that works with the house you bought. I assume the house had other virtues that appealed to you. There are many ways to modernize a traditional house with lighting, new furniture, wall paint without doing a gut renovation on an already lovely kitchen. Good luck!

Gorgeous cabinetry! I would absolutely keep that beautiful wood. Start by painting the walls a lighter color: maybe a light gray. Then see how it feels. If it still feels too dark, consider taking down the backsplash and replacing it with something lighter. If you have the budget, you could replace countertops and backsplash and really transform the space.

You know another idea, (this may freak you out) is to go in a completely different direction and stain your cabinets a dark oak.

Add light countertops, backsplash, light grout in your floor tiles, LED lights for a sophisticated, elegant look. Take out as much of the orange as possible.

start with small things first and prioritize. I'd change the light and stools first. Then, think about it and try painting the island. Then do a new backsplash. Then change the floors. As far as cabinets go, they are very pricey to change, and painting might not be the right answer. It'd be putting money into something that isnt what you truly want. It looks like a nice house!

I'm usually always in favor of painting but not in that case. First, paint walls a creamy white like SW Creamy or even BM Capitol White. After removing everything that's curly iron work (BTW is that rooster a mosaic?), the biggest bang for your buck would be to replace the backsplash with something lighter, followed by new counters.

Oh, and I'd probably paint the island.

I'm also wondering whether you could remove some uppers and replace with open shelves.

Or paint only the uppers?

I think what's so overwhelming are the huge hood and that thing where the rooster is. What is that?

I agree with Diana Bier’s suggestions. Perfect! So much of what people recommend on here will be so passé in a few years ...

I would not touch those cabinets! The floor is the criminal here, and the previous owner's swirly decor.

This kitchen has very nice finishes and a good layout. I know its not your style, but until/if you completely redo it, I'd consider keeping it pretty much as is. Maybe a lighter backsplash, new lighting and paint.

Count me as another vote to leave the cherry cabinets alone. Someone suggested making them darker. I advise against that. This forum has many posts from people with espresso cabinets installed 7-10 years ago that they want to lighten. So instead of your 1990's kitchen, you'd have a 2010's kitchen. I agree with the others that new counters and backsplash would be transforming.

I think it might be beneficial to hire an interior designer, and just on an hourly basis (i.e. not a project basis), who could help you pick out new counters and backsplash. Choosing a backsplash is one of the hardest kitchen design decisions aesthetically. It would be worthwhile to have some help.

Wow, thanks for all the helpful responses everyone!! Any further recommendations on backsplash choices, specific barstools or light fixtures would be awesome! After reading all the comments and discussing between each other, we are leaning away from any big changes upfront - but happy to dig into the smaller (less expensive) details right off the bat. Thanks again, you guys are great!

Nicole, can you post more pictures? Of the entire space? Do you have measurements?

It's not a Tuscan kitchen. For that, you can be grateful! But that floor is your biggest problem - it's dark and it's dated. I'm not a big fan of your countertops, either, but then I don't like granite - especially not "busy" granite.

While not a fan or wood cabinets, these are nice ones and painting them could ruin them and make them look terrible. Even an expensive paint job might do that.

When one needs to change that many things and has not even looked at the layout and the lack of big bottom drawers, the best thing is to just paint the walls and do nothing else and start saving for a new kitchen.

There is nothing wrong with your kitchen. It is beautiful!! If you feel it is to dark, the only thing that you need to do is change the back splash, paint the walls a lighter colour, change the pendant lighting to something more of your 'taste', and change the bar stools. Other than that, your kitchen is marvelous!!!

Just to clarify we do think it is a beautiful kitchen also! :)

Here are a two more pictures, thanks again!

Honestly Nicole, if I were you, I would go right now and replace every single bulb with a soft white LED, you'll be shocked at what a difference it makes. Then start making decisions from there.

Your added pictures just solidified the point of just how beautiful your kitchen is. Very little change is needed.

Your kitchen looks like ones in the higher end houses near me.

I can completely understand it not being your style. It wouldn't be mine either.

I don't know if I can add anything new, but I don't think you can get a fully contemporary look without a lot of benjamins.

I would definitely paint the walls and get rid of that swirly faux finish. I don't think grey will work because of the color of the cabinets, but an off white, griege-ish color would work. One of the colors that comes to mind is Sherwin Williams Wool Skein.

I too would change the light fixtures. Get ones with a brushed nickel finish rather than an oil rubbed bronze finish if you're looking for contemporary.

There are a million type of bar stools out there. I would get some sleek leather ones in either an off white or white. Ballard Designs has a lot of nice options.

You can also get a lighter rug/runner for in front of the sink to cover some of the floor.

I don't think I would paint the cabinets. I have yet to see a really nice paint job, even those that have been professionally done.

Since you are getting rid of the faux paint, the feel of this space will change dramatically! I already posted about the floor... but I wanted to add. I would remove the hanging lights and use wall sconces (or cans) in stead

How about green for the walls? Green is great with stained wood. I would not do gray, even though everyone on the planet has gray walls :( And no to the dark stain, it just looks black, with no depth or dimension. Your stain is perfect and highlights the wood beautifully.

As for bar stools, I'd stay away from anything with too much wood, since you have a lot already. Maybe something in a red leather, with nailheads? Or painted wood. Bring in a color!

Agreed on no wood barstools. I would get barstools the same color as whatever you paint.

Hi There! If you like light bright and modern I would consider painting out your cabinetry in a warm white and use gold pulls- I would also use a glass tile backsplash maybe with a sea glass blue colour

I would also consider removing the overhead cabinetry that houses the rooster on the backsplash- as it is quite heavy looking. If you need the storage- perhaps you could consider open shelving for display

And for the flooring- you can lay vinyl over tile- and it is the least expensive for a re-d - otherwise wait a bit and see how much you're prepared to invest

Good Luck

I am glad you decided not to paint your cabinets.

I would look at some inspiration of cherry cabinet kitchens to see if you like "light" or "modern". Modern is going to be pretty hard to pull off with the cabinet trim and what I think is a beautiful window.

While the walls are light, I think removing the stools and painting the walls a solid color rather than the texture will make a big difference.

I also think the backsplash makes the kitchen much heavier...I like traditional, but I have the same tone of cherry cabinets and a black based granite and I think that my kitchen has a very different feel than your pictures with just a different paint color, knobs, wall color and floor. If you want to see, the pictures are in 1920 townhouse reveal.

It is a beautiful kitchen. Someone invested a lot of $ into it.

The kitchen is so dark even in the day the last photos posted. Does it look as dark at night with all the lights on?

If you are going to keep it as is for now, experiment with different light bulbs.

1st-get bright lights then choose color changes. Bring samples home to see with new lighting, daytime & night time.

Not enough, then Paint walls light color,

if not enough,then

remove backsplash (maybe leave under hood area & trim area. You may want to save $ for tile backsplash for your future modern remodel. So, high quality paint that is washable will do.

,

leave perimeter cabinets top, & just do island countertop. (Less stone= less $) may be able to get a remanent.

If still not enough,

light color stone on perimeter base cabinets. Leave island as is, or

The problem with doing it in stages to bandaid here & there is

-later when doing remodel for modern, usually end up paying twice for repeating.

But sometimes immediate fixes help get people through the current kitchen until they can do a complete remodel.

I agree painting the cabinets is not worth it in this situation, because it's not the true style preferred. Plus, too many posts on painted cabinet projects gone array.

Hope that helps;)

Remove the exhaust hood cabinetry. There's a dinky hood tucked in there and it looks ridiculous. Replace with a statement hood and give it a little breathing room.

Remove the upper cabinetry with the pillars. At first I thought it was the stove as that's the only way I've seen pillars used. What is it they enshrined there? Is it where they prayed to the rooster?

Since you asked about lighting and barstools - choose ones that have clean, modern lines that will still blend with your traditional cabinets.

Island pendant

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I think your new kitchen is gorgeous. It's never going to be modern in style; it's classic and quite traditional. I think one of the things you have working against you most in your desire for a modern aesthetic is that huge window. It's traditional to the Nth degree, but obviously it's a feature that's going to stay. That said, I do believe that by replacing lighting, barstools, and décor, you'll find that the look of the space changes more to your liking. I'd hesitate to paint the walls a green or blue, both of which will add to the overall "cave-like" feel. I'd paint the walls in a light neutral (Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige is a favorite of mine), tackle the easy-to-change items as mentioned above, then live with it all awhile and see if it grows on you. By waiting, you'll have more time to see how inspiration hits you as you live in the space. Enjoy your new home!

Yes, please what is that rooster shrine?

Totally agree with looking into removing these contraptions about the dinky metal under cabinet hood and replacing it with a different hood, and also that pillared rooster corner. This will really create some breathing space.

For wall paint, a simple creamy white, e.g. SW Creamy, will do wonders. I can't remember, but there was someone on the old Gardenweb who had a dark cherry kitchen. She posted after pictures with some purely cosmetic changes, and it made a world of difference.

I can't find the link but remember that it was a whole hous, including dining room and family room that were "lightened."