I don't have any recommendations except this is my wood kitchens idea book and maybe you will see a color scheme you like. It has both new and older, refreshed kitchens. Not all have the same wood tone as your cabinets, so pay attention to that too. https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens I tend not to be an accent wall person, especially in the kitchen where there tends to already be a lot going on. I favor a large piece of pretty colorful art over accent color. You look like you have a busy household, and I realize you snapped these pics in the middle of a busy day:) One of the most inexpensive yet high impact changes you can start with is a good kitchen clean out. See if you can find storage for some of the items you keep on the counters and on the fridge. I have limited counter space and found that I needed to just put my spices in a drawer despite my pretty spice holder - along with my knives and other utensils - I simply did not have the space on my counters. Go through your cabinets and get rid of or store elsewhere items not used in a year and possibly find room in a cabinet for countertop space stealing items. Once you do that you will be able to really see your space and decisions will be easier. Before adding a backsplash see if the 4" splash can be removed - it usually can. Then do a simple backsplash - again you don't want to complicate the space. Some of the kitchens in my idea book have dark counters. Look at those for backsplash ideas.

If you're keeping the existing cabinets I'd paint them a warm white, which will highlight/contrast with your oak floors, and leave the trim stained. One of my clients recently had her oak cabinets painted Ben Moore's White Dove, and they look great! I have no problem with being able to see the wood grain, it gives the surface a more interesting texture. I would most emphatically not do an "espresso" finish, which is a very dark brown, and will date your kitchen to the early 2000s. If you're replacing everything, you could go with either a painted or stained wood. A great look is quarter-sawn or rift-cut white oak in a cerused or limed finish, which looks nothing like the honey oak of the 1980s. Natural wood cabinets are not in and of themselves "dated." The trick is HOW the whole room is done. The choice of finish, accessories, textures, etc., is what will determine whether the room looks "dated" and cookie-cutter or will stand the test of time. And if you love it when you finish it, you'll probably love it for a long time, no matter if others call it "dated." Look at the following photos, and tell me any of them look dated! Here's a combination of white uppers and white oak lowers: Stained wood cabinets with white counter tops and backsplash: Craftsman look with dark counter tops and period lighting fixtures: Two great rustic looks: Lots of stained wood with a painted island: Gorgeous light natural cabinets paired with soapstone counter tops: Fabulous architecture and another kitchen with a combination of stained and painted finishes:

Make sure to bring your picture of the counter when you pick out the paint. The counter color looks a little off-white to me. There are many whites. You don't want to put a bright white next to an off-white. The off-white may look dingy next to it.

We have an open floor plan and am set on a taupe color for the living room/dining areas. We are trying to decide what color for kitchen cabinets. We will have an island that will have dark blue cabinetry. I love the look of gray cabinets but worried that will clash badly with taupe walls. Is white the best option?