alinayuriy - Sorry for the delay in responding...I wanted to check on the type of roller we used before I commented. We ended up using Cabinet Coat, mixed at our local BM dealer, with Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze. They manually matched the color for us. We are using Satin finish. We chose CC for a few reasons, although they might not be the most logical :) First, it was what we knew. I've liked Satin Impervo for trim in the past but didn't know how it would hold up on cabinets. We read a lot of reviews on Advance and CC, including the ones in this thread and ultimately felt there was no real big push for us to switch from a product we had already sampled to a new one. If people had said CC was really hard to work with or didn't hold up, we would have switched but everything we have read is that it was really "user friendly" and good for newbies, like us. We also liked that it is self-priming. I know some people will say "prime anyway!" and we were going to but a test sample showed no difference in coating. We also looked closely at the SW recommended above, especially since we were going with a SW paint color, but since the project is already complicated enough, I decided to just stick with what was working, which was Cabinet Coat. We have coated the base cabinets and 1 coat on the lower doors, so far. I don't know how it would be for others with factory/builder-grade stained cabinets but this is our experience with custom built, pre-painted cabinets. We have cleaned w/ TSP-replacement, de-glossed with a liquid de-glosser/sanding product (I know some people hate this idea but it's been great, esp with the grooves and cracks we have in our cabinets), then sanded as needed, wiped down and painted with Cabinet Coat. We are currently using a brush and roller method. As I mentioned in an earlier thread, we didn't go with a sprayer although I have some great recommendations on one. Our reasons for no sprayer was #1: budget. It's really tight right now. #2: I worried about where we would spray. We live in the NE and we don't have a heated area to spray and I worry that the sprayer would spray too much. This may be a totally silly concern, the reality is that I just *think* that could be an issue and so I decided it was one. Paint sprayers may be totally safe to spray in a small, enclosed area...so really, don't listen to me on this one haha! We are using Purdy brushes to get in the cabinet grooves and do the edges and rolling after. Our assembly line process is for me to brushy and my husband to follow with the roller. We are using 2 different rollers - we aren't sure which we like best. One is the Whizz 4" roller with the standard foam roller that is in the package. We used this for all of the bottom base cabinets (with a brush too). Then, we tried some fancy Whizz roller that someone on a blog or on Houzz recommended as their favorite. I'll post a pic of the package. It's a bit bigger than we need and we worried about coverage but it all smoothed out nicely. We only used it once on the front cab doors, so we are going to try again today and see how it goes. The first coat is very much a base coat, whether we use a roller or a brush. One thing we noticed, not sure if it's b/c of my specific cabinet situation or b/c of the paint...I think it's the cabinet (high gloms painted, deglossed, sanded, no primer per CC instructions) but the initial coat has just "ok coverage". That being said, we could be just bad at painting b/c we are worried about drips so we are doing thin coats. When we go back over with the brush, it will leave streaks. I don't remember this from other paints in different situations (not cabinets). I'm sure it's what we are doing, not so much the paint itself b/c i haven't read this as being an issue for anyone else. I hope this helps!

In addition to backsplash and flooring, I’d fill the space above the upper cabinets and the ceiling with molding that matches your cabinet stain and wood type etc. I'd also DEFINITELY fill the space above the fridge and the bottom of the upper cabinets. There should only be a 2" gap here, but right now it's a huge gap. It cheapens the kitchen IMO. I'm sure you could find a contractor that could match the wood and make a panel to cover the open space. This panel will easily be removable if future owners get larger fridge. This panel will make the cabinets look more custom-made for the space. Does your new fridge jut out as much as your old fridge (is it much deeper than the cabinets)? Also do you have under cabinet lighting (EDIT: I see you do...does it work well/is it functional?)? What's your ceiling lighting situation? Lighting can change the way something looks...rooms can look like different spaces based on what lighting is being used! Another important thing...is there only one available above counter duplex (am I correct that it's a duplex outlet and not a fourplex?)? If it were me, I'd have an electrician convert this duplex outlet into a fourplex (this cannot be done once backsplash is installed). This is a pretty simple conversion, so I do not think it would cost too much.

When you talk about the beige tile that you are not ready to replace, I assume you are referring to the tile counters? To me, that is the most dated part of your kitchen, and a change there I think could have a major impact on how you feel about the rest of it. I understand though that counters can be a big ticket item. But they don't have to be. You can look at laminate counters as an option. Laminate has come a long long way from what our mothers and grandmothers had in their kitchens. Have a look at this link for a big selection of colours and finishes. I've seen some in stores that mimic the look and feel of stone, particularly one that looked like soapstone. It would love really lovely with your black appliances. Look at the colour Basalt Slate. If you get laminate, then just get flat pieces, no integrated backsplash. There are other options for stone and porcelain counters that are pre-made that are quite cost efficient. I've seen those mentioned in other posts on Houzz, you could search that up for ideas. I'd consider adding some hardware to the doors and you could choose an oil rubbed bronze or black handle. You could replace some of the upper cupboard doors with glass panel doors. With the style of door you have, that is not a big change. Pull out the flat middle panel that is there and have a piece of glass inserted. It could have a pattern or texture to it as well and that would help break up all the wood tones you've got across your uppers. Those stools you've got, would you consider painting them all black? The reddish colour really doesn't go with any of your other wood tones. I also feel like the supports for the counter on the bar side are a bit clunky. Maybe you could find some metal supports in black that would be a little less intrusive looking than those. You could consider painting your walls and you could also consider a backsplash tile if you decide to replace the counters.

First thing…you need more recessed lighting, with brighter LED bulbs. Also, those pendants are strictly down lights, with a narrow stream of light.. Find pendants that provide both uplighting, and downlighting…with a broader beam…something either open on top, or glass. Secondly, I have no problem with the black counters. After all, I have soapstone in my wood kitchen. However, the black backsplash is a major problem. If you would change that out for a light colored tile, you’d see a huge difference in the feel of the kitchen. Perhaps repaint the dark grey bar area in a similar shade of the new backsplash. Here’s my kitchen…wood cabs, soapstone, celadon green backspash, and lots of lighting…including two halophane glass semi-flush pendants. You’ll have to enlarge the first pic, to see the semi-flush fixture. Do you have undecabinet lights? If not, think about getting them…they make a huge difference in a kitchen’s brightness. You can see in the pics above, mine are on.