I would change the backsplash. If you are concern with the cost of doing that, look for a peel & stick tile for a inexpensive update until you decide on a kitchen renovation. I would also brighten your paint up.

Just a photo that I see, but the microwave seems 'too bad' more than the hood - but I wonder what the hood is made of.... I'd paint the island and hood in a very similar color, and not so neutral. Let them have a structure team, bigger than the backsplash and more 'visible'

Tate Studio Architects: cabinets are Oak and distressed to look aged. 2 stains, one dark and one light. The center panels on the minor cabinets and the range hood are rusted and sealed sheet steel. We wanted a contemporary look with a hint of old handcrafted ranch feel.

---------if you have access, maybe creative natural/ rustic/ industrial "trim" could added to base of your hood ?

Instead you could look into a nice metal like this section over the wood 'trim'

Given it is dark as a tomb, given the cabinetry is fairly traditional...........I'd paint all the cabinetry, riip out the heavy hood and replace with stainless. Simple dark counters, plain , that won't compete with your FLOORING. Light tile toned to cabinet white. Fifty gallons of paint. : ) A professional paint job on the cabinetry will not be less than 7 k. Conversion varnish/off site. etc.

Include under cabinet lighting in your budget, And look into a reduction in that soffit on left. Before anything. Close up the "triangle". It only adds to the busy.

The point is, do you like it enough to throw 20 k plus at it?

If not? You have your answer. Save for the rip out and re do.

Simpler hood, lighter paint and and daylight bulbs.

I like the big vent over stone! I think in right surroundings it can look great.

I would do two main changes: switch backsplash into something simpler and paint the upper cabinets white (or white like that vent white).

It would give you much open and lighter space, but still warm, something like this:

LOL the suggestions are not really budget friendly. The hood is a statement due to its size but then falls flat in that its finish is yawn. It's rather confusing. It is a beautiful kitchen. Love the interest/individuality of the ceiling angles. Painting the wood would be TRAGIC in my world. How difficult would it be to remove the back splash? Probably can't DIY it and get it out whole. Bet you could resale it if you could. Possibly you could camouflage with tiles? That is all I would want done a less in your face back splash. The stool seats are an easy change.

What is the surface material of the hood? Can you take a few more pictures to show how the kitchen meets the adjacent room (dining?) I think simplifying that ceiling (flattening it out and removing that triangle) might be the answer, and it’d allow you to revise the lighting, which is making all these angles and materials seem even more disparate. I’m intrigued!

And I agree. Cute pup!

I would get a new stainless hood , and if at all possible remove the backspash and replace with something very simple maybe even a glass subway tile. Change the knobs and pulls and maybe add a couple of pendants over the island BTW I loven the ceiling angles.

I would change the backsplash for sure. Maybe paint the island an accent color. Undercabinet lighting is another need.

Back to the stove hood - what feature don't you like?

Copper sheeting [or stainless steel] could cover much of it, by whoever knows how...

a lighter plain coloured backsplash and under cabinet lighting would brighten things up and make it less busy. Replace the chair pads. That range hood could possibly be clad with stainless steel sheet metal. Metal workers can do some amazing work. Or failing that, maybe paint it a bit darker colour so it doesn't stand out so much. Other than that, I think it looks quite nice. If I could afford it I would also consider replacing the granite with something less busy as I am not a fan of the speckly ones. But just removing it from the backsplash would make a big difference too.

Libby - I like the kitchen and especially your pup!

I think paint, new backsplash and island top would give you a nice refresh. The island is small so you might find a remnant you like.

I see undertones of green and think the paint Rawketgrl suggested (or some version of it) would be a good choice. Here it is (upper walls) at about 50% opacity with a subway backsplash and lighter island.

Here also with a busier backsplash (Home Depot Hudson Tangier) scale is almost assuredly off), but I liked the color of this tile with your current wall paint.

Good luck!

For me, the main thing that looks too busy and dated in this kitchen is the style of the doors with those embossed panel effects. I'd replace them with something lighter/brighter, flat and glossy. I think you need to contrast the pattern of the granite with something plain and smooth.

Another vote for changing the backsplash,painting walls, ceiling and island white and changing the hardware to something more current.

Here’s an inexpensive DIY option. No idea of the quality though.

I agree with changing the paint color of the kitchen to something less yellow.

And I see why you don't like the granite of the counters and the backsplash, they are busy, and too reminiscent of an office building.

If you can afford it, why not replace the counters with something that you like that is lighter in color with less movement and less contrast. Corian, quartz and quartzite are popular. And pick a backsplash that is also not too jazzy. Bring home some samples and live with them a while.

A hood is a hood. You could pain it the new pain color, cover it with stainless, or some decorative tiles, or with the material of your backsplash. You can save that for last, after you have picked your other materials.

If you will enlarge the counter of your island you will need to have trusses made to support the overhang. Please find a carpenter or contractor who knows what he is doing. Stone is very, very heavy.

To my eye, the hood is great but it looks ginormous because it's squished in between those 2 narrow cabinets on both sides. I'd think about removing those 2 narrow cabinets which would allow the hood to stand out in a good way.

I think the paint color should be changed to one solid color, maybe a light gray would like nice with the granite. change the vent to stainless steel for a more current look. I think the granite counter tops can stay but the backsplash is overkill. if you want to change the look of the kitchen and make it more current and less busy u can change the backsplash to one color tile. good luck and cant wait to see the pictures of your new kitchen look

To my eye, the hood is great but it looks ginormous because it's squished in between those 2 narrow cabinets on both sides. I'd think about removing those 2 narrow cabinets which would allow the hood to stand out in a good way.

Good point! I'll bet those narrow little cabinets aren't very useful anyway.

Embrace your architecture. I love it. Even the range hood. (and I don't like or understand the exposed range hood thing ). Yes in some modernist situations. Same with higher end new builds that put the range in a fake boxed-in hearth. I prep next to my sink and don't like an unnecessary wall in the way.

I would love to have that kitchen. I wish more people would do solid surface backsplash. My favorite few kitchens on these pages all have solid backsplashes. I understand the hate as it would not be my choice in flavor. I've never had tile in any of my kitchens.

The big sore thumb is the cabinets. They look like builder grade even if they are not. I would sell my car and drive a pinto if I could not afford new cabinet fronts. In fact they would have come off day one. The cabinet far right front gone completely. That end run would be our coffee station being close to the table and double as DH's baking station. He is the bread baker and makes a mess. That would keep him out of the main triangle where my time is spent. Three modern industrial open shelves above that area. Lower one not as deep but could keep minor most used smalls off the countertop. Second and third open shelves start at cabinet height.

Modernist flat front cabinets can be anything from warm wood to gloss enamel. Mine are teak. No hardware. Your upper cabinets (new flat fronts) could match your paint color in an enamel. Lowers and island could be wood to ground them. Bigger island by two-3 feet towards camera. Spin the granite towards your table for seating and add very affordable butcher block for stove prep that end.

But that is just if it was my kitchen.

Changing the counters and backsplash is very expensive. I would have to take public transpo. : )

"Tear it all down" takes no imagination or creativity. I try to work with what I have and make it better without wasting money, time and aggravation. And I am no designer. I would try a light paint on the hood, what color? I have no idea. The angles and everything else make your kitchen unique and different from others.

The poster has stated she doesn’t want to rip it all out. So we are trying to be helpful...

Wow, what a diverse group of opinions! I love your ceiling and I wouldn’t touch your cabinets! I would remove the backsplash and paint the walls and ceiling a lighter color, then I would possibly replace the hood and take out the two narrow cabinets on the side of the hood. That is probably the most I would do. I think once you get rid of the backsplash and paint it lighter you will like it better. It is very nice.

To me, the triangle does nothing positive for your kitchen and it's distracting. I think, while you are in this process, it would be worth the time to get some bids and ideas for getting rid of the triangle from people who do drywall. Then you can decide whether it is worth tackling. Also, I think you could make that hood look nicer with some molding if you take out those 2 narrow cabinets. Here's our hood. We have a slanted ceiling like yours. (Pic is pre-countertop/backsplash).

Here is my thought on the ceiling, you are only going to really see the angles from the other room looking in. Once you are in the kitchen you aren’t looking up at the ceiling. Personally I like that It isn’t just like everyone else’s, but either way I don’t think it would distract from the kitchen when you are in the kitchen.

I‘m on my phone so not able to see the colors real well. I would paint and honestly you could even paint the backsplash for a quick fix. Clean, prime with Zinnser Bulls Eye 123 primer and two coats of paint. The color you pick should be pulled from the counter so it relates. Be careful of undertones when selecting paints. Your kitchen looks very brown and beige so I wouldn’t add gray unless it’s also in the hard finishes. For walls check out BM Feather Down. (Get samples of whatever you’re considering and paint two coats on poster board leaving an inch or so around the edge. )It’s lighter than Manchester Tan. It has a faint green undertone and a touch of gray but it still leans closer to the light beige end of things and will freshen and lighten things up. My house has earthy finishes and colors like BM edgecomb gray and revere pewter look wrong with the hard finishes. Or you could go with a cream. It looks like your kitchen doesn't get a lot of streaming light in there and pale colors can end up looking dingy when that happens. I'd then move to slightly darker like BM Manchester Tan.

I’d add a rug or runner somewhere and a fabric roman shade st the window. You can even make a faux one if you’re not planning on raising and lowering. Sew and line fabric (I prefer blackout liner so you can see the fabric when light‘s behind.) and if you don’t want to sew the folds and all that grab three or four tension rods, slide one through rod pocket and fold the fabric over the other rods to make the folds. Looks great. For accent colors I think brighter rust reds or blues look good with browns but overall I wouldn’t go bright and clean with the colors and would lean more muted due to the earth tones of the kitchen.

Can you take a close up photo of the floor and counter?

ETA - Creams look at:

BM Ivory White

BM Mascarpone

Bm Spanish White

SW Dover White

SW Westhighland White

Use BM Chantilly Lace or SW 7006 Extra White as your control 'white' to compare all other 'whites' (blue white, true white, off-white, cream) so you can see the undertone.

Here is a kitchen with a tile under the hood that’s different from the backsplash. Maybe something you could do to brighten the space.

I also would go with wall panels. Just started decorating my living room and I think I will add them to my kitchen as well, I saw some really nice ideas on the Pinterest. I added a picture of my living room and some ideas I saw on the internet. And the best thing that they give 10-year warranty! (at least the website I bought from)

... to consider: Griffin Enright Architects: Island counter is stainless steel, and back counter is caesarstone. Open kitchen is supported by the closed part beyond/outside the photo.

Decorative natural pewter, zinc, black iron etc. ?

LakeandMountainHome: "Have you thought about zinc which gets better as it ages? Zinc naturally oxidizes over time, cleans up easily and it will be a bit more "family friendly" in terms of maintenance." Stainless steel looks good when kept polished. If you have kids this can be a tall order.

Sage Designs: the countertop is 3'-2" x 8'-2" / a one inch overhang on three sides and 13 inches for knee space. Island itself is 2' x 8'

https://www.houzz.com/photos/ridge-road-remodel-transitional-kitchen-phvw-vp~6778720