Too. Much. Wood. :-) And the other issue I see is that the cabinets are surrounding appliances that are too small. The wall oven looks to be MAYBE 27", but possibly smaller. Standard sizes these days are 30", with euro-style ovens at 27". Eventually if you want to replace those appliances, you'll have to redo those cabinets anyway.

So, I'd do the bare minimum with painting only until you're able to save money for remodeling. I'd perhaps paint the island a contrast color and paint the ceiling white. Don't spend $ on countertops until you're ready to do the whole thing.

So much glorious wood!

If the layout works for you and the cabinets are in decent shape, keep them. Don't paint them. I have not done it myself but if you poke around Houzz you will see many people say it is very tough to do well.

Maybe paint the ceiling to match the walls, though.

I don't have a problem with a refresh of an older kitchen - I did that myself. My only issue is that you do not have a great layout, especially with the stovetop in the island. However, if you are happy with the layout and just want to refresh, here is my wood kitchens idea book. It has both newer and older, refreshed kitchens - you might see something that inspires:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens

If this was my kitchen, I would consider if I need all the cabinets. I might replace some with shelving - more for decor than storage and / or I might replace the center panel in some of the doors with glass to break up the wood. There is clear or decorative / frosted glass that could be used.

My first impression is the ceiling, floor and cabinets are creating a dark tunnel feel in this kitchen.

How long have you lived with the kitchen? I would be tempted to paint the uppers light turquoise with white counters and LED under cabinet lighting. Maybe remove the upper next to the oven cabinet.

Thank you all so much for your impressions and ideas! The house is an inherited family home with lots of memories and so it's difficult to be objective. Since the there's so much work to be done throughout the house, we've hoped to refresh without completely remodeling but clearly, the kitchen is challenging!

I had to laugh when the first two comments were the one-two of "Too.Much.Wood" and "So much glorious wood!" Sabrina Alfin Interiors and Isaac, thank you -- and we agree with you both! We love wood and we love the kitchen as it is because of the memories. But then we step back and think, it's a bit too much. And we agree, the ovens are too small, and the layout is funky. We'll have to put in larger ovens. We're going to have stainless appliances, maybe a farmhouse sink to help break up the wood more.

I do like the idea of removing or breaking up the cabinets with glass or maybe even removing the upper cabinets altogether... jhmarie, thank you those suggestions and for posting your idea book!

zmith, it is dark, but it looks smaller in the photos, I think. In person, it feels quite spacious and with better lighting, like you said, and pendants over the island, we're hoping it won't feel oppressive. I love the idea of color, especially a verdigris/turquoise to compliment the Saltillo tile, which we are keeping.

Beth H., you hit the nail on the head with your thoughts and the photos you shared -- they reflect the true-to-southwest style we are hoping to achieve. We've got our work cut out for us to tackle this without doing a complete kitchen remodel!

There's much food for thought in all your ideas and we're so thankful that you took the time to share them!

I love the wood!! Surely other things can be done to update and brighten this kitchen without doing away with the ceiling and cabinets. And since it’s a family home with lots of memories, I can see where you might not want to make drastic changes.

I really like the idea of replacing upper cabinet doors with glass. You could paint the interiors a really light color. Add lots of spotlighting and undercabinet lighting. (I see you have some potlights, but the light looks yellow. You need different bulbs.). For sure replace the counters with something seamless, light colored and glossy.

Are the heavy shutters needed to shut out sunshine? It’s not clear if this home is actually IN the Southwest.

Beth as usual hit the nail on the head. I love what you have but I absolutely would NOT paint the ceiling. That ceiling is special. I do like Beth's idea to darken the color though.

And I love her idea of painting the cabinets. However, in all honesty, I wouldn't do it and would instead save up to completely redo the kitchen layout to one that is more functional.

I love the homey feel of your kitchen. I would definitely change out the countertops, since those really dont go with anything in the room, and were probably not original?? I am not so sure about having stainless steel appliances in that room. I think they just wont look like they belong. I like all the wood, and would leave it, although, I just might paint the cabinets with a nice turquoise color. Its beautiful now, please dont change it so much that it is just a run of the mill kitchen like everyone else has. Your flooring is gorgeous and so just right for your style home. It is an adobe, not a ranch tract house, and it appears very well built.

Wow!! What a gorgeous kitchen (with some vision).

I would:

• Leave cabinets unpainted, as well as island
• Replace backsplash with stacked matte finish tile (check out Fireclay Tile or Cle Tile -handmade and gorgeous)
• Change countertops to poured white concrete
• Leave white walls
• Add more lighting in order to keep the ceiling unpainted

Hope this helps!

If you keep the cabinets, there are a few companies that make "short apron" farm house sinks that can be installed on a standard sink base cabinet. A "tall apron" sink will require a new sink base cabinet made especially for a farm sink or lots of work on your present base, including resizing the doors.

I have the cast iron "short apron" Kohler Whitehaven and Kohler also makes the stainless Vault in a short apron. The inside of the short apron are same as the inside of the "tall apron" version. I believe Elkay makes one of quartz and possibly some other companies do also. My Whitehaven is one of my favorite changes I made.

Short apron Whitehaven:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~110720042

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~58831076

Just playing with some ideas, but I would think about white uppers and navy lowers, keep the ceiling, and do a white marble-look quartz on the counter. It really brightens up the room. I didn't touch the backsplash (except taking that corner off) but it's one of the easiest things to change regardless.

I find that ceiling oppressive. I would paint it white. First thing to go....

Whatever you decide to do keep what you spend to a bare minimum since the design is poor and oak cabinetry is out of fashion. Painting the cabinets, getting new tops, with a bad layout and with appliance sizes that are also out of date has very limited value. So don't expect to get resale value for what you do.

It's quite a puzzle to sort out when you aren't starting from scratch! Even then, with so many choices, I'm endlessly impressed with designers, decorators or anyone who is blessed with the "vision" it takes to bring a design challenge into focus and create something beautiful. The honest opinions from your different perspectives has triggered some heated discussions in our house! Design and personal taste bring out some inner passion, LOL...

The most complicating factor, for me, is that underlying issue of a house as a commodity vs. a home and the effect that dichotomy has on our decision making. Our taste runs counter to the prevailing "resale value" taste. So, there's probably no way we are going to create a high "resale value" kitchen but we still hope to improve it.

I am absolutely in love with cletile! Glo European Windows & Doors, thank you! And I also love the poured concrete idea, or maybe a concrete-look quartz... but there's debate about that in the family, with the other thought running towards a mystery white marble look.

Replacing some of the cabinet doors with glass has gone over well so it looks like we'll be doing that for sure and maybe replacing some cabinets next to the sink with shelves... still mulling...

We'll be re-reading all these comments over and over during the next month and hope to make some decisions so that we can get started in May. We'll post our progress.

jhmarie, here's to refreshing an oak kitchen! I think yours turned out lovely! Well done.

123 Remodeling, thanks so much for taking the time to play with that photo! It's a great help to see some other colors and counter like that!

To those of you who love the wood, your comments warmed our hearts! But all the constructive feedback is not only enormously helpful, it's fun! We've enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts. What a great resource this is. Many thanks.

blowdart, I just ordered a few boxes of the Cle' tile. under the earthenware. I got the cobalt blue and Koi pond. Either of those would also work w/your kitchen.

Beth H., those are beautiful. May I ask you what countertop you think would pair well with those?

with what color cabinets? white? you could go w/a soapstone or a Negresco quartzite

, or even a quartz.

this was the other spanish style kitchen I was trying to locate. it has the white tile flooring, but I love the other black and white features and the butcher block

https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/spanish-california-home-the-kitchen

so here is one of the Cle' earthenware w/white

But, imagine these blue cabinets

(not this countertop though) and the wood island with maybe a white quartz, or a honed black

these are the colors I got. haven't decided where I"m using them yet!

and here's a soapstone with the white CleTiles

look at how nice the saltillo w/that blue looks

Justina Blakeney loves these colors and uses them in her kitchen. here is a white/white w/the green tiles from FireClay

full wall of the zellige tiles in a soft blue. looks like marble counter

reclaimed beam and black/white cement tiles give this an old spanish look

Blowdart,

I’m firmly in the camp of those who like the room - it’s a generous space, yet cozy. And It isn’t cookie cutter-like. if you can keep that feeling while replacing the elements that are played out and tweaking the layout to suit you, then you will have a really charming kitchen that works well for you. You are right in it being a puzzle to solve, but it looks like a nice, nice house and worth the challenge.

Regarding paint, I recommend that you look for Houzz articles on what paint to use with oak cabinets. A suggestion in one of them was Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream (OC-96). I have a kitchen with quarter sawn oak cabinets and also with a somewhat shadowy corner so I went with a slightly lighter tint -Sugar Cookie (OC-93) on the same sample strip. For a pale buff? beige? it has a surprising liveliness to it. i was also impressed with BMs top of the line paint grade (Aura, maybe).

The counters and backsplash are the one part of your kitchen that doesnt look like it fits in stylistically. Concrete would look gorgeous, but I’ve read articles about its lack of durability. A plain medium gray honed granite might be a possibility? Soapstone was mentioned. It is beautiful - I have it and love it too, but I think it’s a material that needs careful sourcing from a specialist and maybe also a fabricator who has had experience with it.

Beth, what Emily Henderson pulled off is really inspiring. As are the photos you posted. EH's kitchen transformation has us thinking about removing some cabinets and putting in a range, like she did, then putting a microwave and built-in coffee station where the wall ovens currently are... then using patterned tile behind the range, zellige for the backsplash or cle tile's architect's tile. In any case, it's suddenly all about tile for me.

jad2design, thank you for your thoughts about the room and paint suggestions - that's exactly what I was thinking, that the wood might benefit from a softer white/cream and I just love "gentle cream." Things are starting to come into better focus and we're finally not feeling as overwhelmed :)

RedRyder, incorporating one of cle tiles "new west" series is a strong possibility and several are a lovely dark blue on white. I'm going to be ordering lots of samples from them. Fingers crossed we pull this off! If we do, it will be because all the great ideas posted here and if we don't, it will be because we are design "challenged," LOL. We'll post our progress.

Here's some more Spanish style inspiration...