HK-san-deigo, I'll ask the electrician when he's here on Thursday whether I can put higher watt bulbs in. Kelleg, we have a great lighting store a few miles away. I'll definitely go there with a plan. It may just be a question of getting used to a yellower light as the light I had before was bright white. I guess the best thing to do is wait till the under cabinet lighting is in and work in the space for a while. Thanks.

Hard to see the countertops in your kitchen photos. Would suggest that you select a backsplash tile that will tone down the countertops. One of the better ways of doing that is to pick out a color in the granite (such as grey if it is in there) and select a tile of similar color. That should lessen the granites impact. Painting your cabinets will have a tremendous impact. Would suggest that you add glass to some of the cabinet doors. Addition of glass really gives depth to cabinets and lessens the flat facade they present. Good luck!

I think you have a lot going on here -- the varied tones in the cabinetry are strong, and the cabinets have to stay, so everything else must revolve around that: - Replacing the appliances /having them match will go a long way. Whether you go stainless steel or whatever, matching will make a difference. I put my hand over the black refrigerator, and the picture looked way better. - The window looks unfinished without a curtain, and it is an opportunity to bring in some color. Once you do this, repeat that color in floor mats and other linens. I think this will make a big difference. - The up-top portion of the cabinets looks empty. I'd like to see some baskets or some platters and bowls displayed. This'll come together. You're just not there yet.

Beth H. : thank you. He made the countertop himself out of 2 3/4" plywood and we bought formica 180fx laminate for the counters (and done the ideal edge) and used the same 180fx for the backsplash. I know alot of ppl don't like laminate, but I actually do and I do alot of food preserving and canning and the backsplash washes off so easily. With hubby doing all the work and making everything himself the total price of our whole house remodel came to $20,000. And that included, 6 new windows, 2 full baths, a kitchen, and flooring.... (during covid with prices more than double on alot of things. So we saved quite a bit! Overall, I love the way it turned out! And I'm extremely proud of my hubby!