The thing about using just a colored island is that island can be repainted later. If you want to go spring lilac or sunshine yellow or red lipstick, it's not nearly as much work, and it still makes a huge instant change. It's like having a nice white summer dress that you can dress up with whatever color cotton cardigan that you feel in the mood for by just digging it out of the closet. Add in different knobs and pulls (be sure to use a standard size like 3") and a new wall color, and those small changes give a completely different look to that basic white. So when styles change, you have the ability to change a bit with them without ripping out everything. That's the beauty of paint! And butcher block will never be out of style, because it's a functional choice. If the kitchen has super model bones as in the best most functional layout, whatever clothes it puts on will look fabulous, no matter what style those clothes might be.

I suggest you post this on the Home Decorating forum. You will get alot more feedback than you'll get here. A colonial is not a craftsman. A bungalow is a 1 or 1 1/2 story house - not a 2 story. Craftsman homes don't have attached garages. There will be lots you can do to update this house. However, don't force it into something it's not. And don't be married to the trendy non-colors that some say are popular today ie greige. Colors of nature are always best for homes in wooded settings. head on over to Home Decorating:)

Yeah, I'm also worried you might be looking at lights that are too small. What's there now is definitely too small! When you look for new outdoor lights, choose fixtures that are a quarter to one-third the garage door's height. They may look a little large when you're close up, but remember these lights need to be seen from far away too. (Advice comes from our light sizing guide.) If you'd like to look at some lighting recommendations once you've determined a good size range for your lanterns, let me know!

@Beverly i will post more pictures later that are close up and a little clearer. the bones of the house have a french-mediterranean vibe more than any other style i have seen. there are several arches and french-style accents that i will try to capture for you. the house (before the garage addition) looked very similar to your second pic, it had a flat roof/patio like that, but i had to take it down and rebuild that part, unfortunately. thank you for posting pics, i like the look of the last one.