You need to think about how well your kitchen functions for you. It's a typical kitchen from the past, with few drawers, lower cabinets instead. We are also only seeing one wall. You already know you don't like the color of the cabinets. A DIY paint job is a LOT of work and if not done properly, will not wear well. Having it done professionally PROPERLY (not some painter throwing woodwork paint on it quickly), is quite costly.

Until you resolve any issues you have with the layout and the cabinets themselves, DO NOT spend money on new countertops. As others who post here have learned, it is unusual to actually be able to remove and re-use countertops (Corian is the exception here), so you would be wasting a lot of money.

Have a plan! Get some prices on re-doing the entire kitchen. See how realistic this is for you to be able to do in 3 years - even 5 years. Then make your decision about your direction.

I have experience with this. When we bought our house 35 years ago, I fully expected to gut the kitchen at that time. A bit of shopping quickly nixed that plan - could not possibly afford to do this.

So we did paint the cabinets ourselves! We used oil-based high gloss enamel, having first done some sanding and de-glossing. Fortunately, the finish on the cabinets was poor so the paint stuck very well. We did not remove the cabinet doors due to fear that the holes might get too big (I think they were masonite or some such), but we did replace all the pulls. We had a few more cabinets built to match - easy as they were almost slab doors. We moved the sink and got more counter space.. And we put in Glacier White Corian countertops.

Over the years, we replaced the flooring...twice. We finally had hardwood flooring (site-finished) installed 16 years ago. At that time, we also replaced the kitchen sink with an integrated Corian big single sink. We also got rid of the ceiling fan and put pot lights in the ceiling and also installed under cabinet lighting. The cabinets were re-painted a new color at that time (professionally this time while we were on vacation) and the wallpaper was replaced. We put tile behind the stove ourselves. And that was it until 3 years ago when I finally got my new cabinets! I was able to do this at an affordable price as I had already done the hardwood floors and all the lighting (which could be re-used), we kept the sink and faucet and all the countertops. We had to add a 5' countertop and that was easy - Glacier White Corian then was just like it was in 1985! We had replaced various appliances over the years and finally had added a wonderful stainless Vent-a-Hood - re-used that, too.

So, it CAN be done in stages if one has a plan and knows what one wants to do. After 32 years, I finally had the kitchen I wanted, and I love it!

Agree...looks like maple to me, too.

Yes, cabinets are not oak - probably maple and the good thing about that is maple paints up much better than oak. However, if you plan on painting, do that first and wait on new counters- at least a year - to see how the paint job holds up. There was a poster just the other day who painted older cabinets and did a new counter and backsplash a few years ago. Now the paint has chipped and cabinets are difficult to keep clean. The poster wants to replace cabinets, but try to save counter and backsplash - almost impossible unless she has the lower cabinets refaced rather than replaced. I have two friends that bought homes with recently painted cabinets - painted to sell the homes. Both are experiencing the same thing - chipped paint and difficult to clean. One just did a whole new kitchen in part due to the cabinets. Painting is a great way to extend the life of current cabinets while saving up or planing for a new kitchen in 5 to 10 years - depending on how long the paint last and you are willing to do touch ups.

I do think I see signs of wear. If the doors are solid wood, you can have a refinisher work on just those worn areas. My mother did that four years ago and her cabinets look great and it was not as expensive as painting - but only a few doors needed some work. If the doors are not solid wood, paint, but do something that matches what you have and start considering new cabinets.

If you stay with wood - and be sure the cabinets are in good shape, here is my wood kitchens idea book. It has both new and older, refreshed kitchens and might give you some ideas:

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

This one is mine:

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

So much good advice here already. Thank you! I think i just assumes they were oak base son what I was told . They do seem to be more maple , now that I have seen pictures of maple. And thoigh They have some places that are knicked ,scratched, and falling off, I am not sure if we could afford replacing them right now. since it is the counter top that bothers me the most, I thought what would be first. Do you think painting these cabinets first would be best? I love the idea of having white cabinets and wood-looking floor. I’m jus stuck on what colors would look best here with the counter top and maybe the floor (if cabinet color doesn’t change ). Thanks so much.

Hello serendipityajl, we recommend taking a look at our Swanbridge and Ella designs. Each pairs beautifully with wood cabinets. Hope this helps!

What about Cambria New Quay (a warm-ish gray)... not sure if it will look much grayer next to your very warm cabinets. New Haven, Buckingham, Windemere, or Crowndale might work also

The best match would be Cambria Buckingham or if you would like to see options and make your own decision use app: https://www.cambriausa.com/cambria-ar/

Thank you All! I’m trying to get away from busy and super warm colors/patterns , but I’m also worried about choosing something with the right tones( I know warm tones probably need to be in the counter top somehow , but I’m not a fan of reds or oranges or golds unless it’s a super subtle brown/gold/copper) . I like Simple , subtle, or light and neutral patterns and colors .

Don't paint the maple cabinets. I would use a solid, warm white quartz on the countertop, and then a very light grayish green on your walls. It would all work well with your current floors and cabinets. This photo shows the colors - light green with the wood tones and white.

Queen Anne Kitchen · More Info

I agree a solid white quartz counter. Flooring could then compliment cabinets, which are very attractiveonce you change countertop.

I have a question for you guys. Is it too outdated to have a cointibayoon do the quartz for the badksplash(only the 4inches) without having to add any other back splash? I worry about making my kitchen Look too busy and having a hard time matching colors , so i was hoping to just install a quartz counter top with that extra 4 inch lip without doing any other backsplash . That is assuming my counter top isn’t too bland . Also, can I get away with a gray? What about the Silestone calacatta gold ? Are the speckled quartz outdated ? Thanks! My floor has to be changed because it’s got a lot of holes and pkaces that are showing the underneath black rubber. it also has stains . My dream is to have white cabinets , a Taupe counter top(warmer gray like), and wood floors . If calacatta gold form Silestone , Bianco drift from Caesarstone , cambria Torquay , or viatera “sol” would work with white or warm cabinets , I’d pick one of those maybe. It’s a small kitchen, and I don’t have a huge budget .. but I do want to make a big enough change beginning with the counter tops that were never sealed properly, flooring, (and our back wall behind the sink that needs to be replaced ) . Thanks, again. I like honesty .

If you already have wood flooring around the rest of your home, make sure if you choose wood for this space to get something that matches. You could stain it all darker if you like. We had Brazilian cherry flooring and successfully stained ours a nice dark color. For quartz, I chose a mid-tone WARM grey with no veining or speckles to be able to dress it up or down. I was wary of the marble look since that is a fading trend. I will say a more solid COLOR is harder to keep looking neat and clean. You might be better off with a nice creamy white tone. Then once you change your wall color, revisit the best flooring option. I would not paint those cabinets - refinish as someone suggested. I do agree with first poster though that if this is just a stopgap measure until you can modify layout, etc, I would wait. Some of the formica these days really looks great for a temp option.

It is perfectly fine to do just a 4" backsplash of the same countertop material. I've seen new kitchens in new builds that do that - so not dated.

I am not quite agreed with you - 4 inches granite backsplash is actually outdated ! not look good as well. You can get mosaic or glass tile and bring another detail to you countertop - but if you have to somehow stick with countertop at least ask your fabricator to make 3/4 inch tick backsplash - it may look little better at least !

I've heard different from some of the other pros - but - the small busy glass tile mosaics (which are all over the home center stores) are said to be outdated by all the regular pros here. (I am not referring to glass subway tile, but the little multicolored rectangle.) Glass subway tile may look too modern against the older cabinets.