Well, you’re probably not going to like what I have to say, but I don’t think you should paint the cabinets (and no—I’m not one of those types who thinks it’s criminal to paint cabinets). I think if you should change anything, it should be the counters, the backsplash and the floor. The dark grout lines in the floor make it very busy. That look is repeated in the backsplash. The dark counters make the kitchen look dark. Assuming you are opposed to putting in wood floors in the kitchen, I think you would be better off going with a deeper color for the floor and light counters with a light subway tile backsplash. Painted cabinets will still show the oak grain through the paint and will be harder to keep clean. You are better off embracing the wood and modernizing other elements in the kitchen. Besides, the dark lower cabinets/light upper cabinets thing has been done everywhere and will soon look dated. There is a certain classic element to natural wood.

I agree with Nelly Bluth. The Floor has to go. New lighter countertops will make the cabinets work.

Another for not painting cabinets.....especially 2-toned. I believe that is trendy and even now, rarely works except in a very large kitchen.

The floor and backsplash are what date the room the most.

What is the floor in the adjacent family room?

Unfortunately, the floors aren’t in the cards at this time. The flooring wraps around to the mud room, hallway, and entryway, which splits the living and dining rooms, which would also need redone, resulting in pretty much the whole lower level needing updated. Trust me, I dislike the floors as well, but I also don’t like the warm wood on warm wood look either.

Adjacent floor in family room is a dark laminate, which is also ultimately want to replace.

While none of these is quite like your kitchen, if you want the cabinets painted, I'd paint them white. (When you make changes in stages like this, it becomes tricky, unless you have an overall plan.

You need less choppiness. So, I would paint the family room and kitchen all the same color

Thanks so much for the advice! I also asked for an estimate on maybe Just restraining the cabinets an ashier tone, similar to our table, so maybe I can retain the wood look and still get rid of the orange. And yes, ideally, this is going to be a multi-stage process. I’m trying to choose colors that I’ll be able to align my countertop and flooring choices with when the time comes.

I agree that white cabinets might be your best bet. I would not trim off the scroll piece over the since, but remove it. Consider removing the cabinets above the peninsula to help update your kitchen.

Paint the cabinets a warm white and change out the hardware. I'd totally remove the scroll trim over the sink. I'd try to find a ready made roman shade for some color on the window over the sink. Can you remove the soffit with the can lights over the peninsula? That in itself really dates the space. Replace the central light with something more current.

Have you looked at just replacing the cabinet doors? Others on this site have used these two companies with positive results.

https://www.scherrs.com

https://www.barkerdoor.com/Default.asp

Do remove the 4 inch splash that matches the counters before adding a new backsplash. It is not really the best to put tile on top of a short splash. Painting is a way to give new life to an older kitchen, but it is often done to help the cabinets last long enough to save up for new cabinets. They will need touch ups in three or so years. Painted over previously finished cabinets do not have the durability of factory painted cabinets - and even those get chips. I don't have a problem with your painting your cabinets - I just want you to be aware it is probably not a long term solution but maybe getting another 5 to 7 years is all you want.

This is my wood kitchens idea book with both new and older refreshed kitchens just to give ideas of what could be done without painting.

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

If you do not have it, add some under cabinet lighting. It was the best thing I did:)

Consider setting aside some of the backsplash tile in reserve should you decide down the road to change out the microwave for a hood. That microwave is rather high (I would have difficulty reaching it with a heavy dish), and you have room for a countertop one over by the fridge.

You might investifgate a dark taupe/greige on the bottom with a lighter cream beige/greige on the top. Paint is the way to go!

The floor is an easy fix - you don't need to replace the tile, just recolor the grout. I did 1700 SF of tile myself - took a few weeks working evenings and weekends. You simply clean the grout (has to be scrubbed with a wire brush and special cleaners to get it ready to apply colorant. Then you paint the colorant on the grout and wipe it off the tile. I had a couple of areas in my kitchen where the color lifted after a few months - apparently didn't get all the grease up.- but I just re-did those couple of spots and it didn't lift again.

Pic from the internet.

I would bring the wall color from the adjoining room into the kitchen.

Then I would get samples of several back splash tiles - even if you are picking white there are a dozen different whites and mixing whites can create unwelcome outcomes.

The color you pick has to work with the things that are going to stay - the tile floors, the counter, the trim color. It needs to coordinate with the wall paint color and furnishings from the adjacent room and it will need to work with one of the sample tiles.

If you can gather samples of all of these things and take them outside in natural sunlight you can pick the whites that work with everything much more easily. The colors in the whites show up better in natural daylight than anywhere else.

If I were going to pick a white white I would start with the color of the trim and see if I could get a back splash that works with the same white as the trim.

If not you will need to find an off white that works with your trim, your flooring and counter top and one of your back splash tiles.

If you look at the SW fan deck you can see how the white/pastel colors go through the rainbow,, some are more blue, some more pink, some more green, some more yellow.

Get the smaller paper samples first and try to narrow down to the general families that your like with your other colors. Keep in mind that just a little bit of color in a small sample will scream out when you paint a few hundred square feet of the color. Better to stick closer to the neutrals and further from the more obvious pink, blue or yellow . . .

Painting cabinets is not a forever fix , it is only a temporary gap stop measure that only a guarantees the next owner will have to gut the kitchen. The issue is your room is DARK and it's the counters that are sucking up all the light. SS does not work with oak. Oak screams for ivory appliances!! The back splash is too busy for such a small space. Forget the subway tile and just paint. You will find a firm snap on your over hang above the sink might dispose of that scroll work--it did on ours. Once you get rid of the dark counter-tops I think the grout on the floor will not pop as it does now.

CDR - here are views of the other room/eat-in area. Sorry about The quality of the images. They were from another day.

I understand what you don’t like about your kitchen. When I first opened your picture the thing that jumped up at me were the floors. Look at what Jennifer did with the grout in the tiles. An easy, not break the bank fix. I would try that first, then step back and see what needs to be done. I would take that scroll work down too.

Several neighbors by me have painted their cabinets and all look fantastic. But, everything must be pulled together. Just painting them and leaving the floors im afraid will not make the kitchen look any better. The floors will look even worse.

The rest of the home looks so warm and inviting. Love that table set and the family room too. You’ll get there with the kitchen.

Hi. Nice space with a lot of opportunities. I like the kitchen table

Here are some recommendations in order of expense:

zero$

1) Take down the small items from the wall like the little plant and small mirror

2) Take down collage and replace with one large piece of art.

3) Remove some of the pillows from the sofa

4) Move sofa to the halfwall

5) Rearrange bookcases. Fill with all books or 2/3 books and 1/3 empty space

6) Items on top of the bookcase should be wide and short

Biggest bang for buck in room even before kitchen

1) Paint the entire space a slight off-white color, choosing a lighter greige tone from the fireplace.

2) Remove the half-wall between kitchen and family room.

3) Replace mantle with a warm wood

4) Add 2 swivel chairs in front of bookcases.

5) Hang drapes higher. Do you need them?

6) Prefer a less busy rug.

7) Get the tv wires hidden or at least add a long linear bowl to hide them.

I would spend my money on all of this before touching the kitchen. The brick on the fireplace works very well with the kitchen cabinets.

Keep in mind, doing hodge-podge things to the kitchen is sort of throwing money down the drain, Example, if you change the backsplash and later want to change the countertop, you'll have to change the backsplash again. As others have pointed out, painting the kitchen cabinets is temporary.

Amy, I’m with you, the cabinets need to be painted. The current cabinets are sucking the light right out of your kitchen. I’d pick a light grey from your countertop and go with that. One uniform, instead of two-tone, will make your kitchen look bigger. You said you were think subway for the backsplash but what about a cool patterned tile. It will be your focal point and draw attention from the floor. Good luck!

I'm going to ask you to do a bit of soul searching. You have a lot of neutrals in a small space and a lot of styles in a small space. What are your favorite colors? What is your favorite style. Do you love the dining room, the kitchen or the living room? What makes your heart sing?

If I inherited this space and furniture I would work from the dining room furniture. I think it is beautiful and unique. I would add one more color to the scheme. Maybe a dark blue with the yellows and your wicker/cane neutral.

I would look for a warm neutral that works with the wicker and table top. I would probably start with testing SW Creamy and experiment from there to find a wall color that brings the table and chairs to life, Not a perfect match, but something that complements the grayish tones without going too yellow). Once I found my color I would use it on the walls - get something a bit lighter for the cabinets and keep the trim a bright white that works with the other two whites. Layering the same hue/saturation in different sheens and lightness. Might do creamy in an eggshell on the walls and a gloss on the cabinets.

Your trim and furniture whites seem to be pretty close and look like a bright white. Shouldn't have to change those.

I would probably use the same color on my bookshelves - again in a high gloss and leave the mantle in the bright white. I often change my mind a few times as I play with colors and layering whites.

Then I would add touches of blues and yellows to all of the rooms with centerpieces, art, pillows. Add a wicker basket in the kitchen and one in the living room to hold blankets.

Tie all the rooms together with just a few colors.

No way would I spend the 7-9K to have those cabinets painted. The warm wood is the best part about the space! It would be cold and sterile without the wood. The cabinets are too nice as is. It’s the floors. Put that money into that project, and an electrician to address lighting. A different laminate countertop other than that blackstar granite with the beveled edge could also make a world of difference.

A dark kitchen with white cabinets is still dark. Only the cabinets look kinda dingy and cold instead of warm. Couple that with the floor issue, and the rest, and that’s not at all “updated”. It just accentuates how dark it is, and how old the floor tile is. Painted white is a much worse looking kitchen. What’s there is actually pretty good, if you just did new counters and floors.

SO much better with a new floor, wall paint, counters, and LIGHTING

!

I don't get it. I thought the whole reason for spending big bucks on granite and tile is that these surfaces don't need to be replaced every 15 years like a Formica top or LVP.

We have very similar kitchens! We went from orange oak to white uppers and black lowers with antique silver pulls and a white mineral flecked counter and I love it. Not too dark at all.

@Jennifer Hogan The posts on here seldom have to do with kitchens that “need” to be replaced. Most often,it’s because the owner finds the materials ugly, not because something is broken.. This happens regardless of the cost or quality. In 10 years, there will be posts of new homeowners who “need” to rip out dated grey veined quartz countertops. It’s what keeps Houzz in business.

@Amy if you are set on painting your cabinets, you would be better with an off white or taupe/gray that goes with your tile than with a “true white”. There was a post 3-5 months ago from someone with a kitchen incredibly similar to yours, same style/color floor tile except in 12”. They painted the cabinets white and it just highlightEd how awful the floors were.

Thank you all for the advice! I’m now researching and getting estimates on a countertop/backsplash/floor grout staining update, and replacing the hardware on the cabinets. Trying to maybe work with the wood than against it. I just wish it were even a shade less warm, and I’d be able to work with it better. Will keep you posted on the progress/direction.