It's quite possible that the room may play out just as well with the walls and drapes done in the Quadrille and the sofa could be in Naugahyde that matched the ground of the fabric. I have nothing against vinyl and durability is important in the room. (There will also be brown painted built ins in the room).

I guess we all tire of the finishes, etc... so seeing your window handle, what about some sheen like here? yes... might be good option for a tiny room, and narrow/tiny sconces.https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-shaker-kitchen-transitional-kitchen-manchester-phvw-vp~40851331

I’m late on this but as a person who has rented, I get what Tori is saying, and I also agree with the majority of the people on this thread. Here’s my 2 cents and I may have missed something because I didn’t read every single reply. 1) wondering if the landlord would let you paint the cabinets? 2) if that is a no, it looks like your counter tops are black, and your appliance, do the kitchen walls in a nice crisp white, maybe get a large rung that has some black and white in it and do all your kitchen decor items in black and white. Maybe a fun graphic rug, check Overstock. Do black and white wall art. Utilize those white shelves above for more decor, books etc. 3) in the bathroom, same idea but maybe have more fun and maybe do a temp wall paper that embraced the color...maybe do palm leaves. Check the Tempaper website and also Amazon and Target sell that brand, It works beautifully and no damage when it comes off. Cover the floor with a rug if you can. 4) Don’t paint the walls in the rest of the house white it makes all the wood more pronounced. Check Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, it makes the wood not so glaring. See if you can paint the chair rail and molding if possible :-). 5) Put sisal rugs everywhere you can to cover the carpet, check Overstock again. Do a beige border. 6) Get rid of those window treatments and do some nice grommet drapery from Target. Put it up as high as you can and have it just graze the floor. Don’t have it inches above the floor. I hope some of that helps since you are already moved in :-).

Hi melle. I’ve just read through your post again. The mockup by eam44 (two days ago) and note about balance sums it all up. That mockup convinced me that you can really make difference in this kitchen! I agree with you 100% on saying no to a dyi job. I would only hire a pro to remove the backsplash. I encourage you to get some quotes! I also agree with all who have recommended white paint, but I would not have a clue as to which. Seems that would be worth having a SW designer come to help you choose. This alone would make a major difference in your kitchen, and you could get blinds to match. Home Depot cuts to size for a reasonable cost. Replacing the hardware and faucet would be good idea, too. ORB comes to mind, given the color of your wood (which is beautifully warm.) Would cup pulls for your lower cabinets line up with the existing holes?