As much as I love dark stains, painting the cabinets may be the way to go. White, Grey, Blues are what is "in" right now but they're still nice neutral colors. My issue with this kitchen is what appear to be 30" wall cabinets and larger than life ceiling height in comparison. it makes the space seem short. lighter cabinets and maybe a darker wall color will close this gap. A horizontal backsplash will also help visually make the space longer, making it appear bigger.

Here's what you could do if you changed the windows: Two Prep Zones: Both Prep Zones have direct water access Both Prep Zones have a nice expanse of workspace next to the sink Both Prep Zones are next to the range Both Prep Zones have at least 43" of prep workspace b/w the range and sink Both Prep Zones are separated from the Cleanup Sink and Dish Storage . Other notes: Wall ovens are protected from traffic and are on the end of the cabinet run with landing space next to them Tray storage (cooling racks, cookie sheets, roasting pans, muffin tins, etc.) is above the ovens. Glass/heavy Casserole dishes can be stored in the drawer beneath the ovens (that's where I store mine). Pot/Pan storage is under the cooktop. If needed, a cabinet on either side could also be used. The Refrigerator is next to the Tea/Coffee & Snack Center, which provides ample landing space for the refrigerator. It's also directly across from both Prep Zones and the Cooking Zone. The Refrigerator is also located near the Garage entrance for ease of putting groceries away. The Snack Center counters provide not just landing space for taking things out, but also a place to put grocery bags while unloading into the Refrigerator. Tea/Coffee & Snack Center is located near both the Refrigerator and Pantry where most snacks come from. It has two 18" swinging doors (swing both ways) that provide a 36-inch entry. They don't have to swing both ways, but I thought they'd be more useful. I debated pocket doors, but they take a greater effort to use and might be a problem when trying to enter the Pantry with your hands full (ingredients or grocery bags). A built-in MW drawer is in the Tea/Coffee & Snack Center next to the refrigerator and out of the way of prepping, cooking, and cleaning up. There's a large step-in pantry across from the Prep & Cooking Zones and next to the Garage entrance, which makes it easy to put groceries away. No walking across the length of the house with heavy grocery bags. The shelves are floor to ceiling on 3 sides. The long back shelves are 12" deep (the "sweet spot" for pantry shelf depth) and the shelves along the sides can be either 12" or 15" deep, your choice. They could also be 18" deep, but at that depth things begin to get lost (experience speaking...my old pantry had 18" deep shelves and things always got lost!) The Cleanup Zone and Dish Storage are next to the Dining Room -- easy access to dishes for setting the table and to counters for dirty dishes when clearing the table. Someone loading/unloading the DW will be out of the way of someone else prepping/cooking Finally, there's a shallow closet for your husband's "new" office where the door used to be. . The aisles are wide enough to accommodate a busy path b/w the Game Room/Garage/Powder Room and the rest of the house. The placement of the doorways, now, are actually beneficial. Traffic is directed away from the primary work zones: Prep, Cooking, Cleanup. Work Zones:

The community would need a lot more information from you to help much. Budget, extend of upgrades, a layout of the room and surrounding areas with measurements, those are the types of things that would be helpful. It looks like you have a tight space, so semi-custom cabinetry might not work if you wanted to replace cabinetry, and you might be limited to custom to get the sizes you needed to fit back into the space. One suggestion often given for kitchens with soffits is to remove the soffit and take new cabinets up to the ceiling. I personally wouldn't really recommend painting your existing cabinetry, but it does look like a strong case for something we'd call "refacing," where you order new doors and drawer fronts to provide a fresher look. Then the box frames are finished to match. New flooring and new lighting would probably also be up for discussion here.

I'm trying to understand this advice to drywall over brick. I imagine it happens that someone buys a home because they love a lot of things about it but they hate the brick. But I don't hear this from the home owner. She seems to be happy with it. And I don't really see in any way that brick fights with wood. Brick and wood in home design have always been a happy choice for a lot of people. People who like a more casual style, who like a country style. Who like natural materials. Yes, it is not currently the style of the day. It's not sleek and modern and white and gray. But, whether you are another home owner or a professional, when asked for advice on the forums, I think we all might remember to pay attention to what the homeowner is asking for and what they are not asking for. I think it would be unfortunate to try to make everyone's home a cookie cutter version of everyone else's home. And if someone is happy with certain elements of their home and they get all this advice about how it just doesn't work and it should be replaced, that can be deflating. And I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes. I realize professionals might think they are being asked to give their best advice, sure, but at the same time, sometimes it might be just a difference in taste and style. Sometimes people feel they have a blank slate and want all the advice and ideas they can get. It's just my observation from reading multiple threads on Houzz, that sometimes the OP expresses what they are looking for and it's not always noticed.