There's honestly not a lot of updating that can be done with keeping so much the same. Hardware can get expensive, so if what you have is still serviceable, I'd just refresh the paint in a color to your liking.

I agree with @Aglitter. You want to update without changing anything. That will be a challenge.

• Remove wallpaper
• Paint walls and trim
• Remove the arched opening (and trim) and go for sheet rocked corners all the way up to the ceiling.
• Remove valance and replace blinds
• Add a simple, flat profile crown molding to the cabinets on the window run, in a wood tone that matches your wood, to remove that shadow above your uppers.
• Replace your pendant lights.
• Replace your main sink with a single bowl stainless.
• Get a stainless decal for your dishwasher front.
• Remove television. There’s probably one in the next room.

Is that a sink next to the range ? Is that to code ? Can you remove more of the wall between the kitchen and dining ?both comments above have good advice. I would definitely change the hardware. It will make a big difference. I live in a bayside house so blue and white feature a lot. Can you incorporate navy blue.?
Remove the window treatments, change lighting.

I'm guessing the sink is there because that island is a barrier island b/w the range and sink. Lots of exercise running around the island!

However, a useful prep sink has workspace around it -- something neither the sink nor the range have. In addition, there's little to no emergency landing space.

Personally, I'd wait and save my money until I could do a full remodel to fix the functional issues.

As previously mentioned, if you cannot change the main pieces of the Kitchen, there's probably not much you can do.

So, find a paint color and, if you really want to change the hardware and the window treatments (is there a "lake house window treatment" style?), then do that. But I wouldn't do much more or spend much money on it.

Good ideas above, but, like I said, if it were me, I'd probably just paint and wait until I could save enough to do it right (i.e., make it worth the money, time, and effort overall).

This is one of those Kitchens that is really too narrow for a decent size (depth) island and have 45" to 48" aisles all around (for working and the inevitable through-traffic) and too wide for an efficient galley. Kind of like mine! I ended up with a shallow "U" on one side that protected the Prep & Cooking Zones (and has a lot of workspace!) with the Cleanup Zone, refrigerator, and ovens along the exterior window wall opposite the base of the "U". The "U" is just deep enough for two seats on one peninsula (3 in a pinch).

We love this layout and are so glad we were talked out of an island by the good folks here!