Wow, just beautiful kitchen! If this is the kitchen, the rest of the house must be a great! Enjoy your new home.

Honestly, I think it looks perfect. I would not change a single thing.

Before you change the color of the cabinets, make your other changes. I think the white ceiling will really brighten up the place. A kitchen table in something other than brown. A rug that breaks up the brown (the previous owner's kind of blends in with the Saltillo, even though it is a different color). Do the backsplash. I'd look at Talavera tile (ceramic) rather than encaustic, at least genuine encaustic (rather than encaustic-look) because Talavera is less vulnerable to stains.

I think if you make those changes, it won't seem "too brown" anymore. If it does, you can still make changes to the cabinets.

My aunt restored an abode house in Colorado when I was in college. I traveled out there one summer and go the job of dismantling a deteriorating outbuilding to salvage the adobe bricks for the main house.

A couple Talavera sources:

https://www.mexicantiles.com/decorative-mexican-ceramic-tiles.html

https://www.lafuente.com/Tile/Talavera-Tile/Special-Designs/8086/35746/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=TIL217L&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI38fggabb6wIVciCtBh1LpQQuEAQYAiABEgJH-PD_BwE

Thank you for those ideas and sources. I did not realize that encaustic had those stain problems.

The cabinets, while different than what you see in most houses, are a feature of the kitchen and I would not paint them Adding hardware (pulls, knobs) would be a way to change them slightly. You could whitewash the ceiling planks while leaving the beams stained. It could look something like this:

This was the the original kitchen. The client asked to see some options for painting the ceiling, new counters, back splash etc. to lighten the space.

If you're interested in seeing some virtual makeovers to see what changes might look like in your space check out my web site, Creative Visual Concepts.

Jennifer, what a lovely Adobe house you have, it looks great as it is. I think I wouldn't change anything because it looks already so perfect and nice....I am sure, you have a good time in the kitchen and the house. And please don't paint the cabinets to another color....would change a lot the woodish-adobe style.

The only thing I'd do is add Talavera tile as a backsplash. That will add contrast. Plenty of blues available, both solid and patterns. I'd love to have your house! A copper sink would look fabulous!

What about light blue-green wall paint, or light green tile backsplash?

I like the idea of painting the ceiling white.

If you have enough storage, I'd take down the uppers in your pic, they just look odd to me. And for my curiosity, what is that box object thing above the fire extinguisher???

Looks like a special place.

I agree with talavera tiles if you want a backsplash. I'm a sucker for the talavera cabinet knobs in your inspiration photo too. I also wouldn't mess with the cabinets, and I think it would be a sin to mess with those lovely beams. I'd kill for those. Add contrast through rugs and furniture.

Its a beautiful kitchen. Please do not change all that much in there.

Beautiful kitchen. The drawers are particularly nicely done- look at how the wood grain runs from top to bottom.

I would not touch any wood ceiling nor cabinets. They are perfect and you floors are perfect. Congrats on your new digs.

The box object above the fire extinguisher is a hot water heater. It's definitely a very unique house.

Turquoise and coral in small touches would light up the space without adding too much to cost. A larger rug in similar colors, but make sure it is a very short pile. I have balance and tripping problems and I know I would trip over a rug with that high a pile.

I would paint the ceiling a slightly lighter version of the wall color, leaving the beams brown, and then reevaluate. You might need better lighting.