Here are examples of ones that look a little more contemporary (from Houzz). I believe both are custom wooden covers. [Contemporary Dining Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-dining-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_722~s_2103) by Norwich Architects & Building Designers Smith & Vansant Architects PC [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Commack Kitchen & Bath Designers Merri Interiors, Inc.

Not knowing the sq. footage of your space, it's hard to push you in that direction... my tile is just those three walls (can't see the the third) - as the sink is set into that space and stands alone. I think all said and done it was $400 for tile and labor - but the guy just came in to do this job. You'll be bidding out for more tile than just this.... so labor wise, it probably won't add much to your overall labor cost. I purchased at a local tile store - but was just in Lowes last night and they have some really pretty glass accents (like the one I used) -- if that's your thing. It just added a little extra interest. The wall where my towel holder is (to the left of the sink) was just full of water drip stains. You can't get them out. It was either re-paint every couple years or tile. As for your sink choice - I truly believe it comes down to the look you want to achieve. The all white cabinet, with white subway tiles and accent tiles would look pretty awesome. I can't imagine that the fiberboard is any less durable than the pine....

Those are not oak cabinets. As I started reading this thread, I was starting to compose a reply -- "Am I the only one thinking those are not oak?" but then started running into a growing number of folks saying the same thing. They have a tight grain that looks like maple or possibly cherry, but the way they appear to have taken a stain makes me thing maple. Maple has a tendency to not accept stain evenly and you have some lighter and darker areas. I suspect they are not alder because that is a softer wood and I don't see any dings. They do appear to be in good shape. I'd work with them. As said above, if you have money for granite and tile floors, you have money for paint or stain. If you are willing to take the time to learn and DIY on the cabinets, you may be able to do both. You showed us a lot of the kitchen, but not two things I'd like to see -- your lighting and the cooktop. Do you have a vent hood? Does it exhaust or recirculate the air? I'm wondering if the cabinets have years of gunk built up on them. They look not only yellowed, but possibly dirty or dry. I would give them a really good cleaning for starters. You can't paint or stain until you do that anyway. Then I'd look at the lighting -- It looks like it may be adding to the yellow cast to everything. Any chance you have an older florescent fixture in the kitchen? The wood color looks better in the breakfast nook than it does in the kitchen. Changing or improving your lighting and cleaning your cabinets could make things look a lot different and neither of those should be budget busters. I would paint the walls with some color and then step back and take a look. If you want darker hardware, I'd buy new. It doesn't have to be expensive, but painting hardware is likely to be very temporary. So far, with DIY, we're looking at a few hundred dollars. I would like to remove the soffit in the kitchen itself if possible. If not, I'd paint it or give it a deep crown treatment to carry the cabinet line to the ceiling. You could also paint the ceiling crown to match the ceiling if it will not bother you that is will then be different that the rest of the house. I would not paint the window trim -- the window itself is stained wood and matches all your other windows. Once you get to that point, I would make a decision on painting, gel staining or stipping the cabinets and refinishing. Those are all things you can DIY, but paint and stripping will be time intensive -- which is why there is a lot of cost to them, especially if they need a lot of cleaning and prep work. You don't want any painter who isn't looking at good prep work because the job will not be good or last unless they do it right.

Thanks, guys. That gives me some hope. Every time we visit the house, my wife squeals about how ugly it is, and I know she's right. I'll remove all the crap off the sides, sand it down, and paint it, and reassess at that point. It's something like 30 years old, but shows absolutely no sign of wear inside. This one was hand built and not mass-produced. It's a keeper if I can make it look just a little better. :)