Ceiling and walls are all gray? I would paint the ceiling white and add under-cabinet lighting. Then choose an airy color for your walls, such as pale turquoise. I agree that your cabinets and pendant lights are lovely as is. Later on you could remove the 4" backsplash that matches your countertops and install a backsplash that goes all the way up to the upper cabinets; glass tile in a light color and a stacked pattern would help to bounce the light around. Your countertop decor should be light, graceful, and minimal; the arrangement next to the refrigerator is too heavy looking. But your kitchen is beautiful already, looks like a great place to hide out during a long Alaskan winter!

New countertop is not budget friendly at all. Your kitchen looks good to me.

Love your kitchen as is - maybe see if you can have someone extend the cabinets up (just some basic fill to match) to make more updated - maybe switch out the pendants ?

Backsplash, freshen up the paint, and perhaps a rug, either for the whole space or in front of the sink. If you paint, the bulkhead that hides the beam/ductwork should be the same color as the ceiling.

I like your kitchen. Maybe adding undercabinet lights as suggested will help brighten it, but it looks nice.

Small changes are your friend here. I would paint the end of the peninsula the same color as the back and consider new hardware. Try some our to see what you like. I think leather pulls would be a good look. Mixing metals is super trendy now, so a different faucet or pendants could be a relatively inexpensive change.

Get rid of the pandemic grey paint and you will be good. Add a few decorative items for color or even a new temporary, colorful, stick on wallpaper as a backsplash.

That's a lovely kitchen. I wish i had it!

I like the lighter colored ceiling idea (Ex. A white) and undercounter lighting. I get the wanting lighter thing as I used to live in the Pacific Northwest. Too much grey outside already for too much for the year!

Agree the walls being gray isn’t helping. I would find a happy (maybe lightly patterned) backsplash. Remove the 4” one and start looking for one that has a little color. Your kitchen IS light and airy but needs a little help. I would not change the countertop - I think it’s great.

Just some quick ideas for you:

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Thanks for everyone’s advice!

The picture I posted looks bright, but the photographer made changes with the picture’s brightness. The kitchen is fairly dark during the day because the closest windows are facing north - which means the kitchen will be really dark during the winter!

The countertops are made out of laminate. The walls of the entire house are painted light gray. Currently, my furniture are in the shades of light to dark gray, and I just don’t want the space to look darker and closed off.

All tjhe wall color in the world will not fix a dark space You need better lighting and that is where you start . Change all the bulbs you have to LED 4000K then see how the space looks at night. If you need more light then get some added potlightds add some under cabinet lighting and maybe new pendants. IMO the kitchen looks nice and having cabinets painted properly is a huge expense and so is changing counters. I agree in places where daylight is at a premium in the winter do not do gray walls . I would be careful about adding a lot of pattern in a backspalsh but a nice glass subway tile might work if you remove that 4" piece first.

If your kitchen is dark, you need better lighting as per Patricia.

Patricia is absolutely correct. Upgrade your lighting and then reassess the kitchen. And it IS possible to paint the kitchen area a lighter color without having to paint the whole house. We have an open concept and my kitchen is a pale, pale gray-green. The rest of the house is antique white. If it’s subtle lighter version of your paint (I.e.go up the paint strip) it will help lighten the kitchen. I would not paint those cabinets. They look great. If the countertops bother you, scour the stone yards for remnants. Your kitchen is small enough that you might luck out with something great but not expensive.

I agree with those that are saying that if the kitchen is dark, you need better lighting. They kitchen, IMHO, is quite lovely! There really is nothing that needs to be changed and especially if you are on a budget, except for better lighting that is. Looking at the photo, it appears there isn't a whole lot of lights, just a couple of pot lights? Adding a couple more would help brighten things up for sure and really needs to be added even if you end up changing other things.

Looking at it some more, perhaps some under the cabinet lights would be the answer!

Do you have a budget planned? You know you need more good lighting….very important, especially in Alaska. Improving the lighting by adding a second circuit (more lighting operated by an additional switch or two) would give you more general lighting and maybe some under-cabinet lighting. Once your kitchen is brighter, you can paint the cabinets (or not). If you plan to change the counters and backsplash, start saving…solid surface isn’t inexpensive and you may need two slabs, plus cutting and installation. Then select an accent color. I like having runner rugs in the kitchen and patterned rugs would give you several colors to choose from for towels, potholders, canisters, a ceramic vase to hold large utensils, placemats for the family dining area, and some art.

I’d say just do the lighting, and paint the walls. I love the rest of the kitchen. Changing the lighting and walls will help brighten it up. I wouldn’t paint the cabinets though. Right now they are no maintenance, and lovely in this kitchen. Paint chips.

I think the cabinets and countertops look nice, but not the gray walls and ceiling. Lighten up with paint, rug, and a backsplash.

There is also a trick of placing a large mirror near a window to help bounce natural light around. May/may not be helpful for the kitchen but may be helpful elsewhere.

Some back splash options that would help

White Gray Glass Metal Marble Mosaic Backsplash Tile, 12"x12" · More Info

White Gray Metal Glass Mosaic Kitchen Backsplash Tile, 12"x12" · More Info

White Marble Glass Kitchen Backsplash Tile, 12"x12" · More Info

12"x12" Glazed Ceramic Fan Mosaic Tile, White · More Info

Metro Cubes 3 in x 6 in Textured Glass Subway Tile in Glossy Snow White · More Info

Metro 3 in x 12 in Glass Subway Tile in Glossy Snow White · More Info

A couple more

12 in x 24 in Beveled Glass Mirror Large Format Subway Tile in Glossy Silver · More Info

Elegant Modern White Glass Backsplash Tile, 12"x12" · More Info

I rather like the kitchen as is except for the flooring. And, it's not that I don't like the flooring - it's just too similar to your cabinetry and doesn't provide much contrast. You could paint the lower cabinets and leave the upper cabinets wood tone. If you did, I might suggest painting the lower cabinets a darker color. You can always get several scrap pieces of plywood, paint them colors you might like and stand them in place against the cabinetry to see which color is most appealing. Good luck!

Thank you once again! I plan on painting the entire interior walls with white since the house needs a fresh coat of paint.

Then, add white subway tiles for the kitchen backsplash, and add lights underneath the cabinets and install recessed lights to the adjacent room (dining and living).

I agree that the lower cabinets and the flooring have similar colors. That’s why I thought about painting the cabinets as well. I’ll try with a runner first and see how that goes!

Be sure to remove the short back splash before tiling!

There are many shades of white. Try painting a piece of drywall and move it to various rooms
at various times of day before you pick the exact shade of white you want.

Interesting video about the various types of white paint. https://youtu.be/NtG4-ODn6PI

Get a lot of poster board. Paint different pieces different whites (and label them). Hang them all over the area to see how it changes during the course of the day. Make sure to make large samples. White is probably the trickiest color of all.

Is it correct that you are in total darkness for days on end, or for most of the day for days on end up there in Alaska?

If so, grey is not at all a paint color I would choose, and I would definitely go with white walls and ceiling.

I also know that materials cost way more in Alaska, so I would skip the backsplash altogether. You don't really need one, as your sink is on the island, and your stove has a high back. If your cooking still splashes the wall behind the stove, I would just get a piece of stainless steel and affix it to the wall behind the stove.

If after painting the kitchen your desired white color it still seems dark to you, I would smp up the lighting.

You can do it expensively or inexpensively.

You can add fixtures from the ceiling. (I can't tell if you have any now.)

And or you can add under-cabinet lights.

Have you tried some white paint samples yet?