Before making the significant investment of painting cabinets would: 1. change backsplash with single color tile (white or beige color from countertop), 2. paint walls (like white with dark cabinets), 3. upgrade pendant light, and 4. maybe replace cabinet hardware.

Then live with space for year to determine if layout and cabinetry could be improved.

Painting cabinets is a big project and the result isn't as durable as the factory finish.

I'm with Flopsycat that the backsplash is the most glaring problem in the kitchen (linear mosaic was not a good trend). Because the floor and cabinet color are so close, I might also put down a runner or runners to break up the brown.

I agree^^^^.

2017 and no base drawers? do you have some chrome pullouts behind those cabinets ?? I would certainly spend and get those in .....get the cabs up to date for functioning. Hope they dont have that half shelf in the lowers. I think a good solution for this type of set up is replace a couple wall doors with glass...frosted..seeded or the like.. Should be pretty easy. If the counters were white I could like the backsplash. If you have sufficient budget pulling the counters and splash and go light/white or a different granite with white splash. But with existing granite i guess it would be white subway tile. Maybe its the aqua ..I dont mind the splash so much...is the counter along w splash more the issue??? Have you thought of white ceramic countertop accesories........canisters...crocks/etc....Deal with splash as a backdrop in other words. I'd really do the glass doors in a couple spots.

Do you guys think that if I change the backsplash with white subway tiles and paint the cabinets white, will it look good?

If not, then my option would be taking everything down and have a white kitchen (cabinets, backsplash, and countertop) with maybe black or brass hardware. If I do this, then I would have to paint my walls white too all over the house.

White subway tiles?? White cabs?

This is bascially what it will look like w/your brown granite. I think there are better options.

Do you like your countertop? I can't really see what it is. Is it a granite or a quartz material?

In any case, you have way too much brown happening all around that room.

If it was my kitchen I'd change out the counters, backsplash and then see if the cabs should be painted. Are they good quality cabinets? good wood and not fiberboard w/plastic hardware hinges?

Getting a pro job to paint those cabinets is not cheap. you're looking at 5-8K for a really good job. (that means removal of all the doors/drawers, taken back to the shop for sanding, priming and spraying. spraying the boxes on site after sanding/priming.

If they are on the cheaper side but the boxes are good, think about refacing.

I have custom cabinets but after 14 years I decided to paint them.

You should also convert some of those lowers into drawers. drawers are so much better for storage.

The kitchen company I used had all 5Star ratings on Yelp. They also had a carpenter that was able to modify my cabinets.

see the open shelves on the island? originally I wanted to put my micro here, but ended up moving it under my wall oven. Their guys built me two large drawers to go in the island, and modified the spot under my wall oven to accomdate a new built in microwave. they also built the vent hood. I had all of the dated fluted trim and corbels removed. new doors put on the desk area

II decided to go w/all new doors/drawers since it was only 2K more. the old ones had slab fronts for all of the top drawers and I wanted them all to match.

For your island I would remove that wood support thing, get a new countertop for the island and have them do proper supports for the overhang.

I would also have them build on boxes so you can take your cabs up to the ceiling.

Or, just fill in the gap like this, and paint to match:

Or they could get you taller doors. (if those are 36" you could do 42" and nice crown molding)

add on boxes left open:

If you took them up to the ceiling, they'd look like the 2nd pic, but w/crown.

you could also do a nice butcher block for the island if you like. and the two tone white/blue is nice

I also think if you reface, have them give you longer doors. These were the wrong ones they did on mine. see the bottom how there is a 2" reveal of the frame? my old ones weren't like that.

Yours are the same way. If you get them refaced, go for the full cover

Like this. see the diff w/the doors and how they almost cover the bottom frame? it looks better.

You also have plenty of upper cabinet space. get a diff micro (built in. mine is the GE Profile 1.5) and have it fitted in one of your uppers or lowers. Get a decent vent hood w/a good fan. So much better looking and works better too.

Paint your ceilings a bright white (they seem to be off white now). Hold off on wall paint and backsplash until you've picked the other items.

If you need help w/cabinet paint colors, let me know, I have a lot of pics of colors. (mine is a shade whiter than BM Simply White. )

if you're keeping that granite (or whatever it is), any of these should work with it

Since you currently have a busy backsplash, we might recommend changing that out first for a simpler tile. Blue tones go well with brown, so perhaps look at a light blue tile that would work well with your current countertop. Then you could update the pendant lights and cabinet hardware.

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Is it possible to change the granite countertops without damaging the cabinets and the appliances?

What about just painting the upper cabinets? A nice warm white and do a warm white backsplash?? Something like this? although your bases will be darker...

I would not paint the cabinets - it's a difficult job to do correctly, without future bleedthrough and chips, and you have a lot of cabinets. Also, picking the correct white color is very difficult.

"If not, then my option would be taking everything down and have a white kitchen (cabinets, backsplash, and countertop)"

It doesn't seem like you are hearing the several suggestions not to paint the cabinets, but to first and foremost change your backsplash? That would give you the biggest visual improvement. I'd also change the ceiling color as @flopsycat1 mentioned. Your ceiling color is dulling everything down. Try Benjamin Moore Cloud White in the flat finish for your ceiling.

I’m actually going to paint my walls first. I’m obviously trying upgrade slowly (because financial/pandemic). But before I move on, I want to finalize how I’m going to upgrade everything so I have a better picture.

For the kitchen, I believe I have decided that everything will be changed (cabinets, backsplash, countertop). Just need to do more research on the type/style/functionality. And also I’m not sure if I should reuse my appliances? (They’re still in good condition.

For the walls (which I’m planning to do first), I’m still doing research on which type of white I should use because my floors are dark walnut brown color. I’ve been watching YouTube and I’m liking the color Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore but I’m open to more suggestions. :-)

If you are changing the entire kitchen, post your layout on here for feedback before you plunk down dollars on cabinetry which may not have an optimal layout.

From just your one photo, in a renovation the major thing I would do is to choose frameless cabinetry rather than the partial overlay framed cabinets that you have now. Frameless cabinets are a more current look, and the interiors give more storage too. I'd also have a hood rather than an OTR MW. The base cabinets should be mostly drawers, not the cabinets you have now. I am not sure your ceiling height - if it is 8', take the cabinets to the ceiling for sure. If the ceiling is 9', it would still be nice to have the cabinets meet the ceiling, but may be expensive to do so, so that depends.

Frameless cabinets

Frameless cabinets

Partial overlay (framed) cabinets

Partial overlay (framed) cabinets

Are you planning on updating the backsplash as well? If you paint the cabinets you might need to do a cream color or grey/blue color so that it goes with your countertops and then the backsplash could also be a cream color.

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Painting the walls first, before figuring out what you want for cabs/countertop, is a mistake. It's much easier to match paint to your countertop choice than vice versa.

do you plan on painting cabs or refacing or getting all new? (in either case, take them up to the ceiling)

If all you want is white walls, then pick a good neutral white. Simply White is one. (Chantilly Lace is a cooler white) I did simply White in my room and it's a nice white. not yellow, not too bright.

It's best to bring home a few samples (or samplize) and try them out in your space

Yes you can keep appliances if they're good.

I would recommend that if you know you are going to change the countertop first, to figure out what you want there. You can go with the regular factory made quartz or you can pick something with more character. We ended up going to a showroom and feel in love with a blue/grey/cream quartzite (not much more expensive than quartz) and that has helped us determine what color cabinets, backsplash and wall color we want. There's no limit to cabinet colors or tiles but countertop options are more limited, in my opinion. You don't have to change the countertop first but just know what you like is my advice.