IMO- While I agree with 82mainstreet about painting cabinets white and not expresso, I also believe you won't be happy unless the color combo pleases you. - First, what do you want to accomplish? Are you intending to live in the home for a long time? Or are you painting for resale? - If you are painting for resale, then classic white for your cabinets is your best choice. It has wider appeal. A future owner will find it easier to change the wall color than the cabinets. - If you are planning to stay in the house, you can be more personal in your color choices. - But be wary of fads, especially when painting cabinets. It is much easier to paint walls. From your photo, it looks like your cabinets are nicely finished wood. Personally, I wouldn't change that unless they are damaged. I would just update the wall color, but that is just my opinion. If you do paint the cabinets, don't be swayed by fad colors. I would still recommend white or maybe a pale cream. That way, if you get tired of your color combo in the future, you only have to change the walls to update the room. - Unless you are changing your appliances and flooring, very dark cabinets will probably make your kitchen feel overwhelmingly dark and warm. - Consider your lighting and how you want your kitchen to feel. Does your kitchen feel too warm or too cool when your work in it? - White will give your room a light and airy feel especially if paired with cool blues and greens. If that seems to make the room feel too cold, white or cream can be warmed up with a bright wall color like apricot, lime green or turquoise. Try looking through magazines for color combos you like...or look inside your own closet for colors that make you feel good.

I could be wrong, but I don't think those brackets are supporting the shelves. With no bracket in the corner, I don't believe that you can build structurally sound shelves this way. I think they are floating shelves with decorative brackets. I could be wrong. Maybe someone with actual carpentry skills can weigh in, both on how the shelves in the picture were hung and whether you can make floating shelves strong enough. I googled "floating shelve strength" and turned up a lot of stuff. Here is one link: Here is a link that might be useful: Floating shelves DIY

You know it was my father (a minister - a real one, not the loony falwell/Robertson nut job kind) who once told me, when a family friend had come down with cancer for the fourth time and I asked my father if Mr. So-and-so was going to be okay, "If you're asking me is he going to live, the answer is no. But if you're really asking me if he's going to be okay, the answer is yes." That was when I was in my late teens, so a long time ago, and I've never forgotten it.

HI -- You say your getting new cabinets but not making any changes with the layout . I am sorry but that does not make any sense and sounds like a waste of money . I would get rid of the angled section and just have the cabinets in a line . And the stove needs to be moved over to make room on each side for work space . You could have a see trough glass cabinet at the end of the new peninsula If you run base cabinets in a straight line then not having the angled upper cabinets there , then you will have room for some feature pendent lights. Perhaps getting a kitchen designer will help you so your not making huge expensive mistakes .