(Not a pro) The whole space does feel very brown, maybe because the lighting doesn't capture it well on my monitor. The last time I painted window trim it was quite involved, and you need to decide if you're keeping the stiles and muntins wood or paint them. I'd be tempted to wait on those (especially if all the other windows in your house are the same wood) and start with the walls in a much lighter shade (not a little lighter.) Then consider painting the hutch in your darker olive color for a nice contrast from all the wood. Put a nice cloth on the table, change out the light, and take down the valances to see what you think. Still too woody? Maybe paint the chairs?

ETA: I'd prefer hardware on the cabinets if it were my kitchen. I would probably do something like a brushed nickel to coordinate with your faucet. It doesn't have to match your faucet, but it seems like you have enough dark already. You could always get some sample pulls in different finishes and see what you think.

I like the trim - it matches well with the other woodwork. i’d change out the paint/wallpaper and get rid of the window treatments first.

I like the wood. Removing the chair rail makes sense for an update, but I'd leave the wood alone.

I like your space, and I think you're on the right track with your plan to remove the chair rail and wallpaper, and go with a light colored paint! I would not paint the wood trim or the doors - they look nice and blend well with the kitchen. If you are open to removing the window valances, maybe modernize there a bit? A rug under the table, and maybe a light colored table covering would help lighten the room.

All the other woodwork in our house is white which is why I was considering painting the woodwork white. But I think you are all right I should probably keep it wood. Do you think a lightr green would be best for the walls or maybe something totally different. ? The consensus seems to be to get rid of the valences and I agree. Do you think I should just leave the windows bare or a differnet kind of window covering? We were going to put blinds on the larger casement window because the sun really shines in there in the morning after we had a tree taken down. The problem is I don't know what color. I didn't want anymore wood in there but I thought white might be too stark which kind of precipitated the discussion about painting the window trim white.

The first thing I noticed was the valances, and the wallpaper on the wainscotting. I would remove the wallpaper, and the wainscotting molding, and those valances. I would paint it a whole lot lighter color than what it is. Maybe a nice area rug under the table. I would not paint any of the pantry doors, or trim. The hutch would be an option to paint, if you decide you really need to paint something else. Yes, to hardware on the cabinets, and make sure the knobs on the pantry doors matches your new hardware.

When my in-laws built their home in 1999 they went all honey oak--because they loved it. They died and this is what the next home owner did to the cabinetry. In-laws had white appliances. The back spash and flooring are new too. I think it looks horrid--but to each their own. Oak does not paint nicely IMPO. This I suppose is more of a white wash? Still the wood grain will come through and it is not what I would want in a white kitchen.