You could replace chain on pendants with black chain. I couldn’t do that in my mock up because too tiny. I think you can see the vision though. I think these changes would be great, not hit your budget too hard until you can figure out long term plan. If you see yourselves selling in next 3-5 years this is all I would do. No payback for big expensive redo.

I like your kitchen as it is. But if you don’t save and get the kitchen of your dreams. How much you spend depends on the quality of cabinets you get.

I would replace the flooring with something less rustic and a better color to go with the existing cabinets and paint the island.

Just got a cabinet quote for $3,000 for the island and all the cabinets. I think I’m going with this company. I’m getting paint sample colors to figure out what color to do.

First things first. What is the process? What products are proposed? Have you seen the painters' work, up close & in person?

Because 3K sounds way too cheap to expect a quality job with quality products. The last thing you want is to spend $$ to end up ruining the cabinets and being faced with replacing them 2-3 years down the road.

That Heirloom Traditions scammy stuff is a good way to end up replacing anything it touches. It is a terrible choice on multiple fronts.

Don’t mess with your cabinets! But if you hire this “guy” don’t give him much upfront money. Kiss it goodbye.

If you decide on my “minimal” approach, here is a possible color for your island from Allinonepaint. It’s called Slate Green. It’s a gray/green that would blend nicely with your current floor and peripheral cabinets. This can be a game changer for your kitchen. Many folks on Houzz have used this product with great success.

Would you please STOP recommending that scammy stuff for cabinets. It is not a cabinet paint won't wear like a cabinet paint, and completely ruins cabinets.

@Kendrah Ive had that problem too! Somtimes phone, sometimes laptop. Weird!

@Kate G Here is the best advice you will get: there is no need to rush, you already have a beautiful, functioning kitchen, so take the time necessary to make these decisions in a collected and intentional way.

No I will not, DeWayne. It’s a fine product for many applications. Isn’t not “factory” finish no doubt but a good way to get a nice change for tight budgets. Especially, if future plans are for a full demo.

Another product with great results is Benjamin Moore Advance. The one con seems to be the time involved with the curing process. So, if you are in a rush, this paint isn't for you.

https://www.theraleighpaintcontractor.com/blog/benjamin-moore-advance

Honestly, painting cabinets properly is not for the faint of heart. I don't think French Gray is going to make up for all the other things you don't like.

Painting cabinets is not easy or quick. I do a lot of projects every year but wouldn’t tackle painting cabinets at all myself!! Too much work and time.

It's a very nice kitchen. I like the changes suggested by Palimpsest. We had our cherry cabinets painted white in our last house. It took a lot of time, effort, and expense. I would be leery of a cheap painter.

I would save up for a total overhaul.

How about your choice of white paint color for walls and ceiling, and replacing the pendants Take advantage of the vaulted ceiling and add dark beams.

I'd still paint the island something other than white. This photo shows light blue and I don't think it is strong enough with the dark stain. I had good luck with this green in a client's home with dark cabs. Flora AF-470:

Use this on the island and compliment it with the art @ffpalms posted.

With a few tweaks I think the kitchen will look just fine.

Before I share what I’m about to share, let me make a few disclaimers:

I’m not a kitchen designer.

I know nothing about painting cabinets, and never want to.

I don’t know if you like black and white kitchens.

I don’t know if this idea would be cohesive with adjoining rooms we aren’t seeing.

Ok, so ….

I’ve always been really impressed with what Haneen (popular artist/blogger) did with her existing kitchen a few years ago:

She used BM Simply White and BM Tricorn Black.

You can look on her blog and Instagram for more pictures (before and after, and clearer than what’s showing here), sources for many of the items she used, etc, if interested.

When I saw your kitchen, I thought of hers, and how you already have the counters and backsplash. Of course you’d need to find the right white to go with them, I don’t know that Simply White would.

Anyway, just throwing it out there as a refresh you could try until you can do your dream kitchen. I’m sure jeers from the crowd will ensue. That’s fine. 😄

Good luck with everything!

I love the styling in this photo Jilly just posted— especially the mini lamp on the counter. These ideas would go a long way toward getting the look you like.

Ff, I have that lamp! I love it — my daughter got it for me one Christmas (from Target, Studio McGee). It has a cool dimmer. :D

I have mine on my old TV cabinet (antique Jacobean buffet):

Sorry for the hijack, Kate! Just thought it was funny I have the same one. And they’re similar to yours.

I have a smallish lamp in my kitchen, too … love it for the needed light in there and the ambience. :)

That example is black & white but what I thought I read as possible temporizing solution would be to keep the lowers in the current espresso and just paint uppers, and island. As a cost saving plus the darker lowers don’t show dings as much.

I’d remove all the top cabinets and put in a nice vent hood and move that microwave somewhere else

… sorry no need for a new vent hood . The microwave is not over the oven

Ok you all are against me painting the cabinets. What about staining them lighter? Is that an easier safer process?

@Kate G I am not. I think its a great idea! Go for it, this is your house. Create the home you long for! There is no shame in that, dont worry about our opinions. Just dont rush yourself.

Get several of those peel and stick samples and mull over ypur choices. Comparing colors is the best way to see what really works in ypur home. Look up Maria Killam, a color/paint/lighting specialist and consider buying her color wheel chart. Understanding paint colors and the chemicals in the paints will help. Dont skimp on paint, BM Regal or SW Emerald Designer are very good. Understand that if your painter uses special paint, it might not be a perfect color match. This is due to the composition of the paints.

Staining is much harder . This kitchen has a good layout and nothing that looks weird . The island , backsplash and counter are all classic . I do think the cabinets are too dark so for you painting is the best option . It’s really a matter of picking a color . Personally I’d pick something in the white range so the top row disappears more and then add personality with styling

...and painting the island a color and the perimeter in a white range would give you color without overwhelming the room. If this was me I would remove the top cabinets to the left and right of the range hood and use one of the those cabinet and replace the corner cabinet. Then I would paint the perimeter cabinets white and the island green. Most people come on here and say "i only have so much money" and their kitchen needs way more work then the budget. But your kitchen is really nice although I am not a fan of the dark stain.

Staining cabinets lighter would mean removing the current finish completely, getting down to bare wood before applying a lighter finish. It would be much harder than painting, almost impossible, probably, with these cabinets.

In your first post you specify "current" kitchen. Does this mean that you do not anticipate living in this house for more than a few years? Did you recently buy it? Did you hate the kitchen when you looked at the house?

I think you need to find some examples of open concept, vaulted kitchens with the cozy cottage British painted cabinet look. I fear that after all of this, you are still not going to achieve the cozy vibe you are going for. Because, it is not just the backsplash and cabinets that aren't doing it - I think it is the vastness of the space, and that isn't going to change.

Check out these 40 vaulted ceiling kitchens. Most have a classic and traditional vibe - not exactly what you are going for but you can see how they wanted to make the space cozier. Do any of them achieve it? I don't think so. They are expensive, complete renovations and I think still leave you with a cavernous feeling. https://www.homeawakening.com/kitchen-with-vaulted-ceiling-design-ideas/

Maybe you do just spend $1,000 on styling and realize that you chose this house for so many other great reasons and the kitchen is just never going to be what you want. Get a beautiful floor runner, put a huge vintage butcher block cutting board on you island, put a trencher bowl on your counter, hang the little painting on your back splash and put another one next to it, paint the exterior of your lights a nice color and leave the interior brass, get some stools with more texture and antique vibe. I think all of these things will bring you just as close to a cozy British vibe as painting the cabinets will.

Trenchers on Etsy

Antique Butcher Block Board

Get inspired by vintage runners

@Kendrah Such good insights.

That’s exactly it. I don’t want to spend $50,00+ on a kitchen. I’d rather have that money to donate, go on vacations with our family so that’s why our budget is so low. Not because we can’t afford it, but because there’s other things that are more important in life than getting my dream kitchen.

I’m not looking to get my dream kitchen. I know in this space that’s impossible. I’m looking to be happier in the space and enjoy what I’m using. I’m in that area 90% of the time so I just want to be more content with it.

I think taking down the existing pendant lights, we are having a carpenter make a hood vent cover to make the area less industrial feeling. I love our faucet and love the brass look so we are replacing the existing hardware with a brass lacquer handle pulls and I’m toying with the idea of taking a few upper cabinets down to put in flowing shelves to have less of that dark color up there. I just need to keep pushing ideas around until something comes up that I can be happier living with.

I also think maybe doing tongue and groove on that wall may make it more of a cottage feel (along with taking some of those cabinets down). This is the hood vent we are toying with

"But if you can not afford to spend that to make it into your dream space, and still can not be happy with a brand new non dream space, or the very minor changes that your budget can make, that is a problem."

I think @Kate G is very clearly happy with trying to make minor changes with in her budget. That is why she is posting here and open to a lot of ideas that people have posted. I love that she could afford an entire kitchen remodel yet choses to spend that money on other things, including donations. The world would be a better place if more people thought this way!

I can think of two homes where I wanted more of a vintage, British vibe in the kitchen - one a rental with ugly counters and cabinets, another a home we bought with a relatively new yet cheap kitchen. In both places strategic choices of counter stools, replacing pendent lights, adding curtains, vintage runners, and huge framed Audubon prints helped make it feel more like us.

I think you could gain a lot from looking at before and afters where small changes are made. Check out some bloggers who have done so. On Houzz there are so many massive renovations.

You really need to show rooms the kitchen is open to, to see what would be most cohesive and what would flow well. We’re all throwing darts at the board, but we don’t know context. The kitchen looks to be open to the dining area and living room? Maybe more? I’m assuming open concept, which is a bit more challenging to work with.

I posted a video walk through above of our entire space!

Here it is again 😊

Oh it looks like it won’t show up as a video. One second and I’ll share more

I’m sorry, I didn’t see the video. I still don’t! The board has been glitchy, maybe it’s not showing up for me. :)

♥️

Z

Thank you! That helps a lot … and I think your vision of a more cottage look/feel could certainly work. :)

Can’t wait to see what you decide!

Just have a care to be sure that the "cottage-y" look really connects with the entire rest of the house - both inside and outside. When one part doesn't, it can leave it all feeling vaguely "wrong".

Just found this before and after

@HU-675347288 Please stop virtue signaling. The OP is an adult in full control of her circumstances and finances. You know next to nothing about her life. She is not asking for a lesson in values clarification. If you cannot offer help, find another thread where your insights might add to the conversation. Why post such bitter comments?

Forgive me if i’m repeating someone else’s suggestion, I havent read them all. I’d paint the upper cabinets and the island, and replace those light fixtures. Part of my reaction when i look at that space is that there are heavy elements where visually lighter ones should be. I don’t know if your grey/green is the right color choice, but Google images with wood lowers and painted upper cabinets, and see what looks you like.

SW Pewter Green painted cabinets might look really nice in your kitchen. Different lighting shows the variation of the color. You could build out the hood for cohesion.

Paint the uppers and walls white to make that whole area blend more and then the varying cabinet heights won’t be so glaring. Also it will blend better with the island. If it was s $5000 just to paint that amount of cabinets, do it yourself if you can find the time.

I thought of your kitchen when I saw this post about a solution for making uneven height cabinets all the same height. I thought this was pretty clever and looks good. If you don't want to fill it with wine, you could do something else like grill work or a fill panel.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6383257/kitchen-uneven-cabinet-issue-solved

I would live with it for now and save to have the kitchen that you want

I am a fabricator so this comment could be viewed as self serving but ... you'll get by far the biggest change by replacing the counters. However, for $5k you will be limited to the less expensive material options.

We love our counters 😊

Looking at this again, the painted island is the worst offender. Would look so much better if the island matched the rest of the cabinets. Just replacing the outer skin with a stained to match new skin would be a big improvement. Either live with the white kitchen side, paint a dark color or replace the doors/ drawer fronts to match.

Paint just the wall cabinets. That will lighten it up quite a bit and maybe won't be as expensive. Change the hardware. Keep the wall heights.