not an improvement. leave well enough alone. what youve done actually makes the oak grain brown look good. Id go for a new window treatment. how about some stools ? the island is just big enough to handle a pendant or 2 small ones...have you thought about an updated lighting plan ?

Yes I plan on having two pendants and new shade as well- i figured I figure out the cabinets and then based off of that find some pendants and shade

Shiny sparkly knobs and pulls will brighten it up.

I think it looks pretty good now. So no to paint. Get a roman shade in a pretty fabric for some color. and follow suggestions already made.

No to painting the cabinets. Yes to painting the island the color of the walls/floor tile. Yes, to changing the hardware to brushed stainless.

If you haven’t done a thorough cleaning of the wood, do that and enjoy your kitchen.

Island and cabinets look great as they are with your nice new counters and splash. Painting is going to look like a bad DIY job, no matter how well it is done, because of the grain showing through. It is going to come together very nicely with your new stools and window treatment. I like your back hardware. It is subdue and doesn't draw any more attention to the cabinets.

I wouldnt paint either the cabinets or the island. Get your color from accessories and art work. It looks very nice, just the way it is. I agree, you need a new window treatment.

Wood cabinets are back in style. do not paint. in my opinion the painting of islands in different colors has been overdone and looks passe and a bit cheap.

I would clean the cabinets, touch up any nicks (brown stain pen), then treat them. If the wood will absorb it, I’d apply an oil - just looking around here, I have mineral oil, Orange Oil, Howards’ Feed N Wax that would work. After the wood treated, I’d apply and buff a paste wax. Tighten any loose hinge screws, new hardware, shelf liners. I think your cabinets will look great. Those are perfect cabinets for your MCM-ish look.

To be honest, the image simulating a dark blue/black stain is kind of cool. To me. But not MCM and I think you might regret it after awhile.

Sorry I am trying to figure out why new counters on horribly dated cabinets and a floor that does not work ??? Now I think just do as John suggested with the cabinets and maybe new hardware

I’d paint the uppers the same color as the wall. Leave the lowers as wood

The floors are the disconnect. They do not work with the backsplash nor counters.

Hi, I really like the color you picked for the cabinetry, especially for how it looks on the hood!
But I agree with all the ones that already expressed appreciation for the original wooden grain - painting it would not look as great as suggested by the picture.
Also it would still leave the kitchen quite dark.
Therefore I would definitely add at least one nice large pendant on the island to bring light to the working area - as the ceiling is pretty high.
Also add some undercabinet LED strip lights.
If you want to keep the MCM feeling, that would be it. If you’d be open to twist a little bit the style I would color the grout line of the backsplash with a bright (almost fluo) red/ orange, to spice it up - and change all the knobs and faucets with golden items.
Finally if floor wouldn’t be so hard to change at this point, I’d replace it with a warm, natural, honey tone of wood.
Hope this helps!

I hate the floors….but I was wondering if painting the cabinets would minimize the floors - it’s a lot of tile to replace

No, painting the cabs won’t fix the floors you hate.

I also agree the floors don’t work with the new counter and backsplash which was why I was suggesting that the uppers are painted to match the walls (which do coordinate with the floors)….At least there would be some tie in with the floors that way.

No! But that’s a very interesting idea! I have thought about leveling the tile and putting something over it though…

As suggested, changing the cabinet hardware to brushed nickel will look much better with the appliances.

Add a colorful rug, window treatment and brighten up hardware and pendants.

As others have noted, it's the floor you need to change. The disconnect from the warm, Tuscan tiles to the bright white subway and countertop is impossible to overcome. Don't blame the cupboards.

Paint the cabinets a nice white shade, or a pastel of your choice like very light yellow, green, or blue or even a very light pink - definitely not a dark color like USED TO BE trendy when people had gone crazy. Glad you got white countertops instead of the ugly dark that some people get. The floors are a bigger issue - hard ceramic tile should never be anywhere inside any house - hard on the legs and zero change of dropped glass surviving. If you drop a glass item on wood or linoleum, it has a 50/50 chance or more of surviving. Tile is difficult to remove, but worth doing without a doubt. The cabinets are cheap looking in that they do not go all the way to the ceiling - painting will help a lot.

LOVE the blue in the pics!!! Silver knobs/handles would like awesome with that. However, the floor needs updating. However if money is prohibitive then imo the blue cabinets would be a good choice. I would be nervous though that I would still hate the floor even afterwards.

So unfortunately this tile is not only in the kitchen but also the hallway and bathrooms - here’s a blue vanity we have against the same tile. I would probably do a different shade of blue but the tile doesn’t look quite as horrible here to me as in the kitchen. But clearly what do I know…

The wood cabinets go with your floor, but the counter and backsplash do not relate to the floor at all. i think your only options are to redo the floor or change countertop and splash.

It'll be fine with some tweaks that don't involve painting the cabinets, which would be expensive. The high contrast white backsplash and countertops with the golden floors weren't the best choice, but you can make some adjustments. Here are my suggestions, some of which others made:

Here's a photo of a master class in a kitchen with same palette as yours. You need to start with the main "given," your floors. This is true for anyone moving into a place or already living there when you really aren't going to change the "givens" anytime soon even if you don't like them. That means choosing paint colors, metal finishes, and furnishings that harmonize with the givens.

--Note the light grout of the subway tile in the photo below, something you should do. That won't cost a fortune.

--Golden wall paint echoes the flooring. Get a paint strip that matches the floor color and go many shades lighter for your wall paint, which shouldn't be stark white but echo the floors.

--Note the undercabinet lighting and the uncluttered countertops with some attractive useful items like cutting board, fruit bowls. These make for a warm vibe even with very dark cabinets. (I have to confess, the glass front cabinet doors with attractive white dishes open up the dark cabinets--maybe something to save up for?) Get a really beautiful wood tray or cutting board or fruit bowl for island.

You have a deep wide sink. Put a dish drainer inside one side and dry things inside the sink, not on the countertops. Get stick-on rods for inside of lower cabinets for your dishtowels Get all plastic dishware, "stuff" off the countertops. On your countertop just keep attractive holder for cooking utensils and small appliances you use every day.

Traditional Kitchen & Bathroom - Kitchen · More Info

--Get roman shades with white and golden pattern with a spec of dark brown.

So get a handy person to regrout your subway tile in a very light ivory/white. Then do the "best of" fairly easy fixes people have suggested.

@Carrie Leitner, How long do you plan to live here? If 10 years or less, clean, service, and maintain everything, fix anything broken or absolutely hideous (the floor is not that bad), and focus on removeable items for personalization.

You’ve got tile floors in your kitchen. Your body will thank you for buying GelPro mats to stand on. They are expensive, but they cover the tile a bit, are great to stand on, easy to clean, range from cute to beautiful, and if you move out in 10 years you can take them with you.

If you think you will stay 10 years or longer, start collecting inspiration images of kitchens you like, live in the space and take note of things that work well and things you don’t like (no drawers). Think about budgets, layouts, and start developing a plan for doing the right fixes in the right order. It will save you money in the long run.

Good luck!

I agree @terrib962, the best option would be either keep and embrace the tile floor as is or remove it and replace it.

However if replacement is not feasible i‘d prefer a concrete (aka eco-microcement) floor rather than vinyl or laminate (or carpet) floors.

It’s actually largely used in residentials. And as @eam44 suggests, a nice mat can surely help on specific areas.

I would keep the tile floors before I ever covered them with concrete.

@aitecch_design - I would not even consider leaving HARD tile on a floor in a house - I lived with it once in a rental and said never again - hard on legs (young legs) and broke glass. It will be difficult to chip up and remove but worth it in the long run. There are a lot of things widely used that should not be used at all. . . Armstrong Linoleum VCT comes in many colors and can be installed in a checkerboard layout or many other like with a border or other creative layouts and it lasts forever. It can be a beautiful option and not look "cheap" like tile or concrete looks.

@aitecch_design The photo you included is of an ugly cold uninviting warehouse looking kitchen. Hard to imagine anyone in their right mind wanting it in their home. UGH! People need to go back to warm inviting traditional homes instead of making ugly homes just to be different or possibly trendy. Trends are usually not good, and certainly not something to follow.

All - I appreciate all the feedback- I’ve mentally decided that the tile must go and I will probably replace with an LVP of some sort - keep in mind we have a 6 acre homestead with kids, 3 Great Pyrenees, and cats so durability and ease of care is first priority. That said LVP comes in a ton of different colors and styles so any suggestions? I would do a ‘tile’ look though

3 great pyrenees with nails, and cats, have nails? and 3 kids. I have been there, and I would keep the tile. It is virtually indestructible. Vinyl flooring is good, but, not that good. .

The tile you have now is great for farms, kids and critters, it’s what is in my kitchen. But if you want to replace it with vinyl, maybe start a new thread (YES JAN) and ask for tile brands that can stand up to your foot traffic.

Hi Carrie!

Hope you see this ❤️

Oh my goodness, as a decorator, please — Go With Your Instincts!

Paint those cabinets that gorgeous Dutch Blue Hue! It’s a big open kitchen, color would look beautiful!

Feeling extra ambitious? Chalk white base coat, distress blue over this!

A few thoughts on the flooring — tile floor would be fine, but a big ole mess, more re-tiling, more re-grouting, and then the inevitable chipping with kids and pets. The only tile which would not clash with the backsplash would be tiny Subway tile — it would look great, however, in a black or charcoal, as would a laminate.

No other wood floors in the house? Maybe a wood laminate in kitchen/bath?

Faux brick?

Pine look too — that blue will open so many possibilities!

A few stools at the island, a playful light fixture?

Carrie, lol! You were REALLY RIGHT, GO WITH IT! HAVE A BALL!

❤️

If it’s not the tile flooring, we put in LVP (in lieu of the shag carpet that was here prior to moving in) so it’s either the same tile or LVp - that’s all we got. I appreciate the advice. I think blu cabinets would pull the backsplash and floor together as a middle ground but I’m definitely no expert. I do have a spare kitchen cabinet in the basement I can experiment with prior to painting the ones in the kitchen so maybe I’ll do that and report back!

This painting of cabinets when everyone wanted all to be white has lead to an awful lot of bad DIYs. It takes a great deal of prep work and a careful job to DIY it without professional attention and spray equipment.

I did it once on old cabinets when I was much younger. I had planned on getting new ones anyway, and we did eventually. It was a lot of work and not that great. I was young and thought I could do anything. I cant. I think a lot of DIY paint jobs just end up detracting from the value, not adding to it.

My advice is to lean into your cabinets and work around it . Just like that old dress in the closet, it will come back into vogue. This obsession with white or painted cabinets will pass.. That open grain in the wood will still be there after they are painted.

Just a vote for @housegal200 great advice - i think focusing on the details will help pull the space together (I am an experienced DIYer and it’s hard to imagine doing anything to those cabs without a LOT of practice, ruining them is def a possibility) - is there a good place for a nice seagrass or two to break up the tile?

The grain on the cabinets is gorgeous. What I would do is re-stain the cabinets with dark gray or black tones to harmonize with your black faucet and accessories. I would also use shiny chrome knobs and handles.

Unless it is done on a professional level or with an awful lot of prep work, it can be a disaster and really major disruptor of your living space. You can take your doors and drawers out to the garage to work on them, but not the cabinet bases..

The factory finish that is put on cabinets is one that has properties to it that you may not get with a paint.

I think that should be about the last choice I would consider, unless you hire it out. A professional painter will, or should, have the tools needed to do it in a timely manner, but will sill need to be right there in your kitchen doing that messy thing that they do .

If you do a careful prep and use a good quality paint made for cabinets they could look very nice painted. Your blue looks good but if you want to try something lighter BM Revere Pewter should work well with your counter, backsplash and flooring.

Just based on my experience:

Cabinets: I painted over grained wood on a doorway frame and the grain was still showing after multiple coats. Can’t vouch for pre-treatment, but perhaps look into if considering painting the cabinets. https://furnifixes.com/how-to-hide-wood-grain-when-painting-cabinets/

I painted our present (small) kitchen’s cabinets and it took close to 30 hours overall (worth every hour). To get good results (it’s been 5 years and they still look great), prepping and using the right tools and paint (speak to a BM consultant) are key.

Fyi: Did a few doors at a time, laying on a large flat surface, sanding, (pre-treatment in your case), plus primer and then final coats; repeating process on other side. So consider your investment of time, inconvenirnce and labour, but it can make a huge difference. (I touch up around handles on the most used cabinets about 2/year).

Flooring:We had very similar tiles in our previous home and after getting quotes, considering the upheaval, and the overall cost to replace, we lived with and really didn’t even notice after a while. Suggest weighing its pro’s and con’s, as well what would be used if replacing.

Undecided: If you changed the hardware, addressed lighting (under-counter and lights over island if feasible/or a new ceiling light), new window treatment, and a practical vinyl patterned runner), then step back and see what you think..before deciding on either of the two updates. Sounds like you have a busy family life as well.

Those flat slab doors would be so easy to sand and stain, easier and less fuss imho than painting, and give a superior result - that is if its something your skilled in or have $$$ to hire. Current stain colors include grays, charred, and bleached wood tones- on the other hand, the current coffee brown is actually quite stylish so maybe just leave well enough alone! I would swap out the funky wood knobs for metal bar or other type of pull. Re floor, you could just get a loose lay vinyl for now and then when youre ready for a more permanent change, re-use the vinyl in your basement or somewhere. Youre supposed to lay vinyl on flat underlayment (not over tile with gaps that eventually wear through the vinyl) but my experience is it can take a number of yrs for this to happen.