Too much Timber! Are you open to painting your wardrobes to white??

Even better, change your door to gloss slab, and add some more lighting under the wall units and te plinth.

I would keep change the decor and keep it fairly neutral.
The floor can be dark element to match the countertop. My advice would be to paint cabinet doors to white to match doors. Introduce lights just under cabinet to light work top.

@StudopKD Too much timber? What silliness? Words fail me. What do you want the doors to be made of? What would you like the floors to be made of? And the cabinets? I guess are you okay with painted timber as your question quantifies. To answer a few of your questions I would move the washer and dryer. They are very noisy machines and would be better in the basement. Your cabinets look quite handsome as they are. If they're in equally good shape perhaps just add some jewelry, some nice stainless pulls. I love wood floors in the kitchen. I don't know how laminate works in a kitchen though. I know I've fallen on tile in my present kitchen twice and broke a hip and a shoulder and am convinced it was because it is tile on concrete which is not as forgiving as hardwood. One of the doctors tended to agree with me. (I do not have osteoporosis). I would paint your walls but the colors I suggest most people would laugh at! (a yellow, ochre, an orangey-yellow). You need new lighting, especially replace the fan with a nice chandelier and install under cabinet task lighting, and I must make my Mother dinner so I'm running out of time. You have a lovely kitchen table and chairs. But I suggest you look for something modern and round and place a great rug underneath it. Good luck and have fun!

My 2 cents: Paint the cabinets and soffit the same color as closet doors (linen white - satin finish) and replace cabinet hardware and closet door handles to oil rubbed bronze. Add under cabinet lights and replace the ceiling light with something more linear. Try to get some of the clutter on the counter tops put away. This will be cheap and fairly easy. I would move the washer and dryer and replace the floor later when you can afford a entire kitchen remodel so that you can utilize that space.

@Madeline the cabinets and the floor is the same or similar color. There is no contrast. Keep the caninet doors in ' timber' but paint them white!

OK, now my 2 cents. If you took out the washer and dryer, what would you do with the space? Pantry, closet? If so, then I would KEEP the washer and dryer on the living level. My home now is the first home I have had with a laundry room off the kitchen. It may be a bit noisy but do the laundry when no one is around and enjoy the convienence instead of tromping up and down the stairs! If you remove the bulk heads then I would go to taller cabinets. Until then I would paint the cabinets white. Do a back splash. If you like having a fan, replace it with a new version depending on you new table choice. A new area rug (large one that runs down the middle of your kitchen, maybe a 5x8 to give a pop of color. Out with all the gold door knobs and replace with brushed nickel along with new cabinet pulls and knobs.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I love the idea of painting the cabinets a lighter color. I was wondering if white would match the existing granite or if I should try something like BM swiss coffee (OC-45) for the cabinets and doors (closet and door leading to outside) and hazy skies (OC-48) for the walls? I've attached a photo with a paint strip for reference. Any suggestions for a backsplash to match?

Before you commit to a paint color based on a 2" sq chip, buy samples and paint patches in both direct light and in shadow. If you're really lucky, you'll find a color that changes with color and gives you greater variety. Of course, Swiss Coffee is a common color used for trim and cabinets, but the wall color will be more important since it has to go with both counters and cabinet and floor. Consider painting the ceiling the same color as walls, cut half with white. A stark white ceiling against creamy walls looks blah.

Definitely get rid of the fan and put in a neat light -- 36" above the table. I liek the table, but you might want to get different chairs so they aren't all the same color wood. More colorful rugs in the kitchen -- don't have to slap you in the face, but a little more vivid.

Backsplash is where you can really be interesting. It doesn't cost much compared to the overalle xpense. Copper penny tile would be stunning with those countertops. It's making a huge comeback. But whatever, before you pick the wall paint, choose the backsplash or you may be repainting!

Remove the little shelf attached to the cabinets flanking the window. Consider removing the middle wood section on a couple of cabinets and replacing with glass. It will lighten the look tremendously. Doesn't have to be transparent; it could be etched, frosted, ribbed, whatever you like and can afford.

As a realtor I would also caution you about moving the laundry from the main level down to the basement. It's a huge resale feature (if that's a consideration for you) to have it on the main floor and not in the basement.

@inkwitch: A copper penny backsplash sounds interesting. Similar to the attached photo? Not sure if I have the patience though.

A track light with halogen bulbs would be fun.. A track that you can bend into a shape with curves. It might be fun to make the fronts of the doors to the laundry look like a giant chalk board. pop the 4" granite backslash out and tile. Do something with a high gloss, glass or metal. take the tile all the way to the upper cabinets and around the window.

I love the chalkboard idea to add some interest to that side of the room. Would you think light or dark backsplash and floor tiles?

I would suggest a neutral backsplash, cabinets painted lighter (white or cream) on top and darker (brown or black) at bottom and replace ceiling light with track lighting, that can be positioned to send light where it is needed most.

All backsplash tile comes as 12" squares on a mesh to more easily attach to the plaster applied to the wall.

That particular shade of copper is a little too much with the countertop. Given the variation in the countertop, a one-color backsplash with perhaps a narrow stripe would give it less competition and look better. There's tons of color choices so you can play around until you get the right tone.

Blackboard is an invaluable addition to the kitchen! I have one for grocery reminders and another in my computer room for quickly jotting down phone numbers and to do lists.

Removing the doors over the micro provides shelving for cookbooks or, with slots built in, for pot lids. Painting the insides of cabinets makes them less dark, especially if you're using swiss coffee.

If you want to snazz up your kitchen more, consider painting the lower cabinets a different color from the tops. A friend painted her lowers red, white uppers. houzz has lots of photos showing this in case it appeals to you.

Consider dropping a light over the sink (you'll wonder why all kitchens don't have one!) and replacing the ceiling fixture.

You have lots of great suggestions above......for me I would paint the cabinets, remove bulkheads and add large molding and update cabinets as suggested, keep a wooden floor, KEEP laundry room as is,.....get rid of existing table and chairs and change to a round table with upholstered slipcovered chairs. and new light fixture .....nice house...good luck

I forgot to mention adding a roman shade to the window, they come in a variety of fabrics and colors. If you or a family member or friend sews, they are easy to make :-)

Bypass sliding doors would work and look great for your laundry area. See: https://rusticahardware.com/category/barn-door-hardware/bypass-hardware-doors/#browsingArea Also recessed lights and under counter lighting would help brighten up the kitchen.

How much work can you do yourself demo wise? If w/d are behind those closet doors move them and use the space for cabinets--you could make it look like china/buffet. If that is a false fir down take it out as well as all the upper cabinets and re-purpose those in the closets. Get new doors for all--go online and look for doors--how about aluminum and glass? You can buy the frames online as well as different glass inserts. I would do new doors if budget permits--and there are a LOT of websites that sell them. I suggest splurging on pullouts in the lower cabinets--again its amazing whats out there and that would give you the same effect of draws for less cost.
The space now open from the upper cabinets can have a few shelves here and there holding items. I personally love glass tiles a complimentary color from the granite would bring it out more. Does your floor have to be tile?
What about cork or even eco cork/vinyl? Cork today is incredible--there are some that look like polished concrete. Easier on the feet and cheaper than tile--plus maintenance is a breeze and you can even do radiant flooring under it. Good luck! Hope I expressed the ideas as I saw them in my head.

I forgot to add--ditch the fan--or at least get a contemporary minimal one-and add contemporary lighting.

IMHO your cabinets are beautiful! I wouldn't paint them, at least not myself. If you think there's too much wood--the suggestions of putting glass inserts in some of the upper cabinets is a great idea. Paint walls, put in a backsplash with some color, replace the floor, colorful curtains and accents and you're good to go!

Paint the cabinets white or a cream color. I have seen pictures on Houzz where they added crown and trim to soffits. That was an amazing transformation in itself. It makes the ceiling look higher. Painting wood can be difficult. If you want to paint them, you have to do the proper prep and using a sprayer is the best. No brush marks. Look up "adding crown to soffits" on Houzz. The look is amazing and since many soffits have duct work in them from Heat/AC they are not easy to remove without moving the duct work around.

I would paint cabinets either mocha or go completely opposite and go with black. Leave washer and dryer alone. Get a very pretty chandelier either in wrought iron with crystal or all glass with crystal. The granite is a neutral color in my humble opinion you are lucky in that most any color you will be able to match with the counter top. It is a very nice kitchen already. Good luck.

I just completed two different "Kitchen of the Week" interviews where we got very into cabinet talk; how we max out every inch we can with cabinets we really don't need (one designer even said something like "I believe if you build it, you will fill it, but not with things you really need.") There is a big movement toward moving the bulk of the storage into a pantry (potentially your laundry room here), which opens up the possibilities of losing so many bulky upper cabinets. My eyes were opened to a lot of possibilities from these talks. If you could do this, you could open up the space by losing a lot of the uppers, retrofitting the lowers with more useful deep drawers and adding art or some open shelves on that new wall space. Move things you don't use more than a few times a year (lobster pot, breadmaker, etc.) down to the basement to free up room when you move your W/D down there.

Also, you mention "boring." Why not find a light fixture for over the kitchen table that is anything but boring in place of the ceiling fan? Just be sure of exactly where you want the table placed before hanging it. I really like the dark trim around your exterior doors. Think about carrying it through the room.

I agree with you Wallygirl. Cabinets with a few glass inserts would look good.

Keeping the budget under control leaves a lot of room for thought. My idea of a low budget and yours may not be the same. I am going to go with a few very low cost ideas.

1. Remove the soffit and add some crown molding.
2. A nice tile backsplash.
3. Remove the microwave hood and get an attractive stainless or glass and stainless hood to go over the stove.
4. I liked the idea of painting the cabinets that was listed above.
5. If you were thinking new cabinets. I would remove the washer dryer to another area of the house and have more cabinets and counter to the left of the stove. In place of the washer dryer start with the refrigerator next to the wall and add cabinets and counter next to it with nice wall cabinets above. Create a hutch with the upper and lower cabinets next to the refrigerator. Maybe that section should be in a different color than the other cabinets in the kitchen. The hutch would be a great place for glass doors.

I actually posted this question last year and have made some changes, including painting my cabinets BM Kendall Charcoal to match the dark gray in the granite, painted the walls revere pewter (but revere pewter may be a little blah so I'm looking into another color). I also painted the sliding door frame white, bought a black round table and chairs, and added a mini island from West Elm ( http://www.westelm.com/products/mrk-industrial-kitchen-island-h283/?cm_src=AutoRel). I can post a photo later. I also plan on adding crown molding so thanks for that suggestion. I would say that the whole look is transitional now, but I'm trying to find a good light to go over the kitchen table and wonder if I should change the main kitchen light to match. Wallygirl and rjanice, are the glass inserts a diy job or would I have to buy new cabinet doors?

If the cabinets are wood, the inset can be cut out, route a groove and replaced with glass cut at your local hardware stre. I did it with a cabinet above a bar area. Worked quite well. You could do it with a cabinet that you keep pretty wine glasses etc.

Hopefully a diy if you have the tools :)