Hi chebbie....love your analysis paralysis....lol I know what you mean. ok suggestion one. I would look at lime washing the cupboards and this you can do yourself.and putting a black timber floor and natural bench top.... you will need to make sure that the finish that has been put on them can be painted over. and the second is to put a black benchtop...granite if you can and a floating floor ....in a walnut or similar finish...hope this helps...

I love dark countertops with light maple cupboards. The contrast is striking. And I think your cupboards look fine as they are.

Thank you both! So so you think a little wood floor then? I didn't want it to look too 'woodsy' if that's a word. I can definitely see the dark counters with stainless steel.

Sorry meant to type wood light floors then? We wanted wood all through the downstairs. I don't like tile and wood mix when it's one open space.

I'd resist messing with cabinets that are in great condition. There are so many colors of counters you can use with them, but black appliances will be the major consideration. Are you keeping those? Without seeing adjacent rooms, it's hard to comment on flooring options. Once a project gets started it snowballs. You'll probably want to paint walls, add pulls/handles and do a backsplash, too. So, really think it through before doing anything. Have fun.

The counter tops will probably cost you a lot more than 4k in your area.. The cabinets look fine and I would leave them where they are. Any idea on budget for the job?

Polished black granite counter tops
White oak floors
add hardware to the cabinets
will work well with your black kitchen appliances
As seen in the ref. pic

I think a light wood floor would be lovely. Either matching the cabinets or a shade or two lighter or darker (note that in the photos I included above there are examples of both light and just slightly darker floors with the light cabinetry.)

7 homes later---with our maple cabinets, I used a granite with a tight grain that had an eggplant tone. Sorry, I can't recall the name of it, but it is a popular color. My floor was oak, two shades darker than the cabinets. Wall paint or wallpaper in a deep jewel tone also makes the cabinets pop. Great-looking hardware in pewter or gold tone will make your cabinets look like you've done a total makeover. Upgrade your lighting, too, for a fresh new look. In thinking about the 7 homes we've built, that was my MOST favorite kitchen!

Thanks everyone! You've been most helpful. I think we'll keep the cabinets and keep all your responses.

Blue slate or soap stone (natural or artificial versions will work) look great with the maple/oak. The softer colouring of slate/soap stone seem to work very well with natural wood colouring. Once the counter tops are chosen, I would go ahead and start looking at flooring options. Worst case scenario a wood floor can be custom matched to what ever you have going on.

Hickory can offer the option of light wood floor without matching the grain/cabinets. The woods, like Hickory, with plenty of movement/colour changes work well when trying to fit in a wood floor that is light but isn't too "woodsy". Just a thought.