Hi charityscherubs, hardwood flooring would add to the cabin feeling of the space, and you could also consider painting the cabinets as well, a rich red color is what I am thinking of, or you can pick your favorite color. As for countertop, any type of solid surfaces would work, or you can go with more rustic driftwood counter for the island.

Charityscherubs - Believe it or not I purchased my car without test driving it in about 2 hours but it took me a year to do my dining/kitchen.

I think I would go with black and white tile for the floors, and a solid white island top, get all kinds of indoor houseplants (take advantage of you wonderful light from windows). I would go with black fixtures and have lots of red accents. Extend the counter to continue to the end of the wall lots of herbs and greenery. Cabin retro

My first thought for your flooring option is a slate tile in a black or even rust tones. An update to the cupboards foresure. I like the idea of painting them a red tone. The counter top should be a flat surface and a solid colour, black or white. There are many option of material available for the counter depending on your budget. The island should be a complete redo. I would make the island more of a piece of furniture, in a contrasting colour to what the cupboards are. If you paint the cupboards a red then the island could be white or white washed with a smaller working surface then you current have. Allow a bar area on the island for stools. The furniture is your kitchen needs an update. Keeping with the cabin theme, paint the table chairs, not the table and find bar stools that are more sleek looking in a leather seat. There is a lot of wood (obviously). Bring in other colours with paint, white wash finishes and clean lines of accent pieces. A indian carpet or through rug under the table will define the eating area instead of blending in as it does now. I notice you have no curtains/sheers/blinds on the windows. If you are open to a suggest for the windows, roman shades in a warm tone or if the budget allows, wood shutters on the lower half of the windows on the inside would provide privacy.
As for the lighting changes you could make, I would look at some unique art like pieces. Remember the lighting fixtures do more than provide light, they are the accessories to a room. They will complete the feel you are looking to accomplish. I would move away from any brass accented lighting (as you have now) and bring in solid lighting fixtures. Again depending on your budget, track lighting in the kitchen for task highlighting would work. Really whatever feel you are after will determine the type of light fixtures you will be looking at.
Post a pics when you are finished your project. Good luck.

I agree with the other comments, paint the cabinets and treat the island differently allowing for a larger overhang with upholstered bar chairs. Remove all the brass fixtures with something even in bronze color, but with a more contemporary twist. Don't forget to lower the light over the table to approximately 38 inches above table. The table is fine and if you paint the chairs paint the base of the table to match, but don't paint them the same color as the cabinets. An off black would be nice, especially with the bronze fixtures. Or get new more sleek chairs and paint the base to match. I like the idea of a natural stone floor, but if you are worried about the hardness go with wood. Oh and don't forget to paint the diswasher. A lot to consider good luck.

Be careful with the idea of adding more wood. You could end up with too much of a good thing. Think about restaining (not paint) for your lovely wood cabinets...perhaps a much lighter shade. Then add countertops and flooring also in a lighter tone. Marble is a great idea. And, the correct lighting fixtures will make a big impact.

We do a lot of organic looking concrete and/or woodform concrete in spaces like this-
www.jmlifestyles.com

I like the idea of going with a tile that looks like slate that will coordinate with all the colors and then add a nice glass mosaic backslash.

Please feel free to view my website for further ideas for flooring and mosaics. Flooring Finesse by Design www.flooringfinesse.com

FYI the wood tops are concrete

I vote for Mishi and J&M Lifestyle..If anyone has allergies(or pets), cork is your answer. I LOVE concrete for countertops

Put some skylights in the ceiling. It is way too dark in this room...

You need a break from all the wood.

And easy switch-up would be to get rid of the wood table and chairs and replace with a more modern style, NOT in wood tones. Define the area with a large sisal rug.

The island could easily be painted out and a new countertop in a solid surface would up-date things. Put some more modern stools, acrylic or a coloured plastic, to relieve some of the wood.

The white dishwasher is too much contrast. Go to stainless appliances.

Get rid of the fussy curtain. Leave the window bare. You don't seem to need the privacy in that particular spot.

Consider updating the lighting. The light over the table is hung much too high. Drop it down to about 30" over the table.

Bring in some big, lush plants and get rid of the tiny table in the corner with the clutter on it.

Hide the garbage pail.

I agree with some of the previous comments that the wood overtones are sufficient and contrast is needed. Wood, especially in a cabin setting is great but too much is overwhelming. For the flooring, I would go with an earthy, slate type tile that is typically in the gray and red colors. This would add contrast but stay in the outdoors style of the cabin. For the countertops, I would look at the quartz or granite countertops with rough edge overhangs. The rough edges would stay with the rough woods feel of the space.
The kitchen table and chairs are too much like the interior. I would look at a darker wood, primitive style table and chairs to again contrast with the heavy wood overtone but keep with the basic "cabin" outdoors feel of the space. I would keep the appliances neutral in the space to blend in but not stand out. The draw in the room is to the beautiful wood cabinets and ceiling, why distract that with drawing attention to appliances?

I would remove the wood panels from the walls, but keep on the celling. Your kitchen screams wooden box, not cozy cabin. Dark wood and stainless steel are in. Replace ALL appliances with stainless steel. Go with a dark rich brown wood flooring. Add a marble or granite counter tops. If you dont have the budget to replace the cabnets. Stain them and add some new drawer pulls to make it new looking. Add a huge table and i hoped that helped.

the large tile/slate floors out there would look great - it would offer you a variance of texture - not just wood grains. i would do a countertop similar in color/style of the floors to tie it all together...

here are the links to the pics below:
http://www.azfloorcompany.com/index-tile.html
http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/ceramic-tile.html

if you paint the cabinets and the table and chairs are painted wood, a different wood tone, or maybe metal of some type, wood flooring would be fine. add a rug under the table and chairs. black, white and red is my all time favorite cabin color scheme. perhaps you could conceal or paint the panel of the dishwasher instead of replacing it.

This reminds me of a farmhouse kitchen I completed a few years ago. How about a brick or stone floor. A dark / or black-ish soap stone island countertop would be very handsome and switch out the light fixtures for some dark iron ones. Then add dark iron cab't hardware: Rocky Mountain Hardware is a great source of inspiration.

Yes--I vote for slate on the floor! The colors you could bring into that space with slate would keep it very rustic and could really compliment all that wood.

Looks like you received more advice than you bargained for. Take your time researching what works for YOU. And just be aware, if you do cook a lot, concrete counter tops will scratch... fixable, but a point you should consider.
Love the idea of soapstone! Also scratches, but sure fits with the style, and is a wonderful surface.

Hi! I like to use what I have. I would paint the brass tone on the light fixtures with a metal primer than an oil rubbed bronze paint. Use a smaller brush and don't worry if the finish in not so perfect, they should look aged. Simple but rustic cabinet pulls in dark, oil rubbed bronse as well. Don't paint the dishwasher, see if you can turn the panel around to almond or even black, or buy a new panel in stainless or matching wood. Maybe you can get a thin wood panel and stain it to match your cabinets and install yourself. The paint will wear off the dishwasher bc you handle it often and it is around water. I really like the look of soap stone, but then I would want to paint things cream and beige, and that really wouldn't go with your log home style. I would use a medium brown, but subtle mottled or speckled granite or quartz (or even a formica if you cannot get stone) for the counter and the island top. I like the idea of painting the cabinets red, but again I am wary of DIY paint on kitchen stuff that is well used. You can send out the cabinet door for painting, they will last longer. You can then paint the cabinet boxes yourself (don't paint inside). So without painting the cabinets, I would paint the island bottom and the table dark brown as in the first picture from Dytecture or to match your beams. Paint the the chairs the red in the same picture. I would get 3 simple stools for only the long side of the island and paint them red as well. Floors, a wood to match the rest of the floors in the house if they are wood, or a tone that works with the cabinets but a bit lighter (again like that first picture). Remove the curtain over the sink window and maybe replace with a natural fiber shade to match the floors. If you are anti-red (as I am) you might want to go with a mustard brown (or use mustard brown as an accent with the red). Everything would blend more with using just mustard brown. I think the pop of the red would be great, you can tone it down by using a barn red, or red brown. Remove the stuff on top of the cabinets, or replace with less, but more substantial pieces that pop....either red or mustard brown, even cream. Remove the little table in the corner and if you can, replace with a cabinet with doors (unfinished is cheap) that is about a foot higher than the table, and as wide as the wall with the clock on it (it should reach from corner to that window). It will give you storage for the things on top of the cabinets. Paint the cabinet either the brown or the red. Put an applicance and one or two decorative kitchen items on it. Could be a great spot for a coffee and tea bar. Move the clock to the short wall next to where is it now. Stack two pictures of decent size where the clock is now, use the red or brown to paint the frames, opposite the color you paint the cabinet. Maybe pictures of apples and pears with light matting to keep with the reds and mustards. Good luck.

I like the suggestion of painting the cabinets. I would look for a unique piece for the island ( first 2 photos below) add a extended countertop for seating and paint this a fun color (nothing bright) a earthy tone. For the dining area I would get a long farmhouse table with a long bench for one side. You can add a lot of personality with lighting! Look at the last picture - A sophisticated handsome space. I recommend not getting stainless - it is going out of style. Look at soapstone or paperstone for countertops, they are warm to the touch as well as a soft matte look (not glossy). Good luck and have fun

I really got some good ideas on what the overall kitchen should look like. This is what we decided given the budget and all. I just can not get myself to paint the oak cupboards that are in great shape and the white appliances are all going to have to stay. We are doing flooring, countertops, backsplash behind stove area, new cupboard hardware, new lighting fixtures, island chairs oor stools, and I would be willing to change the dining room table and chairs. I would like to go with sage green and drk brown for accents. Given this new information I would love your input please...I will post another view of the kitchen.

Hi Charity,

This looks like a fun project! Are you sure we can't talk you into painting the cabinetry a white or cream color? It will take away the blockiness caused by the contrast of the wood against white and it will go a long way in bringing the whole room together. Once you do that, adding a wide plank wood floor, will not feel like you've got too much of it in there. To introduce your accent of sage green and still manage the budget, wrap the island in a painted (sage) bead board. Use a amber glass knobs on the sage green cabinetry and a dark iron hardware on the white (ahem) painted cabinets. Countertops can be a light granite with a grey or green vein (honed is always a great look-prone to stains, but adds to the character in your place). Finally, you need a little fabric and leather in there. But I agree with pulling down the valance you have. Put a tailored roman shade with a red/green stripe or plaid. For your stools-leather on the seats, fabric to complement the valance on the back. If you can find one with a nailhead accent, even better. Drop a glass bowl or mini crystal chandelier over the island and some sleek pendants over the sink. Boom. Go for it. You'll do great.

Michelle

It is always a mixed experience of fun, exciting, and stressful when I am remodeling anything in my home. If I were you, I would do some dark hardwood flooring . I think that it would set off the lighter colors of the walls of your home nicely. I also like tile, but in my old home, it started to get really crusty underneath my feet and would also start to crack. In my opinion, dark hardwood floors would be the way to go.

i like the last comment on the flooring - also, I'd incorporate the dark with splashes of it here and there - rot-iron (SP?) nice R.I. chairs for the counter. and R.I. light fixtures would add a great rustic cabin-y feeling! :)

As someone else mentioned above, the lighting is going to be your accessories. A functional and decorative pendant or chandelier is really going to help update the room.

Our line of blown and fused glass lighting would work amazingly in your space. With the right one, you can keep that rustic and cabin feel but still have a somewhat modern light.