Your changes sound good although painting the mantle may be a wait and see for me...as for the kitchen if you have a starving artist friend the cabinets could come alive with a treatment such as this...( photo attatched) maybe paint the cabinet surrounds a color that goes with the art...

You may want to live in the home for a while before you decide. You may find your priorities change regarding what is "disliked" now. New hardware on cabinets is an easy task with big payoff. I would not put in back splash above existing Formica backsplash for the simple reason that you would end up having to remove it when you later install the granite and have the new backsplash start at the counter surface rather than 4" above. Last fall I
updated my builder oak cabinets by having some raised panels cut out and replaced with frosted glass. It was a huge difference as there was so much of the reddish oak. I had Formica also, and replaced it with another Formica, called "petrified wood" in the 180fx line. The whole job cost under $5000. For my 12 year old production home it looks 100x better. Since then we bit the bullet and bought all stainless steel appliances at our local Sears store. That was another $4700. My kitchen looks unique and I love it! My kitchen is on Formica's Facebook page sans the SS appliances, but will give you an idea. Good luck and congratulations on your new home. How exciting for your family.

I agree with sunnydrew, if you plan on installing granite soon, hold off on the backsplash and have them installed at the same time. It looks better as well when installed at the counter surface and is more on trend. I too like formica products (especially when looking to save $). They have great products with lots of new styles made to look like granite. I always tell people remodeling it is a process and takes time, so enjoy the fun process and opportunity for creativity :) It is usually NOT done overnight despite how HGTV does it!

You can tile right over the old brick of the fireplace...that and the backsplash! both great value adds and wow factor.

Also a new faucet is like the sculpture piece of the kitchen and one of the things the eye lands on first. I'd skip the granite, maybe Corian with an undermount or better yet get some black appliances and black sink....appliances you like make life better on a daily basis. You touch them multiple times/day. trust me!

Counter-depth refrigerator is a HUGE difference to what is there in the photo....it doesn't stick out!!

I wouldn't paint the mantle either but I love the idea of soft gray walls... they're very versatile with other colors. Quartz countertops are less expensive and just as handsome as granite and never need to be treated; we've had them in two homes. Stainless steel (appliances) is very difficult to keep clean, especially if you have children. When/if you replace the bottom cabinets, drawers are much less hassle to work with than doors. I'm a bit envious 'cause I love 'doing' and 'redoing' houses... enjoy!

Instead of granite when you do your redo what about these alternatives? http://www.pinterest.com/pin/104075441364620587/

Sorry here...

I agree that waiting until you have been in the house for awhile is the best approach. Some changes to think about during that time, though, could include painting the kitchen cabinets, but it would be best to wait and see what colors are in your granite, etc. And while the carpet looks like it is in good shape, you might want to see what is underneath it. If there is hardwood, that could be a relatively inexpensive way to update the room. Again, not something that needs to be done immediately.

the easiest, and cheapest ways to invigorate your house, are painting,and lighting. Painting is cheap,easily changed,and makes a huge impact. Light fixture changes can make a huge impact,also. And at a reasonable pricepoint. I would look at those, then taking the money you save to purchase art that makes you happy,and fill the rooms with that. Kitchens and bathrooms as we all know, are what sell houses. Updating a kitchen with new faucets,countertops,etc. can be costly,but you can get a designer look from the usual "big box" stores,they usually have some designer hardware. Changing the knobs and painting or staining the kitchen cabinets is also effective in upgrading on the cheap.

What is the condition of your cabs in the kitchen? Might consider painting them a darker gray than the walls or white to match all your other trim. Wait to do backsplash and granite later. Check out rustoleumtransformations.com for another alternative treatment for the kitchen.

Since you are loving a grey and white palette...I would paint your cabinets the same colour as your mantle...try to go with a warmer white and grey since for now you are keeping your countertop. Add pulls because they can be like jewellery and add personality. If you have someone around who is handy, I would purchase or build an over the fridge cabinet to add storage and at the same time box in the fridge...then when you paint you won't be able to notice a difference in colours. Keep things monochromatic to make the room feel bigger so if you do a 'for now' backsplash make sure it blends in and isn't too busy. Last but probably most important is to keep your counters as clear as possible... only leave out the coffee pot and maybe the toaster oven... find a home for everything else elsewhere. Enjoy your new home! P.S. I would paint the entire fireplace white because the brick colouring dates it and look for a picture of similar fireplaces on Houzz or Pinterest so you get ideas for the mantlescape.

If you do as rosiebeach suggested and get a counter depth refrigerator, that might leave you enough space to add a bit of overhang to the counter at the side of the sink so that your sink doesn't come all the way to the edge of the counter, which is pretty awkward.