new backsplashes are a fairly inexpensive and quick way to update a kitchen. maybe a nice subway tile with a fun mosaic would be more your taste? are any of these ideas close to your taste...?

Thank you Sumner! I rather not do anything to the kitchen that will cost too much money. Even though a new backsplash would enhance the kitchen for less money than new cabinets etc, I still don't like the cabinets, island, granite etc. I rather do something very low cost so I don't feel bad when I rip it out in X years. I am thinking out loud here but maybe if I changed the hardware and light fixture, I will feel better about it?

Change the paint, light fixture, cabinet door hardware or maybe just paint the cabinets for a refreshing new look!

that can be a great option for a quick update and fix!

Looks like a very nice, neutral kitchen. What is your style, and what exactly don't you like about it? Perhaps a new light fixture and counter stools which reflect your taste would be a good start. Have you decided on a paint color? That can also make a big difference at not much cost. I'm sure you will get lots of responses here when commenters have a little better idea what it is you are going for.

L. Huck, I initially thought I would have the cabinets painted. I love an all white kitchen with a modern twist. Well, if I was going to paint the cabinets then I would switch out the countertops, backsplash, fixture, hardware, replace the island, replace the cabinet molding and rip out a pantry to make it a bar area. We have another room which will be the pantry but need shelving. Anyways, that would be a big project and pretty pricey when maybe it wouldn't' be worth it but better to sit tight and replace the whole thing in a few years. I would rather have a kitchen with two oven etc and I don't have that in this kitchen. Now I'm thinking of a cheap makeover that will tie me over until we renovate.

flopsycat1, see my post above. My taste is I suppose more modern. I love a clean look with straight lines. The curve in my island makes me crazy as well as the grape detail on the thing that holds the island up :). As I wrote above, I love all white. But I also like chandeliers so my taste isn't modern all the way. Maybe my taste is modern with a traditional flare.

THAT LIGHT......UGGG...... I would paint fjust the base of the island, it seems to be the most out of place, and add two bar stools to give it some idk life.....who put that light there lol, it just goes with nothing in the space. i like the gray from the pics above for the island.

oh and change the door hardware to long modern style..

This is easy! You are right. your kitchen isn't bad. 1st thing: paint the island only and do it in chalk paint. That will add a lot of pizzaz. Look at the picture of the kitchen renovation in river forest. See the difference the painted island makes? Replace the light fixture with a copper pendant.
Go for the large size pendant - maybe a 12" shade. And if you don't have undercounted lighting, I would definitely spend the money on that. That was not a cheap kitchen. Its just that the granite is dated and the backsplash is boring. I don't think the knobs are current - they date the look. I would probably prefer using simple flat straight handles and leaving the cups on the drawers. They are classic. If you want a real pop of color without too much work, paint the inside of the glass cabinets on either side of the sink the same color as the island. I've done that a lot and it looks great. Good luck!

Thank you! Awesome ideas. What is chalk paint? I am not very familiar here. What is river forest?

Flair lighting - I know, the fixture is straight out of a horror movie. Fake bows…really??? LOL

Fixing that one thing would make your kitchen look entirely different. Those are Mission tiles Arabesque- Glass- Woodland Green.

Maybe hold off making any changes until you could fund the whole project. It's not so bad.

You'll like the kitchen better if you turn it right side up. And trust me, painting the cabinets is not an easy fix. I would live with it, not spend a cent, and use the intervening time to plan your dream kitchen.

yes, change the light, add some bar stools and paint the island. the end.

didn't read all the suggestions, but why don't you paint just your island cabinet with something that contrasts and goes with your other cabinets. I've seen so many kitchens on houzz since I joined that all have a different color island than the rest of the cabinets and it looks great. I don't see anything wrong with the cabinets you have now, they don't look like cheap cabinets.

It's the backsplash. I have never seen a tile backsplash I like with busy granite. And I love granite with movement. We just moved into a condo and didn't want to do a whole redo either. So we painted the walls, got rid of the tile backsplash and put up beadboard painted the same color as the walls. Looks neat and fresh. Looks great close up.