Were it mine, I would like something a little lighter for the countertop and then be able to use a soft beige/gray or blue/gray paint tone. Some examples would be these links.

http://www.cambriausa.com/our-collection/photos-and-videos/?colorID=Bellingham

http://www.cambriausa.com/en/our-collection/design-palette/Praa-Sands/

Hello
We do a lot of black countertops with white cabinets. When we do this we use gray paint on the walls or a light blue. Here is an example. Good luck

I would not do light with white cabinets. I think a medium range of darkness actually enhances the white cabinets. If you go to Valspar website you have the ability to upload a picture and change the colors. I like the colors they have that are Puddy, coffee gelato, and pretzel but they are brown tones. You can play with their gray tones as well of course. Valspar is the paint Lowes sells and in my opinion is a good quality.

Have fun! If you change your cabinet pulls it frequently helps update the area. I like the longer stainless ones. You can view them at Lowes or Home Depot.

I agree with Jill. If the cabinets have exposed hinges they are probably old. Adding all the other updates around them will just accentuate that the cabinets are old.

If you can't afford new cabinets, and you like the current layout, think about cabinet refacing. They will add veneer or paint to the face frames and replace all the drawers/doors with new ones that have concealed hinges.

The best part is you can do that without removing the counters so you can do it before or after.

It's hard to make a countertop recommendation without knowing a few more details. Here are a few thoughts/questions: The black floors with black countertops is a lot of black in a fairly small space. Also, remember that black floors show dust, dog hair and everything else. Only very tidy people should have black floors in their kitchen, unless they don't mind a dirty looking floor. (Even a very very dark stained brown hides more than black.) But with that said if you love the black flooring, I would go with the gray or taupe looking countertop material. It's hard to tell from photos, but the Marengo looks like a nice neutral with a little more warmth than the gray in the middle? The white subway looks nice and crisp next to it. Plus it works well with the white cabinets.
Since you are adding on by the door to make room for a dishwasher, you will have to do some cabinet work. Are you planning on painting all of them? If you want to update them but can't afford replacement you might find a good cabinet maker who can do a bid on refacing them. It would include all new door and drawer fronts. It can look great if it is well done.
About the island: It sounds like you are building a new island with a wood top, which sounds lovely. What will the base be made of? Will it be painted, stained wood, or the same color as the wall cabinets? Make sure to give some thought about how that will tie in with the new countertop. A word of warning about enlarging the island: It is hard to tell from your photo how big the rooom is on the right side. But be careful about making the island too big for the space. You need an open walkway to the door. You don't want to be ducking around stools or people to get in and out of the work space, or the room!
One final note re the countertops: Talk to stone fabricators or research online about alternative quartz materials. There are less well known brands than Silestone and Caesarstone that will be quite a bit less expensive and they might make exactly the color you want.

Agree with the other posters... I don't understand why put all the money into the counter-tops, floor, backsplash and then just leave the awful cabinets. I would suggest finding some money in your budget to at least have them refaced. Maybe switch out the quartz for corian to make room in the budget?

Also, I had black granite countertops and they were always dusty no matter what. Dust and 2 seconds later they looked dusty again. I would suggest a light or medium countertop just for sake of them not looking dirty all the time.

Hi everyone, thanks for the suggestions. It has become apparent since we bought this house that the original owners just kind of threw things together. Is the layout of the cabinets bad, or just the cabinets themselves? And I didn't know the knobs were so terrible - I kind of thought they were pretty. Found a picture of the same knobs online, in case a close-up helps. I was planning to accent the black/gray/white with some greens, blues, and yellows, so I thought we could keep the current knobs.

We have a quote from Home Depot for the countertops including installation and a sink for $1700 (for $35 square feet), and thought that was a pretty good deal. We live in a tiny town in the middle of Colorado, so our options are pretty limited and things are pretty expensive.

Regarding the island, the bottom will probably be painted white. There is a wall on the right side of the picture, but that's moving back a few feet (on the other side is a tub in a bathroom that's being turned into a powder room).

How much does it cost to reface cabinets?

I meant to add: Change the light above the sink. Find a beautiful fixture . . . it will make all the difference.

Hi Alexandra,

From the picture you have, the cabinets just look a bit junkie (ie cheap) and dated. I think you will be disappointed with the look if you have higher end counter tops, floor, and backsplash if you leave the cabinets they way they are. In my opinion they would stick out and diminish the overall appearance. If budget is an issue, I would do your remodel in phases and start with the cabinet refacing first. Then move onto floors, counter top & backsplash. I would also suggest updating your light fixture above the sink. Lastly, pick up a few "change of address" packets from the post office. Inside is a 10% off Lowe's coupon, but Home Depot will accept it. Take the $170 in saving from the coupon and get the light fixture or put it toward the cabinets.

Not sure if you are a DIY type of person, if so you could try to reface the cabinets yourself. Find some great paint (maybe in a light grey color), remove the doors and paint away. If your doors are solid wood, you should be able to find a carpenter who could do a few cut-outs and then insert some glass pieces it you like that sort of thing.

And go stainless with your knobs/drawer pulls. I will really take it up a notch!

My kitchen has the black counters (and I love them) with the white cabinets that have a tinge of gray and gray walls and wood floors. I love it and not dark at all. Those are all neutral colors.

Black cabinets- black satin by benjamin moore - http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/paint-color/blacksatin ,

White Caeserstone countertops on the perimeter- pure white 1141- http://www.caesarstoneus.com/products/color/1141/

white grained granite on the island - like spring white- found on this site for example - http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1920&bih=934&tbm=isch&tbnid=Al0HVFBGq4n_xM:&imgrefurl=http://www.americangranitestone.com/granites_common.html&docid=fAM3D6QpqKxGiM&imgurl=http://www.americangranitestone.com/stoneimages/SpringWhiteGranite.jpg&w=598&h=519&ei=26CRUJm5IKnQ2AXg5ICQBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=692&vpy=222&dur=155&hovh=209&hovw=241&tx=128&ty=126&sig=111396314201742939434&page=1&tbnh=209&tbnw=241&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,i:180 also.

change up the knobs to something like this
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/crosley-collection-pull-3-in-centre-satin-nickel/970241

carry the caeserstone up the wall for the backsplash

www.kaylamadelinepeavoy.com

Black cabinets- black satin by benjamin moore - http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/paint-color/blacksatin ,

White Caeserstone countertops on the perimeter- pure white 1141- http://www.caesarstoneus.com/products/color/1141/

white grained granite on the island - like spring white- found on this site for example - http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1920&bih=934&tbm=isch&tbnid=Al0HVFBGq4n_xM:&imgrefurl=http://www.americangranitestone.com/granites_common.html&docid=fAM3D6QpqKxGiM&imgurl=http://www.americangranitestone.com/stoneimages/SpringWhiteGranite.jpg&w=598&h=519&ei=26CRUJm5IKnQ2AXg5ICQBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=692&vpy=222&dur=155&hovh=209&hovw=241&tx=128&ty=126&sig=111396314201742939434&page=1&tbnh=209&tbnw=241&start=0&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429,i:180 also.

change up the knobs to something like this
http://www.homedepot.ca/product/crosley-collection-pull-3-in-centre-satin-nickel/970241

carry the caeserstone up the wall for the backsplash

www.kaylamadelinepeavoy.com

If you are able to move around and cook efficiently in the current kitchen then the layout is fine. ( It does look like the sink is quite a hike from the fridge.)

Are the cabinets rickety? Or are they solid.

If they are rickety they may not support the weight of a quartz counter anyway.

If they are solid and you like how your kitchen is laid out, then refacing the cabinets is a good option. Or painting them black might help - at least the hinges wouldn't be so obvious.

Home Depot can set up an appointment to have someone come out and give a quote for the refacing. (At least they used to.) But if you are having to muck around with the cabinets anyway to get a dishwasher in there, refacing vs new cabinets may be a wash.

In any case - start with the cabinets. If you have to save money, you can choose a laminate counter for now and replace it later. There are some gorgeous laminates out there. $1700 isn't bad for quartz counters, but laminate would be half that or less.

If you like your knobs, keep them. It's your kitchen.

But if you are going for a more contemporary look, stainless hardware is a better choice.

i agree with Jill. Find a way to purchase new cabinets , appliances and counter tops. Get stainless appliances, look for prefab granite counters ( cheaper than slab ) with a good fabricator. You can't go wrong with absolute black counters. The white subway tiles sound fine. I would stick with painted white cabinets.I just did a similar remodel and used alder ( distressed ) wood on the island with a dark stain. Beautiful ! Keep your woodwork white and paint the walls in a color that transitions well to the next room. Any color is good with black, white and wood stain. Get quotes and see whst you can do. I would
do nothing until you can do it all.

When you are doing a kitchen remodel, appliances are the FIRST items you should purchase -not the last.You also need to consider lighting. Get a quote from an electrician to upgrade your devices and fixtures for the ceiling. The trades you will need are: carpenter to install cabinets and other small details, electrician, granite fabricator, tile installer, painter, appliance installer if the carpenter or electrician cannot install them. If you want to wait on changing something, it should be the floor . You can replace the floor at any time. You will also need a new sink and faucet. Mine was included with the prefab granite counter top.

If the cabinets are well made, they can be painted to make them look less outdated and some great hardware would help. A cabinet reface would be $5,000-$10,000, and I don't think I would do that unless you are perfectly happy with the configuration, and if the cabinet boxes are in good condition and well-made.

I wouldn't do black floors--they would show spots and dog hair very badly and be a maintenance nightmare. I'd look at some of the vinyl floors to keep costs down and keep them light and go with a dark or black for the counters. Add an accent color in the backsplash and change out the light over the sink, possibly with a glass pendant in your accent color.

Find a kitchen designer, new cabinets are worth every penny if you are going to spend money on the other fixes! I have redone my kitchen and it was worth every penny! And please think before you get dark floors! Always look dirty! If budget is an issue, you can get great inexpensive formica that can be upgraded later when you can afford granite!

I agree - put money into the cabinets first. And improve the interfacebetween the cabinets and the window, which now looks very bad. If there is a decent view to be captured, the window can be made much larger. If not, window can be changed to glass blocks and open cabinets can be put in front of, with nice illumination shining through!

Hi Alexandra :) I think the dark floors with white cabinets will look great, but one thing I would change is the white kitchen backsplash. A little pricier but something with more depth is Calcuta marble subway tiles. See the kitchen makeover on this page http://www.home-remodeling-decorating.com/galley-kitchen-designs.html

Another option for kitchen back spalshes that costs very little is Venetian Plaster. I'm partial to the color called "Tree Tops" by Dunn Edwards, (which is a warm blue green) and had the Venetian plaster mixed to that formula. Then sealed it with BriWax in a golden oak color which gives it a little more warmth and age.

We've had Venetian plaster back spashes in our kithcen for 4 years now and they're quite indestructible. Once they're sealed, splashes just wipe off. A gallon will cost you $35. to 65. depending on the brand and will easily do a small area. Here's more info on how to: http://www.home-remodeling-decorating.com/venetian-plaster-walls.html

If you were to go with the "Grey Expo" for counter tops and either of those two ideas above, I think it would look super!

As for the cabinets, I understand that money is tight and kitchen cabinets are so expensive! Yours are probably solid wood, unlike the particle board junk so prevalent in many budget cabinets. One option may be to replace the black hinges (which stand out too much against the white) with ones that are hidden inside or are silver/pewter, to match new knobs. OR you could reface them yourself so to speak, by using decorative moldings around the edge.

Because the old cabinet pulls are so round it gives them a mid century feel, but the hinges look colonial, which can be confusing. A more modern look would be to buy new hinges that attach on the inside and change the door/drawer pulls which cost about $5- $10. each. Maybe you can sell your old ones on ebay and make some money or donate them?

Love the knobs--why don't you just paint the wallsa darker green/turquoise to match the color and maybe go mid-century modern for your other picks as well? Those colors would work with more modern style as well, even with a bit of country thrown in.

Or you could just keep them on the drawers with some simple brushed steel on the rest perhaps. Or maybe paint the cabinets a creamy color to match. That could look great I think, even with the existing countertops.

I think white appliances and white cabinets work well together, are cheaper, and easier to clean than stainless. Sooner or later, stainless will look dated and white is classic. Isn't the sink already stainless? Got to admit, I like the stainless sinks--a lot easier on the glassware. Faucets Direct has some great deals on sink/faucet combinations. Perhaps you could just paint the counters a simillar color with the Rustoleum product to try it out before investing the big bucks. I like the medium tone personally.

Black floors, stainless steel appliances and dark counters will be high maintenance, esp. with a dog .Have you considered a limed finish for the floors? That too can look modern, but won't show the dog hair as much. If you are going dark, consider cork or bamboo or even linoleum (the real stuff, not vinyl) with a mottled finish to hide dirt and streaks better. The finish is so dark it doesn't even look like wood, which can be a maintenance hassle in a busy kitchen.

If you do replace cabinets, I would redo all the flooring underneath too, just for max. flexibility later, or buy enough to do so when the time comes..

Are you near this?
IKEA Centennial
9800 E. IKEA Way
Centennial, CO 80112

If so, take a ride and compare what you can buy for 1700.00. My daughter installed the most beautiful, functional kitchen from Ikea.
Take the good advice offered…If you can't do cabs now, save up.

I love your subway tile choice! I suggest using all of your wall space that's available to you by just adjusting the upper cabinets by placing them at the top of the wall. That way you can add a shelf along the wall underneath that is at an easy reach for canisters and things that would take space on your counter. It's all that wasted space at the top, that gets to me. That's just collecting dust etc. Most of us have those nasty sofits that are full of pipes that we can't work around...This looks promising very promising! Have fun!

Ok, here's my nickel's worth. Lets start with the cheap stuff first. Paint: makes a big change for little $$. I'd use a grey beige, greige. Home depot has 'castle path', a good greige. While you're there, pick up a wood or bamboo shade for the window to break up all the smooth surfaces. You can hang it above the window to get some height. Would work on the door too. Knobs: sorry, I'm not diggin the ones you have. How about a dark antiqued bronze to pop off the white. Light: a pretty pendant light would be awesome. Get the kind where you can change the globe later. So far, you have invested about $100 with a lot of change. Put some large baskets above the counters to break up the severe line. Not too many tho, no clutter! If you want to wait on the countertops for a while (expensive)try Home Depots counter transformations kit (cheap). Then you'll know if you want light or dark. Floor: I have to agree with others, dark floors are a maintenance nightmare!! They show every hair and crumb. Go with something a little lighter and some graining. Accent color: stick with the accesories for your accent color (linens, utensils, a bowl, a rug) that way you can easily change the color.
I'm excited for you. I love remodeling and the kitchen is an important one. Take it slow! One thing at a time. Good luck.

Here's where my shelf suggestion came from: http://blog.urbangrace.com/2009/a-kitchen-intervention/

I appreciate the suggestions from everyone. At this point I have no idea what we're going to do. Someone mentioned Ikea, but that's a 4-hour drive. Even Home Depot is 1.5 hours, and Lowe's is 2.5. We also have a newborn, so things are a little busy.

I did like the idea of moving the cabinets higher on the wall, and adding a shelf underneath, but I'm worried an open shelf will end up looking cluttered. Anyone else have any thoughts on that?

I'm definitely rethinking the black floors, and will probably switch to a dark brown. We'd really like to do the floors now, because they're currently a very-stained carpet, and we're already redoing floors in the living room and hallway, which are connected via the kitchen.

I love DIY projects, and have been looking online trying to find a way I could modify the current cabinets without having to pay someone to reface or replace them. They are solid wood and very sturdy. I was considering adding a molding to the doors (to get the look in the attached photo), but the cabinets edges are mitered on all four sides, and I think that might complicate things. Routing a detail on the cabinets is another option I've considered (second photo).

We're not unhappy with the layout of the kitchen, which is why we're opting to squeeze the dishwasher in by the door. It will be tight, but we thought that would be better than spending a lot of money on all-new cabinets, which we'd need to do if we wanted the dishwasher elsewhere (or plumbing, if we put it in the island). (Someone mentioned white appliances, but the dishwasher is already purchased, so we're stuck with stainless.) That's the back door, so we were hoping it wouldn't be too inconvenient.

If anyone has DIY cabinet-fixing ideas, I'd love to hear them. I'll let you know when we decide what to do. We're okay with doing the kitchen in phases, but want to do the floors and the dishwasher ASAP. And adding the dishwasher means we'd need new counters, which means we need a backsplash, so that's the reason for the plan we had. Refacing the cabinets is something we could do in the future, I believe, without undoing any of the work done now.

you can reface yourself. Or go ahead and paint them. But those sound like a big project if you have a newborn to deal with. I think the dark exposed hinges are what's hurting you the most. If you paint the cabinets black, espresso or charcoal, then they won't show so much. Then you can go lighter on the counter, and in-between on the floors.