I would not glaze anything. It's on it's way out, and your white looks great as is. The white appliances also look great with the white cabinets. I would leave them. Besides, with that island there, I don't think you can even get the refrigerator out of it's hole. That island really crowds your working space and looks like it was added after the fact without checking for proper clearances. Painting it might help it to appear visually smaller, but I fear you will have functionality issues with it at it's current size. I would not want to add any focal point lighting above it until I had lived with things for a while. The in your way barrier island would drive me absolutely crazy and I'd want to get rid of it in favor of a smaller mobile cart, maybe with a butcher block top.

the backsplash is splendid...it is a little mocha but it works-the curtain swags and floor play off that.I would not glaze or paint the cabs. I would change the cabinet knobs/handles. More stylish or bigger or something..the handles have 3 in centers I assume-It just feels like some more statement hardware is needed and that would "finish" it off. Any changes in appliances would be dictated by "need" if it were my space.The seating area could use a few touches-area rug/table runner/cloth and do something more bold to the hutch if it's staying there.The curtain rods with the swags should be raised,giving a better scale to all that around the windows.[I would have picked a color for the blinds-oh well]Bottom line-I would not glaze any upper cabinets-too 80's again-the paint job looks so good.The island corner columns could be darkened perhaps-skillfully.It's a very fresh/pretty kitchen...really like it.

Thanks for the response. I wondered how many would say to leave the creamy color without the glaze. I am just worried it needs a bit of depth...some umph of sorts. The island is not fixed to the floor. It can be moved when the appliances are replaced. I just measured to see and there is 33" of clearance counter to counter. I have never noticed it being squishy. Hmmm. We really loved the island and we actually use the workspace a ton!

On another note, I apologize for the size of my pics. I'll work on reducing them for any future posts.

I'd enjoy having it as is. I don't think the glazing would be an improvement nor would throwing out the appliances just because they are not stainless. When the fridge is not as functional, I'd change it out to a white one with nicer handles or stainless, but I'd keep the other appliances white.
Your bs is not my fave kind, but it looks absolutely well installed and functional. I'd see about adding a plate, picture or some sort of deco feature in the niche if you want to break up the look.
If you want to dress it up more, I'd turn the knobs into pulls that match the others.
If your kitchen were posted without the commentary, people would be congratulating you on your new kitchen!

You don't want to paint the island or the lowers chocolate brown with that beautiful dark brown floor. Too matchy matchy and the impact of both would be diminished. The contrast you have now really shines.

I too think the white appliances look good and totally appropriate.

I hate glaze with a passion so my opinion on that question isn't worth much to you.

I like your backsplash but I can also see why you'd want to change it. There is a pinkish tone to it. Just don't do "creamy white subways". That would be too much white and too boring in my opinion.

All in all I'm not seeing much I'd want to change in your kitchen. I think it looks great! Consider yourself lucky that your old golden oak cabinets had such nice features.

42"-48" is the recommended aisle spacing. 36" is the code minimum.

I think your kitchen looks great. I like stainless but your appliances looks good with your cabinets. Don't change them unless there is a problem with them. They look fine.

I also like your backsplash and granite. The only thing I think your kitchen needs is a little color.

Do you have a before picture?

Can someone use Photoshop to give the backsplash a dark grout to replace the light one? You need some spots of dark higher on the walls. You might want some dark items above the cabinets: flower pots, casseroles, something. Put dark brown bottles on the two ends of the wine rack. Yes, a dark-trimmed fixture will help add some interest that the can lights don't give you.

Appliances are appropriate for today and for the current design. Wait a few years to spend on this kitchen--you will enjoy the changes much more and you won't feel the room is aging. Put your money into an escrow account so that you won't be cashless when you finally start to spend.

Your surrounding room seems to be white also. Is there a way to introduce some kind of transition color between the two rooms so that there is a specialness to the whiteness of the kitchen instead of a sameness?

Consider changing out the blinds to match the backsplash.

Your kitchen looks lovely. Maybe a cleaner less rustic looking ceramic tile would give you the look you are after.

Well how do you like that- the overwhelming majority says its lovely as is and I agree. Seriously I would be delighted with it. Very classic, warm and elegant.
I do think it might be interesting to see the grout with a darkened color. I know when I was planning my backsplash, the sample boards from the tile store were on a black background. I didn't realize till it was all done, that of course we went with the light grout, but that the darker grout might have really added some ooph. ( I have left it alone and am pleased, but when someone just suggested that I thought it was worth pursuing. especially in photoshop world).

I'm voting with everyone else who said don't glaze the cabinets and DO leave the white appliances. Stainless steel would break up the cohesiveness and flow -- it would stand out far too much.

Great redo!

I would have taken all these pictures to be the "after" ones. You have done a great job -- just needs a little fine-tuning, I agree. Like paint color & swags in adjoining area, possibly hardware change & bringing in some color touches. I'm not a fan of the swag style, but everything else is nice.

Your island will not cause problems if you decide to replace your refrigerator. We installed a "barrier island" as part of our total kitchen remodel in September and did not replace the frig until two months later. The installers simply removed the doors and it went in without incident. Our clearance is 32-33 inches at most. (And we love this island and are happy our butcherblock cart has been retired to a closet.)

I think your kitchen looks great as it is. My only tweak would be to install glass shelving so that your pretty stemware can take advantage of your in-cab lighting.

Thanks so much for all the reassuring responses!

Pages turned- I was thinking the same thing with replacing the shelves with glass in the hutch. :) maybe add some pieces with color in there

I am going to look at a round table today but if it doesn't work I have found a nice bench at Ballard I can use with the table for extra seating. Once I finalize the table I plan to add a rug.

I mocked up the lights above the island & hated it! I still feel like it needs more light though. Any suggestions? I was thinking above cabinet lighting.

I got a sample of BM Rustic Taupe to try. There is so little wall space to paint but I think a bit darker taupe color may help the cabinets pop. Feedback please.....other wall color suggestions?

Great suggestion to darken the grout! I actually read online about using stain on travertine to darken it. I will have to try that out on some samples before I could commit to possibly making that situation worse.

I'll try to post pics of the rustic taupe sample on the wall...and any others suggested. At some point this year we plan to paint the family room & entry hall maybe BM Texas leather or Cabot Trail. They are both two stories tall so we are hoping to choose a warmer color than what's there. At any rate, I was thinking rustic taupe would compliment either of those choices for the adjoining rooms yet add a pop of interest.

Thanks for the suggestions & please let me know what you think for wall paint & extra lighting. :)