LED's are available in 3 "temperatures". They go from bright "blue-white" to a less intense warm white. The bulbs last a very long time and are not difficult to replace, though it will be years before they need to be. I've incorporated Led lighting into Kitchens, Baths and furniture pieces. Concealed in a cove these lights add ambient illumination and are inexpensive to run. For direct lighting LED's work well. Like many Kitchen designers, I usually use Halogen for task lighting and LED as accent. As far as your ceiling fan goes, once you raise the ceiling the overheating of your Kitchen may no longer be an issue. If you are unsure about this you can consider adding an exhaust fan built into the room. Another idea would be to take down the large microwave, install a hood, and replace the microwave with a smaller unit. Often the exhaust built-in to microwaves like yours simply recirculate the hot air and hence just waste electricity. In any case, your thought about turning the cabinets white is a good one. If they are dinged or dented, be sure that they are prepped well before painting. You can achieve a nice finish by painting and then glazing them too. Attached is a picture of a Kitchen which had LED and Halogen lighting. The other photo shows a built in wardrobe with LED's running across the top, behind louvered crown.

I have some updated photos of my kitchen. I'm still working on the rest of the house. I'm still trying to tie it all together, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I've also attached a pic of the fireplace we are thinking about for the back wall in between the windows. That door will be replaced also with a single patio door. What kind of light would look good in the center of this room with the fireplace? Also should I put a light over the front door?

I would go ceiling fan without lights and then well placed recessed cans for both task lighting and ambiance lighting. Believe it or not, people don't have to install recessed fixtures in the standard dice patterns of 4 or 5 in a square. Use the different sizes and trims to maximize your functional lighting while making your furniture look richer. We have a quick blog post that show our clients how to layout recessed lights that you will certainly benefit from. Have fun with the ceiling fan, and if you do choose one with a light be sure to wire the light and the fan controls on two different switches or have the remote control the fan while the light is controlled by the switch. This allows the wall switch to turn the light on or off, but the fan can run regardless of the lamp. The was a lengthy way of recommending small2-3" recessed cans with a gimbal trim to highlight wall art, and slightly larger 4" cans to highlight furniture pieces within the room. Don't worry, with the right lighting your guests will feel invited into the room; instead of checking out the dice layout of your task lighting.

I Love the entryway & flooring. I agree that character really sells a rental property. My family owns many. Ours are never empty & if someone moves they usually are referring the next tenant(friend) who loved their space. We always have a waiting list & never have to advertise. I strongly suggest working of rehabbing the one of a kind character elements you have. They will payoff by bringing in long term stable tenants. Cool spaces always sell. I actually like a Sputnik or a what about a star pendant that can go with any renters style decor.