I would be very tempted to paint the cabinets white and add nickel or brushed nickel handles. You've got so much space in the middle, you could do an island as well.

I would completely redo the kitchen. The kitchen would lend itself well to a u-shape counter as you have so much space. Run a counter from the outside door on the right to the center and add bar stools and a raised breakfast counter. Put a valance over the window with lights. Replace the black microwave with a matching white one and sell the black one on craigslist. Build a pantry cabinet around your icebox so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Change the two ugly ceiling lights with something more appropriate. If you want to keep the florescent then countersink it into the ceiling for a cleaner look.. You could make the cabinets out of African Mahogany as a dark color would be best, white or a light colored wood like maple would be too much light color and the room would lack depth and contrast.. You could make the window smaller as it looks way too large; perhaps a bay window if the location is suitable. The existing window goes all the way to the wall cabinets which just doesn't look right; shrink it! I attached a photo of a kitchen that I designed and built in Maple which shows a better style of cabinetry. Hope this helps.

I'd add contemporary brushed nickel or chrome hardware to the cabinets. Then I'd build an island which would be painted. A change in the lighting would make a huge difference, eliminating the current lighting and adding recessed lights and then a couple of large pendants over the island.

I can't tell what the countertop material is,but if it's laminate, I'd change it to a light quartz, and put butcher block of black granite on the island.