Well, getting rid of the husband would be your biggest update. :) His restrictions are really boxing you in. Your orange cabinets and orange floor are a pretty powerful statement that you're not going to be able to overcome without changing one or the other. I'd vote for gel staining the cabinets dark (you'd need a new countertop with this), or painting them cream. They'd look fabulous in a cream with that floor and your dark counters.

The only other suggestion within his restrictions would be to eliminate the fluorescent box light and ceiling fan in favor of a semiflush mount fixture and couple of pretty mini pendants. You could try a pretty sagey green on the walls, but since there are so few of them, that won't do much. You could try painting the ceiling the same color as the walls for a great deal more impact. Get a stainless fridge with ice and filtered water and get rid of the industrial looking water cooler. If you can't do that just yet, switch to a filter pitcher for your fridge.

Is updating your husband an option? lol

Replacing the ceiling fan with a pendant would actaully probably make it look less crowded. Although in the pic, the ceiling fan doesn't appear centered over the peninsula. If you go with a pendant, I think it would need to be centered. Replacing the dated light in the kitchen would be an improvement, as well as the one over the sink (maybe with a pendant matching the one over the peninsula?).

I'm not a fan of the coloring of the flooring with the countertop with the backsplash. Maybe just a new backsplash to tie the flooring and countertop together? Otherwise, new countertops and backsplash (maybe something lighter for the countertop since the kitchen looks a little small and dark) would help. But I'm also not an advocate of putting new countertops on cabinets if you aren't happy with the cabinets. So tough call. Updating appliances would help too. Can't really get a feel for your knobs based on the pic.

Good luck to you!

one thing males who resist painting wood will agree to is bleaching it slightly. You can do this by adding some white on top, instead of bleaching (a dangerous chemical process). After a while you do this a few times and it becomes whiter and whiter, while he still gets the kick of seeing the grain and seeing the wood. Both of you get to see the part you like to see. Painting the wood completely means he has to give up seeing the wood surface and look at paint instead. I think you might not be happy with that result either, but you are also frustrated that nothing is changing or improving.

After lightening the wood effect, it may satisfy you. I don't see the need to change anything significant (i think you have a very good kitchen). Is the countertop (under wall cabinet) lighting sufficiently strong? They make high quality white color fluorescent tube bulbs now. It might cost a hundred or two, to get new slim tubes, and that alone will make a big change.

Without seeing the whole space I don't know what overhead lighting makes more sense for the space. A fan is a good "tool" although admittedly it appears dated. You can also bleach the wood blades so that they are halfway between white and ash (wood) color.

Lightening up the wood color by hiding it under a bit of white or offwhite or yellow can help you feel you are making some progress, instead of "suffering" with the same old same old for years and years. After a while he may agree to a few more changes. I'm impressed at your well maintained historic kitchen from the last century. It could be a selling feature. Hth.

I honestly would not bother. Change to the counter and the backsplash could be thousands of dollars. It is the cabinets that make the space look dated. That said, for a dated kitchen, it is in really great shape. Is your husband against a new kitchen reno at some point? I would wait and use the money toward a new kitchen.

that IS a very nice kitchen. i think your floor is beautiful.

okay, maybe not what you wanted to hear. ;)

i have to laugh, because my NEW kitchen is going to be almost a mini-version of your layout.

your pendant light and new hardware are good ideas.

maybe a new backsplash? can't really tell what's there.

are you sure dh won't agree to paint? that IS what is really holding your kitchen back.

take a look at opusa33's beautiful white kitchen with mexican tile.

Here is a link that might be useful: Robert & Monique's (opusa33) Finished Kitchen

I like the floor. How would your husband feel about painting the wooden frame of the light fixture white and getting some new inserts for it? That, and getting rid of the ceiling fan would help.

I think dark hardware (such as ORB) would update things a bit, and I don't think the wallcolor is really doing the cabinets or floor any big favors--I would pick something that is an actually color, Not in the yellow orange family. It's all too close to everything else in there. I would suggest something that coordinated with the countertops. I also think you could use some fabric or color at the windows.

If you could retile the backsplash yourself that would be great too. Maybe something that again coordinated with the countertops. It kinda looks pink with the cabinets and wallcolor.

I am kinda with your husband on this one, mostly because everything is in such good condition. Its an older style, but I would rather walk into a older style kitchen in great shape than something that has had a bandaid fixup that is not so great. I dunno, you may have *really good* painting skills, but a lot of people don't, and I have seen some nice but old cabinets loused up with a bad paint job.

I really like your kitchen! It's warm & inviting & certainly in great shape. I agree with palimpsest on this one. Painting the lightbox would keep the functionality but draw less attention to it. New light to replace ceiling fixture and new backsplash would help. A change in wall color could be nice, too, though the current one isn't bad, IMO. Maybe an aqua shade? Is DH against paint entirely, or just against doing it himself? Could you paint the walls? Much, much easier than painting cabinets.

*ceiling fixture in my last post was supposed to be ceiling fan

I love the floor and the cabs don't look so bad either, although I can't really judge their utility. I wouldn't even think of repainting/restaining them just because that shade of oak is "currently unfashionable". I would add some blue though. Blue is the complement of orange, and bluer countertops, backsplash, and/or walls would definitely tone down the orange.

I'd change the light fixtures/fan if it would improve the overall lighting. But better colour combinations would make the biggest overall impact.

I like the floors too. Maybe you should just embrace them and work with them? Maybe work in some beautiful fabric that has a Mexican flair as window treatments for that wonderful window at the end of the room and use the colors in that to inspire some other minor changes - hardware, lighting, etc.?

I agree with the painting and light-changing ideas. And I like the floors too. Changing your ceiling (the light box, the fan, the color) would make a big difference in here.

Do you need the fan? I'm guessing from the fan and the tile floor that you live in a hotter climate, so losing the fan might not be your best solution, but you can answer that question better than I can. I think a pendant could look lovely, depending of course on the pendant. If you want a fan you have two options: (1) update to a better-looking fan, or (2) rewire so you can move the fan back into whatever the room is that you were standing in when you took this photo, and update it to a better looking fan. Option (2) would let you have a pendant over the peninsula.

Do you have a theme or feel in mind for how you want your kitchen to be? You may want to start putting together an "idea book" (on your computer and/or with magazine clippings) that collects a bunch of pendants that you like and a bunch of rooms whose colors you like. Come up with a combination of pendant style/color and paint color (and fan style/color, if you want a fan) that you like, and then move forward.

If it were my kitchen I would play off the Mexican tile floor--that's a cool feature that doesn't look dated or 80s at all. I would try to make the whole kitchen look a bit tropical or southwestern. So that would mean colors on the walls and trim and colorful accessories (bar stool cushions, dish towels, gadgets etc.).

A few random suggestions... southwestern/Mexican/Spanish/tropical color schemes (gold, blue, green, red):

http://www.tierrayfuego.com/MexicanTile/ClassicDesignsTalaveraTile/TTCPage/10147_talavera_ceramic_tile.htm

http://www.templerinteriors.com/What_We%27ve_Done/Kitchens/Kitchen_10.htm (click on #5 below the picture)

http://room-galleries.myhomeideas.com/pictures/kitchens/all/oranges/index.html?No=0amp;N=0+770+956&view=gallery&sp=topRated

And don't forget the fluorescent light box! That really dates the look and it's also not pretty in and of itself. My mom recently redid her kitchen, replacing a flat ceiling and fluo light box with an oval tray ceiling and a pretty oval flushmount overhead light. It looks infinitely better.

Also, I think replacing your barstools could make a big difference too. That's obviously your easiest and cheapest fix. But again, put together your idea book first--try and come up with an overall theme or feel, so that you don't end up with great barstools that don't look right with the great pendant, etc.

I'm with the don't bother camp. With those floors and cabinets, nothing you do is going to distract from the two elephants in the room. Save your money.

Thank you for all the very useful advise. As far as pendants over the peninsula. Would one or two look best after the ceiling fan is gone? And if I take out the flouresent light box is there anything that would look good up there inside the recessed part of the ceiling? I thought I saw a picture somewhere that someone put some sort of light track inside of it.

Others said what I was going to say. I would try to recess the refrigerator. Husbands can be stubborn. Can you bribe him with food or something.

I agree with others that changing the fluorescent light out and adding pendants or swapping out the fan for something different would help a lot. I also think changing the paint color significantly will make things look a lot fresher and make you happier. None of those projects would break the bank yet the potential for increased happiness is significant.

I believe you can add track lighting in the existing light box, but so much will depend on your exact set-up it is hard to say for sure.

Painting the trim in the room white to match the adjoining room and changing the wall color would help. You have a nice kitchen and I really like the floors, it just needs a little livening up.

My initial thought when I saw your kitchen was that you were kidding but I see how the wood could get to you after a while. I think you and your DH need to invest in a little deeper communication so y'all know where each other is coming from. Looks like your cabinets have a high gloss finish and that may be difficult to cover with a paint job that won't look really crappy. Unless you do a great job, you will have brush streaks since it will take several coats. It will also have a tendency to chip and peel off the polyurethane finish. I would agree with one response suggesting that you try doing a whitewash or pickling. That would be some kind of wipe on/wipe off to lighten the areas where there are pores in the current finish...mostly in the grain of the wood. I personally would check the backs of your cabinet doors to see if the panels can be removed and replaced with glass. Just doing a few doors in glass might go a long way to giving you a more modern feel. There are soooo many options for clear and paterned glass out there! I really like the backsplash by the way. It's a good contrast from your granite and I think it looks very ageless. You have to like your kitchen or you will be unhappy with it every time you see it but from the outside looking in.....it does look very nice as-is.

Do the lights for sure. I like the floor and the cabinets are kinda nice--I love how the valance has the swoosh of the cabinets. It does look like the kitchen was well-planned.

Some more color somewhere would be nice. The pink in the flowers is surprisingly good with it. And a big rug in the middle of the floor would not be bad at all.

When you say husband won't paint, does that mean YOU aren't allowed to paint?

Thank you johnorange - you made me feel a little better.
fori - I meant my husband won't paint the cabinets but I'm sure I can convince him to paint the walls once I figure out what color would look good. Could anyone give me an idea of what mini pendants would look good over the peninsula? The ceiling fan is going.

Oh alright. That makes sense. :) You may keep him.

IMO for your lighting get rid of the frame on the ceiling, the fluorescent light and the ceiling fan and have the recessed area made to be flat with the rest of the ceiling. Put in recessed lighting and no pendants. What does the rest of this room look like? Is there a table with a hanging light in the kitchen?

The rest of the room is a fairly large eating area with a long table with a hanging light over it and a hutch.

Part of it is this

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

My eye is drawn to the big long window in the back. Maybe get a really nice woven wood blind and a long runner type rug to better tie together the colors. My Mom has the same style cabinets and she painted the walls a pale sage green and its lovely. Before that, she had a peach tone which was nice too. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Woven wood blind

I recommend an almost-turquoise blue color for accents. You need a counterpoint.

Great challenge.

Here is what I would do if that were my kitchen I had the constraints you have:

Keep floors, cabinets, and counter. Maybe backsplash.

Paint walls this color in the link below:

Use these pendants:
Sorry I can't remember how to embed the image--

www.rejuvenation.com/graphics/products/huge/Z018764.png

Just some ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: paint color