Kitchen possibilities; you could add recess lighting and remove the ceiling fan, change out the cabinet hardware. Remove the wall paper. New counter tops, and a coordinating back splash would be helpful. It also looks big enough to add a fun island to give it a modern feel. Lots of luck with your new house.

Oh, that wall paper and the pig will be the first things to go, for sure, with the ceiling fan not far behind! The pics are a bit deceiving as the kitchen is not as big as it looks. Also, there are more cabinets and the fridge to the right of the first pic. We do have a really nice buffet thing in our current house that works well as an island, so that's an option. I like the idea of different countertops, maybe something dark to go with the dark appliances?

I would change the door pulls/handles to something a bit more modern to help update the cabinets. The little wood valance also dates the kitchen so if you can remove it easily I would do that as well (the green little valance ruffle should go as well).

I agree with removing the wallpaper boarder, switching out the fan for a light (if you're in a warm climate and need a fan, find a white modern version so it blends with the ceiling).

I would consider painting the kitchen/office area a light grey as the cool tone will work well with the warm oak and be neutral enough to work with your bright office furniture.

I don't mind the white counters but I really don't like the 4" laminate backsplash. Kitchens look more modern if the tile backsplash goes all the way to the counter. If you can remove it with damaging the rest of the counter you could try that or if they're in rough shape replace with another laminate until you can afford to redo your kitchen. You can pick up subway tile fairly cheap for the backsplash in white or in a colour and that'll help modernize the space a bit but still work with the cabinets.

Hope some of that helps!

Looking again a darker counter could help to tie your dark appliances in better to the kitchen. Then white subway tile would look really fresh in the space instead of a wash of white.

I hadn't even noticed that crazy wavy, wooden valance! Eek. That'll hopefully be easy to remove, and may be replaced with a pot rack. All of the curtain dressings will be removed, too. Maybe a roman shade for the kitchen?

I also don't like the laminate backsplash. What about a beadboard backsplash? Can that go over the laminate?

I would not add a layer to the backsplash. Remove the current backsplash before installing something new. Definitely remove the wallpaper border. Here's a curtain option for the dining/office area: Teal Curtain Panels

I know nothing about backsplashes . . . .guess I should start reading up ;)

I love those curtains, and I could totally DIY them! Thanks for the suggestion.

As the British would say, "hear hear"!

Congrats on the new house.

• remove wallpaper and valance over window

• change light above sink with a pendant light

• 

  countertop in soapstone or a gray granite or a grey recycled quartzite

  • backsplash in green glass
  • paint walls in a light green such as BM agave
  • replace appliances as they die in Stainless Steel
  • change fan, either replace with light or with updated fan with no hanging pulls
  • change hardware to stainless Steel in an updated shape

Good point, jhmarie. I don't actually hate the cabinets, I like that they are wood. I guess I was having a failure of imagination on how to spruce up the rest of the kitchen, given that 95% of the kitchen remodel pics have painted cabinets. I'm liking all of the ideas you all have been sharing, and now I can't wait for June to get here so I can get started!
I just remembered that we have this light fixture that might work in the kitchen.

Should I try to do something with the flooring?

I think that the countertops, border and flooring date the room more than the cabinets. I think the cabinets would look totally different if you change those things, as well as the hardware others have suggested. Maybe it would be easier to repaint your office furniture to something more neutral. Then you don't have to be limited to those colors.

Hi. Called eclectic terra cotta so nice that it might just work.

This intrigued me - you? :) http://www.lampsplus.com/products/seville-giclee-36-inch-wide-repositionable-ceiling-medallion__y6576.html

I had similar cabinets and installed a grey-green 'stone' laminate that looked nice. So greens are good.

I posted that tile as option if you go with grey-ish, and accent of turquoise and blue. Tile wouldn't seem good with very dark floor though.

Maybe organic shapes and slightly muted tones.

Your lighting has several bulbs? Seems ok. You think?

in an older kitchen i'd make a plea for the wavy valance. but its the wrong look with the cathedral panel doors, 10 years out for the doors, 20 years out for the valance. get thee gone, valance.

yes, i can see the photo is really stretched giving an illusion of space. was this from the real estate listing? shame shame on listings that stretch photos to make space look 25% larger. love the oval clock.....

If it were me, I'd splurge on backsplash and leave the flooring - if it's still in good shape.. neutral. In kitchens of course there are so many cabinets, that what's up against them should complement well. I guess I realize that the white tile is too stark?

Are you wanting to extend the countertop for barstools? If so, replace it. Otherwise, live in the house a while before you change it. I would replace the ceiling fan with a low profile ceiling hugger one in white if you need it. I think they're around $30-40 at Lowes.

Yes, nnigrt, the first two pics are from the real estate listing and the pictures are definitely stretched, and the light is filtered to make it have that "look."

The counters at that little peninsula are REALLY narrow . . . . maybe 18 inches. I'd like to extend it for barstools, we'll see.

Thanks for all of the ideas so far!

Hey, how'd it go?

Hey, thanks for asking! I ended up painting the walls a rich blue and changing out the light fixture. In the eat in kitchen, I'm planning on painting that grey. I'll upload a pic later as my tablet is taking really terrible pics! ;) I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The more I looked at the wall color, the more I realized it had a peach hue to it, which didn't look good with the oak at all! I do want to do something about the backsplash since that's sort of peachish, too. But that'll have to wait until we have more funds!

Hey, I'm just brainstorming, that if you wanted to keep blue throughout for unity in open space, and change your dining set, Annie Sloan paint 'they say' is great/ easy. A soft driftwood grey could contrast a bit.

Agree with most advice -- might consider a light gray tile for the floor in 12x24 style, which would be a great update along with nickel pulls. Should be easy to tie the oak cabinets and the floor into a number of counter types after that (lots of granites, say, with those tones, or laminates that mimic them). Tan is another way to go, but again, large.

(ignore the backsplash on that one and imagine cream or white instead!!)