I'd definitely replace the cabinet doors.

what color walls look good with hickory cabinets

I'd be inclined to wait to redo the kitchen vs. take the time/spend the money to replace cabinet doors, paint cabinets, install a backsplash around cabinets, and add an island with some new type of cabinet, especially given the cabinets on the left side of the frig. wall are not ideal visually.

I am sorry but those are the most unusual doors I have ever seen. What is the story with this kitchen?

COnsider painting them and adding new hardware as long as the cabinets are in good shape. I personally find the cabinets really interesting. Cool cabinet hardware literally transforms cabinets completely. Choose a the hardware style base on your style (contemporary/deco, traditional etc.)

New hardware is a "go to " for me when remodeling kitchens.

The doors are way to busy with all the scattered raised panels. I would replace them with a plain panel that compliments the drawers so you do not have to change them. Then paint cream and add new contemporary hardware. It is also rather tight looking above the stove. I am not sure if there is a hood fan under that cabinet, but adding a hood fan with a cabinet exterior would open it up visually. Consider giving up the upper cabinets either side of the shorter ones so you can have a more robust hood fan

I dislike the cabinet doors as they are now, but would be really curious to see how one looked painted. I'd probably paint one or two, add new hardware to the painted ones, and then just replace all the cabinet doors if it still doesn't work. Maybe they'll look cool painted though, and that's a lot cheaper than replacing all the doors.

PS...For now, just paint the wall (backsplash) instead of glass, tile or whatever. The cabinets are busy graphic look so the simpler the better on the backsplash. There isn't a whole lot of backsplash anyway so a washable paint in a semi gloss may just be enough color. If you want a little protection behind the stove, a pretty fabric under a glass partition may be just enough.

I'd try staining the cabinets a darker mahogany or walnut shade to enhance the texture. Smooth solid color backsplash; glass counter for the island?

Is the lighting fluorescent or LED? Picking out new colors is easier if you change the lighting first.

I'm curious as to what is behind the wall where the fridge is located....there seem to be some nice big windows....could you remove that wall? I think your kitchen is so closed in that no matter what you do its still in a box with no view and little natural light which makes it less than appealing. I think you need to seriously consider all options before spending a bunch of money and still being unhappy with the end results. Forego the granite, move the plumbing.

Some companies still make those doors. They are high 1970s, but they are similar to late Victorian alternating panel wainscoting. There are houses here that have that sort of thing in vestibules and stairwells.

The cabinets were custom made in 1986 and are through-out the house. I have had hard time changing them since they are solid wood and so much better than those available today. I am attaching a picture of the one that are painted. I have considered replacing several of the door with glass doors.

Very midcentury modern. Beats a boring ordinary raised panel in oak! Your palette is very neutral, add some color or texture. It will look great!

I'm inclined to like them also - have so much interest. Paint them white but replace some of them with glass panels just to give a break.

Still thinking about updating the kitchen. Ideas I have are remove the wall where the sink is, remove peninsula on the left side of the room, replace the island with a larger one, flip the stove to the wall the fridge is on with double oven onto the same wall. I am anxious about spending so much money if it will not give us and updated look and function. I want to bring the family to me since I like to cook. Give me your advice.

I would paint in white, the same as you already have in bathroom

Or off-white

The doors are so interesting (and good quality) that there’s got to be some magic in working with them. They remind me of a Mondrian painting. I’d certainly replace some with glass, maybe remove some altogether and have open shelving in the right spot. Maybe paint them, at most.

I sort of like the cabinets ...it has a modern feel and would paint them white ! You have too many different colors all around ..the white would make it look clean and interesting . Don't get rid of them .....!

Thanks for the input. The cabinets are solid wood and there custom made when the house was built. I will be replacing the cooktop and add a vent-a-hood to break up the cabinets and have considered changing a few of the doors to glass. Thoughts??

While these doors are "different", they are also very good quality. Try to save them.
What really bothers me about your kitchen is that the colors (other than the cabinets) are boring. Houzzers have submitted ideas with the cabinets painted white, and the doors are still unique and interesting.
Maybe you should consider white or another color you would like for the cabinetry and spend some money on a fine quality professional paint job for the cabinetry.
Make a plan first: replacing the counters, the sink, and selecting a new wall color will be part of the plan. Because the cabinet fronts are not plain, your counters should probably be a solid Quartz or other non-patterned material. The backsplash should be/could be the same as the counter. This is not a kitchen for a fancy-shape backsplash. The cabinetry is the star and all other finishes are the supporting cast.
If you choose to remove walls and rearrange your appliances, you need to consider how your cabinets will fit into the new plan. If your current kitchen floor plan does not work for you and your family, you may just end up gutting the kitchen to start over. In that case, you might offer to sell all of your quality cabinetry to someone who will build a new kitchen around them.

Since the cabinets are excellent quality & were designed as a highlight thru out the house, I’d keep them and paint them. If you like the countertops, I’d select a paint color for the cabinets that worked well with the countertops and then use a softer shade for the walls. Since the cabinet faces are so busy, I’d remove all the decorative platters & stuff. Note the kitchen picture someone posted has the same above cabinet space with nothing on it. Looks much better. I think the stove wall would be improved by removing the cabinets above the stove and putting a pretty hood there instead — it would help that area breathe and would be much more attractive than a solid wall of cabinets. If possible, I would add some striking modern & simple pendant lights above the island. Note those in the picture posted.

What's the space between wall cabinets and countertop? It looks low.

It's supposed to be 18".

Imo, the doors are too busy for the space. I would replace & get taller cabinets with crown to ceiling. It will give an extra shelf per cabinet, make the room appear taller, a less busy door style will also make the room feel bigger.

The existing doors could be reused in another room like the garage.

If you love the vintage doors, The doors maybe able to use as an accent wall by hanging side by side. Note, they also need to be dusted more.

Not a Pro.

I love them! I love the design.

While painting them out may be what you want to do.

After seeing your bathroom, I would be inclined to stain them a great wood color with those counter tops.

The cabinets are very unique, but too contemporary compared to the dining chairs, so I would unify them depending on your style - either mid-century furniture or change the cabinets or doors. The style looks busy and close in because there are so many and dark, so perhaps removing some of the uppers, such as over the stove and each cabinet on both sides of it. Add a new modern hood. and perhaps a couple of chunky floating shelves on either side, then painting the others a soft lighter color. Seems like you could open up the wall where the sink is - making a large island there - move the oven to the same wall where the pantry cabinet is. That pantry cabinet looks really bulky, so I might try to put the fridge there move the upper over it to mount flush with the fridge and put the ovens where the fridge currently is. I agree with someone else - remove the small island sink completely - cover it with quartz countertops.

One commenter said that the doors are solid wood; remove the doors and hinges, fill in holes, paint, turn the doors back-to-front, re-hang them. Unless you are very handy I would suggest a professional do the painting. The stone countertops appear to be in good condition, keep them and change the island's counter to something similar.

I liked the idea from another commenter about opening up the space above the stove and adding a large hood.

Good luck.

I’m not a pro. Think the white or even off-white will be too “stark”...maybe stark isn’t the right word...just too much something. I do like the very pale gray color...think that little bit of color helps offset all the busy-ness of the design.

2015 post. What did you end up doing?

I am still undecided. The kitchen is one of 3 projects— kitchen, master bath and flooring throughout the house. I have also been looking for a new house since I am overwhelmed with all of the projects and the expense. Our MB has become the 1st project since it has some plumbing demands.

Considering Carrera Mari quartz countertops, porcelain tile shower wall and floor. We are putting in new cabinets which will add 4 inches in height, drawers rather than shelves, tile shower, tub everything.

Will this look be too contemporary for a traditional house? Drop in tub verses freestanding.

If you are looking for a new place, don't do anything to the existing house. Put it on the market as is, and let the next buyer do the renos. What you do may not be to the new owners taste and you have wasted $$.

I actually really like those cabinets... you could save bundles by working with them rather than replacing. Have they grown on you at all in the last couple years? But if you do replace, uninstall carefully and sell/donate to an architectural salvage place rather than irresponsibly and wastefully destroy with a sledgehammer HGTV style because they are awesome and high quality and surely someone would love to have them.

If this were my kitchen, I would go one of two routes:

- Stain cabinets a bit darker, paint walls white, replace beige stone countertops with something predominantly white with gray tones and gentle patterns like marble, quartzite, or marble-look quartz, or plain white quartz. I think with the cabinet door style, you need a subtler look to the countertop - granites might be too coarse and busy. Replace the square tile backsplash with white or pale gray subway tile (does varied length subway tile exist? Set vertically, maybe, for a subtle tie-in with the cabinet paneling... just a thought).

~or~

- Paint cabinets white, paint walls white, replace countertops with something dark and serene like soapstone or that solid black variety of granite, or dark quartz. Do the same as above with the backsplash, or continue the stone for the backsplash (would look cool, might be a bit dark though). In this case I'd keep the butcher block on the island to counteract the white/gray/black with some warmth.

Either way, I think the key to working with these cabinets (if you ultimately keep them) is to not have other aspects of the kitchen compete and clash with them.

edit: if you end up selling, don't try to do anything with the kitchen - it's a good, functional kitchen as it is, and trying to predict the buyer's taste is usually a bad gamble.