Since you have black countertops, I wouldn't go with black. A cream/off white paint would look nice with a backsplash. Adding hardware to the knobs will help complete the look too! Good luck....

[houzz=]

You just need some decorating. Change the door handles to something more dramatic if you must but don't paint the cabinets. With nice curtains and more colorful paint you might just like what you have.

Add crown molding to the top of the cabinets and add darker rugs on the floor to balance out the dark counter tops. A roman fabric blind would be great here! Remove the light fixture and add pendants.

If you are welling to sink money and time you can remove the insides of the cabinet doors and replace them with glass if you do something like this I would have a carpenter or some one of that nature to do it

We are replacing the lighting with three pendant lights and we want a backsplash but if we were to keep these cupboards this color...what color paint would you do? What color backsplash? I like modern (hence the original plan to go black) and this doesnt scream modern.......

You have nice maple cabinets,just need simple decorating to warm this place up..If you have it in the budget I would do a backsplash. Please change the builder beige colour on the walls..that will give it an instant fresh look..
I have attached an example of a back splash that would do nicely with the flooring, cabinetry and your black counters..nice colour in the tile to choose a nice paint colour for the walls..Good Luck in your new home..

Go the "browse rooms" section and choose "kitchens". Then in the search box type Maple cabinets. You'll see thousands of photos and see what you like. Look at the lighting, paint colors etc.. Then do something similiar.

White cabinets with a bit of an antique finish can really add a great finish without adding to much cost.

I would add 3" crown moulding to the tops of the cabinets and a light skirt to the bottoms, plus under cabinet lighting if it doesn't already have it. Then add end panels to the cabinets and island. End panels are just doors added to the end of the cabinet and around the exterior of the island. You can buy doors online at Scherr's, many others. It will make a multitude of difference. It sounds hard but is in fact easy. I have light maple cabinets in natural and you can wax them with a staining wax. It will make them feel really smooth and give them a darker patina color. Takes some elbow grease. Here is a brand name for you: Flag Classic Wax, comes in colors, I have used the dark pine. This comment is for: Kitchen Dilemma I hate our cupboards.

Okay, you said that you hate your cabinets. It's your house and you should do what you want. That said, I like the cabinets and countertop combination. I'd work with them for the time being, finish decorating, and live with them for a while before you break out the paint. Just my two cents.

Your kitchen is fabulous; you can do so much with this on a budget. I've created an image for you to work with. Sorry you didn't indicate a color for your walls, so I've incorporated this beautiful Sherwin William wall color (SW2801 Rockwood Dark Red), along with a few added touches. Burgundy Kitchen Curtains-Linens N Things (Eden), Ceiling fan-lampsplus.com and black tiles as a backsplash. I think your cabinets are fine. Just decorate around them... Enjoy your new home!!!! HOUZZ...Digital Imaging by Tina.

I have the same cabinets and felt the same as you do. The first thing I did was paint the walls around them a rich color - and I had more than one person come back to my house and exclaim 'Wow! You remodeled your kitchen!' I continued on with new hardware, a new light fixture, a valance and new floors (we had linoleum and put in tile). Although it wasn't what I would have chosen if I were starting from scratch, once I made all of these changes I was happy for the next eight years until I was given the choice! Good luck, and have fun with it!

Thank you all for the replies!! I am going to try to make it work with the current cupboards for now

Hi Danielle!
I understand that your kitchen is just not exactly your style, but I worry that black cabinets with a black counter would just be too dark. Gray, on the other hand, would be beautiful, not too dark, and more modern. Just an idea. You could also think about doing two toned cabinetry, one color on the lower cabinets, one on the uppers. As for the backsplash, you can definitely add modernity to your kitchen with the right kind of tile. Long, linear shapes are very modern and would give you think kind of look you want to achieve. You could do a stainless steel tile, it would be very contemporary and would work with your cabinets the way they are now. You could also do a modern mosaic that incorporates stainless steel and a neutral, like gray or white. The wall colors need to be cleaner looking also. A light aqua blue would look more modern and go well with your existing cabinets. Just some more ideas for you, hope this helps!

Those cabinets look new, if we were working together, I would recommend adding a crown and painting them a mid tone grey, charcoal, taupe or white (to minimize contrast with the appliances). I agree that the black coutertops may not be optimal with black cabinets. And of course swapping that light for pendants is the way to go, too. Good luck! Looks like a functional kitchen in good shape so it's all just icing.

If you search on houzz for "maple cabinets black counter contemporary kitchen" I think you will find some really nice things that will work with the current cabinets. You can change the hardware to something more contemporary. The common theme of those photos is that everything else is very bright and sleek - a lot of greys and whites. I would not paint the walls a dark or bold color.

I am hoping I did not confuse the situation on the colour of the cabinets..My intention was just the suggestion for the back splash not the cabinet colour..My details indicate leaving the cabinets as is an co-ordinating a complimentary back splash to work with the existing cabinets..My apologies if I confused the situation..Please refer to my previous post..Thanks..

Yes to all who suggest a new backslash and paint. I also do not like maple but changing them is costly for a new home buyer. I have the white cabinets i want but I need to change the ugly green tile to a bright blue quartz.

Hello Danielle, I like the suggestion of changing the light over the island to pendants. Also, they sell can converters at Lowes; you can then change the can light over the sink as well to a pendent. I nice valance over the window will add more to the design. The back splash, don't go with a neutral tile like Travertine marble, it will get lost in the blonde maple cabinets. I nice blue/gray crushed glass tile or gray/blue/white pearl mosaics would go well with the counter top. Reminder: make sure you think ahead, don't commit to a tile and then change the color of the cabinets. You might end up doing the tile again.

If you decide to do something with the cabinets, I suggest glazing the perimeter cabinets and sealing them with a brown tint. I would paint the island black, red, blue, green or whatever color; but rub off the edges to allow the maple through. Also, add a crown and light rail. I suggest looking into lights under the cabinets once the light rail is installed. This all can be done relatively cheap and will change the look of the cabinets....the main point of this paragraph is, you are not stuck with just plain blonde cabinets.

Good luck with your project!

My kitchen is large so the bright blue/white combo can work well. I may tone down the paint though since the counters will be bold. now I have blue all over my house. pale blue then a matching pale green. I pulled it together with a waverly blue , green, white and yellow valance.

Painting them White would look alot better. I would also recommend a Shutter in the window.

http://www.blindsdirectcanada.com/shutters-toronto/pvc-polysatin-shutters.html

I tend to agree with the first comment that was shared. The wall color is doing nothing to help these cabinets. First paint the walls a color that is complementary to the cabinets. It's the easiest of the tasks that are left to complete, and with this done you can make a more informed decision as to what color your backsplash should be. With the right color palate, these cabinets will look great. I would also recommend finding a suitable crown molding to add more mass to the wall cabinets.

Hope this glass tile for backsplash helps you and gives you some ideas!