No you don't have to stay with cherrywood! White cabinets are timeless, but what I really like (and wish I had done) is the two-tone cabinets, maybe you'll like something like this: [houzz=]
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Can You do a white kitchen and use the same panel doors as the built ins? That would make it more cohesive and brighten up the space. You already have a lot of wood going on there.

Liz,
What is it about your kitchen that you don't like? How extensive a re-design were you considering?
Changing cabinetry? Layout? Appliances? Or is it a color thing?
I bit more info would be a help.

I would love to see an "all white" kitchen here. Let the built-in steal the show! You have a cream/white palette that would do well when extended into your kitchen. That wall is so beautiful that it doesn't need to be "complimented".

White or cherry are timeless so just go with what u feel there is no rule in keeping cabinet colors the same from room to room

But please remove the soffits

I'm interested in updating my kitchen for two reasons. First, all of the cabinets/look is from 1988. I see myself staying in this house for at least another five years, so, second reason, I would like to do some upgrades now and enjoy them rather than waiting for when I would be putting the house up for sale! I like the idea of getting white cabinets, removing the soffits and enlarging the island. I believe I would also buy a new kitchen table and chairs - something smaller and not the dark wood. Perhaps, white cabinets up to the ceiling, enlarging the island with the base being cherrywood and then where I currently have a desk with an upper cabinet - changing that into a one piece cherrywood cabinet for wine, glasses, etc.?????

Sounds like a plan!

Liz,
Your cabinetry is quite good looking and raised panel cherry doors aren't cheap so you might want to consider re-using some of them. Think about keeping the lowers and changing just the uppers. You might even be able to keep the upper boxes and just change the doors and add gable ends where required.

Think about making the upper doors a lacquered shaker style door in a soft warm white like Benjamin Moore OC-130 Cloud White. The two styles look great together and can make what could be quite a traditional looking kitchen look a bit more transitional modern. Take the uppers to the ceiling. Leave a shadow line and no crown.

I have attached a construction photo of a kitchen that I have under construction right now which is doing almost what you are. In this case we kept the existing painted shaker uppers, ripped out the bulkhead and added more cabinets above the existing uppers, sprayed all of the uppers the same color and added new lowers in a raised panel cherry. The cherry color will deepen as the wood ages.The backsplash tile was being installed when I took this picture so the joints are very prominent as they hadn't yet been grouted.

At the same time you should remove the wallpaper border and lighten up the wall color. Use the same white as the cabinets, but in an eggshell.

Your idea of a wine area is great. Stick to the same cherry lowers and white uppers with a small counter between the two. The uppers can come down to the cherry lowers. If they do then separate the two with a 1.5" bullnose trim at the same height as the countertop.

If you are going to change the table choose something with sparkle. A glass top with metallic legs and choose chairs that do not have curves in the back. Don't go too small with the table or it will look out of proportion in the room. Go with 4 chairs if possible.

Enjoy the change. It will be dramatic.

Thank you so much for your thoughts/comments. So much for me to think about. I will submit updated photos in the future. Thanks again.