i like a darker counter like the above right, for a new modern feel. and paint both space the same color.

Especially with stainless steel I'd think of light toasty neutral counters and [for floor - if not that same but a bit darker] then grey-green flooring. Ground it all with somewhat dark flooring... I have ideabooks called "oak and how" if you want to see..

If you are trying to play down the color of honey oak cabinets use a grayer palette. We accidentally discovered this with our own oak cabinets. We put down a light gray floor and a dark gray countertop and the color of the cabinets improved immensely. No offense if that's not the goal!!

This is off the subject, but I'd also paint the soffits all one color. The dark sides bring the ceiling down and make the space appear smaller.

Moyerguffey - I don't mean to jump into your post - but thanks so much for starting it as I am also starting a kitchen reno with honey oak cabinets and truly did not know where to start I have been reading with interest the comments you have received. As I'm brand new to Houzz I'm not sure if this is acceptable? Everdebz - Where can I find the idea books you mentioned?

I know this wasn't your question, but I'm posting it anyway. :)

Once you're done with your kitchen, you may want to look at vertical blinds. Levelor has some really nice options that can take the vertical blinds from white-ish apartment look to something totally different.

My den is dark paneling and my mom had installed a light-colored textured slat blind. It was glaringly wrong. I took a look at what was available, and changed it to a texture s-curve in a dark chestnut. It looks SO much better.

We have fabric covered cornice boards, too. Finishes it all out.

I mention the blind because it's right next to the kitchen, so when I look at your photos, I see a continuation of your kitchen.

I think you should paint the walls in the kitchen and the family room all the same light colour to brighten up the space. I also think it would be more than worth getting a designer to come in and give you some options. It is totally worth the cost.

Anyone's ideabooks are open to view is my understanding. Left click on everdebz my username / select ideabooks / scroll down a bit to "oak and how" and others like "kitchens"...

My son just updated the kitchen in his home which has ash colored cabinets with an oak stain. He used Netuno Bordeaux granite. Beautiful, but has lots of movement, which you may or may not like. It goes with everything! Then you can find tile or whatever you like for the flooring to compliment the counters.

Check out cabinet transformations from rustoleum. I did a kitchen and my old oak front door. Easy to use. Loos great. Tip DO NOT USE THEIR CLEAR COAT to shinny and very difficult to work with. Just using the base has held up.

You do not have to live with the honey oak cabinets if you don't want to. I built a house with them 20 years ago. The wood is good but the color has faded, yellowed and washed out. I just used a rust-oleum cabinet painting product and could not be happier. I started with my guest bath cabinets and plan to do the remaining cabinets in my house. My son thought I had replaced the cabinets. They look like new fine furniture. There are a number of colors to select and the wood grain shows through, so they don't appear as painted cabinets. While it is not hard to do, there are several steps and drying time between coats. With the money I saved on the cabinets, I could afford to replace my counter and splurg on a light fixture. The look is rich and I did not spend very much money.

Do you like the honey-oak color cabinets, or just want to keep the cabinets in general. This is a personal preference, but I *love* the contemporary look of dark stained oak. If you did this, you'd want to stay with a lighter colored counter and floor, maybe a light/white granite and light back-splash. If you like the honey-oak cabinet color, then I'd go with a similar colored floor that you have now, a darker stone or solid surface counter, and lighter back-splash that meshes with the floor. Either way, I'd recommend (as a previous poster did) to pick a lighter wall color and carry it through the next room for cohesiveness. Again, personal taste, but for kitchens/eating areas, I like white (indicates cleanliness) or in this case, a pale butter yellow or pale coral (both stimulate the appetite more than green). If budget permits, replace the dishwasher, otherwise find some stainless-steel shelf paper and fake it to better match the other appliances. Either way, I'd find an inspirational picture online first. I hope you post after pictures. Good luck!

If you keep the honey and lighten the walls, the charcoal bench top and possibly floors could feel very clean and sharp, without competing with the wood...one of the photos above does it well...

Before you invest in flooring and countertop, I would get a color palette together and get the walls painted to lighter tones, and consider oyster grey or other grey tones. You have so many strong colors now: red, green etc. it is altering the direction you might otherwise consider. Get those soffits painted and consider using ceiling white. It will down-play their existence. If there is one thing that dates a kitchen, it's soffits. So, do the opposite of what is being done now. Then, once your colors are on the walls, revisit the kitchen. Select your countertop and don't go too dark. Then, think about a warmer floor to give you a "basis". You want harmony between all components. And if you should decide with a backsplash, think simple. There is also less and less setting on countertops these days, so consider putting those items away that are distracting from the beautiful view you will create.

Oh my gosh, paint the cabinets to get a nice fresh look. Don't feel tied to the honey wood, which is not a contemporary look at all. Get new silver hardware as well you won't believe how much better it would look. Consider pale grey. Get grey counter top.

It is always refreshing to see someone not painting their cabinets. Oak is a pretty wood in honey or a variety of other colors.

I am a kitchen designer. My recommendation if you are keeping the cabinets would be to paint them out in either a soft white or a darker espresso finish. With either of those choices you can go mid tone neutral for the stone tops. This will give the pop you want because granite in that color pallet plays nicely with the white or dark finishes and looks great with stainless appliances. If you can, I'd recommend wood on the floor. Great look and great for re-sale. A couple of things to know about painting your cabinets….oak has an open grain and you will still see that (although a little less with the espresso finish). The other thing to know is the best way to paint them. I have personally painted both oak and birch cabinets as well as an entire house of stained woodwork. What you want to use is a "bonding" primer like Stix or XIM. This will negate having to sand them. The finish should be clean but then you apply the bonding primer and then likely two top coats of your color. The key is the "bonding" primer not just a regular primer like Kilz or Bin. I would recommend a pearl or satin finish as opposed to a semi gloss that is typically used on wood work. It is still washable but won't be too shiny. If you purchase painted cabinets they would have this softer sheen. Lastly, if you do go with tile on the floor…please, please, please use grout to match (not contrast) with the tile. When you use contrasting tile, all you see are the grout lines. This is true for floor or wall tile. It's the beauty of the tile you want to see…not all the grout lines. Good luck!!

Don't install a wood floor AROUND your cabinets. At some point when the cabinets ARE removed for new ones, you can't count on the new cabinets or floor plan matching up to where the wood floor ends and you would have odd gaps that you would have to fill. Do you know if your current floor covering goes under the cabinets?

Also, it appears that the only reason for that soffit over the peninsula is because a previous re-do took down cabinets that were hanging from that soffit and just stuck some can lighting into it instead of removing it. The soffit suddenly dead-ends at the end of the peninsula and doesn't look good or make sense. It is like an overbearing gray beam that really detracts.

Agree with other posters about lighter wall colors and matching the soffits to the wall colors so the rooms are not so dark.

If you want different cabinets but, as I hope, want to keep wood as the look, then, while wearing plastic liberally and evenly apply -- emphasis on evenly -- some Old English red scratch cover to your cabinets -- especially if they have some age and are, therefore, more dry. You'd be surprised at the subtle change in the wood.

Applaud the suggestion to repaint dark areas of the walls around the lights next to the ceiling. With the stainless appliances, consider painting your entire kitchen one pale shade of gray. It would look good with the white countertops that already look good with the stainless steel.

Judith, I think you are asking questions in the wrong post. Please check.