Oak cabinets have such a heavy grain that it's difficult to hide with paint. It still leaves you with the outdated door shape as well. Staining them darker still leaves you with the grain. Replacing your cabinets means replacing your countertops as well. I agree with Nancy that refacing is the most economical option. If you were to get pricing from a professional painter and a refacing company, I think you would find the costs would be similar. Congratulations on your new house!

Hold off doing anything until you live in the house a while. Spending money on decorative touches when the layout is so bad would be a waste. You can't even stand at the sink properly to load the DW and there is almost no prep space at all between the sink and range. It needs gutting and maybe taking over the breakfast area or a wall to come down. In other words, keep the bandaid. It won't work on a severed artery.

I would wait until you're ready to do more than change the color of the cabinets because I see the main issue as the island being too big for the space.

I agree to wait a bit before making decisions. The layout is not great, but sometimes it brings out creativity to have to work with with what you have. Most of us cannot afford a gut job. It is hard to tell from pictures distance from one thing to another. I also have limited wall counter space. I bought a smallish "island" to give me the prep space I needed, so I understand why the island is there. If there is at least 36 inches around it (preferably 42inches) it will be OK.

One very inexpensive change would be to paint the walls. I have a creamy beige with just enough tint to give a nice contrast with my white trim. If you like more color, a light blue or green/blue.

Oak is not the best wood to paint. It can work and there are many people with before and after picks online. The grain does show through and I've heard mixed results on how the paint holds up over time. However, I did see new oak cabinets that had some sort of paint of glaze on them at a Parade Home recently. They were a grey/blue and looked rather rustic - the design of the whole house was farmhouse rustic. If you think you might like that look, consider having it done, possibly to new doors if you wanted a different door style, and the cabinet frames also. If you feel a little bold, navy or red can be mixed with keeping some of the oak natural. Add some knobs and pulls.

To decrease the amount of oak, consider taking down the upper cabinets around the stove and over the dishwasher. I have been seeing a lot of kitchens lately with little to no upper cabinets. Put up a modern stainless T vent hood or cool metal hood, or if you keep the cabinets and paint, a wood hood. A hood adds a touch of charm and character - but this would require relocating the microwave - and that might not be feasible. The cabinet above the counter next to the fridge could be retrofitted with a microwave shelf and either wine rack or open shelving above. You would probably want to replace the cabinet above the dishwasher with some shelving to hold everyday dishes because it is so handy to the dishwasher.

Blue paint with natural wood:

Open shelving:

I painted some 'outdated' cabinets in a project about 5 years ago and they have held up very well. We used a tough satin clear coat over the paint. The color was chosen to match a nw storage/break front that was added to the dining area. We added satin nickel pulls, new counter tops, back splashes and flooring. Sometimes, this is a good budget friendly solution.

well..hope your not overwhelmed with some of the posts that didn't seem to think your new purchase was right for THeM.... first enjoy your new home !!

Perhaps using a pickling effect would lighten and not try to cover the grain of the cupboards.. or translucent stains that could add a colour change...Lots of sanding involved so pop off the doors and do it outside... consider the colour in the ajoinning room ..perhaps a deeper shade on the same colour chart but also blending with the tone of the counter...

also if the dishwasher works well...check to see if there are existing door panels for changing the colour...not sure they still do that but they used to

I think for now I'd spend the $$$ on replacing that ceiling lighting situation. Then live with the rest of it for a while and see what you really need to do here.

Cosmetic fixes are not the right choice. They are only temporary fix. The cabinet style is dated. And based on the style I'm guessing the interiors, hinges and drawer box/glides are too. Refacing is an option tho not inexpensive. The layout is not good. Since there is granite on tops most would advise Reface but with the layout the way it is I fear you would have regrets. I ALWAYS tell my clients NO REGRETS. If it is not in the budget now to remove & replace then WAIT!!!

You've got granite tops, Howabout new doors and painted frames.