I think its all too much browns

I would remove that 1990s light in the middle and place a large hanging light to brighten it up in there of a colourful shade. like a turquiose or soft yellow. The wood and countertops are making the room very dark. Remove the blinds on the window and change to a bright coloured curtain. I'm not sure what colour scheme you have in the rest of your decor.
Paint the ceiling a brighter white.
Add some kitchen gadgets that are red on the counter and a bouquet of flowers in the middle. good luck!

It is all the same color. Did I guess right?

It is very brown. I would stay with a new light, that will make a huge difference alone. I would also give the walls and ceiling some color. A new window treatment would also help. I would wait to see how it looks once all your things are in place before anything more drastic than those few things. once there are all the usual kitchen accoutrements it will be a lot less brown than it is now.

I don't mind the light in the center of the room. It looks like they encased it with crown molding? That's kind of neat. Can you up the wattage of the bulbs in it?

What does bug me is your sink is so far away from everything. It looks like it's in another country! What is your budget? Can you increase the size of the island to include the sink? That will not be cheap as there is moving plumbing involved.

What is housed in the two cabinets flanking the window? You could think about removing those doors, painting the insides and putting your best stuff in them.

If it's possible to remove the granite backsplash and put in something like white subway tile, that's where I'd start. The backsplash and countertop create the illusion of a black hole.

The cabinets are fine, and it's not nearly as easy to paint cabinets as HGTV and the DIY Network make it appear--at least if you expect them to look like the cabinets you see here on Houzz. Leave them for last, and if you do decide to paint them, hire it done so you have a professional job you can be proud of.

As everyone else has said, have that light box removed and a normal light installed. It's going to require a lot of ceiling repair so the ceiling will have to be repainted. If you're thinking of painting the kitchen, this would be the time to do it.

Bring some color to the room with some brightly colored rugs. Tomato red goes nicely with brown as does pumpkin orange.

I agree with the comments to replace the light box. As for the window blinds, although they are slightly outdated, a nice colorful curtain treatment (at least over the top portion) would create some visual interest.

After you move in, replace the central fixture with a very bright one, as the natural light is only coming from the single window. Change out the dim bulbs in the recessed can fixtures to brighter bulbs, preferably warm white LEDs if the fixtures will take them safely. You may need to replace the undercabinet lighting, too. Once you've got the lights changed, the whole room will appear much livelier and brighter.

its the light box. one of those design ideas of the past that was a real 'what were we thinking'. i remember wishing i had one. *face palm*

New light, cool Roman shade on the window, no blinds, switchcovers really stand out on the backsplash, maybe something that blends more, under counter lighting, and a few glass front cabinets would do wonders. I think it is a very nice kitchen and you don't necessarily have to paint the cabinets. A few well-chosen objects (ha, usually we say clean up all the clutter but you don't have any) on the counters and I think you will be happy.

That light box is about the ugliest thing I have seen in my search of houses lately. And that includes the house with the urinal in the master! Thank you all. This is so helpful!

You might want to pick a cabinet or two and have the doors retooled for glass -- that would break up the wall of wood. I'd do that and the lighting changes before making up your mind on painting the cabinets. Of course, a nice cream tone of paint would go with your counters while greatly lightening the room, but that's a one-way change, so be sure...

Your granite may work if you paint the cabinets and add new hardware, increase the size of the island to accommodate additional seating and new overhead lighting

ref/inspiration pic

Since the faucet is the first thing I see, I would get a beautiful faucet, and under cab lighting.

I agree with the caution about painting the cabinets. They would look great in white and would go a long way in brightening up the room but you have a LOT of cabinets (which is a good thing) and if you do this it should be left to a professional, which will likely be pricey. Maybe changing out the hardware to brushed nickel would be a good thing to consider. Get rid of the blinds IF you don't need them for privacy or to filter bright sunlight. If you do need blinds, replace with nicer ones, there are many nice blind options available. Whether or not you need the blinds, add a valance or swag (in light colors) so you don't see the blinds when they're raised. Tearing out the light box sounds like an expensive project but it has to go! Replace with a hanging fixture that will provide bright light but isn't so big it overpowers the small island, maybe a brushed nickel finish with a frosted white globe. Add some colorful "stuff" on the countertops, paint the walls above the cabinets a complimentary color, and add a complimentary runner along the sink section and maybe a smaller one in front of the sink (look for rugs that will hide dirt and stains; my kitchen runner is an oriental-style pattern in dark red and blue tones, no white/no fringe, vacuuming is all it generally needs). Ceiling should stay white.

If the cabinet finish is in good shape, I wouldn't paint it, but pay a LOT of attention to lighting to counter the darkness of the stain and the counters. You have the opportunity of running LED rope lighting along the tops of the cabinets and bouncing indirect light off the ceiling, which would brighten the entire room without glare. I second Apple Pie Order's advice to go with LED's in your current recessed cans: they put out the same light with about 1/5th the energy. I'd suggest PAR reflector lamps rather than BR's, as the light is more focused on the work surfaces. And definitely LED undercabinet lighting, using maximum lengths that fit. Many older kitchens had fluorescent or xenon undercabinet fixtures that often are shorter than the cabinet they are attached to.

I agree with many in this conversation that replacing the light box with a terrific chandelier would do much to modernize this kitchen. A light that has a large uplight component would again bounce nice indirect light off the ceiling.

My final observation is that the little "island" is forced, and is an obstacle in the middle of your kitchen. I'm guessing you can't enlarge it without encroaching on walk/work space. I'd lose it, or alternatively replace it with (moveable) chopping block or table, that would visually open up the room. Boos Company makes chopping blocks on lockable rollers, so you can move it over next to the stove when you're chopping madly making a month's worth of minestrone! Good luck.

I am a professional cabinet finisher and painting cabinets doesn't have to be overly expensive. A professional job can change the entire look/feel of a room. But, you don't have to paint -- you could tone and glaze to a darker and more dramatic and modern color. Someone good could be in and out of your home in less than a week or so. I highly discourage people from doing their own cabinets because I see a lot of ruined DIY projects based on the wrong information on how to do it properly from Pinterest, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. While white kitchens are extremely popular right now, other colors can be wonderful. You could also upgrade your island and also do it in another color.

Getting there. You guys were right. Just changing the light fixture and adding a shade went a long way. Move in next week so will work on more accessorising then.

You have a great foundation, you just need a little updating. Removing the light box will be a great start. Put in a showstopper hanging light fixture to add some interest. You may consider having the cabinets stained (hold on you your hat!) darker (java) to give the space a sexy, modern feel. Paint the ceiling in a crisp linen. Oh, yes and lots of colorful accessories. Hope this helps!

Just a comment about cabinet refinishing (either paint or stain). It does not have to be outrageously priced. Most of us are very reasonable for the amount of time/labor that goes in to getting a quality, factory finish. The reason people sometimes think it's super expensive, is because people have become so inundated with doing things cheaply via Pinterest, etc. A great paint/stain job should run 1/3 the cost of re-facing, and thousands of dollars (many) less than replacement. If it's done right, you'll have what looks like a brand new kitchen.