I know this isn't what you asked... but I'd switch out that big black fridge (totally sucking the light out of your kitchen) for a white one, and get rid of those curtains on those nice big windows, which are sucking the nice light coming into the kitchen. Get some nice new lighting, including undercabinet lights and see how much that brightens things up.

@CarrieB Thank you! Very helpful. I hadn't considered any of those options... What color would you recommend painting the walls instead of painting the cabinets?

You have too little lighting so it feels dark. My suggestions would be to add more lighting, move in, live with it for a few months to see what the issues are and then change things.

Some suggestions would be to remove the upper cabinet to the right of the window and put in open shelves. It will block less light.

More radical would be to remove the peninsula and extend the island.

The walls look pretty light to me already, but maybe a creamy white (I don't know paint color names unless it's a paint I've used in my house.) Also, if you don't need a fridge with quite as much capacity as that one, consider getting one that's counter-depth, so it won't stick out so much, which will also make the room seem lighter & airier.

I agree with holding off painting the cabinets. It looks like you could put in more pot lights and switch to LED. and, if you can do without the cabinet over the peninsula, remove that and see what you think for a few weeks before fixing the wall. The big black frig is definitely a problem that you will want to address whether you paint the cabinets or not. I would go for SS counter depth.

Agree with above about removing the curtains and opening the blinds.

I agree with the others. Improve lighting. Get rid of that light-sucking issues caused by the black fridge and the upper cabinet to the right of the sink. Remove those useless things blocking light in the eating area. And then move in and enjoy your new home for awhile before making any other changes.

Your cabinets look lovely so I really wouldn't paint them until after a year or so, so you can see how light plays in your room in all seasons. You may not need to paint them at all with just those few changes.

Replace the recessed light over the sink with a hanging fixture that illuminates and gives character. Add pendant lights over eating area of island.

Thanks all! When I remove the cabinet to above the sink (right) what can I replace it with? Specifically, how can I fill that empty space without blocking incoming light? These are all great ideas...thanks so much!!!

You can put open shelving in where the cabinet was, if you have pretty things to display and aren't concerned about dusting. You can also leave it empty, or put up a piece of art.

These are nice shelves.

Lucy McLintic · More Info

Hi Azalia! What a lovely name! It sounds like you're on a budget, and moving always seems to cost more than one figures--at least that's how it works for me, haha! One suggestion regarding the appliances: if you want to get rid of the black, but can't afford new appliances right now, you might consider liquid stainless steel appliance paint from Giani Granite. Here's a LINK to their Thomas' Liquid Stainless Steel. It really works! It's actual liquid stainless steel that you use to paint your appliances, following their easy instructions. It's not white, but stainless would lighten up the room significantly, and at a fraction of the cost of buying new.

I think your cabinets are beautiful, but my personal preference is towards the dark side of the force, lol! If you make some of the changes with lighting, shelving, appliances, etc., made in the above comments, and then later down the road still want to paint your cabinets, I would also recommend another product line from Giani Granite--their Nuvo Cabinet Paint. Here's the link. They have some very nice white shades, and this is a paint even for the beginner DIY-er. (I do not have any association with Giani Granite except as a customer.)

Another small change that wouldn't cost a lot of money would be to get different knobs and pulls for your cabinets/cupboards. It's hard for me to see from your pictures, but maybe some silver or stainless hardware would be a nice touch.

One thing that I think detracts from the beauty of your kitchen, if I may gently say so, is all the clutter, especially all the things up on the refrigerator. I'm hoping that's all from the previous owner, but either way, I would encourage you to keep the counters as clutter free as possible, and not put stuff up on the refrigerator. This also reflects a personal preference--I keep nothing on my counter tops, and I'd never stick anything to my refrigerator--but that's just me. So feel free to ignore this suggestion if it doesn't work for your family. :-)

Which ever way you go, we'd love to see pictures! Congratulations on your new home, and may the move go well! :-)

Sincerely,

Debbie

Thanks Debbie!!! I appreciate your comments. And yes, that is all of the previous owners clutter! Can't wait for that clutter to be gone!!! I definitely will be looking into both products you mentioned. We are on a budget at the moment, so it's important that I make wise and cost saving choices. I really like the idea of the liquid stainless steel! I also am considering doing "something" to the desk in the back right corner (the 3rd photo above). I may consider painting (just that) blue....I know it sounds weird, but I was inspired by these examples of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Thoughts???

Sadly, chalk paints don't hold up in a kitchen environment. Even if waxed lots. Waste of money,not really time as chalk paints don't take anywhere near as long as standard paints to dry etc so if you are going to paint them, I'd only get them done with oil based paint. Would your contractor use oil based? ( suppose he would if you asked him!)

undercabinet and other zoned lighting would perform miracles the big one and costing pennies, the window dressing, pull it down maybe put up some light voile or something if you need privacy ( window dressing terminology not my strong point!) The window does look to be big, lots of glazing compared to framing and bars across and already painted white so you will see a massive difference there also a big mirror in there somewhere to reflect and bounce light around.

the cabinets are lovely though and a good shape and they look to be installed well so if painted they will look amazing

Good Luck with the move I moved three and a half years ago to this house and I am NEVER EVER EVER moving again. So worth it though!

Oh, see it's just the desk you are contemplating chalk painting now I've thoroughly reread. No harm in doing it on one piece not in the central hub of the kitchen as it can easily be over painted. But you can get a similar look with a satin oil based paint (and dark wax rubbed onto areas that are raised if you like the dark points on the first and third pics you have shown us above)

Hi Azalia! I don't know anything about chalk paint, but sumersetlass has been here a lot longer than I have--I would take her word for it. I like the blue, though. One thing I've learned in my four months or so on the gw forums, is that you will want to be very mindful about how you implement everything--especially if, like me, you're on a budget at the moment. So before you break out the blue paint, or the appliance paint, or really anything, I would advise you and your DH to sit down and plan. First, what are your goals for your kitchen? For example, do you want to move stuff (big stuff) around? Do you want a range or wall oven(s) and a cook top(s)? What is your dream refrigerator? What kind of lighting do you want? Do you want to enlarge or add any windows? Etc. Etc.

Over what period of time do you want to accomplish your goals? Mine will take a few years--I have a couple of projects that are more pressing to do first in my new (1979) home. Most importantly, in my opinion, is to set a budget. A realistic budget that you can reasonably accomplish and not starve in the process! :-) Then go shopping--window shopping--on the internet, and in person. Start collecting pictures of what you like, and sometimes even what you don't like. I've found these forums to be extremely helpful! A lot of the folks here have been through at least one kitchen remodel and have a ton of great information and wisdom.

That's not to say you can't paint your appliances and the desk area! If your plan is to paint the appliances for now and later down the road buy appliances as you can afford them, there's nothing wrong with that! Just have some kind of plan thought out. You don't want to go to the work of painting your desk/office/home info center blue and then decide on a colour scheme for your kitchen that won't work with the blue--then you've got to go to the work and expense of painting it again. OTOH (on the other hand), as you mentioned on your OP, paint is the biggest bang for your kitchen buck--for relatively little money (as opposed to buying new stuff) you can paint things and radically change the look of your kitchen over a week's time or so. I'm just saying try to make choices in the short run that work for you (like the appliance paint or different window treatments or under counter lighting), but will hopefully also fit into the longer run picture.

Anyway, those are some tips I've picked up from the kitchen forum, and I hope they are helpful for you as well. I imagine the only thing on your agenda for the next couple of weeks is actually getting moved in and unpacked! I'm 100% with somersetlass-- I hope to goodness this is my last move ever!! :-) Good luck!!!

What stands out at me from your photos are the lighting issues. I know from having tried to photograph my dining room and kitchen - which are in a rowhouse that tends to be dark - that photographs can distort or over-emphasize the light contrasts in an area. But even if overstated, the camera is showing some major shadowing. I wonder how you'd feel about the room with the curtains removed from the windows and some good supplemental lighting.

The cabinets are dark, so I think they'd look nice changed to white. Another approach might be to leave the cabinets alone and change the beige walls and counters to something crisper?

Moving is enough of a hassle without adding a cabinet painting project into the mix. I'd wait until you get settled in before starting that. Live with it for a bit. I agree that you could remove that cabinet to the right of the window. Adding more light would help too.

Agree with others who have weighed in about taking some small steps to lighten things up before getting into painting cabinets.

Painting cabinets can be transforming but I think it can't be overstated that to do it DIY and have them come out well is very time consuming. Care must be taken with each step - prep, paint, sanding, drying time between coats, applying the finish and allowing proper time for that to set before reattaching doors and hardware. And you need a (relatively) dust free workspace to do a lot of it.

You may be well informed about all this, but many people have watched HGTV shows where such a thing seems to take place over a weekend with excellent results. IMHO, as someone who has done a lot of DIY, tackling painting kitchen cabinets is a much bigger deal than furniture pieces that see less daily wear & tear.

I would keep the upper cab to the right of the sink, but replace the 3 sides with glass. You could then either store clear glassware, or pretty colorful items there.

The very first thing I notice is the huge black fridge. I would definitely consider replacing with a counter depth stainless steel fridge. That would make a huge difference. I know you did not ask about that but it really stands out to me as a huge dark object which is making the kitchen look darker.

Will you be able to put a skylight in this area? Is there a room over the kitchen which direction north-south-east or west does the kitchen area face?

^ What practigal said. A sun tunnel can be snaked in from some distance away. I would also consider some bright colors, as bright whites (and blues) can turn cold in a dark room.