Just painting the walls and getting rid of some of the "extra" wood will help. I would lose the word thing hanging in the wall and the breadbox. I would also get rid of the valance, the thing hanging on the window...any extras.

The range location and the combination of white fridge and black range aren't helping things. I think I would lean towards doing less with an eye towards gutting in the future.

Are the counters granite or granite- look laminate? They do look like granite in the photos, but I see the sink is a drop in.

A closer photo of the floor would help. It is stone, or a stone-look? Is it slate tile?

These are not our belongings, so anything on the walls/counters will not be there.

We are getting new appliances when we move in (they are taking these), so suggestions on color of appliances would be great as well!

Unfortunately, I don't hVe a better picture of the floors. They are not real stone, and have similar colors as the counters.

Thoughts on painting the cabinets? All? Just some? I thought of painting the metal backsplash also, until I can replace it.

Oh, and no, it's not real granite.

I am not one to jump on the paint the cabinets wagon, but those are very basic cabinets and would probably benefit from a good paint job. If you like the wood, you can work with it. It looks like there are original cabinets and then some newer ones.

Think about how much cabinet space you have. Do you have a pantry? Consider if you could lose some of the upper cabinets and put in a small amount of open shelving. It is not for everyone, but it can help the room feel more spacious and add personality. Use the lower shelf for frequently used items, so they don't get dusty and put some decorative kitchen ware - vintage trays or pitchers or pottery on the higher shelves.

You can also remove the door of one or two cabinets and convert them into a plate rail or other useful/decorative open cabinet. You can also use baskets and curtained cabinets to add a more farmhouse look.

The metal backsplash might not be real tin. The home center stores sell a faux tin tile sheet that is often really plastic. Either way, painting it will help. Everything you want to paint will need to be thoroughly cleaned, primed with 2 coats of appropriate primer (Zinsser makes several - ask your local reputable paint store to recommend per the surface you are painting) and 2 coats of cabinet paint - I use a latex acrylic enamel. Check out some cabinet painting tutorials online.

If the "tin tile" peels off, consider beadboard as a backsplash and backdrop to shelves. You can use the actual beadboard, or the beadboard wallpaper.

Beadboard, open shelves, baskets and curtained cabinet. You do not have to have a farmhouse sink to curtain your sink base - but if you have little ones or pets, be cautious what you store that is accessible.

Beadboard ceiling and open cabinets. This pic is from French Country Cottage blog. Cabinets with broken doors were converted to open cabinets:

Painted "tin tile":

Thanks so much! These are all great thoughts! I like the idea of opening up some cabinets to help the room feel more open. It is just such a closed-in space. And the painted tin isn't too bad - it's nice to see a picture.

Any thoughts from anyone on what color appliances to get? I'm worried about white looking dated, especially if we don't paint the cabinets right away, but I'm not always crazy about stainless steel.

White is probably second to stainless in popularity. I have white appliances with wood cabinets and I think the white helps keep my kitchen bright. When I see stainless in a new home, it looks really nice. When I see it in an open house - appliance a few years old, it looks not so great. However, newer stainless is supposed to be more resistant to fingerprints. I think one reason stainless is so popular is that it is easier to do it in a white kitchen. White appliances in a white kitchen can be done, but it is a little trickier and you have to be sure the white paint and the white appliances blend well. I think white also looks well with cabinets painted a color, so if you are thinking of gray, gray/blue or green, white or stainless will work.

You said a tight budget, so I didn't mention this before, but one way to add some charm is a pretty hood, either a modern T or a pretty wood one. I do have a wood hood I just added last year as well as changed out a cabinet to a plate rail and spice box cabinet. I still have some work to do. It is a vintage style kitchen. It is in my idea book. My hood is a bit country/vintage, but if you are going that direction, I can tell you cost etc.

Thank you again for your thoughts and ideas! I do like the blue-gray, and that might make white appliances a little easier. Jhmarie, I will take a look at your idea book. I wouldn't have thought of a hood!

I like the idea of painting the cabinets an historic color.

Re: stainless steel appliances. We are probably the last couple on earth to buy a stainless steel appliance. We had all black appliances in our cherry kitchen, but when the refrigerator died, we couldn't replace it with black because they changed the surface to a smooth shiny black (don't get me started). When the Samsung stainless steel refrigerator was delivered, it took us several days to get used to how much brighter our kitchen was.

the refrigerator is super easy to clean. And that is coming from someone who wants life to be very easy.

A few things to give it a nice clean traditional "English farm house" look.
The Windows over sink would look nice with diamond grill window deviders
I'd be temped to remove a few above cabinet doors to expose dishes and glass ware.
I know there are products you can buy to redo countertops relatively inexpensive and gives a great look. I'd defiantly paint cabinets.
White is always lovely ( Sherwin Williams Dover white) but there are some nice muddy grey green colors that look great especially
if you display white plain dishes.
Sometimes small things make a huge difference. Stainless appliances!
Always classic.

I would tone down the refrigerator and go stainless. Right now it's glaring. If you do not have much of a budget I would definitely paint the walls a lighter color and remove the Valance. Anything you can do to blend and lighten the kitchen is helpful. For a few more dollars you can paint the cabinets. Keep in mind the floor and Brick when you pick your colors. You might want to work with a local professional who can help you with that keeping in mind the adjacent rooms and your design style.

Looks like lots of votes for stainless appliances. I am glad to hear that it's easier to keep clean than it used to be. That helps! I would have never thought of diamond window grill, but I can visualize that. May have to look into it! I love being able to get so many different ideas in one place - thanks everyone! It is so helpful! My husband is still cringing at the idea of painting the wood, but hopefully he will come around!

Paint the walls and cabinets white. New hinges and pulls. If you are replacing appliances go with stainless (unless your local real estate ads are bragging about white or black appliances, lol). Lose the valance. Clean uncluttered countertops.

Some of the new appliances have a pewter look to them. And I like the idea of a historic blue gray for the cabs. There is indeed a product to refinish countertops. I would do that in darker gray or black. Hardware could be copper or black iron. (Check out Berenson...they have some of their selections on houzz. Many of the styles come in many finishes) maybe a little copper lantern over the sink. For lighting, & in the long run you'll want to do under cabinet lighting for sure. I think that with new appliances & paint & new hardware, this will be a great makeover!!!! Come back with pix!!!

I will definitely share pictures as I start to make changes - we move in at the end of May, so it will still be a few weeks before I'm starting my project. This gives me plenty of time to think and plan, though, which is great! So many great ideas to consider. Oasis (or anyone else), could you tell me what the cost of adding under cabinet lighting usually is?

Something like this