Looks pretty! If you swap out your cabinet hardware with something less modern, and do something different than the blind over the window (curtain or shutter?), you're almost there. Then just decorate and accessorize with things that are more rustic and you'll be fine.

By hardware, I mean just the handles. Use knobs instead.

Oh wait, you already have two holes in each door, so I guess you're stuck with handles. Try to find ones that don't look so modern, I guess...

You might be able to add trim to the cabinet fronts for a shaker look. Black bar hardware with cup handles on drawers. Have some wood accessories. Add a pendant light and paint your window frame and mullions black. Think modern farmhouse.

Agree with cabinet hardware change. Be sure to take a sample of each type with you when you shop, because you will need to match existing holes AND cabinet depth. So take screws. Match length of screws too. Paint window trim wall color. Remove wood blind. Put Roman shade that compliments other colors you choose. Consider hanging decorative plates on soffit face to add color and more casual look. Add colorful accessories that pick up plate colors, red tea kettle, large colorful platter for peninsula. Those things will change total look. Very nice kitchen to work with. I might start with window blind change and see if that is enough. Then try hardware change. Live with that for a bit. In other words,make your time. The look of kitchen is great. Maybe adding some glass colored accessories, like a cobalt blue would help counter the strength of the dark wood. Go with easiest changes and take it a step at a time.

I understand your dilemma. I also love country / rustic and while this is a very pretty kitchen, it is not at all my style. You could remove some of the upper cabinetry and replace with some open shelving. Lower shelves can be used for plates and cups but uppers could have some rustic elements - pitchers, pewter tray. You can replace some lower doors with curtained cabinets and baskets - but you may need to consider refacing the cabinets with either a white shaker farmhouse type cabinet or rustic wood cabinet. I don't think the curtained cabinet would go with the present ones:(

Some would think this is a crazy thought - but you could sell your cabinetry and replace lower with a more rustic cabinetry (even salvaged cabinetry) and do open shelving. Rustic kitchens also have more "furniture" pieces and less built in cabinetry - so you could use a pie safe or hutch in place of some of the built-ins. I can't see the backsplash well, but it too looks modern (sigh.) If you are up for some DIY, some of these changes could be done over time and inexpensively. I am currently doing a rustic kitchenette in my basement. I am using salvaged cabinets and open shelves. So far, I have spent less than $500. (last pic in my "my pics" idea book.) I made the shelves for about $10 each.

I like the above idea of a pretty roman shade and plates on the soffit. I have plates on my soffit in my main kitchen - pics also in my idea book.

Furniture rather than built-ins:

Curtained sink base and open cabinet. You would need to change out your door style as mentioned above. What you have is too contemporary to make this work:

Shaker style lower cabinets combined with open shelving and salvaged upper cabinet:

This guest house kitchen from French Country Cottage blog was done for about $800 - DIY. The sink base was purchased unfinished and painted. Shelves were built along side and use crates and a burlap curtain. Upper cabinet is salvaged.

If you ever have it in the budget, consider a farmhouse sink. Ikea makes a reasonably priced one.

May we see photos of each side of the space too please?

Country themes are big on Roosters. I would put a lovely ceramic Rooster you like in the space. Add some type of window treatment that would echo the country theme. I would probably do a valance, that picked up a couple of colors and had a rustic feel. You want it to still look lovely. The cabinets are gorgeous so I would not mess with them. Use accent rugs, and items to play up a theme. Maybe a painting that would pick up the feeling you want.

It's a beautiful kitchen, so I wouldn't mess with anything that affects the cabinets themselves or other finishes. Knobs might be ok, but I can't really imagine a fix that would have enough impact to be worth the trouble.

(1) give yourself time to get used to it. it's not so impersonal as a modern space might be.

(2) bring your personality in accents -- a colorful flowered rug, with matching fruit bowl on the counter; burlap covers for the bar stools; soft cotton curtains framing the window.

This way, you'll make the place feel at home and reflect your tastes without fighting against the elements that are already there.

Not sure whether this is the direction that "country" takes you, but it's an example anyway...

It seems you need to marry the two styles. Perhaps you can work in reclaimed wood on the walls or headers.

Also change out the cabinet pulls to distressed nickel/pewter. This is from Lowes:

Or this:

Replace the blind (store in case you want to reinstall it later) with a rod and curtain with texture, perhaps linen.

Hi! You should check out the knobs at Knockout Knobs! Knockout Knobs would be the perfect solution to make your kitchen more country/rustic. We create custom 3-D printed knobs, pulls, and hooks to add to all of your cabinetry! You create a design and we create the product. The possibilities are endless! Look at our website to see if we have what you are looking for! Your Passion Your Design Your Hardware

Here are some examples of our products:

New door handles would be the easiest and cheapest fix. Measure the distance between the holes on the current door pulls and pick up some brushed/satin nickel or stainless alternatives from a local retailer. I would look for something simple.

I would add a white apron farm sink....change all hardware and sink fixture/faucet to the new brushed gold...add a soft fabric Roman shade on window and remove wood blinds. I know it is a new modern kitchen but maybe in the future paint out upper cabinets white.

soft linen Roman shade would be beautiful.