You indicate that your cabinets are quality and they appear to be in good condition.

Instead of painting the cabinets, you may wish to consider changing the cabinet hardware to something more contemporary for a quick (and cheap) update.

Good idea about microwave color. The dining room is on the other side of the non-load bearing wall we are removing part of. On the other side of the dining room are French doors to the deck. That is the natural light we are seeking. Thanks for the other suggestions as well.

I would not paint the cabinets unless the finish is worn. Many have painted their wood cabinets and are very happy with the results. We also recommend getting cabinets painted professionally unless you are an accomplished and patient DIY person. A professional paint job can be expensive.

Whether done DIY or by a professional, a painted finish is never as durable as a factory finish. Also, wood moves with changes in temp and humidity so be prepared for touch ups. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you do paint, all the wood will be gone from the kitchen since you have a tile floor. I also do not see anything dated about your cabinets - you have some nice touches that break up the wood (glass panel door, shelves) that give your kitchen a custom look - it is not boring.

I agree about considering a different place for the microwave and getting a hood. Range vent hoods vent better than the micro/vent combo and are just prettier.

Changing countertops is the time to change your sink. If it is your style, a farmhouse sink would look very pretty. The Kohler Whitehaven "short apron" style farmhouse sink can be installed on a standard sink base, so is popular in remodels.

I have wood cabinets and just got new counters and Whitehaven sink myself. I love how this has refreshed my kitchen. (More pics in my "my pics" idea book.)

Now quartz counters:

My pics -work in progress: · More Info

sink:

My pics -work in progress: · More Info

The wall is not load bearing. Wondering what kind of handles update the look. I replaced the wooden knobs that were on when we moved in.

I think you are in desperate need of undercabinet lighting. They will make all work areas more usable and improve the brightness. They are available in all budgets and should be dimmable for times when you just want a glass of water. A light quartz countertop with a tile or light colored backsplash would help, too. The yellow paint color could be changed to a neutral that would better complement the cabinet color. Don't paint the cabinets unless you really want light painted cabinets - they are more maintenance and the finish won't stand up to kitchen activities as well as a factory paint finish. Consider a white undermount granite sink to complement the quartz. It looks like there are shelves under the wall cabinets. You might be able to remove them to help update the look and reduce the visual clutter. Good luck with your project!

I like your knobs:) I think they go with your style. I put in some inexpensive DIY LED undercabinet lighting and it has been wonderful. Recently an electrician wired it into a switch for me so it looks great - no more cord hanging down to the plug. I also like the white island / peninsula. I have a lot of white mixed with wood in my own home. I like the brightness of the white mixed with the warmth of wood.

I think your cabinets are beautiful. I wouldn't paint them all. If anything maybe paint the tops or remove them and put up shelves. I would have to see drawings or more pictures to understand the reason for opening up your kitchen to your LR. Sounds good in theory, but it might not make much sense with all things considered.

I painted my cabinets with BM Advance and had a great outcome, but I didn't have the beautiful cabinets you have.

We do have under cabinet lighting, sorry I did not turn them on for photos. We live in a townhouse community and I have been in neighboring houses that have opened the space between the kitchen and dining room and we are very pleased with how it looks and how much light it brings in. I have had our contractor go to two houses to see the designs. Here is the one closest to what we plan. Our peninsula will remain, no pillar needed, The height will depend on pipe work that will go on above as we put a washer and dryer on the second floor and as we have to move pipes that run through the the wall we are removing. This is where we are spending our

Talk about removing clutter: the wall with the TV, calendar, telephone, clock, etc. will be gone. I had never thought of removing the ledge from under cabinets and the scroll trim and plan to look into that.

I am glad to read support of leaving the cabinets (with new hardware) as much as I would like light ones, these are quite nice. Any thoughts on painting the inside of the glass front cabinets and shelf above sink? There is wide bead board painted a maroon that matches accent tile on backsplash.

I don't have any advice but are those knotty alder wood cabinets?

I think they are knotty alder.

ewboynton, thank you

As to painting inside cabinets and / or shelf:

I thought I would paint my wood hood white but wasn't sure, so did a sort of mock up with white poster board and paper to help me visualize it and decided against it. There is a fiberboard "beadboard" at the home center stores - I think one style comes in white "beadboard" and it cuts with a utility knife. You could cut it to fit and see what the shelf would look like white - even use command strips to keep it up as a non permanent change - or just use poster board to see the effect of white.

Personally, I like it the way the shelf is and would make your other changes first. I have a plate rail on my shelf (see my idea book), but yours might be too tall. A display of vintage china or teapots might be pretty. The trim work on the cabinet is different than the one some here think is dated. I have seen home bloggers who do their own design add trim pieces like yours. I like to look at cottages, especially European cottages, Pinterest and various blogs to see some different ideas on design. Houzz has very glamorous and well done designs, but there is a tendency to conformity which starts to make every kitchen look alike and attempt to be a magazine layout:)

If you want to change up the glass cabinets a bit you can experiment with some of the window films that can be placed on the glass to give a less see through look or the look of a different glass. Another possibility is to sheer fabric behind the glass. This can be a more "country / farmhouse" look depending on the fabric chosen.

I would do your big changes first, but changing out what you display on the shelf or how you treat the glass cabinets are fun ways to change things up just for the fun of it:)