It would be helpful to know what you don't like about it. Layout, storage, cabinets, lighting? Goals?

More storage would be nice. I don't like the cabinets. I don't like the table (the old owners left it). It also just feels unfinished.

--Paint is usually an affordable way to give yourself a new look. Maybe a grayish sage green would work unless your kitchen is open to another room. Is it? If so, then you need to coordinate colors. The current white is too contrasty with your cabinets. Here's a great Houzz article about colors to use with wood trim if you still want to stay with a neutral:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/11-terrific-paint-color-matches-for-wood-details-stsetivw-vs~9025200

--The hardware on the cabinets looks dated, so you might want to change it out to nickel--something more modern.

--Consider building a wood bench banquette in your dining corner. Add some art work and a great light fixture over it--Ikea has wonderful ones that are very affordable.

Yeah that table can go.

Just doorways leading to other rooms. I wouldn't mind painting but I'm not a fan of sage green.

I love the idea of a breakfast nook but I cant build anything. Any suggestions on something I could buy?

Cabinets are functional. Approximately how much would it cost to have them painted?

Art suggestions would be great. I really have no idea what would work.

If you don't want to hire someone or build it yourself, I would buy a table with benches and back it up to the wall. Or you could have a bench on the wall side, and chairs on the other.

Hiring someone to paint your cabinets is not cheap, but if you are willing and able to do the work yourself, it is. It took me awhile to do it by myself, but I painted my cabinets and I've had no issues with chipping or wear on them, and they look professional painted.

I would experiment with a vanity or another piece of furniture first though. Using the right materials and having a good technique is key. I did all the work myself, from wiring in new lights to mudding the wall and I absolutely no experience doing so, before I bought the place. Unless you have unlimited funds, you have to learn to do a lot yourself or you will find yourself quickly running out of money.

Your kitchen looks great! I painted the cabinets at my old house and the paint started to wear after about a year. I did use cheap paint. Maybe that's why. What did you use?

I cleaned them with Krud Kutter/warm water, then used two coats of Shellac Primer from Zinsser with microfiber 4" roller. Sanded the primer to a smooth finish, caulked all seams between coats, then one light coat of Benjamin Moore Advance (with 1" chinex brush/4" Whizz Velour roller), let dry 16 hrs, buff with synthetic steel wool #000, repeat paint, dry, and buff until you get a good coverage. I did three coats. Took me about a month my first time doing this. Did a bath vanity prior to it and learned from that.

It took me a good day or two just to label each one and create a map. I ended up switching out all the hinges for soft close up top and new plain ones on bottom, so meticulously saving and bagging was a waste of time.

Zinsser Shellac is my go to primer for everything bath to kitchen. It's magic in a can. Great for sealing peeling walls that are repaired or after mudding walls. Great for priming Trim too!

Thank you! So you didn't sand before you primed? Color recommendations? Should I just go white?

I have some sort of laminate/veneer covered doors and boxes so no I didn't sand my cheap cabinets. I sanded the primer instead, which worked great. Experimented stripping and sanding my bath vanity which is made the same way, big mistake.

You have real wood cabinets, you can definitely sand them, which will help everything adhere well, you just don't have to go crazy, just enough to get grim and oil off. Again, not necessary with Shellac, but you can. It's either clean/degrease or sand till it's off.

1. Take the doors down and remove the hardware.
2. Set up an assembly line with spray booth in the garage.
3. Clean with TSP.
4. Rinse.
5. Sand all surfaces.
6. Set up your air compressor and HVLP gun in the clean booth you've created.
7. Prime with a shellac based primer like BIN by Zinsser.
8. Sand any questionable spots again.
9. Spot prime again.
10. Spray first coat with an oil modified latex enamel. Cabinet Coat is a good choice, or Valspar Furniture Paint in satin if you want something easier to find.
11. Allow first coat to dry, and examine for any areas that need additional sanding.
12. Sand.
13. Second coat and 72 hour cure while you do the boxes in the kitchen.
14. Another 72 hours for boxes to cure.
15. Rehang doors with new hardware.
16. Avoid bumping or heavy wear for a month while paint fully cures.
17. Have new countertop installed.
18. Dust with a soft cloth, and spot clean spills with a microfiber cloth and Dawn. Always rinse soap.

Color is subjective and depends on what you plan for wall paint. Is this room open to any others? I painted mine BM Swiss Coffee. My suggestion, which will different than most here, is to keep the hardware black and external. Go with the creamiest butter milk color, like the one I posted. It will look awesome with your hardware and counters. Don't forget to paint the toe kick as well.

Maybe BM Creamy White, Ballet White, Monterey White (HC-27) and Lancaster Whitewash. (HC174), or creamier:

Here are some pics so you can kinda see how open the kitchen is to the other rooms

What do I do with this area? Paint everything? Leave the window frame? What about the shelves?

You have good ending points with the doorway, so you could definitely choose another color in this room, independent of the others. Flow is important, but not clashing with your cabinets is more so.

Wait on wall color, till you figure out the cabinets. I would paint out the window trim the same color as cabinets. I used a Satin finish and it cleans well. I would leave all the rest of the trim alone for now. Not replacing the ceiling light, I would paint the trim around it.

If you need more storage, try to find some cabinetry which matches the cabinet behind the easel. You could place cabinets along the bare wall adjacent to the table. Depending upon your anticipated remodel schedule, they could give some added storage until you are ready to do the kitchen. A dark butcherblock counter may suffice. You can move the better cabinets into the garage or laundry room in the future. The table could be moved a bit into the kitchen to make access to the cabinets easier. If your family fits at the table, you can use it for a while. Or it could be a good table for the kids' homework or games while dinner is being prepared.

What bothers me the most - the pale blue gray walls makes the wood look more orange than it is - it is pretty handsome against the dark hardware and countertops. If you want to consider painted cabinets, hire a pro. BM has paint formulated for cabinets that fills grain and finishes more level.

I'd keep the rustic cabinets but use them to bump up the room to rustic industrial . . were I considering paint, I'd consider black paint for the base cabinets with some corners rubbed back, take the walls into a creamy dark / historic white like maritime white. . then I would leave the upper cabinets and wood trim which appears to continue throughout the house. Maybe paint out the full height pantry cabinet in black . . to balance the refrigerator ..

Sure, lose the table but keep the dark ladder chairs and search for duck / offwhite padded skirts for them . . amp up the cottage factor of comfort. Change out / add some rustic fixtures - wall hung plug in sconces in black rustic industrial . . use ballard and invest in a proper banquette that is upholstered in sunbrella . . decide on your cabinet colors first . . but if you do the tuxedo combo, consider a black and cream ticking stripe - do the full corner banquette and add a round pedestal table. Your room will feel / live bigger - you can expand to oval for crowds . .or size it for everyday. Look at this link for rustic industrial light fixtures ..

For the entry corner, find some black wire rustic baskets that wall hang to place overhead the trash/ and shift the trash can to the cabinet wall. Upsize the trash and buy black next time. Add some rustic industrial fixtures above the banquette on the wall . . plug in sconces okay . . in black . . the wood against the black and add some oatmeal / off white . . those tones are the thing you want to repeat .. Add natural wood elements to the top of the dark counters.

The kitchen can also use some color in accessories... art, canisters, towels, potholders, curtains, even a painted or wallpapered backsplash. These are inexpensive touches. I would also add a patterned runner rug along the front of the sink, six to eight feet long. It's comfortable for standing while doing kitchen duty.

Rustic/industrial isn't my style, but if you guys think the cabinets will work as is without going rustic I'm willing to try. I don't hate the cabinets but I am not particularly fond of them either. Maybe if I made other changes to the room I would be ok with them.

So maybe to start I should paint the walls and add some accessories and see how I like it. I can always decide to paint cabinets later and repaint the walls to match.

So a creamy white for the walls? I could use some help choosing art and a rug.

What color table? Same color just a different style?

That's unfortunately not a pantry. Its just the door.

Hi - I would recommend removing all the extra wood around the sink window and maybe removing the window grids. (I would say remove the window, but sometimes that looks odd.) And, I would add a shade or valance to the window and the window by the table. Personally, I would measure from wood edge to wood edge.

If you need more storage you can add a pantry unit to the area by the trashcans. Another option would be to look for a dark wood or painted hutch and put it on the wall by the table.

I know you said you didn't like sage green but there are several shades of green - even a glazed green. Maybe opt for two colors green and off white. The green goes well with the floor and rest of the oak in the house.

Lastly, the door is so bulky, I would try for the following: a pocket door, opening it from the other side (by the front door), does it fit in the area by the trashcan? Remove it?

Really hard to make suggestions art, rug, table, and wall color, without knowing your style, favorite colors, and the direction you want to go here. Art and color is subjective. I think you should start with picking a table. Again your style will influence everything. It's much easier to mix and match woods, colors, and styles with rustic chic, but if you are not into it, there are other options.

If you add pictures into your Idea book, we can get an idea of what you like and if it's possible to blend your existing kitchen with your style. Otherwise, we are just shooting in the dark.

I honestly don't know what my style is. I looked up "rustic chic" and I actually do like that.

My favorite colors I guess would be light blues, bright greens and dark purples but I also like red, orange and yellow.

Your exposed hinges will keep this looking rustic / cottage - even more rustic/cottage if you paint, whereas rustic industrial can skew farmhouse / modern with the right lighting and elements. You can add blackboard elements and funky good lighting and pull this cool. Work with it instead of against it - maybe a consignment red oriental wool rug under the new table / corner . . .red canisters, red sprayed light fixtures that feel throwback / cool. Light blues will make this wood look more orange . .green and purple don't work here unless you want to paint all the cabinets a deep forest green sort of tone .. a big commitment.

An all white kitchen with these dark cabinets and appliances will not be better - the dark appliances and countertops are good against the wood but will stick out as wrong with light cabinets.

In your shoes, start by taking the walls to a soft shade that coordinates with your countertops - put the chips on your countertops . . an offwhite in that direction will work well here - think I suggested maritime white. Add the banquette and pedestal table -- a black table would be great. Budget eventually new light fixtures - the cabinet and trim elements are so traditional, that you want to play with instead of against them.

Would a table like this work?

https://www.houzz.com/products/beadell-pedestal-table-black-prvw-vr~29997485

Not sure if the banquette will happen since I would have to buy. Options seem limited.

I can probably paint this Friday. Will post pics after.

Depends on how many people you need to seat. It seems on the small side and takes up a lot of room, due to the shape. I would pick something rectangular to maximize space. In regards to the style/shape, it's very traditional/shabby chic, without the shabby. If you like this, then I would definitely paint the cabs buttercream, black hardware. It would go with this style.

What kind of table would go with the cabinets as they are?

The table need to seat 4 people.

Do a light wall color with light cabinets. Add an island. Do a dark granite for the counter top to get a nice contrast. Maybe new appliances. You can actually repaint the table to save money. If you like more of a farm house look, you can distress the table after you paint it.

Also do a nice backsplash

Honestly, a carpenter can build the banquette seating for very little money--under $500. Have him/her make the seat with a lid so you can store pieces--serving platters, trays, etc.-- you don't use much. If you build the banquette seating to the specs of outdoor cushions, you don't even need to get cushions upholstered. Then get a round tulip table from Ikea or a paint a thrift shop table and arrange your black chairs around it.

Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream is the wall paint in this photo. It's a neutral that works well with wood. Behr Glow WB 310 is almost identical. This will soften the contrast between the current white walls and wood at less expense and trouble than painting the cabinets.

If you change out your hardware to nickel, you'll immediately lose some of the too-rustic look. The Martha Stewart line either at Home Depot or Lowe's has great hardware. I hope you consider a banquette and a get a round table. I liked the round black table you chose, but make sure it's big enough for your family.

That wall in the dining area is crying out for a large art work. You can check Etsy, Allposters.com, and all sorts of online places. Fill that wall as much as you can then pick an accent color from the piece for things like an indoor-outdoor rug, tea kettle, dishtowel, pottery, etc. Here are some food-related art works. You could do a search for "window" painting if you want another "window" there. I like these "cute fruit" patterns. Go big, though.

What about a rug under the table with some black in it to contrast it to the rest of the wood.

That first one is cute.

I would love a rug but I don't know if that's the best idea under the table. It would probably get ruined pretty quickly (play dough, paint etc).

New lighting for sure

Painted and took the door off.

I have decided to go with a bench. Now I need a table, rug, art and accessories. I do like the fruit pattern but its 24x30. Is that big enough? The wall is about 85x94. I don't know how big it can be though because of that light switch that's in the middle of the wall. I think 24in is about the tallest it can be without covering the switch.

Don't you just want to conk somebody on the head for placing that switch in the middle of the wall? I still think you should go big art to create a fantastic corner dining area, with seating bench, storage lid, new fixture, and big painting.

Here's a solution: get a three-part painting that will fill the wall--or three tall vertical separate food paintings--leaving enough space between each piece for the switch. Google "3-unit canvas paintings" and see what comes up. These are lined up too closely, but you get the idea. Make sure to hang the art 57" from floor to the center of the art. It looks low, but it's standard gallery eye-level and a good measurement for seeing art while you're seated.

Oh, pick accent colors--oven mitts, bench cushions, tea kettle, dishtowels from whatever art you choose. Tip: Many online outdoor stores have colorful bench cushions for summer furniture. So if you're hiring a carpenter for the bench seat, use measurements of pre-made seat cushion.s

They have benches at Cost Plus. They also have quite a selection of tables. After looking at the prices - it may be worth your while to sand your table and either paint or stain it. If you are looking for the Rustic look - then you can sand it and rub a brown wax on it or a clear. It will give it the industrial look that you see in pictures. On the bottom of the table, maybe you or your husband can trim the round areas off and keep the lines straight. Then paint it the color of the chairs.

Wayfair had a couple of different sets of pictures

And actually, my mother had a carpet under her table. She always felt it kept things cleaner. She had a loop or commercial type carpet with a pattern (so it didn't look like commercial carpet. She would order it have it cut and bound. Its really a matter of preference.