So why buy the house if you "hate" the kitchen??? That would be a deal breaker for me unless I had the $ to totally remodel it ( that's what I had done in my house). White paint & new hardware & counters ?

I think white is a safer choice if you're concerned about resale. If you love navy, you could use it on the island only, and maybe incorporate it into a window treatment and the bar stools.

Baily, unfortunately I caved to my husbands wishes. He loved this house bought it for sale by owner while I was having medical issues. It is overall an ok house, but the kitchen is driving me batty.

The navy would be fantastic with marble. Not so much granite. I have to agree with Sammy. White is a safer choice for resale. Another option for using navy is to paint the lower cabinets navy, and the uppers white. It will keep the room from feeling small. If you are totally sold on granite, finding one with a gold tone will complement the navy and white. It will feel very nautical, but nautical never goes out of style.

I think blue cabinets are great, although I wouldn't go as dark as navy. Another option is to do blue lowers and island and white uppers, to keep it a bit lighter, or to do a blue wall (like the cabinets around the fridge) and white elsewhere. Lots of possibilities.

Here are some variants to help you mull:

You could also keep most of the kitchen white and bring in the blue on the island and with the backsplash, along these lines:

Hope this helps!

White or a neutral color for the paint; granite or quartz for the countertops; no marble at all, it doesn't stand up to kitchen use. And have a pro paint it.

Kristen, I think you'll have a huge update by painting the cabinets white and replacing the white appliances with stainless steel.

Carolina Kitchen & Bath. I entirely disagree on the marble comment. If someone is careful and cleans well, marble is wonderful in a kitchen. It is a classic choice for French cooking due to the need to keep pastry dough cool. If someone doesn't cook very often, then the concern really isn't there. At that point, it becomes a style preference, not function.

forgot this one photo, which reminds me to say that, even if you paint most of it white and just keep the blue on the island or a few places, you will feel like you have a new kitchen -- fresh painted cabinets, new pulls, a great big sink with a high faucet, a new counter, maybe a cute pendant over the island... it will work wonders.

I think painting will be a good idea but I would hesitate to do navy, it is avery specific color and this is not a huge kitchen . I would however invest in all stainless appliances and include in that a counter depth fridge. I would enlarge the island and maybe paint that the blue you like , I love marble counters but not sure if this kitchen warrants the expense , that you will have to decide and no clipped corner on the island top

you guys are great! I was thinking more of a navy w gray undertones as opposed to a true dark navy. ideally the island will go bigger and new appliances are a must! (my oven doesn't have a door, lol) I love the Navy inspiration pics! I llike the look of marble (or Bucher block) but I'm afraid of the actual durability w kids and it actually being a used kitchen, not just for presentation. Def have thought of white uppers and blue lowers. I get worried about white with the arches, they feel so dated to me. I appreciate all your ideas!!

Totally agree with you on the arches looking dated. Any chance you can replace the upper doors with ones without arches?

Well, here's a kitchen with arched cabinets that was updated with paint and new counters and makes me drool...

A darker color won't really hide that aspect, so just focus on getting a look you love, so all you see is the happy parts.

You can save $$ by keeping your own fridge (forget counter size with kids and leftovers and real life) and maybe even the microwave (if you go with white uppers), so you can put that money into getting one of the zillion types of quartz that mimic marble but wear like nails. Just a bit more than the marble, and you won't have another thing to worry about.

https://www.cambriausa.com/Designs/design-palette/Torquay/

https://www.cambriausa.com/Designs/design-palette/Brittanicca/

http://www.caesarstoneus.com/collections/classico/5043-montblanc/

http://www.caesarstoneus.com/collections/classico/5143-white-attica/

http://www.caesarstoneus.com/collections/classico/5031-statuario-maximus/

https://www.silestoneusa.com/color/calacatta-gold/

https://www.silestoneusa.com/color/statuario/

Do the cupboards a neutral and use the navy as an accent. How about navy walls! or photos that pull navy. Invest in a beautiful countertop (also neutral, but with a pattern you love). Keep looking at photos you love, gather them and see what common factor/colors you're attacted to.

Poor little unloved kitchen:( Try not to hate it, with the exception of the broken oven door it is a nice size with a reasonably good layout. (Have you been watching too much HGTV?)

At least it is not a brand new kitchen that you don't like - hard to mess with new while old lets you get creative. You can paint the cabinets whatever color you like just try to have it flow with the rest of the home. One thing you might want to think about, if it is your style, is the Kohler Whitehaven "short apron" farmhouse sink. The "short apron" style can be installed on a standard sink base and is a great way to blend the old with the new since both the older oak cabinets and the new "farmhouse" look are just variations on a theme.

Here is the sink - but I did not paint my cabinets:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~58830325

It sounds like you are going to paint for sure, but if you don't (professional paint job recommended so it will last, and that is lots of $$$) white appliances work well with wood and don't have the hassle of fingerprints.

I think your biggest issue is that everything except the appliances are the same color, walls, floors, cabinets are all the same brown.
I would start by painting your walls a color that makes you happy. You may find that 'fixes' enough that a new stove (don't do stainless with kids!) and maybe a splurge on new counters is all it really needs.
Trust me, in 5 years anything you do now will be considered dated for resale.
This color is gorgeous (I have it in my bedroom) and is paired with similar colors to the fixtures in place.

I sometimes wish I'd done the cabinets in blue. Hubby convinced me to go 'classic' stained maple. They are beautiful. But when I look at those blue kitchens, I wonder if I should have pushed for it.

In other words, if you want blue - do it!

This looks like an open concept kitchen so be careful what color you make your cabinets.

Are you using navy in the main living area? Be careful to get the undertones in your navies the same.

I don't think you need to worry about the actual cabinet design so much once they are a new color. That changes the dated look they feel like now. If it helps these are my before and after pics from years ago. Ironically, we are now gutting and expanding our kitchen -- but the white changed everything and has held up for the last 7 years like this. If I had only changed those counters!! ;)

After photos

I think navy (as you say, a grey-ish navy) would look beautiful, at least on the lower cabinets. I personally would opt for navy bottoms with cream/white upper cabinets and/or open shelves, and a light-coloured backsplash. Navy top and bottom can look stunning in the right space, but I think it will look dark and trendy. The two-tone navy & cream/white kitchens will endure, IMHO. :)

My MIL just got a white quartz countertop that looks a LOT like marble. It's very light, irregular like marble, but reportedly extremely durable.

Paint will do wonders here. I did quartz in my last house and loved it. I think white uppers and a grayish/green/blue lowers with light quartz and some jazzy knobs is all you need. It's got great light and a nice layout. Don't hate :)

Go to IKEA and get new cabinets. You will spend more than these builder grade cabinets are worth trying to paint them. Tell hubby its the cost of a happy wife and happy life.

You have the right idea on painting the cabinets and I love the blue. Consider painting the island and the pantry the blue and paint the "L" of the kitchen, uppers and lowers a pale grey and the walls white. The first pic is a good dark blue. The grey will depend on the color of blue you select. White counters in a durable surface and a wood farm tabletop for island top would be great for the kids. Hang a big interesting light fixture over the island.

Besides the color of the cabinets, the microwave over the stove dates the kitchen the most. The cooking wall should be the star and can be achieved easily. Remove the microwave and extend the island at the end where the trash is located and install the microwave under the island counter top.

It would be even better if you could have a wall oven and microwave on the pantry wall next to the fridge. This way the cooktop will be very updated and you can have pot drawers below the cooktop.

Even if you get a simple stove hood, keep the backsplash tile simple, like white subway tiles. Look for a stove/oven with a low back and the controls on the front face. Don't do that little backsplash from the counter: have the backsplash tile go to the countertop.

Last and most important: Get beautiful pulls and handles. Look around and tear pictures out of magazines. It's worth the investment and will bring your kitchen to a different level.

By focusing on all the other details, and painting the cabinets a pale grey, it will downplay the arch on the upper cabinet doors. I would even paint the interior of the corner upper cabinet a bright color like a citron green or bright red.

^ ^ ^ ^ Blue island + pale grey cabinets

^ ^ ^ ^ Dark island, low back stools in a great color, pale grey cabinets, big light fixture centered over island

^ ^ ^ ^ Dark island, white cabinets, carrara marble countertops and backsplash

^ ^ ^ Stovetop with pot drawers

^ ^ ^ Extended island

^ ^ ^ ^ Wood top on island + beautiful cabinet pulls

Start with new stone countertops and new stools.
Consider repainting the wall... maybe a milky white? The room is all too peach right now.
Maybe navy barstools?

Since you have white appliances I would do gray Sloan chalk paint and copper metal knobs and lighting

Or white cabinets with black or dark metal hardware