All depends on how soon you wish to sell.

If that is within a year: leave it as it is. For somehow you will never get the buyer's taste. You'll be wasting your money. And some people might actually like these colors... I love how the towels combine all the colors. Would get rid of the little carpet though, when people come to see the house.

Love the cabinets. Save the countertop choice for buyers if you're selling soon. Wall color doesn't seem to work with either.

Sorry you don't like the pretty maple cabinets. A light countertop with a cream subway tile backsplash looks pretty with maple. I agree to do nothing if selling soon. If you will be there a few years then go ahead and do a refresh. A Kohler Vault stainless "short apron" style farm sink might be a nice refresh touch and can be installed on a standard sink base cabinet. There are lots of pretty countertops out there. Do not do granite or quartz if the cabinets are in poor shape.

Dark countertops also can be a good look with maple, but the light counters might have greater appeal and if the kitchen is small, the dark can make the space darker and more closed in looking. Do not use a mosaic tile backsplash.

Kohler Vault:

I'd paint the kitchen white, go to Home Depot or lowes and get some cabinet hardware like this, then declutter....

Thank you all for your comments, I really appreciate it! We don't plan on selling for a couple years, if we even choose to sell. My husband wants to rent this out so we are still deciding. I want to sell, he wants to rent so we shall see. It's been about 5 years since we've done anything so it's definitely time to update some things. Paint color is too dark and we need the backsplash, counters and sink. I forgot to mention we are getting a dark walnut color wood-look tile in the living room/foyer area and we want to carry that throughout this space. If we did that, we'd have to change the cabinet colors. I might be overthinking this (which I tend to do A LOT) but I just want to make sure I'm making smart choices and not wasting money.

I agree with one of the comments about the clutter. I went overboard on decorating so a lot of that stuff will go. I go crazy at Home Goods so it looks like that store threw up in our kitchen.

The purchasers will do whatever they want, regardless of what you do.

You actually might not need to change them, most of the time the new owners will put in what they want. You might want to wait and save your money.

Totally agree with not changing the cabinets. Know that buyers will likely change what you put money into.

Yes...cabinet tops need simplifying which is an easy fix. Also, faux plants just give a dated look.

You would not have to change the cabinet color with the darker floor - but I think you are pining for white:) The cabinet color can make a difference on what countertop and backsplash you choose, so do things in the right order. I kept my cabinets wood and have a wood floor. Everything else is light - light countertops, backsplash, farm sink and walls. However, maple is a nice smooth wood and does paint well.

If you do go for the darker floor and don't paint your cabinets, go light on everything else. There is a darker floor in the pics I posted above in the third pic - but it is still a light kitchen.

We don't really have a budget since we don't know what we want exactly (material wise). We got a quote from a company for the flooring and backsplash but it didn't include material. It was a little over $5,000. This also included the living room area, AC closet, stairs and hallway.

Even if we kept the cabinets the same color, there are a few issues I've noticed that need to be fixed. The side of the cabinet above the sink looks like it's warped or something. I'll have to take a picture because I don't know what the material is called, wood veneer possibly? Im not sure. Another issue is a drill hole through the middle of the cabinet. I thought it was a good idea to follow a Pinterest post and hang the measuring spoons on the inside of the cabinet door. The screw didn't go through the door completely but you can clearly see the wood is messed up from the outside. This idea went in my personal file of "What on earth were you thinking!?" A little common sense would have helped but ya live and learn I guess. Anyway, the last Issue is on the same door on the bottom of it. I just noticed it a few days ago. It looks like it's rotten, I'm not sure.

So even if we kept these cabinets, these things will need to be fixed, right?

I would be sure your cabinets are in decent shape before putting new countertops on of any material. The sides of lots of cabinets have a wood look material rather than a real wood side - I am not sure what it is. It can be covered with a thin piece of cabinet wood - obviously easier if you paint.

This one is oak, but I stained some to match my cabinets to cover the sides for a better look.

https://www.menards.com/main/kitchen/kitchen-cabinets/shop-all-kitchen-cabinets/quality-one-trade-12-x-30-unfinished-oak-wall-cabinet-panel/p-1444451717336-c-14242.htm?tid=-3813253333463583986&ipos=21

I finished the panels but I've only put two up - one of those unfinished jobs I have. You can also buy one sheet of 1/4 plywood with the appropriate wood species - (maple) and cut your own panels but most of us don't have the skill and saws to do that. If you are hiring a carpenter to do some work, you can ask him about a repair. You might want new side panels on the undamaged cabinets just for a nicer look. If there are many areas of damage, you may want to see if saving up for new cabinets is possible.

Fixing the hole is also easy if you put on a new panel or paint - a little wood filler and sanding. Or, put a different piece of decor over it:)

Here is one of my panels, if I ever get around to putting them up:

Also, a carpenter can often take a cabinet apart and put a new side on if the warpage is too bad, or if you are painting, a new cabinet box might be ordered and replace the old one. Often the cabinets are standard sizes. You might just replace the box since you might not be able to find your door style - so keep the door.

There are pics of my kitchen in my "my pics" idea book - but it is in a vintage style.

jhmarie has good points. You could do the side panel simple enough. It's not a big deal. It's also a lot cheaper than redoing the cabs.

I'd leave the cabinets as is. Getting a top of the line cabinet painter (not a house painter!) would cost 3-4K to paint those. If you want, remove a few of the upper door middle panels and replace w/glass. you can do those yourself for $50 a piece.

The biggest bang for your bucks is the countertop. You would be better off spending the money on those. if you look into the pre-fab granite or quartz countertops, you can buy a 9'X22" counter for less than $500. you hire a fabricator to cut it to fit your dimensions,,,,about 800 or so.

If you don't want to spend that much, then pick a new laminate countertop. they've come a long way with new designs and colors.

If you want to do a backsplash, do not have them install the 4" back piece w/the countertop.

you can do a simple subway tile as they are inexpensive and easy to do yourself. watch a few videos. With that size kitchen, you two could finish it in 2-3 days at a cost of $300 or so.

consider removing all the stuff on top of the cabinets. that alone will make a big difference in appearance.

Look at Cambria Dovedale. It is a soft white with a slight medium brown veining. I plan to use it with pearwood cabinets.

Here's what I did can't go wrong with white