Hi Stacy. We need a little more info if you are asking for layout advice. Check out the New to Kitchens thread for a run down.

I would encourage you to take advantage of the layout help here. There are some amazingly talented and generous people who will make sure you get the best possible layout for your space and needs--for free! I have remodeled three different kitchens with this forum and each one has been better because of the input I got here.

As far as pure looks, I think low contrast helps make a space look bigger. So for example one combination is white cabinets, white appliances, light countertop, white backsplash. A quick google search turned up a BHG article. I am sure you can find many more with suggestions. http://www.bhg.com/kitchen/small/make-a-small-kitchen-look-larger/

i will also say that properly sized appliances can make a small ktichen look and work better. Our first kitchen was tiny and the previous owner had shoehorned in a regular refrigerators. Switching out to a great smaller one made the kitchen a 100 times better.

I think that even with the dark counters, just painting the cabinets white will make the room brighter & so seem larger. White cabinets with dark counters is a classic look. Find ways to cut down the clutter on the counters, also.

If you are going to tear out and replace the cabinets, then I strongly encourage you to ask for design/layout help here.