Your cabinets are looking worse for the wear. What are you doing with them?

I suggest you look at pics of wood kitchens to see what speaks to you as there are many ways to go. You can google "wood kitchens" on google images, Pinterest and Houzz to see what comes up. I have a "wood kitchens" idea book and it has some refreshed older kitchens in it as well a newer kitchens:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/thumbs/wood-kitchens

For my own oak kitchen, I chose a light quartz countertop. It can look cool in some light, but it also has cream and a touch of beige and overall reads "warm" which is what you want with warm wood tone cabinets. Wood cabinets have "movement" due to the grain and usually look best with simple backsplash. This is especially true if like me you do keep some items on your countertop like canisters, coffee pot and breadbox. I did not want to add another pattern to create a sense of busyness.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~110720042

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~109854052

https://www.houzz.com/photos/my-pics-work-in-progress-phvw-vp~109854029

To keep my kitchen light, I went with a cream wall paint with a touch of beige. Consider getting sample jars of a few of your favorite colors for the kitchen, paint them on foam board and move them from place to place in your space, observing them in various light and times of the day.

If you do not have under cabinet lighting, consider it. While I like my new counters, sink, and backsplash very much, the new undercabinet lighting, is one of the most functional changes I made - followed by the sink which is also a great functional change. I only have the under cabinet lighting between my sink and range, but since that is a major prep area for me, it has been wonderful.

Well unfortunately just a good cleaning is all I can do right now. My mom and I share the house and she doesn’t want them changed.

They will get new pulls though.

OK, well give them a really good cleaning and then go over them with an oil based walnut wipe stain to cover any point of wear. If you have loss of finish you can also use wipe poly to seal after the stain has dried. I had similar cabinets and did this until I could afford to replace my kitchen. You will be amazed at how much that will help the cabinets. A bit of elbow grease will go a long way to sprucing up the cabinets. On another point, the sheet vinyl is really nice these days and it is easy to clean, soft on the joint and comes in a wide variety of choices. Again, I used sheet vinyl in my kitchen as an update until I could remodel. It is affordable and looks nice when professionally installed. As I recall I got my new hardware in a clearance bin for a song and it looked great.

Look at Benjamin Moore Cashmere Grey. the cabinets have a yellow cast off and grey may not work. Also repaint the ceiling.

IMHO, if you aren't changing the cabinets, using a dark floor with a dark oak cabinet with yellowing that is inherent with them.....might consider doing a lighter floor that won't compete with current cabinets. With regards to counters, if you are in an area or can easily get to an area with slab distributors, just go in and look at slabs....in general all slab suppliers will allow you to go in. If your current layout is fairly simple, you may find you get the most bang for your buck by going to a company that installs prefabricated slabs (imported already cut to 26"xup to 110" lengths). The finished product is identical to buying slabs, but can often save you significant money if that is important.

I misread. I thought the dark floor was going elsewhere. OMG do you have any idea how dark that kitchen will be? You have zero pot lights overhead from what we can see. And dark cabinets with grey brown walls - it will look like a tomb.

Please reconsider your flooring and paint choice colors. Both will darken the kitchen so much.

--The floor color should harmonize with the cabinets since you are keeping them. Get the same wood color or a lighter wood color but in the same red oak color.

--Do a Google search for "best wall paint colors to go with red oak cabinets" to see what works best with what you have. The greige doesn't harmonize at all. Your ceiling should be painting white in any case.

Here's kitchen flooring and a gray walls though it's only a tiny portion of wall that is painted.I still think gray will make your kitchen dark because you don't have pot lights as this kitchen does. Also, notice the creamy, light counter and backsplash, which lighten the kitchen, window, etc. You haven't shown enough of your kitchen to know how to fully advise you. But definitely reconsider your color choices.

Thanks everyone. Let me see if I got it all.

Consider lighter floors? We did at first but they all looked too much like the cabinets. Our living room has the same wood walls so I really want the floors to be different color wood from the walls.

The cabinets...we talked and decided to resurface them. They will be the same color stain but should look new.

The counters should be light. I totally agree.

The grey paint will be too dark. I think I agree too. I like a greige color so maybe a lighter version from what I posted.

We are busting down a wall so there will be more light but I like the idea of adding can lights. We are adding under counter lights too.

Here is another pic of the kitchen. We are getting a new microwave and maybe cooktop.

Did I miss anything?

Hey Stacy Salinas,

If you want quartz, the perfect choice would be Taj Royale from Caesarstone , it does have a marble look , and the gold/brownish veins does give the kitchen a subtle and great contrast.. take a look:

(I've also put a backsplash option for you, but for sure you need to get samples into your house and put together with the floor and cabinets to make sure)

Refacing cabinets costs as much or more than buying new. Refinishing costs more than buying new. Neither process is very DIY friendly unless you have a lot of experience.

Rethink your plan for quartz. It’s too expensive to put on those cabinets. If you keep them. Do a light laminate. Add lighting. And a light paint color. Leave the floors alone. They are great!

If you really really want all those expensive items, you are going to have to put in a LOT of sweat equity into those cabinets. It’s not worth paying labor for any changes. But, if you did do the sweat equity, then you could have a very nice result.

Do the cabinet whatever you’re going to do first. Don’t put it off. Your reward will be to do the quartz if you get the cabinets in nice enough shape for them to deserve that.

I think if you lighten the counter and backsplash, you can keep the floor. New hardware and paint of course.

buying quartz countertops will be well over 4K. and putting them on those cabinets would not be a good look.

Paint them. do you homework, take you time, and paint them. They are seriously worse for wear. you kitchen will look so nice w/those painted white, and a light countertop. If you want a tutorial, I have one. it might take you a month or so to do all of it, if you're willing. Otherwise, do what Sophie said.

resurface them? what does that mean? someone comes in and strips and stains them? that's just as much work as painting them. Have you got a price for that?

See those dark, stains on the edges caused from years of greasy fingers? that might be deep into the wood grain. you need to get that wood down to fresh, raw wood in order for a resurface to look good.

Paint them! for a $150 or so, and your time,,,,,

If you have the money to reface I would wait and save a bit more and redo the kitchen those huge soffits are all wrong and I bet the space could be a lot more functional too. The colors you have chosen will make the kitchen feel like a dark pit.I think wasting money on quartz without a plan is just a huge waste. What is the lighting like? Too many questions with really not many pics from you .

I actually like the current floor with the cabinets over the darker floor. The OP stated they don’t want to paint the cabinets. Look at the new laminate countertops that look like stone. I tend to agree with the others that with the old cabinets, I would not spend the money on an expensive counter. The issue is that these cabinets are 40 years old and they at the end of the of their lifecycle. I actually had a nearly identical version of this kitchen and I just redid it last year. What I can tell you is that cabinets and their design have so advanced since the 1970’s that replacement becomes necessary. Cabinets wear out. For instance I put in drawers versus cabinet doors because they store more and are easier to use and find things. Even the rails are different because mine slide open and close with ease by themselves without slamming. Part of home ownership is replacing things when they wear out and this kitchen is worn out. The biggest regret I have about my new kitchen? That I didn’t replace it sooner. I cannot believe how long I suffered through the dysfunction and when I look at your kitchen it reminds me of that pain. If you have an IKEA store nearby, please go look at their kitchens. What you are planning on spending here will buy you new cabinets there and you will have something you can enjoy. I hope my comments help as I now how painful change can be along with spending money that you would rather save.

And I agree the soffit has to go along with the popcorn ceiling. Lighting is key and you are correct to add it.