Google "cabinet finger pulls" and "cabinet edge pulls".

They tend to be used on more contemporary designs, but there are some that have a more traditional look to them. Not sure that is the right look for your kitchen, but always good to look at all the options before making a decision!

I would work my way around in the kitchen with the various things to do. wallpaper removal.....lighting changes...upgrade fridge..new counters...new sink/ faucet? ...new floor....the cabinets with negative reveal are authentic and in pretty good shape.[but should be evaluated closely] . What do you wish to do short and then long term, and money you wish to spend at the intervals??? The absence of handles/knobs can be made to work with a bit more modern vibe...dark granite counters....stainless fridge...good backsplash. There is potential, but get away from the country feeling. Just what I would do.

I have an oak kitchen and have been happy with a refresh of new counters and backsplash - though yours look to be in good shape. (pics in my my pics idea book) However, the grain in your doors suggest that the inner panel is veneered plywood - just a so-so quality type of door. You can certainly work with it, but you could also look into the cost of new doors with a wood raised panel, stained to match and that you could put handles on. That is possibly more money then you wanted to spend. Your kitchen has a nice layout and while older, as is mine, looks pretty.

Down the road when the over the range microwave breaks down, you might consider a stainless hood with a countertop microwave elsewhere - it looks like you are changing over to stainless appliances.

Your wallpaper boarder is your decision:) I has roses stenciled on the soffit above my cabinets, but finally painted over them a couple of years ago. I also had a similar light! I do like your valence.

I don't see why you can't stick knobs inside the raised bits (which are kinda of great, I think!).

Drawers are easy: stick them in the middle. For the doors, first tape up some paper fake knobs to see how they look but I think they will be fine.

For deoaking the oakiness....hmmmm. That's more work!

I came across this kitchen when looking at Zillow and while the doors are white, the style looks similar to yours and they do have knobs. Click on the picture to enlarge:

Thanks for the help! The grain on the cabinets has been a thorn in my side since we moved in 21 years ago lol just now finally able to spend a little money and trying to decide what to do. Wallpaper removal and new coat of paint are first on the list along with light fixtures, window treatments, counter and sink and possibly back splash. The big decision is if we paint the cabinets white then what about all the light oak trim and doors in the rest of the house. That might be out of the budget. Hoping the oak will drive me less crazy if I get to enjoy some other updates. Getting estimates this week.

the grain is there...but not like the typical orange oak from the 80's. and the doorstyle is so much nicer than cathedral arches/etc. You almost have a blond wood with a grain more akin to an exotic species[ I know it's not really] I would hunker down on a great dark counter-dark grays or near black ...bring in samples and see what happens. The question is more---are these cabinets going to remain due to efficiency and desired layout and overall quality?? If they will be pulled I might do a dark formica for the short term. if they remain then the soapstone/corian/possibly quartz options come into play. Mid priced granite with some sale? might be the sweet spot for you.Personally-I'd want a more resilient and "anchoring" type floor, in the sense of a statement. The bisque tile so common....is of an era: another choice can really flatter/update the space....I know flooring is not always cheap but many folk can actually do that themselves. And vinyl planks afford options: looks and good price.

I understand living in a house a long time and finally being able to do some upgrades. A friend of mine has an all oak house and she started small. The had the cabinets painted and kept the oak trim for a few years until she could have it painted. Once her cabinets were painted and new countertops installed, it was enough to keep her happy until she could save up for the trim, and honestly, the oak trim did not look bad with her white cabinets. She then changed her white appliances to stainless which also really made a difference. Those changes de-oaked a lot of her house.

I'm renting at the moment and the house has hideous 70s butcher block formica slab cabinets that were not meant to have knobs, but the current owner put some on.

Trust me, it's only a big annoyance to have those where they aren't meant to be.

I just used General Finishes milk paint. It's a dream to work with, no priming, and dries to a really tough finish. (It's for indoor/outdoor use).

https://designs.generalfinishes.com/post/search?search_api_views_fulltext=milk+paint+kitchen

@nosoccermom do you have any pictures of your project?