Thank you. I agree with you about decluttering countertop but I just recently changed backsplash, hardware, built oven hood, new lanterns & fridge to change the look. I love the stools but may change fabric on seats

There are a few simple changes to give you a cleaner look. Your electrical switches and outlets stick out, change them to all same dark color. By changing just the plates you make them stick out. You I]might change the bulbs in your new lanterns.

Jane... good idea on the switches. I didn’t know I could get them in dark color. The bulbs are candelabra Edison type.. what else would you suggest?

Declutter and add under cabinet lighting to the section of cabinets by the fridge.

What do your local agents say? Your kitchen cabinets are gorgeous, with a lovely finish and what appears to be a high-quality wood -- cherry? However, the kitchen comes across as very dark, despite being open to other areas of your home. Perhaps that is why white kitchens are so popular, i.e., they feel bright and cheery even when there is not a lot of natural light. If you know some real estate agents, you could ask them whether painting the cabinets white will help the house sell faster and/or for more money. In any case, if you did paint them white, I think they would look terrific against your existing countertops and backsplash. The contrast would be very flattering. You could also consider removing the short set of cabinets that is between the kitchen and (?) dining room, shown in your second set of photos. Can't tell from that photo if the cabinets are two-sided or if there is a short upper wall there as well. In either case, you'll need to repair along the ceiling line to have a smooth visual flow between the rooms. Good luck!

Don’t waste 10K on professionally painting those cabinets with a conversion varnish. . Everything you have chosen is based on a dark, ornate, heavy, look. Changing just the cabinets will make then look like they landed from Mars in that kitchen and in that house. Live with what you’ve created.

Unless you want to change EVERYTHING. In your whole house. For your own pleasure only. At a huge expense. Not for economic gain. Just take the hit at resale and move when you are ready to move.

If your light fixtures are rated for higher-wattage bulbs than you have in them, try changing each light bulb in your kitchen to the next-higher wattage. A little brighter light from every light fixture gives you a brighter kitchen.
And yes, your outlet covers can be changed to more closely match the wall or tile behind them. Dark on dark, light on light.

Installing under cabinet lighting will really brighten the kitchen. Your backsplash is lovely.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions I am open to any ideas. I already have under counter lights. The cabinets between the kitchen and dining room are one side only. Also I erred by posting pictures right after I washed some dishes. My counter is usually not that cluttered. Here are some better pictures... I did remove a few more things

I love your kitchen I wouldn’t change the cupboard

I would not paint to sell because buyer can choose to do what they want, however I have white with uba tuba granite and love the contrast.

Housing market is hot in most of the US and your kitchen is lovely and will be a nice selling point. I wouldn't paint your beautiful cabinets.

I personally prefer white kitchens HOWEVER that's all in context to the rest of the house. I've seen houses whose kitchens I've loved with wood cabinets because everything went together beautifully and the kitchen looked luxurious. If I was a buyer I'd be offput by painted cabinets. Paint almost never looks as good close up and chips/dings after not too long of use. I'd end up replacing all the exterior rather than deal with painted cabinets ever again.

That is an all or none change.

Do you want the expense of a 75K redo to gut everything and move things around to improve the layout for functionality? (The next owner WILL take that need into account in any offer. ) And the 30K expense to replace all of the floors in the house? And the 20K expense to paint all of the walls and trim? And the 100K expense replace much of the furniture?

Everything more or less sorta works together now. You can’t interrupt that balance and create an imbalance. The imbalance created will then need to be addressed.

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You can’t really paint those cabinets white and have that look good in that dark house.

It’s an all or none change, for the whole house if you want light and bright.