Images would really help..:)

WOW ... THANK YOU, Houzzers! This is my first HOUZZ experience seeking advice and I am thrilled with the outpouring of ideas from everyone on how to update maple kitchen cabinets. We are considering buying this home so the REAL dilemma is how to give the kitchen and adjacent family room a cool, cohesive look on a fairly limited budget. See photos above for kitchen cabinets and flying cabinets w/ stove/range hood and the photo below for a view of the kitchen through the family room. My style is eclectic -- I lived in CA for 29 years and like beachy, rustic, natural, farmhouse with a clean modern look. Don't look at the furniture -- mine is white Shabby Chic.)

The quality in this house is excellent -- especially the light maple cabinets (closer in color to the ones in photo of stove), reddish terra-cotta floor and brick fireplace. Right now I'm looking for easy solutions and fixes to give the kitchen and family room a cool, cohesive, welcoming look.

For example, I'm thinking of removing the flying cabinets over the stove range, installing an island that incorporates the stove, and adding a sleek range hood that would pull the eye toward the kitchen. For the island, I'm thinking mixed woods, maybe some pieces that are painted in teal, red or black to pull all the colors together. For the range hood, I'm thinking of something that is either grayish metal or copper (to pick up tones of terra cotta tile floor) or black to pick up the accents in the fireplace.

I'm also thinking of refinishing the mantle in a natural wood. The brick in the fireplace is nice, but I'm not opposed to doing something to it to update it. The house is very traditional 1960 split level, but my feeling is some smart updates could pull it into this century. Appreciate any ideas or input! Thank you so much! :)

Dove grey would be a nice color

I suggest new hardware and possibly glazing the cabinets and moldings with dark brown accents to match the dark color in the brick surrounding the fireplace.

Nice suggestion, thank you!

Fyi... there is no "photo of cabinets above".

Like the idea of changing up the range hood but if you will have stainless steel appliances would do the same for hood...not black or copper...copper lighting would be fun...paint cabinets in a soft white...add beveled subway tile..could add some shiplap along the back of island or tongue and groove slates...keep it simple..white and neutrals copper is a nice accents but don’t use it on high end items..trends do pass....

Appreciate your ideas and thoughts about the hood and copper. If appliances are white and cabinets are not painted, what about brushed nickel for hardware and range hood? Alternatively, I was thinking a cool shaped black hood would "punctuate the room" and pick up the black accents from the fireplace (see photo of the kitchen through the family room).

I like the cabinets. I like the floor. I really like the gray chairs in the room. However, that dated looking brick fireplace is too busy. If it were mine, I would paint the fireplace in a solid color to look more like the color in the cabinets.

Oh would not do black hood and white appliances.....will give that kitchen a jumbled up mess of a style;/...I would paint the cabinets white so white appliances blend in and add brushed nickel hood and hardware..for a more farmhouse style you need to whitewash that brick fireplace...what are the counter top surfaces?

Hi, Home Interiors with Ease. We are thinking along the same lines. I'd whitewash everything if I could! To answer your question, the countertops are a nondescript tan and the backsplash is equally nondescript tan painted wood to blend in with the cabinets. Did you see the photos I added? Love the idea of a brushed nickel range hood. For now I'd keep the terra-cotta floor which gives it a CA vibe. I'm nervous about whitewashing cabinets but open to doing something subtle to lighten and update them -- glazing? Someone suggested glazing and adding accents in the molding. If you look at the photo of the stove, that is the truest color of the maple cabinets and it looks like there are already white streaks in the molding.

Their is a vanilla glaze that will lighten up the cabinets a bit..what it does is enhance any trim on the cabinet doors by depositing the vanilla white into all the crevices...would not do a dark glaze it will only make your white appliances really stick out rather than blend in. I love the terra-cotta floors. I would strongly consider painting the fireplace..it is so easy and will look beautiful with your terra-cotta floors...you need to make the rooms more cohesive.

Hi Julie (correct?) ~ thank you for your suggestions. I like the idea of the vanilla glaze on the maple cabinets since there are already some white/cream highlights in the crevices. With the cream cabinets, would I still go with the brushed nickel hardware and range hood -- or maybe brass or gold which is looking fresh the days. Also, any suggestions on how to lighten the fireplace? The bricks are in great shape and primarily brown, tan and cream -- no red which would pick up the red tones in the terra-cotta floor. It would be great to find a light "wash" that I could test on some unobtrusive area of the fireplace. BTW, I was in a swimming pool today that had red terra-cotta trim and navy tiles and I realized how much I love the summery look of terra cotta with blue (navy or turquoise) which made me think about doing the island in some kind of blue, turquoise or teal painted woods. Do you think that would work with the vanilla cabinets or would it defeat the goal of giving the kitchen/family room a cohesive look? To recap: reddish terra-cotta floors, vanilla cabinets, a lighter fireplace and an island in some kind of mixed woods for contrast.

Yes I would stick with brushed nickel for hood and hardware...I would finish the island front and sides with shiplap or tung and groove slats painted a white to match the glaze applied to cabinets.....or just paint solid....

here are two great videos on YouTube on whitewashing brick...super easy!

Bring in color with pillows and lamps....art...keep large furniture pieces all shades of neutral.....

Blue is a great color to offset the orange. Changing the hardware, updating the window treatments (maybe just one inch white blinds) and painting the room are all relatively low cost fixes. If you ever decide to get new appliances, think about a counter depth refrigerator. It will make a big difference in look.

Hi Houssaon, wouldn't the counter depth refrigerator take up too much space? Sounds like it's more horizontal than vertical.

Gina..no a counter depth refrigerator is the depth front to back..more shallow so it doesn’t stick way out beyond your cabinets...really the only style refrigerator I have bought in my last two homes...look so much better!