How about painting the cabinets the white of your appliances? Then, the island the dark (almost black?) of the dining chairs. Pendants above the island and a new chandelier will give the spaces a whole new look as well. For wall color, something neutral for a "sophisticated" look.

Your idea book shows lots of white cabinets. Add light blue or pale sea green for walls. If blue, use a much lighter shade than your dining room seen through the doorway. If green, coordinate carefully with the blue.

For a family kitchen, this is pretty neat and orderly. Try a few $5 vinyl coated tablecloths to see what colors you like in the kitchen; there are lots of summer picnic patterns in stores. They may last a month or two before you toss them.

Here is a picture from the other side of kitchen. Since it opens to family room I thought I should share...

Thanks for the additional photos. The green you already chose for the family room would be lovely in your kitchen, too. There may be a gold or tan in the red carpet's pattern, too.

BTW, You may be able to overcoat your tabletop with a couple coats of tinted clear polyurethane. Helps a lot with reducing signs of wear and tear and makes it easier to clean up.

Thanks. I have considered going to a lighter shade of what I have in the family room in the kitchen. It is a wheat color--not really green.

I would paint the walls a khaki color, and paint or solid stain the cabinets white to lighten the room. I'd also paint the chandelier a tone two shades lighter than the walls, and remove all the objects from the top of the cabinets (as shown below). This gives more of a feeling of space.

Hi, I would paint the walls a lighter shade of blue than the room you see in the back, your cabinets will look whiter this way, blue will make your chairs and table look lovely, the red you have now is competing with the wood and it makes the cabinets look dark. If you're on a budget you could buy a big piece of fabric and make a runner that goes over the sides of the fridge, something french?

Rustoleumtransformations.com may have a great solution for you if you have a supply of elbow grease and some time!