All great suggestions! We do not currently have under cabinet lighting, but would love to add that. This is the current Quartz countertop. What are the thoughts on starting with the backsplash and if so, what? Gotta say, I do looooove the pic with the marble countertop.

Well in my opinion it needs to be lighter....not crazy about the counter tops there now it is all one note and dark........if lighter it will give that bright style and look you desire...

need 3 frosted white pendant lights...... simplified shape, frosted white, with a shift to more modern vibe would do quite a bit. Then look at counter/backsplash change to coordinate. Lighting browsing is interesting and will provoke you.

Don't paint, please. The cabinets are gorgeous. Use that money to replace countertop, backsplash and get under cabinet lighting. You'll be amazed what the UC lighting will do. You probably want to start with that because it will affect the other choices!

Your cabinets are very nice in that they’re maple and shaker style. I think you can easily transform your kitchen with a lighter quartz countertop and backsplash. Also maybe have just the island painted?

if its a lighter feel you want, then all the suggestions above: counters, b/s and under cab lights will definitely lighten the space.

your cabs are beautiful and i would not paint them.

take one cab door with u to stone yard to help you pick out counter. then bring home b/s samples once counter is installed. do lighting anytime but i would do before counter & b/s go in.

If you really want to paint your cabinets, get a couple more estimates. They can vary widely. Just be sure the estimate is for good prep and technique.

I hope you don't paint those beautiful cabinets but instead replace countertops and add undercabinet lighting. Your cabinets seem to go perfectly with your floors as well. These cabinets are darker than yours, but you can see how light countertops brighten the kitchen by throwing light upwards.

I despise the words "on trend" . White kitchen have been around forever, and will remain around forever. That said, the first issue before a paint job, is to address the microwave over the range. The layout of the entire kitchen, before you start slapping on paint. A paint job that will hold up is not cheap. The doors and drawer faces come off, are taken off site, where they can be properly sprayed with conversion varnish . The frames are painted on site. In this size kitchen ? Upwards of five k, location depending. But first.....show the ENTIRE kitchen from several views. Your lighting is inadequate, and the THREE pendants over the island.....need to be two, as one is clinging to the very edge of the island. You have electrical to be considered... Do NOTHING with a backsplash until all else has been considered. Not the least of which is budget.

Why isn't marble seen that often as kitchen countertop? Because it's soft. It stains easily. It etches easily. It chips around sinks easily. If you're OK with that patina and the sealing upkeep then go forward. There are light/white quartz(manmade copies), granite and quartzite options. Taj Mahal is a harder than granite quartzite.

. . .

Another quartzite is Sea Pearl.

Echoing previous advice: new counters, new back splash, new cabinet hardware, under cabinet lighting...it will feel new and fresh :)

Do not start with back splash - because if you decide to change counters, you're damaging your new back splash. Start with new counters and under-cabinet lighting. Then add in the splash. Also swapping your pendants to a chrome/nickel may make a difference as well.

Classic shaker style cabs! If budget won’t allow painting them, you can add under cab light strips with bulb in kelvin 3000 or higher range (bright white or cool white), replace knobs and pulls with satin or brushed nickel, replace backsplash with Calcutta Gold polished subway tile or a soft grayish white glass tile like Manchester Bianco to reflect light, replace countertop with Calcutta Granite with hints of gold or Glacier White with hints of gold. Go to the granite yard/warehouse to see the actual slabs; look for lots of white in background and avoid hints of red, blue, purple, or pink flecks. Hope you end up liking your kitchen!

Thanks for the countertop close up. It is fairly dark so I think you would be happiest replacing it if that is in budget. I completely agree that you should not do backsplash and then countertop—the new backsplash would likely be damaged replacing the counter.

Personally I would consider plain white countertops (corian or quartz) and a pretty light colored ceramic tile for the backsplash. And definitely undercabinet lighting.

I am with Home Interiors with Ease do not touch the cabinets, replace counter and Backsplash with Calacatta quartz, Borghini with some gold veining to relate to the gold tone of the maple , Also change the hardware of the cabinets to brushed or polished brass handles and you will be pleased with the results and a much brighter and welcoming kitchen

The room would feel lighter with cream backsplash tile. It would feel even lighter with white counters. A couple grand still in budget? because you're starting there with counters...

Here’s an example of shaker wood cabinets with colored backsplash and coordinating island color.

Please do not paint your beautiful cabinets! Undercabinet lighting is in order!

your cabinets are brown, but nice:)

dark am I yet lovely

(no, they are not dark, it's just my chain of associations)

I wouldn't paint them because they are pretty. And they seem to be good cabinets. They really do. They're unpretenciously good. From what I can judge

So i wouldn't be sad about high quote for painting and would avert my attention to countertops, backsplash and lighting as you plan and as others suggested.

The cabs will indeed look very pretty with lighter surface..I think the countertops were a bit of a mistake-maple loves cleaner look next to it..could be Corian..could be light Quartz..could be marble-if you know yourself and know you'll be fine with patina

First narrow down your counter choice..after you know, you'll now better what to look for in backsplash. Can be a color-pretty with maple. (I hope btw I'm right and it is mable, and I'm not making a fool of myself). Can be interesting shape. Can be both. Can be simple-and turn out very pretty too.

I see quite a lot of potential in your kitchen

Color can be brought into a room by so many ways

But if you really crave painted suface. Maybe do an island only? Just consider all your plan together. Not in pieces. A whole scheme. also i'm not sure I'd pick white..islands are busy I presume..I'd sit there and dangle my feet..well I'm more restless than most..)) but still. Maybe darker color. Or I'd just leave it be. It'd be pretty as i, with all the other changes.

I love white cabinets too, just a classic look and makes the whole space brighter! I would look into refinishing your existing cabinets, especially since they look so good. I’d also talk to whoever does the refinishing about adding window boxes above the cabinets to go up to the ceiling. A nice herringbone patter backsplash with a white counter would look great! I’d also see if they can build a white hood to match your cabinets. Good luck!

I had cherry cabinets for 8 years (not chosen by me) then finally painted them. Best thing I ever did. If you want white cabinets, you will always want them, so paint them if you get a reasonable estimate! Just the uppers will make a huge difference. Changing only lighting will not give you the effect you want. A new backsplash (the tile and the labor) could run the same as or more than painting. (p.s. One reason I waited so long to paint was because of people saying how pretty the wood was. But it wasn't for ME. Just saying! Listen to yourself :) )

I have a wood kitchens idea book that might be helpful in getting some ideas should you chose not to paint:

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

Your dream kitchen is what is presently all over magazines and HGTV. I would suggest you consider seeing how you can make your kitchen unique to you, rather then what is being done everywhere right now, and for the past 5 plus years. The gift of an older kitchen that is not quite what you want is that it gives you the chance to get creative and discover what you really like - not just what has been show to you on TV over and over - though that may end up being what you truly like:)

Whatever you do, two steps to a prettier kitchen are 1) get under cabinet lighting and 2) consider replacing the over the range microwave with a stainless hood - prettier on its own and it gives an area for the new backsplash to be seen and pretty - though having said that, keep the backsplash simple if the cabinets stay wood. Wood does not benefit from a busy backsplash.

Thank you for all of the great suggestions and pics too. The pics and especially the one from acm of my own kitchen with a lighter backsplash were super helpful. I went to a design store yesterday and came home with a sample of Cambria Ironsbridge and a few white subway tiles to see how it feels. I love the Quartz and am ok with the backsplash. It all feels kind of Scandinavian to me now though and less Traditional. Do I need more pop in the backsplash?

Add color with accessories, so you can change it seasonally And when you tire of the color move on to another color.

Is your island painted?

Pretty stone

You don't need to have more pop in backsplash. You can have it if you want. Counter like this will allow using some color..or shapes that are a bit different..or layout of tiles that might give more sense of "pop"

You mentioned it feels now more Scandinavian(which I'll take as " clean and modern" in that case..Scandinavian can come in different forms) and less traditional

How do you want it to feel?

That's what I'd take into account when choosing and installing backsplash. The plainer the tile and the pattern-the simpler and cleaner will be the look. It will be pretty I think whether you use white or decide to go for a little color.

If you go with more elaborate shape-can signal more traditional. But I'd make sure I love the shape.

You can make it simple and just style it according to your tastes-and will be enough as suggested above.

The island is not painted and is Maple like the rest of the cabinets. I’m wondering what the suggestions would be for something a little bit more exciting than just the plain white subway tile. However, I am a little concerned with going too far out and having it look dated in a short period of time.I do like the idea of accents and accessories to get the look that I’m going for and keeping the fundamentals of the kitchen more traditional. I would say, at the risk of being shunned... a traditional farm house look would be ideal.

Painting just the island a soft white.....adding the Cambridge Ironsbridge counters....will give A more casual farmhouse effect...lighting is very important in achieving that style too!

I would add white subway in a Herringbone pattern or do a white Ogee...classic style for farmhouse effect...can lighting be changed? Open farmhouse lantern style in bronze or black.....a farm sink would really give that casual farmhouse feel too! Layering these elements will move you from blah to wow!

Those pics are so gorgeous! Do you think though that in five or seven years someone’s going to be able to look back and say, “oh, you did your kitchen in 2018, didn’t you?” That’s my concern with going with a backsplash as shown in the pice, again which are so gorgeous !

what you see is classic designs that have been around forever.....yes maybe in ten years you will need a refresh on lighting and accessories...but white subway or Ogee are keepers!...now glass tiles linear from Home Depot that screams 2018!:)))))

I'd put things in this way-traditional farmhouses all can look a bit different..because they stand in places that reflect different traditions))

so, the easiest is to go with these subtle clues that the house gives you

smth that experienced Spanish influence for a long time-arabesque might be a pretty natural choice that brings you joy many years after

while if it's somewhere I don't know..say New Hampshire..maybe arabesque will feel a bit odd in several years. Not that I ever tried..just a gut feeling

There are many many shapes though. Not all will signal strong historical context or something. Lots to choose from/

Take though into account future cuts etc..when choosing. Picture the layout and all.

or-I really like the idea of using tiles themselves to create a pattern, like on that first pic

Wonderful! So doing a pattern like herringbone will still be fine in 10 years?

will be beautiful and timeless....

Yes, the Arabesque pattern is gorgeous and one of my favorites but again, I’m just afraid it will look dated soon. So it sounds like the advice to go with a pattern using the subway tile and I do like that idea.

Can’t go wrong with white subway Herringbone pattern would not do chevron pattern.

Arabesque shape can’t look dated...it has been around for centuries, longer than subway tiles, which have only been around since 1900s, and both will continue to be classic shapes.

I haven't read the entire thread, but Sheri I can totally relate to your concern with it potentially looking so 2018. I have similar concerns as I try to update the kitchen in our new (to us but otherwise about 20 to 25 yr old original builders kitchen. might I add with well functioning electric range. surprisingly well functioning).

I do think that the herringbone subway tile is really attractive but I have to say that the suggestion to not use chevron is what makes me feel a bit hesitant. (I honestly am not trying to stir up trouble,). I think probably 5 years ago or so, chevron was looking quite fresh and we were told it was a classic design. So now chevron is a bit on its way out. I do also prefer the herringbone but I have a feeling that in 2022 or so, it might be so been there done that onto the next new thing.

I say this with all due respect. I think there is no right or wrong.

That's why one should listen to oneself..(and to the house in question of course)

I always liked herringbone and always disliked chevron.

If I try to analyze why-I remember that in my childhood, floors were most often parquet, almost always layed in herringbone pattern..which was called "small fir tree"..so, very positive associations. Childhoood..home..fir tree..New Year..you name it

Chevron was a pattern used on military uniform to show ranks. so..associations are: military..possible war? "It seems to me at many times that soldiers, that never came back home from crimson fields.." ? Etcetera

so because the associations are rooted so deeply. They will overrule-most likely-whatever will be said about the pattern such and such

It can be neutral of course..you don't feel anything specific toward a pattern. Then you look at it and decide whether you like it or not. and you're more likely to find it "fresh" when you're said and shown how" fresh" it is, whether it is fresh or is indeed centuries-old

I will always love arabesque because I lived for a long time in Meditterannean-so, Spanish-Moorish influence..I love tiles with shape, color and pattern reminding me of it, and it's my most beloved architectural style, actually..arches, inner yards, handmade tiles..white stucco, red roofs..

But I realize that if I were to go now, say, to Ukraine to build a dacha ..I wouldn't use arabesque. with all my love. It'd look out of place. Whatever I highly enjoy in Southern California won't neccessarily fit many other places.

So I look at it all as the interplay of desires..what do we want..and what the house X would want from us.

Okey doke, we replaced cabinet pulls with gold cabinet pulls along with replacing the pendant lights with gold, black and glass lights. Per an earlier suggestion, we added under cabinet lighting. The counters and backsplash were switched out also. Overall, I'm very happy. I would have loved to have replaced the cabinets as well, but it was not in our budget. Thank you so much for all of your help!

Great job! Looks much fresher!

I love your new update. The new counter, backsplash and lighting make a huge difference. Can you please tell me what kind of under cabinet lighting you used ? Also do you need an electrician for that ?
Thank you!

Thank you! We did hire an electrician to do the lighting. The lighting was by GE. He also replaced a plug and installed a light switch/plug combo on the wall, behind our coffee make to control the lighting. It does make a world of difference.

24 in. Premium LED Linkable Under Cabinet Light Fixture.

Wow it looks great! I'm glad you stuck with the cabinets. The maple is so pretty with the light counters and backsplash.

Thank you! :)

Such a difference. Nice choices you made. Please show the back splash a bit closer.

What is your backsplash?

The backsplash is United Tile Equipe Country in Gris Claro.

Counters are Pental Misterio

https://www.equipeceramicas.com/en/portfolio-item/country/

emmarene9, here’s a close up of the backsplash.

Lovely changes, great kitchen!