Before you start spending serious money, you might want to add lighting. A single lamp in a kitchen is not sufficient, no matter what color the cabinets and walls are.
LED strip lighting under the cabinets, and track lights on the ceiling will give you a different perspective on the space.
Yikes! Trying to cook and avoid working in a shadow would be a nightmare. But your floor plan is my all time favorite kitchen floor plan, and I've owned/lived in 46 homes, so I have used every possible configuration. Yours is THE BEST, as you'll find once you start using it. I would love to have your kitchen as mine is WAY TOO big and requires too many foot steps to use.

Agreed, lighting would be the most economical method to 'brighten' up a room.

Add under the cabinet lighting. I like the Hera lighting brand which is easy to retro fit into existing kitchen.

You also could glaze over the wood cabinets with a lighter glaze. Another idea paint the upper cabinets a lighter color, it could match the flooring or a color that would be in your new backsplash. Keep the crown molding the existing cabinet color so it pulls the base color up.

I agree that proper lighting will make your kitchen the show stopper it was meant to be with the dramatic dark colors. If, after lighting it, you don't like the results, try just doing the upper cabinets in a taupe or gray from the present backsplash. Rustoleumtransformations.com has a product the is getting raves. All you need is some elbow grease and time.

Even adding lights will not totally help with the over bearing darkness of your kitchen. I would also consider doing a the lighter color backsplash. Here are some examples:

Backsplash ideas: Not necessarily this colors but you get the idea.

The third photo is Verde Butterfly granite which is very similar if not the same as yours. In this kitchen the cabinets were darker and the countertop. I convinced my client to go an interesting lighter tile layout that created a tone on tone texture look. Then we punched it up with with decorative metal tiles and glass dot accents.

Such great advice here! Wish I'd seen this thread when we had our formerly dark hole of a kitchen.

Even after removing a dated and ineffective fluorescent lighting system and adding tons of ceiling lighting, our kitchen looked very dark.

Painting our cabinets a glossy white made a huge difference. It was literally like the sunlight poured int the room even though we only have a small window in there.

Under cabinet lighting is next on our wish list but I am having trouble finding a brand to retrofit into a recently remodeled kitchen.

Another idea that I have done before is to create a tile accent wall, with a patterned tile on the back wall (Similar to Photo 1 ) and then other other walls either a plain color subway or glass tile that complements the accent wall (similar to Photo 2). Withe this tile mural the dark brown repeats the dark brown cabinets, theupper cabinets, I would paint the lighter off white color in the lighter shell motif. With out see your actual countertop color, you could pick one of the lighter shades in the mosaic for the side walls, like the seagrass color or something in the background. Just an example, there are many new an exciting tile murals in today's market

Or consider going with a mural centered on the back wall.

The wall that I would recommend being the accent wall is the back wall, the one that the picture is leaning against. You could center a mural tile or do something like these suggestions.

Thank you all! What amazing ideas, and I agree start with making sure the lighting is spot on, then moving to other ideas. Thank you very much.

You could also have lights above the cabinets. have plain glass subway tiles for back splash. you can get a light hint of color in them. which would compliment the cabinets and countertops. And I agree with others about painting the upper cabinets an antique white or taupe.

I like your idea of a mother-of-pearl backsplash. Or just white subway tiles. You could start by painting only the upper cabinets and see if you'd like to keep the bottom ones dark. And of course, as everyone already mentioned, add under cabinet lighting and track lights on the ceiling.
Adding knobs and pulls will give your kitchen more personality if you like.

I really like your tile backsplash and flooring. Your granite countertops are pretty as well. I would paint the cabinets a nice creamy white, possibly add a glaze. That is a classic look that is very popular and timeless.

with the black granite, white cabinets would be nice light and bright. You won't have to worry about blocking any source of light! maybe a subway tile in tan and white mix.

Try display lighting above your cabinets. And under cabinet lighting, too.

Your granite is called Galaxy Black Granite a more expensive stone that Absolute Black Granite. Part of the problem with your kitchen is how narrow it is, small window and wall cabinets snugged right up to the window. Your only options to lighten the kitchen are a good lighting design and painting over the cabinetry. Good Luck.

I worked for a lighting designer.. It's crazy how dark wood will actually suction light.. It actually goes out and beyond and sucks up light like a black hole.
You can counteract dark cabinets by adding reflective surfaces like what has already been done with the stainless steel appliances.
Your back splash looks like it has a rough texture. You could try doing something with a glossy finish (and under cabinet lighting)
You could also do shiny handles on your doors and a higher sheen varnish on your cabs.
You could also replace a couple or all of your wall cabinet doors with an opaque glass.

i would cut a csbinet door and back with glass. You could add a mirror to the back of the cabinet and add a light. The light will bounce off the mirror and create a great display area.

Adding layers of light can really warm up a space. LED lighting is more efficient and longer lasting then traditional lighting. Environmental Lights offers a wide range of Under Cabinet LED Lighting that can be hard wired OR plugged into an existing outlet. Check out some of the options here:

http://www.environmentallights.com/led-under-cabinet-lighting.html

We offer complimentary design services, if you are interested in installing LEDs give us a call (888) 880-1880

www.environmetnallights.com

Tuxedo kitchen - leave the lowers dark, and paint out your upper cabinets in a pale cloud gray or pretty creamy white. Do this before you change the backsplash - instant style and light. Search houzz kitchens for tuxedo

Thanks!

I did not read all of the other comments, so I may be duplicating advice. I like the cabinets, but he counter tops are a bit much. Is there a budget to replace them? Under cabinet lighting would be a huge help. Also, lighting above the cabinets would help, too. Just a simple rope light laying up there out of view.

Also, you might think about replacing the inset panels on the upper cabinets with lass and then adding lighting inside the cabinets.

How bout tube skylights?

I agree with Adrienne and others that dark cabinets soak up light. I know this from personal experience. Once we painted our upper and lower cabinets white, the room looked so much brighter even before new lights were added. It was quite a transformation!

My uncle works for solartube and could help with a discount but tube skylights are not the best for feng shui. I will paint top cabinets to start then add additional lights! Thanks

Mirrored backsplash! It will reflect light and brighten a little.

Why are solar tubes bad for feng shui? How about sky lights?

Mother of pearl or solid cream or white tile backsplash instead of any busy pattern. Replacing upper cabinets with open shelving is Trendy way to lighten the kitchen. I need those doors to hide my mix matched pieces but you maybe neater.

Love the black but yes it is way too dark. Lighting under cabinets, ceiling spots, etc. How about painting top cabinets a lighter color and/or replacing a few with glass doors inside which you could add lights too? Love the mother of pearl backsplash idea.

PS, definitely choose a backsplash that reflects light

Think about leaving the base cabs black and painting the uppers the Sam color as your walls or ceiling. That will give the space a lighter look while keeping it anchored.

White paint on cabinets.

Moonblue: skylights (or tubes) causes occupants to lose vital positive energy, I asked about a skylight and then solar tube, thinking smaller was better and my Feng Shui consultant was pretty adamant on this topic

How did you come to a belief in the principles of feng shui?

We are in the process of building our new kitchen with black cabinets. Our room is larger (13' x 13') with three windows (two of them large and facing south) and an 11' opening to the living room. Our floor will be light grey porcelain, our counters light beech butcherblock and the walls behind the cabinets will be white subway tile to the ceiling. We have installed three ceiling fixtures with LED lights that can be aimed to the areas that need them as well as under cabinet lighting. There will also be an island fan hood with glass and lighting. We are sure that the dark cabinets will be fine. Please try more lighting and a lighter backsplash before painting those cabinets. The next owner may hate you for painting them. LOL.

alexhughes52, that looks great! Good choices.

I know I'm a few years too late so I'm unsure if you're still following this post, but what did you end up doing? Although the layout is different, I have nearly the same cabinets and granite countertops that you do and need to brighten the room up without spending a ton of money.