Sorry to hear you're faced with a project you didn't intend to undertake. If you went for replacement cabinets, I'd suggest considering whether you want to make any changes to the layout as well.

It's hard to answer your questions without knowing whether the layout works for you currently, and whether the current condition of the undamaged cabinets is really worth keeping.

I personally like the look of your cabinets - I even like your granite (and I don't like most granites with that much fine detail - I think it's the slight wavy movement that I like). It seems like the cabinet color and style go well with the newel post and balustrade in the photo of your living room.

Yes that’s a good consideration. We like the layout of the cabinets and think everything is quite functional in a kitchen space that’s not that big. Maybe there are some bells and whistles available on new cabinets I’m not aware of. But if we were to replace the cabinets I’d likely go for the same layout we have now.

If you went with new and white, you could go to the ceiling with second row for extra storage using solid doors or use glass fronts for display space. It will increase the price even more.

Can't see all sides of the kitchen, but do you have many drawers? That would be the main reason for me to consider changing out a kitchen. Can't have enough drawers!

As others have posted, this is really a question that only you can answer since it's essentially an economic decision based on your personal finances.

Your present kitchen is quite attractive and you say it's in excellent condition and all things equal, you are fine with the layout although you might upgrade somewhat if you installed new cabinets.

If I were making this decision, I would determine EXACTLY how much it costs to get the new cabinets and then determine whether this is how you want to spend that amount of discretionary income. Keep in mind that once you scrap the cabinets, you are essentially going for the whole enchilada with new sink, new hardware, new lighting and perhaps stuff that needs to be brought up to Code. The scope of work would be significantly more than what is currently being done - i.e. repair some cabinets and refinish the floors.

Helen - some great points to think about. Since gutting a kitchen wasn’t on my radar at all, the idea of new cabinets and essentially a new kitchen mentally exhausts me.

We had extensive water damage to the playroom beneath the kitchen, so the process of replacing flooring, picking new paint colors, etc. has already satisfied any remodeling “itch” I had.

But I guess we’ll be picking a new backsplash/countertop/floor stain soon regardless of what we do with the cabinets (yet highly influenced by what we do with the cabinets!). Sigh

I think your cabinets are still beautiful and my feeling is if you have no intention of changing the layout, I'd leave well enough alone. Cherry cabinets are always in style and wood cabinets are actually coming back into vogue once again.

As for the floors, I love a dark floor in looks, but had one in my condo and HATED the fact that it constantly looked dirty and dusty. I'd reconsider a dark finish. I think your floor finish works too.

If the granite cracks, I'd look at a new countertop such as a Taj Mahal quartzite or if you love quartz, one that is warmer than a gray/white. Then have fun with the backsplash.

Some other thoughts.

How many more years do you intend to stay in the home? That too will determine whether it's worth redoing the cabinets, etc.

How do you feel about the cabinets? Are you wanting to make white cabinets because that's what's in? Or do you really love the look and would love it even if it wasn't "in" and trendy?

Do you really want to spend the money on new cabinets when the money could be used for other things? A nice cruise for example?

Personally, I would never paint gorgeous cherry cabinets white. Painted cabinets will never hold up as long as your cabinets. The person who bought my condo painted the gorgeous bathroom cherry cabinets white, and somehow they look cheap now. (Please don't tell her I said that! LOL.) Thankfully she left the cherry kitchen cabinets.

We had water damage to lower cabinets from a dishwasher leak and had to have those cabinets removed. Since we had white melamine builder grade cabinets from 1993, we decided to redo the kitchen even though the insurance company was basically paying only for new lower boxes. (When they took out the boxes, the countertops did not break.) I would carefully consider the amount of money you will get from the insurance company and the amount of money it will cost to do a full kitchen remodel. Also, if you decide to go the full kitchen remodel route, try not to rush yourself. We had to have our lower cabinets, sink, and dishwasher removed for the mold remediation, so felt the need to make decisions quickly. Doing the kitchen was not even on my radar before the leak so I didn't have any ideas about what I wanted and since I was pretty happy with my old kitchen, I mostly replicated what was already there with more up-to-date finishes. I think if I had had more time to think about the project (and if I had learned about this site earlier), I would have made some decisions differently. Good luck whatever you decide!

FWIW, I had water alarm systems as well as a pan installed under all water appliances including the refrigerator. If they detect water outside the appliance, the water is automatically shut off.

I love your cabinets as is. Think thrice about a dark stain on the floor because it will be a constant battle to keep it looking clean and neat.

Noting a play kitchen in the foreground, I assume you have small children. Which means more messes, crumbs, etc. to chase on a dark colored floor. Deep scuffs/ scratches will expose unstained wood and look even more unsightly.

And having kids likely means you have less time and energy to devote to a full blown re-do and the added inconvenience for having a kitchen out of commission for a longer period of time.

Really, the only things I would change in that kitchen (in a perfect world) are the counters & backsplash...so I could get a large single bowl sink.

I agree with the others in that your cabinets look nice. They are not in a dated style or color. I think once you get a new backsplash, counters (maybe), and floors, it'll feel like a fresh new space. Also ditto what others said about the dark floors. Don't do it. My SIL did darker floors and wishes she'd gone lighter because of the dust and dirt factor. They will only look good for a short amount of time. You need some contrast with your cabinets but I'd do a lighter floor/darker cabinet contrast versus dark/darker contrast. IMO, it make the kitchen look a little gloomy with so much dark.

Thanks everyone. The comments seem to back my gut feeling that a kitchen reno is unnecessary.

We do have preschool-aged children, so I’m also concerned about the level of disruption to the family. They were distraught enough about the loss of their play room for 3 months (as well as the downstairs family room the week when the floors were done)

If your lower cabinets are not equipped with rollouts, it would probably be a good time to have them all updated.

Helen - yes we have rollout drawers in the lower cabinets. They've been super useful for the stuff relocated from the lazy Susan. Although a bit crammed, we can still easily get to everything!

All right I think I have a game plan for just focusing on the backsplash and countertop replacement. I would like a single basin sink, so that's another opportunity for an improvement.

Thanks everyone!