It doesn't look gaudy on my monitor.

The cabinets look off-white, not yellow.

The wall color looks like it goes well with the countertops.

I’m far from a professional, but it seems like a very plain subway backsplash (maybe off-white with a crackle glaze?) would brighten the place up quickly, as would a much lighter paint color on the walls (I’d just do something that matches the backsplash pretty closely, because I have no real design taste). I’d be careful to pick something that works well colorwise with the cabinets, so it might take some looking around.

I think painting the island a blue color and changing the backsplash would make a big difference. I would also think about changing the wall color. Changing the backsplash will probably give you the biggest impact though!

Subway 3" x 12" Gray Blue Beveled Matte Glass Mirror Peel & Stick Decorative Bat · More Info

kitchen islands - Google Search · More Info

Other · More Info

off white tile

Subway Tiles | TileBar · More Info

gaudy? Not sure that is the feeling when looking at it but there are a few things going on......I think floor is just borderline okay.....if that is sheet vinyl I would price a replacement. Try the slate looks in vinyl or vinyl planks in more a grayish. Working with the counter and backsplash would be my goal and the brown squares on the floor are not in sync. Painting island, pulling counter and backsplash ….....you can still do those things altho I probably wouldn't . Just look at flooring.

I agree with gemimabean! Your kitchen is far from gaudy. The one change I’d make would be subway tiles that match your cabinet color. Good luck!

I would suggest covering the tile floor with an LVP and replacing the backsplash with a crackled subway in gray tones and then change your wall color to a pale greenish gray

I like your yellow cabinets with the countertop. New tile = instant change. Might be cool to run a subway tile all the way up the the ceiling.

Haha, I'm not seeing "gaudiness" either. It's pretty plain looking, but it is fairly dark despite the light colored cabinets. Is it the patterns that are present what you don't like? I tend not to like small "busy" details either even though they generally are not noticeable unless you are looking at them all the time, I think that is probably what's bothering you. You might get better help if you tell us what your perfect kitchen would look like and then maybe we could give suggestions that would push it that direction.

Though I do think the cheapest and easiest way to change the look fairly dramatically would be to replace the backsplash (for me that would be going to something much, much lighter with no pattern) and repainting the walls. That would take away one busy pattern and brighten things up.

Paint is the least expensive thing you could try! I know tile can be painted, and I wonder what painting the walls, trim (the white around the window only adds to the disparity), and backsplash in the same color (perhaps a shade deeper than your cabinets) would do for the look. I might take a door to the paint store and have them match and then deepen for you. You’ve nothing to lose but time, patience, and a little money. Good luck!

Thank you everyone! Gaudy may have been the wrong word choice. It's the multitude of different colours and the tortoise shell that really gets me. The whole house is really weird colours. It was painted a beige in order to sell it, but had bright green, bright blue and bright mauve underneath it, almost everywhere. Apparently the outside trim and garage were purple and our neighbours called it the purple house. I've been playing with the idea of a peel and stick backsplash and was thinking either something close to the pale yellow of the cabinets, white or light grey. The cabinets are much more yellow than they appear in the photo, though the paint is really well done. The wall colour is the colour of the whole house. I could change it, though I'm not sure where to end it as the wall against the window runs uninterrupted into our family room. It is our goal to change the floor, but that will have to wait for a bit.

If your budget is tight, then you have to work with your "givens" -- the floor, countertops, and backsplash, which do go together, on my screen anyway. (The countertops read more gray/black than brown.) That means all the rest--walls and cabinets--should be a neutral color, the background "beige" the countertop and in the floor. Those two do harmonize already. That will pull everything together while lightening up the kitchen. ((Blue, a cool color, is going to make the space feel even darker.) Your backsplash tiles are fine. Do consider getting a color consultant to help you out here so you pick exactly the right neutral that works best with countertops, floor, and backsplash. It'll be money well spent.

A simple, cost effective option is to get under cabinet lighting. Adds a definite wow factor, brings great ambience, will enhance the already in place color palette, until you decide for demolition day. Remember to highly consider your choice of light, such as white, blue, sunlight, etc. This will make a difference. Good luck!