Interesting pulls...maybe they just need a good cleaning so they will show up better.

if you remove the escutcheon you might need to touch up scratches with those furniture repair markers and/or oil. I have heard of rubbing a walnut over scrathes too. I used a fine tip brown sharpie to add wood grain on a chest of drawers when my replacemeZnt pulls were smaller than the missing knobs. I also covered thszve lighter area with several coats of Minwax Polyshades polyurthane. It can go over existing finish but can only go darker. You have nice wood that could be brightened by refinishing but that is more work. If you replace these with longer handles, it would hide some the marks or filled holes from the original knobs and escutcheons.

Select a handle with a back plate to cover the problem or use your existing knobs and just change the back plate.

I thought about getting back plates, but almost think the ones existing are most unique. what kind of finish on them would look good? Most of my house has brushed nickel. They are tarnished now.

You mean the Tuscan/ Mediterranean backplates on your knobs are unique? Yep,....are they right for your room present day? Only you can answer that.

The finishes you have in the rest of the home have very little to do with this. What is right for your cabinets? You have dark oak stain cabinets. Unless you are doing Tuscan Mediterranean in the kitchen I would simply change out the backplates. If you put satin nickel on your cabinets, they will stick out like a sore thumb.

Perhaps your best direction for your kitchen is Italian Farmhouse.

So I am in need of new fridge, and if I clean up the tarnished knobs, I might be able to get countertops in recycled glass. What do you think? I agree to not getting brushed nickel.

Select a counter that complements the cabinets and flooring.

Why do you have a downlight touching the crown trim? What's going on with this kitchen?

I think the best and easiest solution is to get new backplates or new knobs that will cover any damage from removing the old. Just cleaning them is not going to save you enough to get new counters. But new counters would be wonderful. Even though the knobs are unique they are what dates the kitchen the most. I would also change the upper cabinets to a full glass not crosshatched. I like your cabinets a lot but don't like the pulls.

guess what, I did the crown myself. And, no surprise the top is stained pine I added for $40

This was started by the ex. He got the cabinets free from a kitchen remodel job.

Where can I get back plates?

I like the idea of changing out the glass!