You can switch out your appliances if you like though the range and micro look like they already have a lot of stainless areas. I would not do a backsplash because you may find in a year that your hate for the countertops has grown and backsplash install comes after countertops.

If you do not have under cabinet lighting, get it. I only have it between my sink and range (I have a small kitchen) and it has been wonderful in adding much needed light. I would also switch out the micro for a hood. I would have trouble reaching the microwave and if that is a gas range, reaching up to the micro while cooking can be hazardous.

I would live in your home longer before making big changes - like backsplash. I saved for 3 years to get new counters. Time flies when life is busy. See in a year whether the counters have grown on you or you hate them more. You have a pretty, functioning kitchen. Rushing changes can cause you to do expensive upgrades you may regret later.

I like the newer look of white and wood. You might consider lighting up the walls a bit and get the under cabinet lighting if you don't have it.

This is my wood kitchens idea book with both newer and older refreshed kitchens - might give you some ideas:

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

No one likes BB anymore, so you’re not alone in the club. Just ignore it and don’t do anything to “work with it.“ You’ll recover from the home purchase expense soon enough and be able to replace it. Start a “granite fund” and every time you use a generic instead of a brand name, or skip a coffee out, deposit into the fund. it will be gone in no time.

A “right now” change might possibly be to change just the island top out to a butcher block that matches the floors. Keeping it the same tones will aid in continuity.

No one likes BB anymore, so you’re not alone in the club

I actually like it in this kitchen, and think OP has done a great job with the wall color, floors, and light fixtures to compliment the existing elements. I would update the hardware and get some backsplash samples. The backsplash looks on my monitor as if it has a yellow/green tone that doesn't go with the other colors.

Almost no one loves it then. Mold growth? Nope. Just BB. But you can’t destroy it. It’s bulletproof. Great to reuse for an outdoor kitchen.

Given that OP specifically asked for ways to work with the granite and says it's not in the budget to replace it, why would you actively work to make her/him dislike it even more by comparing it to mold growth?!?

You could consider changing out the island top for butcher block & change the backsplash, I think that would minimize your dislike for the countertops. List the island granite for sale on CL or somewhere, it could be great for someone else..

“I have a deep hatred for this granite” means there’s license to make fun of it. Don’t be so sensitive. No one called her dog ugly. Geez. She already knows that it doesn’t play well with much of anything, and is attempting to settle to keeping it. For now. Which is why I said ignore it and don’t settle.

Replacement might not happen right now, with a damaged budget. But even a budget stone like Venetian Ice wouldn’t be but about 2.5K to replace that small amount with. It’s a realistic For Later goal for someone who hates it. And in the mean time, calling it names and telling it it’s on borrowed time is therapeutic.

My friends just painted their island and left their perimeters that look similar to yours. They changed their counters to a subtle marble looking quartz and added a white short apron Whitehaven and inexpensive white subway tile. It doesn't even look like the same kitchen. Turned out beautiful. Since you aren't thrilled with the BB I don't think that I would invest in a new backsplash. I went to a countertop store and the saleswoman pulled out a tray that I thought was marble. Turned out that it was Formica. I have Carrara in a powder room and around a fireplace that I see everyday and it looked very realistic. I don't know anything about the pricing but might be worth looking into as I think it would really brighten up your space.

http://www.elizabethburnsdesign.com/blog/2016/11/17/formica-marble

I like the cabinets and don't mind the top at all. I dislike the splash and frankly hate the gray with the warm tones of the kitchen and floor..When I look at the fireplace area it looks like is not even the same space as the kitchen area...

I would try to find a more interesting backsplash to distract form the stone and do not run it to the door trim. A beautiful tumbled marble would look really nice with that . The slide in range is also a good idea.

I also like the idea of maybe changing just the island top..

Good luck!

The big eyesore for me in this kitchen is the trim at the top of the cabinets. Looks like dark wings ready for takeoff!

But that should be easy to remedy....maybe see about simply amputating that trim, leaving the tops plain. And then try to make the cover for the hood vent the same woodtone as the cabinets, but if that's not possible, then paint it the wall color.

The second eyesore for me is the turned leg supports at the breakfast bar (admit that this may be a pet peeve of mine). While the turning isn't as fussy as many, perhaps it could be streamlined without replacing it all -- perhaps a cabinet maker could integrate a compatible, straight line, recessed kind of cover for the curvy part. OTOH, replacing the supports might be an opportunity to introduce an updated, pleasing design feature.

The cabinets themselves look good to me -- shaker cherry is kind of a classic. I'd see about a small light for inside the glass doored cabinet.... Just visited a friend who has that lighting wired with other lights in the space, and it really brightened the room.

The slide in range will do wonders; I am on my second one now. Love it! You will see the potential for the backsplash with new eyes once the vista is opened when the stove is replaced.

If your BB is like the closeup sample, then maybe there's a fair amount of green which could be the path forward for 'working with it' in terms of the backsplash (assuming you will keep the granite, which seems pragmatic if you will only be there three years, and have plenty of other changes that will bring you pleasure for less $$).

Consider glass for the backsplash to introduce some reflected light; Susan Jablon has an amazing variety of glass tile solutions for reasonable costs, considering the custom/personal service she provides. And I'd almost bet she has addressed the BB counter dilemma many times over the years and would have some suggestions. https://www.susanjablon.com/about.html

I love your kitchen as it is! I think it looks very high end. I normally gravitate toward white/white kitchens, but yours is beautiful.

@Andi G - Where did that photo come from? Did you take it?

I'm almost certain that's a geological occurrence called a reaction ring, which is just normal mineral stuff, and not at all related to mold. I'd love to know more about that photo - thank you!

We re-sell our homes every two to three years...

If you're going to sell this in two or three years, I wouldn't do a thing to this kitchen. You won't be here long enough to enjoy it, and you'll never get your investment back.

I think it looks great -- classic. I would have never painted that shade of grey with the cherry cabinets but IMO somehow it works. It makes every thing looks so crisp. The cabinets pop -- the white trim pops too. The grey seems to be creating a nice back drop. Who knew?? Every designer says not to do it, but you did and it works.

This reminds me of one thought I did not share earlier -- if you want to try to get yourself to like the stone, take a physical geology course! I did that last year and it literally changed the way I see the world, particularly the "rock" part of the world.

Another thought is -- maybe what you don't like is the look of BB when it is polished, so perhaps if the finish was honed instead, you might find it more palatable. To check this out, see if anyone near you has BB available with that finish and take a look.

I googled to see if there is a way to change a polished stone to a honed finish and found this:

https://ariastonegallery.com/can-you-make-a-polished-and-honed-stone/

This "refinishing" process, if it's even possible for slabs that have already be cut and installed :-), definitely does NOT sound like a DIY candidate! And furthermore, it sounds like something that would likely not be done IN your kitchen but at the shop, with the slabs removed. Or who knows, maybe some technicians would set up an outdoor shop in your back yard to avoid the risks of breakage in transporting slabs with holes for sinks that make them vulnerable. Other Houzzers probably have more knowledge about this, maybe some are even stone pros.....and hopefully some will chime in, if for nothing else to tell me I am totally crazy to even suggest this!

I'm generally not a big fan of busy anything, specially countertops. I have to say though, that I find your kitchen gorgeous. So much so, that I don't even notice the business of the counters.

I can't really make out what your backsplash is, or if it can be replaced easily. If you do choose to replace it, might want to consider light green glass subway tiles?

I think if you want to update the kitchen with future resale in mind investing in changing the island to a white or light color stone. Quartzite would be great. And the backsplash would be an easier choice. I think that bring white and grays into the kitchen will tie the room to the family room and fireplace. Live with what you have and save up money for a new piece of stone for the island. You may change your mind.

I agree that the kitchen is really a very nice kitchen and if you weren't asking for help with it, I would just think it was done really nicely. Given all the background,I think I understand that you still find it darker than you would ike and don't particularly love the finishes together. One very small thing that might give a lot of impact is some runner rugs with a light background base. I think maybe the undercabinet lighting might also help?

I really do think your kitchen looks great. I don't love the backsplash with it but hard to tell if it's the lighting and my monitor.

If you are moving in 2-3 years, don’t do too much. Remove that darker brown molding from above cabinets, get bar stools with some color. You could also add a pretty Roman shade to window to bring in some color to bridge the warm-cool gap between the 2 rooms. A soft green or blue may work (check against gray wall color though). And if you want to spend some money, then change backsplash (maybe a marble look with texture)

A new apron front sink, in stainless or black composite would be a knockout.

Thank you all for your input! I've been staring at it since we moved in and I've felt a little lost in my decision making. I now feel more confident in my original decision to skip painting the cabinets.

The wall paint color was already in the house when we moved in, so I didn't choose it. Unfortunately, it's used throughout the ENTIRE house...but it is something I'm planning to change eventually....as soon as I convince my husband that it's a worthwhile investment:)

I like to have runner rugs in my kitchen. They bring in some color and give me a soft surface to stand on while prepping meals.

I’m not a professional; however we recently bought a 3-year-old home with a nice like-new kitchen where the granite reads cool but all other finishes are warm (which is my preference). The granite really disturbed me before we moved in and I put a lot of thought into what I could do about it. But by the time my kitchen was fully accessorized, light bulbs changed out to the color and brightness I prefer, artwork on walls and rugs on floors, the granite somehow works and is hardly noticeable. I too think your kitchen is beautiful but agree that a small investment in paint color would better harmonize the two rooms. Best wishes!!!

If you think you are moving in 2-3 years, leave everything as it is. It looks fine. Maybe change backsplash if it really bothers you. Replace stove when the current one dies unless this one doesn't function well. (I'm looking for a slide in gas range but am afraid anything out there has too many issues and won't be reliable. I've been reading reviews and don't know what to do)
Save your money for a home you will be in for longer than a few years! Best wishes.

I agree with not doing much if you will be selling in a few years. My personal hatred of dark countertops is unbounded. They make kitchens so dark! Were this your forever kitchen, another story. But this kitchen will show well, and sell, a few years from now.

If it was a forever kitchen, I'd have to paint the cabinets white to go with the rest of the house. Then the cream backsplash would look funny and need to go, and the BB granite would then be the odd design choice sticking out like a sore thumb. As is, it blends in.

I think the cabinets look great. The Baltic Brown looks fine in the long shots; it's only close up that the blotchiness really stands out. The backsplash is somewhat dated but fine (not every kitchen element needs to be 100% up to date all the time or we'd all have to remodel every year). I see green in Baltic Brown, so a greenish backsplash makes sense to me. BUT the slight green of the backsplash doesn't work with the gray of the walls. Since you are thinking about painting, I'd wait on changing the backsplash until you've repainted. If that doesn't make the splash look better, only then would I think about replacing it.

Totally agree with not painting the cabinets -- wood finish cabinets are MUCH more forgiving of the nicks and dings of everyday life than painted ones. With the constant need for touching up the chips and nicks, you basically never stop painting them!.

Add me to the list of folks who feel if you are only going to be there 2 to 3 years, don't do anything else. It basically looks fine.

Now, if you were going to stay, I would say the challenge is that BB tends to pink beige undertones and the cherry cabinets have orange beige ones. Those 2 undertones don't play well together, no matter what you do. Pink beige is about the hardest undertone to work with, too, so changing out counters IF you were planning to stay, would make the rest of the decorating much easier.

Beautiful home! I wonder if changing the counters to soapstone would work? The cabinets don’t look bad at all and even the appliances look good from the photo.

To my amateur eye, you Could find a wall color that matches the tone of the cabinets better than the current gray.

If you hate the granite, you don’t need to waste money on a backsplash which goes with the granite. Look at washable textured vinyl wallpaper for a temporary fix. Once you save up for new granite, you can do a real backsplash....or leave the wallpaper and granite for the next homeowner.
I can’t imagine moving every few years.