you could leave your base cabinets entirely as is...replace the wall cabinets with a painted off white[warm shade] and change a few things with that approach which will really improve the look of your space. Rid yourself of the cathedral arch....taller cabs providing more storage...perhaps more glass doored cabs....perhaps use of editing and insert an open shelf area....Its about 11 feet and then whatever you would choose to do at the corner over to the window[various options] . The base cabs with newer , upgraded surfaces above..[counter would be optional] ….would be my first option as opposed to painting everything.

First have you ever painted cabinets before. Do you have a paint sprayerand a space that is dust free? Those cabinets need major prepping before painting can begin . Do not beleive any stories of not having to strip and sand before painting. Are you planning on changing hardware if so you will need to understand wood filler. The biggest question is do youlove the kitchen and how it functions because if not the price of new countertops is not worth it. Get proper paint for cabinets not regulat house paint as for color I would choose a warm white that works with the floors. Please do not trade cabinets for open shelving and if you are going to start changing cabinets I would wait and do an all new kitchen, yours looks to be in good shape so no huge rush .

You have a great kitchen that just needs a little updating. Really, it is a little dark in there though, so I wouldn't suggest going with gray cabinets, unless they are a light gray. If you are open to a two tone look, I suggest painting the upper cabinets one of the lighter tones that you could pull from the floor and the lowers a slightly darker color, also pulled for colors in the floor.
You also might consider adding a backsplash in a light color. Maybe something with glass to give you kitchen some texture. You don't want your kitchen to be all the same matte finish because that makes everything just blend into each other. Also, have you considered under cabinet lighting and upper cabinet lighting? This can really transform the space and make it much brighter and a more welcoming space to work in. If you're going to paint the walls, this is where you can go a touch darker than your lower cabinets, because most of the walls are hidden with cabinetry anyway. Don't go too dark though otherwise you'll get a cave effect.

Thanks for the tips. I know it is a big undertaking and a lot of prep work but I am ready for this change. This is not my forever kitchen for sure, I will use some of your ideas for sure. Thanks

May I suggest Gel Stain? Much much easier and looks great and lasts well.

General Finishes is the Brand I recommend.

here's post with pics when I did it back in 2010

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2412155/general-finishes-gel-stain-update

here's link to instructions i followed:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2412155/general-finishes-gel-stain-update

best of luck

I would shy away from grey because of the floor color. Cream wouldn't provide enough contrast with the floor. So, guess I would suggest a crisp white. Love that you have one glass fronted cabinet door. Might suggest you switch out another set of solid doors for glass fronts - maybe the set over the hood and range. I know that spot might get more grease but grease can be pervasive in a kitchen not matter the location. As others have said - lots of prep work but if you are up for the challenge - go for it! Good luck!

The backside of the peninsula looks (in the photo) like a different color from the kitchen cabinets. That may need to be addressed. Your cabinet color goes well enough with your flooring. Do not even consider doing gray cabinets with the beige floor! Even a warm white may not work with the flooring....too blah...unless you are one who likes rugs in the kitchen like I do. You could get a rug for comfort when standing on, and it can be sent out for cleaning when needed. Mine get vacuumed and since I don’t spill or have little kids who do, mine don’t need cleaning even once a year. Get bids from three professional painters before you hire someone, and listen to their comments. The upper cabinets are definitely dated, but if you know the brand and model, you may be able to get doors to match the lowers’ design...maybe. I would not replace the counters unless absolutely necessary...they appear to be in good shape.

Your kitchen kind of reminded me of this color pros before and after kitchen cabinet paint job. It’s worth a read for you:
https://www.mariakillam.com/updated-painted-cherry-kitchen-edesign-before-after/

Cabinet painting requires care, but it is not Rocket Surgery.
https://www.familyhandyman.com/kitchen/diy-kitchen-cabinets/surprising-tips-for-painting-kitchen-cabinets/

The floor seems to be a warmish pink/beige, choose a color that coordinates with it (not bright white or cool gray).

https://www.mariakillam.com/vancouver-colour-expert-reveals-what-everyone-should-know-about-beige
https://www.mariakillam.com/why-pink-beige-should-be-banished-forever/

Great tips, thanks

It might not be rocket syrgery but I have in my time seen some pretty poorly painted cabinets full of chips after a very short time painting cabinets is a huge job and takes a lot of time to do a proper job that lasts.

I painted my kitchen cabinets over a weekend and a week of evenings, with the removable parts on newspaper in my living room, and it lasted just fine until I sold the house at a profit 2 years later.

Had there been any chips no lives were at risk. I would have gotten out the paint and a brush and touched them up.

This is a kitchen from Houzz that is one of my favorites -- it's painted oak cabinets.

Painted Oak Cabinets · More Info

I think your kitchen could maybe go this same direction. Agree that you might need a whiter white to contrast with the floor, but then you could do a white, cream, gray, or colored backsplash. Could do a light counter like this inexpensively, which would brighten the place right up, but your black counters are a classic look with white as well, so you could keep them and then find a nice tan or taupe backplash to tie in with the flooring (removing the low black backsplash first).

(This tile is called Pearl, and is inexpensive at Lowes!)

If this were my kitchen, I’d be figuring out which Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP) colors I was going to be using, no question. It was made for projects like yours. Minimal prep compared to other methods of finishing and it’s so EASY. As far as color goes, a gray would work great with your floors, as would sage green or blue. White or off-white with your floor? Too much white! The countertops are perfect as they are so no need to change them.

The key to painting kitchen cabinets is to use a paint that ends up very hard. That means an oil based enamel paint and such paint cannot be sold in many states. It might mean a road trip!

We painted the outside of our kitchen cabinets twice over 32 years, using oil based enamel. they never chipped. We only painted it the 2nd time as the first color looked dated. We didn't even remove the doors - just painted around the hinges very carefully. We chose new pulls that used the same holes as the old ones. We didn't even paint the back side of the doors! No sticking! And we did NOT paint the insides of the cabinets.

Yes, it was labor intensive. We did a lot of sanding but didn't sand down to bare wood (they were stained). Having a flat surface made it a lot easier, too! Our biggest problem was that oil-based enamel is slow to dry and we had multiple cats and dogs who had to use the kitchen door to go outside (at least the dogs had to do so). But we did it. The 2nd time, we paid someone to repaint while we were out of town.

One needs to either really like ones kitchen or truly have little money to spend to make it worth the bother. We added cabinets and replaced the countertops the first time. Second time, we replaced the kitchen sink and added hardwood floors and new lighting.

Those expensive were not wasted when I redid the kitchen 3 years ago! We reused the countertops and sink, as well as the lighting, and since we didn't change anything other than the placement of the refrigerator, the floor was not affected. We were lucky....

maybe change the handles of the cabinet as well after painting it. a cream color would be nice.