FWIW other than painting the blue walls, I would not do any partial improvements now like switching out countertops when you don’t like the cabinetry anyway. I would do the kitchen renovation at one time and take your time with designing. it’s not a hurry since the kitchen seems serviceable. The cabinets can be donated & reused/ someone else may love to have them.

Can you post a photo of a kitchen that you like?

I would live with it for awhile. The only thing I personally don't like is the backsplash. Nothing in your kitchen is what I would have chosen but it is still a very nice kitchen. We bought a house a couple years ago that had a kitchen that I wasn't fond of anything. I never liked white appliances, It had white appliances. Wasn't crazy about the cabinets or layout. Now 2 years later everything is still the same. I learned to love the layout and cabinets. I will get new appliances but only when something breaks or I get a real great deal. Live with it and see how it functions or doesn't function before making changes that may not make you like it any better. Your kitchen may grow on you as mine has.

@latifolia thanks so much! i agree it's not terrible at all and you're right, when I look at prices i might decide i LOVE it as is! :D my realtor said i may feel the same about the acrylic tub inserts. ;) something about just doesn't feel pulled together and i appreciate the call out on the fridge - a ha that is part of it! i was wondering about the hood situation today, and another good call out on the dust-inviting space above. good things to consider!

@myricarchitect yea that take makes a lot of sense and may be just what we do. i think the white walls will help reduce the mismatch vibes i get from it right off the bat.

@ilikefriday the kinds of kitchens i find myself saving tend to be pretty simple - all white or muted or earthy tones, marble, white quartz, wood, and more simple/modern/clean lines. we looked at a lot of new construction before we landed on this home (for its better location) and i liked really any of the more modern kitchens i was seeing there

@Cheryl Smith thanks so much! " Nothing in your kitchen is what I would have chosen but it is still a very nice kitchen. " <<this is exactly how i feel about it. i appreciate the advice of seeing how much it grows on me. i realize changing it represents $ tradeoffs that i could be spending elsewhere. thanks again!

As others have posted, it's a nice kitchen albeit not the kitchen I would have designed personally. There doesn't seem to be one element that is glaring such that changing a single component makes sense although you could probably change the pendant lights as that's a simple relatively easy fix.

You haven't mentioned anything regarding functionality so presumably the layout work for you.

Replacing your kitchen with something at least as nice - if not better - would be $30,000 or so although obviously that depends on cost of labor in your area.

Personally I would use that money for something other than cosmetic changes on a rather nice kitchen albeit one that isn't your specific taste.

Although it's not to your taste, it is a very nice kitchen. Change nothing until you're ready for a full-blown remodel. IMO doing anything "in between" is a waste of money.

Stay cosmetic for now.....

Ideas?

-Paint the island cabinets. There's too much brown, and they're making the whole kitchen bottom-heavy.

-yep, paint the walls white-ish ASAP

-those white cabinet doors are super fussy and then have gold detailing. Like wedding cake. Can you at least get rid of the gold?

-I think stoves like that are a recipe for a major burn accident, since you have to reach across hot (or flaming) burners to get to the controls. When you can, I would opt for safety with controls on the front. You could sell your current one?

-get new knobs to get rid of that gold.

-I know nothing about backsplashes, but I'd get rid of that one; the previous owner evidently over-thought the matchy-matchy.

-I'm not sure why other posters think the microwave should be substituted by a hood. I can't see anything wrong with the microwave... And, if you end up with a microwave on the counter, where will you assemble a batch of chocolate chip cookies?

-play up the window more; this will change how the whole kitchen looks....it will all look much lighter

-I have a feeling the granite won't seem so gregarious once you attend to everything else.