Use the off white in the granite as a guide for new paint color. Bring home a dozen paint chips, then sample two or three of them on foamcore board. Use black towels and black accessories. Or use a black-and-brown cafe type color scheme for accessories, like this combination:

Cagle Black/Brown Hand Woven Kilim Throw Pillow, 19"x18" · More Info

In many areas, gray is trending out. Check new developments near you to see what is currently trendy in your area or what will soon be outmoded.

Consider sky blue paint, too.

You will soon find out that there are MANY on this forum who will NEVER paint wood cabinets. I am not one of them. The cabinets seem like an older oak style which is not appealing to me, so I would paint them, and add hardware. However, it's not an easy job to do properly. It would however, be a huge change. Many use Benjamin Moore white dove. This is a pretty comprehensive blog about how to paint your cabinets properly. https://www.evolutionofstyleblog.com/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets-like/

a lot depends on what is connected to this space. I think you could do any of these tones.

as for painting the cabs, yes, 100%. that link above is probably the best how-to on the internet. I've painted oak cabs and do mine the same way she proposes.
this is one of hers, but you can see her before and afters all over pinterest or her IG page

this white color is Alabaster:

similar countertops to yours. notice how they closed up the gap by adding on above the uppers

Kayla Payne also does some great work

Can you post a picture of the whole kitchen?

Really we need pictures . I want to know if you want to keep the 50s style or do you want something more comtemporary? The more info you provide the better help you will get.Wall color is best decided after all other decisions have been made so first decide about the cabinets , BTW right now all I see are not really MCM at all and unless you LOVE the kitchen layout I would not spend money on painting the cabinets. So please some more info.

Here are photos! Thanks so so much!

This is our living room next to the kitchen

Your cabinets look to be in good shape. What I recommend is to add hardware to the cabinets and be careful to avoid using too many non MCM accessories.

I love a little 50s kitchen, I have one too. A dinette set as well. :)

I agree with those above who've cautioned not wanting to go too far away from mid-century, but you could definitely give it more of a era-appropriate vibe and modern at the same time, which is basically our aim in what we're doing in our kitchen. We're painting our original 50s cabinets (and the custom replacements for some of them) white, which I know from the previous owner were white originally. Perfectly modern, vintage, timeless in general. Changing our doors from a weird kind of mini-Shaker thing we never liked to slab front, also both modern and mid-century alike. Chrome hardware (you could always do satin nickel if you don't like shiny). Now we're okay with bold so our walls are aqua and staying that way, and our backsplash will be aqua. And doing a solid surface countertop that's white with some speckles of grey and glitter, has a bit of a terrazzo feel to it.

Your living space definitely has some of that MCM feel to it (I want an Eames repro lounge chair like your chair sooo badly; deciding if I want it bad enough to take the chaise off our sofa since surprise! small house, small rooms overall LOL). I think you could easily bring that into the kitchen a bit with a few updates! I'd say consider moving out the dark pieces on that narrow wall, both the table that the coffee is on and the shelf above it. They don't feel MCM to me. Maybe a small Danish modern table or mini desk... or maybe look-a-like since I'm not sure I'd want to setup coffee on a vintage wood table. ;) And maybe a piece of art/clock/whatever above it.

And if you're into it, some accents with a more bold color, since mid-century kitchens were usually all about color. For us, it'll be the walls, backsplash, art, and countertop accessories and small appliances.

The table was a lucky find at Goodwill. ? i don’t think we’ll make the kitchen retro, but at one time I did, so., hence, the table! I really like a simple and more contemporary design style, but my husband loves the table.

I really appreciate all the wonderful suggestions and help. I have never been good with window treatments. When we moved in I purchased cellular shades, but pic did not show them. I don’t like their color, (bad choice on my part!) so during the day, I push them all the way up.

Adding new hardware to your cabinets can make a big difference.

Well IMO wasting money on a kitchen you don’t like is exactly that a waste. The table is a bit of fun and could still be used in a new more contemporary kitchen . I think you need to figure out what you want to do before tackling any of these ideas. Right now I don’t see where you are heading with a real mix of stuff that does not work together. If you post a to scale floor plan you might get some ideas of what is possible to work toward. IMO MCM houses lend themselves very nicely to contemporary kitchens. These are pics of a 1956 MCM kitchen that I did for a client.

that may be a 50's ranch, but that kitchen was redone by the flippers. And they prob got those old oak cabinets from some other place and put them into your home. (if they look new, then they're the builder basic oak cabs from home depot. if they look somewhat worn, they're retreads from the 80's or 90s from some other home)

they didn't have those heavy oak cabinets in the 50's w/that type of door trim. So, they aren't original to the home and really don't fit any type of decor style you have.

this style suits you and your home better:

Paint them. and add the boxes above them to take it to the ceiling.

here are some options to deal w/the open space

and if you aren't happy w/the layout, then save up and redo the space. I think you have some decent potential there.

That little nook area would be better served as a built in nook area.

?

Thank you for your astute observations about my kitchen!!! I was working away from home when my husband stumbled upon out great house, but it was definitely being flipped!