I love the window in this kitchen! I don't know that I would go full "farmhouse" here-- is it a farmhouse or a build from more recent times? You can certainly pull in some elements that you like but I would keep it a bit more transitional in style to lean in to the vernacular of the house.

Definitely new cabinets-- shaker in a light color. Can you get rid of the soffit? What is the deal with that peninsula in the doorway? What does this room face? Can you open up some walls?

Curious to see the current paint color-- brown might not be the best choice in this closed space. But you do get some nice light from that window.

I’m in a condo so no major structural changes are allowed. That peninsula is the cabinet next to the stove. I was trying to not replace cabinets, just repaint. I’ll upload a current pic but it’s got a lot in it. I won’t hang a lot of stuff on the walls. I also have a Hoosier cabinet and card catalog in here that contain kitchen items.

I’d focus on backsplash and all new uppers in addition to paint. Flooring will be a huge expense and requires thought about what other flooring it meets in the adjacent areas. I’d avoid laminate in the kitchen.

And what I meant about new uppers is just to possibly remove some and do a new hood.

Current color plus my Hoosier cabinet

I’d focus on all of that as your ‘master plan’ and lastly talk paint. For sure you want to know your flooring and ideally do any of those changes prior to painting.

The flooring will meet the dining room and flow into my living room. I hate tile. I’d prefer a flooring material that’s comfortable for standing. I do a lot of cooking in there. The two original pics are from both directions. Here’s the dining room (original and current) and and overall look into the main living space.

You're talking about replacing a tile floor with laminate and a quartz countertop (which is one of the most durable surfaces available) with something else? Both will cheapen the space. And the deep rust and dark brown wall colors do not work with your wood floors or trim. If you want a softer surface, get a large, cushioned runner to use in front of the sink area. Or continue the hardwoods into the kitchen. You need a full plan for all surfaces and colors before thinking about paint. If you like dark brown so much, stain the cabinets a deep color and paint your walls white again. Address the lighting situation before you do anything else.

I agree with what cali said - although from the looks of it the OP has wood look laminate in the adjoining spaces. So, the only other floor that would work for the kitchen (besides the existing tile) would be a LVP that looks like tile. Is that a worth while expense for this? Only OP can say after everything is budgeted properly.

Re: live_wire_oak...I certainly appreciate the feedback but I am a bit taken aback with the disdain for a design style that I enjoy and would like to see reflected in my own home regardless of what kind of structure I’m working with. Thanks for keeping it real.

Cali and thinkdesignlive: the kitchen floor tile is all cracked and needs to be replaced, as does the laminate in the rest of the living space, due to cracks and poor installation issues. The countertops are epoxy covered plywood. I have virtually no overhead lighting so yes the pictures are dark but the rust/gingerbread color is very different in lighting and sunlight. I’m swapping out the tile because I thought a unified floor would look less choppy. Appreciate your input, thanks.

I am confused by your choices. You have a country Hoosier cabinet, a fairly formal dining set, then with the Hoosier cabinet you have a contemporary floor lamp. And then you painted a wall dark brown. What is your goal with this melange? Or just please explain why you painted that kitchen wall dark brown. What is farmhouse chic? Either a decor is farmhouse, or it’s chic, but can it be both?

My advice, for what it’s worth, is to be more cohesive in your choices. And steer clear of labels like “farmhouse chic” and trying to fulfill such a meaningless term.

What would be BEST for you to do in order to good advice from the gurus here is to post inspiration photos of what you like. Otherwise they will steer clear of helping you because what you are looking for cannot be discerned by what you’ve posted so far.

I would re-paint the walls a warm white. I like Benjamin Moore’s Natura Line. I would not paint the cabinets; wood is en Vogue. I might consider removing the cabinets that are blocking the entry. The arched window and woodwork is beautiful.

Under cabinet lighting should be installed if it is not in place and I’d change ceiling flush mount to a nice light fixture on a dimmer.

If you decide to do laminate, I would say go darker than cabinets - along the lines of the color of what looks to be a wood floor (?) in the adjacent hall.

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Since you said that the flooring in the living spaces needs to be replaced, will you be doing that with this project? Designing and decorating without a cohesive plan usually just wastes money and no one wants to do that. Figure out what type of flooring you want in all areas. Real hardwood, engineered hardwood, laminate again. When you have decided, I'd do it in all areas, (or a least purchase enough that you can do it at a later date. You don't have to worry about real hardwood, but other varieties get discontinued quickly and you may not be able to get the same product. Hence, needing to rip out the kitchen (again) to match. Hardwood is wonderful for someone who cooks a lot as it is easy on the body. Painting kitchen cabinets is very expensive and needs to be done right, or else you'll just have peeling cabinets and no one wants that. Have you dreamed of a painted kitchen or can you live with what's there? Farmhouse chic are really contrary terms. Farmhouse is utilitarian and chic is well, chic. You could replace the current cabinet hardware and sink faucet with black as a nod to the farmhouse style. An inexpensive subway tile backsplash with a darker grout for a backsplash can also read farmhouse. I don't think the current dark brown color does anything for your space. Paint and backsplash are the last things chosen after all other selections have been made. Post some photos of kitchens you love so we can help you try to achieve that in your space.

What is the thought process for choosing—brown? Its not a “farmhouse” color at all. Other than as a painted floor. Nor is it “chic”, unless you’re talking brown leather upholstered walls with a green velvet sofa against them. So I don’t think you mean what you think you mean in your word descriptions. Given the combinations there, theres a big disassociation between the descriptive words and the collection of objects.

Use pictures instead. Post some pictures of rooms that you think fit your description.

Flooring will be replaced throughout the unit. I was leaning towards laminate because that’s what is here already and I thought laminate would be a better choice for durability in a kitchen. I’ve been researching kitchens the last few days and most of the ones that caught my eye were labeled “farmhouse chic.” I thought thats what the style was called. Yes my furniture is all different: the Hoosier cabinet is a family antique. I also have a light oak library card catalog. Dining room table is from a former house. It will probably be swapped for some thing else. It’s too big for the space but it was all I had.

You can’t tell from the picture, but the unit was vacant for almost 18 months with no window coverings and the lower cabinets directly across from the window actually faded. That is the reason the cabinets need to be replaced, refinished or painted (which a professional will do.) This kitchen gets a tremendous amount of light all year, and I am sure it doesn’t show it, based on the negative comments, but the dark brown works really well with the medium oak cabinets and the extreme daylight exposure (even with curtains/window shade.) The sea foam green backsplash also presented a challenge when choosing a wall color. I wasn’t in a position to change it a few years ago but backsplash will be changed now., too.

I’ve thought about replacing the cabinet that extends out between the kitchen and dining room with a less wide one, but that is the counter next to the stove and it would reduce that workspace by at least 18 inches. Removing that cabinet WOULD open up the kitchen dining room more but it will reduce prep area.

Pic 1: I love the straight edge of this butcher block counter but prefer the redder color of Pic 2 which I’d consider for the flooring too. I’m looking for something close to the Hoosier cabinet. Pic 3: cabinet and wall color. I prefer cream or pale yellow/sage over white or off-white. Definitely prefer a warm to a cool color. Would the wall and cabinets be the same color or different shades of the same color? Pic 3: upper cabinets vs open shelves. My existing pieces (card catalog and Hoosier cabinet) will not match the countertop or flooring. I will not paint or refinish the Hoosier cab but it might move to the dining room. I’m open to painting the card catalog an accent color and possibly adding a top. It’s in two pieces (similar to pic 4) and the top could be mounted on a cabinet for more storage. If I could fit it in as an island (fixed or even on wheels) that would help with prep space and storage especially if I open the area between the kitchen and dining room. Dining room and living rooms will be repainted to blend the spaces more cohesively.

Thanks for the input and questions. Keep them coming.

Prosource: The walls were painted years ago when there was no overall plan.

Really like the window and door trim.

Along w/ ( ProSource Memphis & M Miller ), I, too, wonder: Why dark brown?

A picture of your current room w/current color could help. (Scrolled down and saw additional pics. Are you considering opening up the kitchen to the living/dining area?)

Would not paint the cabinets; like the look of them as is.

Suggest you at least consider Corian for your countertops -- wide range of colors available.

With dark walls, you should consider light flooring for this kitchen/dining combo area.

While you're redoing the flooring and countertops -- before you begin -- consider whether it might be possible to put your sink so you're not facing the wall while you are working at the sink.

Budget permitting, of course, when replacing countertops is a good time to swap out your sink for another -- a deep double stainless steel sink with a faucet with a high arc -- and make any changes you might be considering to your cabinet layout -- especially that sink location. Getting you a window view while working at the sink, unblocking the doorway, and creating a peninsula/bar between kitchen and dining (rather than blocking the doorway) would be the primary objectives of the changes.

Is that a refrigerator within a cabinet or is that a pantry cabinet? I'm calling it a pantry cabinet in this suggestion for you to try on graph paper first:

Invest in some graph paper and draw, to scale, the size of your kitchen, with all doorways and any windows shown.

Look inside all the base cabinets and see what cabinets are part of a larger unit of cabinets.

Draw, to scale, each base cabinets unit. Then cut them out and see how you might rearrange them in you kitchen. On your cutout of the peninsula cabinet, you could begin with the dead corner intact or cut away the dead corner framing left of the stove and only seek to place the base cabinets with doors.

On the left/sink side: Guessing that your base cabinet for your sink and the base cabinet next to it are one 6' cabinet. The cabinet to the right of where the dishwasher is supposed to be is likely a separate cabinet unit. The floor to ceiling pantry cabinet is likely one unit.

On the right/stove side: The small cabinet to the right of the stove is likely one cabinet unit. The base cabinet used as a peninsula across the doorway (left of the stove) is likely one cabinet with no door access to dead corner left of the stove -- likely frame only and no cabinet door in that corner.

Would leave the stove where it is -- wiring or gas line wouldn't need to be moved. You could leave the cabinet to the right of the stove where it is. You could probably move out the entire peninsula cabinet for use elsewhere. Then move that small single door base cabinet now shown to the right of the dishwasher niche over to the corner left of the stove -- IF it is a good fit there, then the rest of your stove side could be left as is. If it isn't a good fit there, some adjustment would need to be made.

The peninsula-now-across-the-doorway-left-of-the-stove cabinet and the rest of the base cabinets now on the left/sink side as well as your pantry cabinet would need to be placed on the left /sink side -- with one end of the peninsula against the left/ sink wall.

Bar seating need not be an objective of moving your peninsula. Since you want your sink in the kitchen side of the peninsula, you could double the depth of the peninsula to 4' by putting two sections of cabinet back to back, leaving you plenty or from along the left/sink wall for your pantry and the rest of the base cabinets.

Except for over the peninsula -- or even over the peninsula -- you could move your overhead cabinets to be over their base cabinets at the new location as needed.

As long as you keep the end of your peninsula in which you're putting your sink against that wall on the left sink side, the plumbing pipes from your current sink location -- supplies and drains -- could be reused by adding pipe to be run beneath the cabinets for the drain and by adding pipes through the back of the cabinets for the hot/cold supply lines.

If you don't double the depth of your peninsula, you could add wainscoting to the back/dining side of the peninsula and still use a wider countertop to create an overhang for bar seating on the dining side of the peninsula.

IF you keep your kitchen sink very near it's current location, you can likely reuse the plumbing -- running additional beneath and through the back of the cabinets. You should be able to put a sink in a peninsula with its end where the pantry closet is now located so you can look out the window as you work at the sink. If you use a wider countertop to create an overhang to your peninsula, you could create a bar in the dining side of the peninsula with the sink.

If you're not DIY inclined, AFTER you draw up what you want and it seems reasonably certain it will work/fit, then you could get estimates from local contractors ( plumbers and/or cabinetmakers) to install the new countertop with new sink and move the rest of the cabinets into place.

@suezbell I am not allowed to move to plumbing but I appreciate your detailed response. I do have graph paper and will make the cutouts to rearrange the cabinets. The most I can do to open the rooms is reduce the size of the peninsula but as mentioned that greatly reduces my prep area. The walls will not be staying dark and due to the faded cabinets, they must be refaced, repainted or replaced.

That is a large pantry, not a refrigerator, but I want to remove it and extend the counter and upper cabinets a bit father. That pantry towers over everything and is very bulky.

Thanks for your input.

Could the pantry be repurposed as a linen cabinet in the bedroom area?

Even if you must leave the sink where it is, you might be able to move the peninsula to the opposite end of the room and use that peninsula as prep area.

Also, you might consider creating a faux window over the sink:

https://www.google.com/search?q=faux+window+for+over+sink&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjupoLN4pHqAhVUoHIEHb7fDf4Q_AUoAnoECAwQBA&biw=1366&bih=654

Unless you will be changing the backsplash, and if you're choosing your kitchen colors with the backsplash you have in mind, this might be worth considering: black Corian countertops and white cabinets, top and bottom:

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Cabinets-Shaker-Designer-White/dp/B01B6WBWM0/ref=pd_sbs_196_3/136-9494044-5156007?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01B6WBWM0&pd_rd_r=65b9ecb0-3f18-4067-ab54-1660d42386f4&pd_rd_w=sWptd&pd_rd_wg=h3vb7&pf_rd_p=bdc67ba8-ab69-42ee-b8d8-8f5336b36a83&pf_rd_r=R3ZDPQGH1BD0M71G7HZ1&psc=1&refRID=R3ZDPQGH1BD0M71G7HZ1

https://www.inventables.com/technologies/black-corian

Good luck with your project. Do post updates.

How are dark brown walls chic anywhere and especially in a farmhouse kitchen You need to tackle the lighting before anything else , one boob light does not work in any kitchen get some pot lights all the bulbs LEDs in 4000K then work on the rest. A low maintenance counter is polished granite

Thanks Patricia for your comment. There are two overhead lights in the space, one was added after the picture was taken. The floor lamp was for painting purposes (which was done 5 years ago) and new wall color is part of the redesign. Appreciate the tip on countertops.

After your response to the finishes in the kitchen, this is the order in which I would proceed. First, update and add recessed lighting to the kitchen. Next, choose the flooring that you want to use throughout the kitchen and living area, so you have one type of flooring. You can use LVP or laminate if you don't want hardwood or tile. Next, decide what you want to do with the cabinets. I would eliminate that peninsula that sticks out into the walkway. You can paint them, stain them darker, or simply keep them as they are. You can try a wood cleaner/restorer like Old English on the faded cabinet near the window, or paint just that tall pantry cabinet while keeping the others wood. Then you can choose countertops. If you're keeping the cabinets wood, I would use a white quartz countertop. If you're painting the cabinets white, you can use a combination of white quartz and butcher block to get the style you're looking for. Then choose the back splash. At that point you can decide on your wall paint color. Keeping the wall color lighter than your current brown will give you the "farmhouse" look you're going for. In my opinion, it is expensive to paint cabinets, and they currently work well with your window trim and moldings. I would keep the cabinets as they are and go with white quartz counters. You could add a narrow moveable island to the kitchen if you remove the peninsula so you still have some prep space - something like this, with a butcher block top.

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