Replace the floor. That is the most straightforward option, and will get the best results. I don’t think replacing the counter will help make the floor go better in the space, and I am surprised people think it will. In fact, the wrong choice in counters could make things even worse. The existing counter goes with the cabinets and backsplash, and if you change it, it may go with neither and now you’ve introduced yet one more thing that doesn’t go. Leave the counters alone. Even with new counters, the floors still don’t go with the cabinets one bit, and new counters won’t change that.

In the photo of the straight on view the floor works w backsplash and counter just blends in w cabinet tones. It’s something I could live with .... along w home depot floor runners. Saying that , if you can... pick a different floor . If your mate is upset go cheaper w a product selection and maybe have it installed .The vinyl planks or squares maybe would offer something. Sometimes I just go and make the decision and do the footwork and arrange it and get it done and I find less protest this way when it’s a goofed up situation . Lots of discussion / headache isn’t worth it and don’t rip out counters because of this.

Replace the floor. Shannon has it exactly right.

i bet everyone on Houzz has messed up. We built a new house and I picked what I thought would be a brick color for a double height back wall. Surprise! 16 feet of Pepto Bismol pink! I then did what some are suggesting for you. Instead of repainting, I tried to bring in hints of the hideous pink color "to tie it all together". It was then much more expensive to get to where I wanted because I had chosen everything else because of a mistake.

Your kitchen, including your backsplash and counters, is lovely. The floor is wrong. Rip it out and once you get the right floor - one step and you're done! Congrats - it's a great kitchen!

I agree that replacing the floor is your best option. I would choose a wood-look vinyl that provides a classic look. Those trendy grays do not work.

Following...

I am beyond grateful for all of your input. When choosing the flooring, I went off of the wall color instead of the cabinet color. Unfortunately, the floors are installed and because my hubby did the install, we are not going to rip them up and redo them. After reading everyone’s responses, I’ve decided to slowly work on convincing my husband to replace the countertop. I will then change the hardware on the cabinets AND add a rug to try to cover the floors. We will definitely declutter, as well. In the meantime, I’ll be saving my pennies to rip out this kitchen (down to the studs) and start from scratch. I’m so upset with myself.

If you truly want to rip it all out, don’t put money into the counters. Just buy a rug and save all the other money. Those cabinets look very nice, though, it’d be a shame to junk them.

I think leaving the floors is a BIG MISTAKE and is going to create an even bigger problem. The counters aren't the problem, the floors are and a new counter is not going to make the floors go with your cabinets. It will only create another expense that will make you even more unhappy. We've all made mistakes and picking that flooring was yours. If your husband installed these floors, he can install new ones. It will be far cheaper than new counters. Gray counters don't belong with those cabinets. Gray doesn't belong anywhere in that space. Don't go down that rabbit hole.

Not a pro but... the floor is the wrong color AND too busy. You might fix the color with a new counter but the busy floor will still be overload with the busy cabs (which are lovely). The past mistake is a sunk cost. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost. Past mistakes are irrelevant to decision making.

Ek, get some cheap jute rugs in the mean while, they will go with the existing cabinets and counters. I get it...my husband installed our flooring and it would have been heart breaking to replace his hard work...not to mention how upset he would have been.

Just take a break and don’t beat yourself up. Think BIG picture now. If you plan to rip those cabinets out (I think you could work with them but that’s me) then don’t do a thing other than a large rug. If you decide to keep the cabinets long term and YOU can learn to love the counters maybe your husband can come to grips with a new floor someday. We all make mistakes. This is not the end of the world. Nice that your hubs does nice tile work! Happy (forgive yourself) New Year!

Don't replace the countertops - they coordinate well with the cabinets! The floor is the culprit. I would get a large rug to cover much of the floor...one the pulls together the warm of the cabs/countertops with just a bit of grey for the cool of the floor. Then, add stainless hardware and declutter.

Can't you take the countertops/backsplash money to hire someone to change out the floor? That's the unanimous Houzz advice. Reason: you've identified that as the problem, and everyone agrees. This risks adding another one-off mistake to the other mistake. This is how people wind up with a remuddle--adding a new mistake to the old one.

Failing that, just get a rug that will cover the hated floor and draw attenton to your cabinets which the majority of Commenters really like.. So pick an indoor/outdoor kitchen rug that has the warmth of the cabinets with just some gray. Tip: you can order the smallest size rugs to see how they work with the floor, then return them for a larger size.

I like the cabinets and counters together ans would replace the floor-however if you’re going to down the road gut it, I’d probably just get a rug and not mess with it.

Thank you for all of your support. What a lovely community of people here on Houzz. After much thought, we are going to get a rug for the time being. In a few months, we will replace the floors. I’ll be reaching our for floor recommendations once we are ready to tackle it! Lord knows that I can’t be trusted with any more design decisions. Ha! One more question: does anyone know what kind of wood our kitchen cabinets are?

they look a little like walnut, (the upper left ones look like walnut) but other parts lead me to believe something different.

Although, I've worked w/walnut that had those dark and light streaks.

Were they custom made?

is that a florescent light? would you be interested in switching that to a reg light? plenty of videos how to do it. then you could do a nice light fixture w/better bulbs.

get a large rug like this, hold it down w/double sided tape. (or look for a flat weave)

Gosh I wanna cry for you!! My heart goes out. Your kitchen is so pretty and timeless. Hope you can redo the floors soon enough. I’m happy you decided to Halt on the rest and wait to be able to replace the floors. Keep us posted

I noticed above that someone suggested these are Plain & Fancy. They do look a bit like this walnut hutch on the site, but it’s hard to tell.

Get rugs from ruggable - you can put them in the washer

I love your cabinets and counters...I know the floor doesn’t “go” but really think after a while it won’t be so noticeable, especially with a rug on it.

Thanks, @Barrheadlass! Ordered an 8x10 rug. Have to let my husband decompress before exploring new floor options. We really love our cabinets. They were here when we bought the home. I believe they’re custom made and from the early 80’s!

@Muriel Thompson the cabinets were here when we bought the house. I believe they’re custom made and front he early 80’s. :) Also, thanks for being so kind. I really appreciate it.

The general advice for tile floors is to echo the background color of your granite assuming the granite is in harmony with your cabinets. The "off notes" in your kitchen are gray wall paint (warm cream would've been a better choice than gray, but we haven't seen the rest of the space) , the backsplash, which should be a pale gold from your granite, and the floors, which should have golden red tones pulled from both granite and wood.

Subway tile, not necessarily these but in a similar shade assuming the color harmonizes with your countertops. Hope you can see how cabinets, countertops, tiles complement each other. Make sure whatever choices you make going forward, rug, wall paint, backsplash, floor tiles, work under daylight and night conditions and most especially with your cabinets. Get many samples of paint, swatches, tiles, etc. Start an Ideabook that shows cabinets in a finish and stain like yours so you can see the possibilities and how things work together.

Here's an article about choosing wall paints that work with wood:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/11-terrific-paint-color-matches-for-wood-details-stsetivw-vs~9025200

@Beth H. : you are so kind for adding all of these item photos and suggestions. I am beyond grateful for you. We did bring home a floor sample but I went off of our wall color instead of the cabinets and counter. ROOKIE MOVE! Thanks for weighing in on the wood species of the cabinets. We think it might be a mix, too. They were here when we purchased the home. Our light is LED and really helps with how dark this room is. We don’t have much sunlight so we need all the help we can get.

@housegal200 took the advice of most on the thread. You were so helpful! Thank you so, so much. Purchased a rug, going to change the hardware on cabinets and revisit the floor after my husband‘s body recovers from all the hard work! :)

Just replace the floor & paint. “ Square peg, round hole “ problem.

I'm surprised by the number of people suggesting a rug. Do people really put rugs in their kitchens? I'm FAR from good at this decorating thing, but I'd think that a rug in the kitchen would get so dirty from spills, spots, etc. that it'd be a pain. Easy to sweep a floor.

If your cabinets are from the early 80s, let that be a testament to how classic a stained, inset cabinet is. They look great.

@Suzieque I have a runner in front of my sink. - it helps catch water splashes (I have hard wood floor in the kitchen). I got one from ruggable - easy to vacuum and I put it in the washer and dryer regularly. In front of the stove, I have one of those cushy rugs - helps with comfort and easy to wipe off all the grease. But I agree that it is easier to sweep a floor - I have no rugs in the dining room for just this reason. And i think the recommendations for a rug in this thread is more of a stop gap measure before the OP can change the tiles.

RTHawk, that makes perfect sense. Thanks for setting me straight.

Why not just paint the cabinets a light grey or white? ...seems that is your color palette. Agreed that you would have to replace the countertop. The counter top would be the highest priced item in the kitchen. But, you could get a nice light colored quartz installed for less than 5000 bucks. Honestly, I have rental property that I literally picked up rattle cans of Rustoleum Appliance epoxy at home depot and sprayed the cabinets (with a trigger and steady hand). https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Specialty-12-oz-Appliance-Gloss-White-Epoxy-Spray-Paint-7881830/202056394. The countertop here is quartz and the entire kitchen and 3 bathrooms were installed for less than 4900 bucks. That is a 9 foot island top, the floor is .78 cents a square foot laminate. You can make a space look really good with the right touch. You don't have to break the bank to make that happen. Best of luck with your project.

I certainly wouldn't paint real wood cabinets to match a plastic floor - You have real stone and real wood cabinets. Glad you got a rug to cover up the floor. Plastic never adds any value to a home.

Another one who thinks the floor is the problem. Do not paint the cabinets or replace the counters.

Indoor/outdoor rugs available online at places like Ballard will help cancel floor until it can be replaced. They are lightweight, easy to spot clean, and can be hosed off when really dirty and hung over the fence to dry- very pretty designs.

I certainly wasn't suggesting the OP put down a laminate floor in their primary residence, rather I was simply pointing out that there are other options (without replacing the cabinets) that wouldn't break the bank and still come out looking fabulous...but replacing countertops really is less expensive than what people think with the variety of materials on the market. My guess is you really loved the floor and it looked great in a bright (probably white) store display but when you put it down next to those cabinets it went blah.

The question is why spend all of that time and money to lay a tile floor and then cover it all up with rugs because it doesn't match the cabinets that would never be changed until the next owner comes in and demos the entire kitchen and starts over?

The image below are "real wood" raised panel cabinets that were almost identical to these cabinets posted by the OP, and painted a soft greige. Countertops are level A granite with no laminated edge that cost less than 3800 bucks installed. (the appliances were already in the house).

If you aren't looking to update the entire kitchen, then cut your losses on the floor and pick another floor tile that better matches the cabinets and the countertops...if you haven't already installed and grouted the floor that is.

It all comes down to budget. Relax and think it through, you'll make the right decision that is right for you no matter what anyone else says. Everyone has an opinion. There are many many options out there. Just food for thought.

Color depth of both the floor color, and the counter is about the same. That causes less 'strong' a problem. I wouldn't get worried at all. It's still a good kitchen. :)

Do you wanna say where you bought the LED light?

I think best to see nearby area -- besides a rug, a table set or stools could have neutrals with both cement-type grey of floor, and the counter [which incidentally, seems to have a tiny bit of grey].

I do want to help. I post to spur ideas for you to add what is needed, and with neutrals in materials already there.

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If we were shopping, one of us would say that this silver-grey wouldn't complement, and wouldn't be a sure enough purchase. Seems that black is in your place already, and could strengthen the look there.

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It's partly an HGTV concern. Sure might not be ideal/ perfect, but nature's looks, nature's colors will afford you many cool / warm tones together.

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@everdebz Thank you! You are too kind. : ) Slowly working on how to make the space work until we are in a position to replace the floors. All of your suggestions are appreciated!

@tiptonspiresdesignbuild Thank you so much for your input! We are not in a position to paint the cabinets right now. We thought we’d invest $1500 and get paint and a new floor. I went rogue and made a poor floor choice. Just trying to find a way to live with the floor until we are able to replace the floors. Your spaces are BEAUTIFUL! Wow.

You mentioned hardware? so this isn't as contrasting as current [black?], but might be more similar/ blending with floor....What doesn't look good, and can be changed, try it.

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I think I like this better, and with counter's neutrals.

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$2 --

Belwith Hickory 1/2 " Manor House Lancaster Hand Polished Cabinet Knob P318-LP · More Info

With your knob sample, hold it up, tape it up to backsplash also [and everything] -- the subtle differences between them will matter.

For instance, I like this, but with white tile, it might be too contrasting.... ? so go lighter.

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Belwith Hickory 1-1/8 " Conquest Veneti Bronze Cabinet Knob P14255-VBZ Hardware · More Info

I guess I could've asked what finish you might consider? If you are reducing visual varieties, I suppose too, that the less sheen/shine, the better.

Black legs, black this or that - to me fine away from those wall/cabs.

We are all over the place right now. Probably going to go with brushed nickel hardware to get a more cohesive look and so we don’t need to change the faucet.

@ekgeorge76 Totally understand. Thank you for the comment! I guess if the floors have already been installed then you'll have to go the rug route for now. I'm sure with some color pops and accents you'll make it look beautiful and cozy! Liven up the space with some taller potted plants and nice pottery.