Figure out how much you care to spend as the space w counter sq footage with backsplash tile , then add flooring , and probably a new light fixture can begin to be noticeable money spent. I’d look at counters and backsplash to see what inspires you. The floor in vinyl planks should be something that falls in line rather than a statement . Quartz or granite for the counter runs you have will be quite different in terms of total costs. Bring home samples. It’s the best way . Is there a reason the dishwasher is not situated closer to the sink? When counter is pulled off maybe you can bring it over. I would .

In my opinion, marriage is a partnership, supporting each other and working towards the same goals.

Just posting ideas to look into.... 4 or 6 lights / W 5.13" / D 27.5" / H 4.75" dimmable max is 200w / lumens?

4x50W Track Light, Satin Nickel Finish, 4 Light · More Info

plug strip is made by Wiremold. There is a "faceless" GFI device installed to protect the outlets as shown in the image below. Clear Lighting and Electrical Design in 2016

Kitchens · More Info

"Don't just throw LED strip lights everywhere. Stick them in LEDdrop channels for beautiful lighting ambiance. LEDdrop aluminum channels: the perfect companion to LED strip light installations."

LEDdrop® Lighting | LED Strip Lights + Aluminum Channels · More Info

Inspired LED: "I recommend LED strips that have adhesive back that attach the lights to the trim (such as the products we have). They are light weight; our high quality LEDs will last much longer than most rope lights... I wouldn't recommend rope lighting unless you have a way to secure it, as we've heard complaints about it being inconsistent and not distributing well."

Kitchen (Unit A) · More Info

Idk if counter is charcoal... or green-grey.

Belwith Hickory 1-1/4 " Savoy Black Nickel Vibed Cabinet Knob P2243-BNV Hardware · More Info

Belwith Hickory 1-1/4 " Eclipse Black Nickel Vibed Cabinet Knob P413-BNV · More Info

@everdebz the current countertops are a green color.

What has she mentioned already as to floor, and hardware... I was going to say, that you look at all items, in the room, holding them there to view.

@everdebz I was thinking about flooring like below

Grey cabinets are a snooze.

You can do white cabinets on top and another darker color below, whatever color you like such as dark blue or green.

And use a paint that is washable.

Some brass or brass look handles and a new ceiling fixture in glass with brass accents would look great with a navy or deep green.

And why not think about countertops that are easy maintenance like Corian?

@loobab I think those are great suggestions. What kind of light were you thinking? I am going to also remove that ugly fluorescent light in the middle. I have not looked into Corian countertops and do not know much about them. I like your idea of the white up top and dark blue below.

The biggest question for me is, does the current honey oak run throughout your home and also the "wood" flooring next to your linoleum- is that vinyl? Before making any decisions, I would give careful thought to how you bridge everything together room to room.

@Color Zen the rest of the flooring is hardwood flooring throughout the house. The honey oak trim is throughout the upstairs. It is around every bedroom door and is the color of the baseboards. I was debating painting all of that white.

Painting all trim white and continuing hardwood in the kitchen would be ideal. Your cabinets are great contenders for painting. I would not use vinyl with wood next door. You could consider tile.

@Color Zen Thank you for your input. Any suggestions on colors for the cabinets or a tile color that you would recommend? I am open to anything. We have two small kids. Ideally, I would love to paint the cabinets white but that might be tough. Someone else suggested painting the upper cabinets white and the bottom a dark blue or a dark color. I worry about the upper white cabinets potentially clashing with our white appliances.

P hop.....who is tackling the painting of these cabs? please tell me if you, you have researched it and have all the time in the world to do it. Prep work is 75% of the ordeal in painting cabinets.

If not, hire a professional cabinet painter, not a house painter.

I would highly suggest you hire a pro. expect to pay 5K and up. make sure they sand, prime, sand, and spray everything off site. get a warranty. no exceptions to any of these steps.

if you like the warmer tone of the flooring, make sure you pick the appropriate cab color

gray can be a bore unless it's paired w/the right items. This is River Relections. notice all of the glass in the uppers and how nice it makes it look.

Notice the bright white countertop and tile.

These were painted w/the white. pale Oak on the walls.

These would be stunning w/that warm tone LVP you're looking at. you could do the darker blue/gray on the lowers, the light Mist on the uppers.

White quartz, soft blue tiles. stunning look.

You need a plan before you do anything. How much do you want to do and what is your budget? If the flooring in the rest of your home is hardwood, I would run that into the kitchen. You never want to put vinyl planks next to REAL hardwood as it will make them look even more fake. To me, vinyl planks would not be an option. If you don't want to do the wood, I would do tile. However, if painting cabinets, that will effect the color of the floor. Access the scope of the project (even if you won't be doing it all at once) so you don't make mistakes.

@Beth H. : I am hiring a professional to paint the cabinets. There is no way I am tackling that job. I love your pictures and eye for design. I am not tied to those floor choices. I appreciate any insight that you can give into a floor color. I have a 100% open mind when it comes to the redesign and color schemes of this kitchen. The hardware floor color in this picture is throughout the entire upstairs. Is it important to have the kitchen floor flow with the rest of the upstairs or since it is its own space the floor could be a different color/texture?

you can do different color scheme if they aren't visible together.

do those hardwoods run downstairs at all? is it possible you could feather in new oak flooring into the kitchen and have the downstairs floors all sanded and stained to match? prob not the cheapest option, BUT, those hardwoods will last a lifetime and be better for resale. (you may luck out and they can match the new kitchen floors w/the existing other floors and not have to refinish the whole enchilada. I'd call in a flooring expert for that. you don't have a lot of kitchen flooring to do)

That would be the best option as far as looks go. That LVP against real wood looks horrid.

And I'd never rip out real wood and put in plastic! I hate those vinyl floor planks. (unless you use the super dooper best quality, in which case you might as well put in real wood. same price. )

and if that's not possible, then I would do a large format porcelain or slate tile

Decide the floors first, then the countertop you want (and those first two need to work together) then your cabinet color. wall color and backsplash are last on the list

@Beth H do I have to worry about the hardwood floor getting wet because it is a kitchen? The hardwood shown in the pictures does run throughout the home. The only place that does not have it is the kitchen. They used linoleum flooring. If I went with a tile floor are there any colors that are in or colors to stay away from? My original thought was a light grey unless you think I would need to get a wood grain looking tile to match the existing hardwood. Correct me if I am wrong.

I highly recommend continuing your existing hardwood into the kitchen. We had hardwood in our last kitchen and I loved it. It was warm, soft under the feet, soft if you dropped something and it makes the house feel so much bigger to have a continuous flooring. Not to mention it feels so much higher quality than vinyl.

I think your cabinets are lovely and that you should not paint them. Grey painted cabinets are quite a trend these days, and like anything overused, it is likely you will find them dated in the near future. Why not invest the money into nice white quartz counters and a lovely backsplash? This will give you a bright new look that should be more timeless.

Don't worry about the hardwood getting wet. I wiped up any big spills but didn't worry at all about water drops. We have three kids, a cats and a dog, and the floors looked lovely no matter what. Caring for the floors was easy: sweep or vacuum when needed and a damp mop once per week.

The green likely can't have a match.... so a tertiary color with neutrals would be fine I think, not necessarily that colorful that I posted.

What other colors are in the house?

Beth has used those, which I've seen on houzz. It's stunning, and in separate room, good, no great.

9.75"x9.75" Egeo Porcelain Floor and Wall Tile, Case of 16, Naxos · More Info

IMO, the green counter should be replaced. That color was popular in the 1990's but not now. If you are going to the trouble of replacing the floors, and perhaps painting the cabinets you won't get the update you're looking for with that counter.

Option with a versatile floor like slate -- when children older add new door fronts, counter, the works.

That's what excited me about a 'statement' floor, of tiles or hey old checkered flooring. Does she like that idea of retro checkered?

Beth? do people combine laminate counter with slate -- it's not as though surfaces are butt together... maybe with the 'right' knobs.

Rusty Green Slate Tiles, Natural Cleft Face/Back Finish, 12"x12", Set of 40 · More Info

@BethH I like the idea of continuing the hardwood through the kitchen and I do like the slate tile as well.

@designgirl the counters are being replaced and I want to paint the cabinets.

The hardwood floors will look great and add value to the home. I've had mine for 25 years and I'm finally refinishing them with my upcoming kitchen remodel. Since you are painting cabinets and replacing counters you have a wide range of choices. If keeping the current color of your flooring, white cabinets would be my choice. They will go nicely with the current floor color and are classic and timeless. They have been around for ever, and will be around forever.

I would vote hardwood. If you're going to paint the cabinets, what color do you and your wife love? Have you always loved it? I have seen some lovely kitchens with navy, teal or emerald lower and upper cabs white. I am not a fan of grey, but I live in Minnesota and we are only in January so a lot of grey days ahead. Ice blue or sage green. A wood floor is pretty neutral so you have a ton of choices.

P Hop- why not invite Joseph Corlett, LLC into this thread? He is a PRO and knows all about Corian and is the best to tell you all the advantages of Corian vs other options for countertops.

One 'last concern' - any possibility of removing a wall to create an island, etc.? then you might wait on adding and finishing a wood floor... ?

Here are some photos for you-

I love the way a pristine white counter looks with the blue lower cabinets.

A Corian counter in Glacier White or Designer White would look great.

https://www.corian.com/-kitchen-countertops-

I also love the hex tile backsplash tiles, such a welcome change from those boring subway tiles, and in the large size, they don't look bathroom-ish.

Also, look how nicely the brass and the stainless play together. Much better than a matchy-matchy all the same. I could say that is a metaphor for well, I don't want to get in trouble with TPTB.

The pendant fixtures are great, and I love the translucent globes. Some people like transparent glass, but I hate glare, it gives me headaches, so I never want want to see the bulbs. But that is just a matter of personal preference. (And aging, by the way. So if granny is going to be coming over a lot, that is something to keep in mind. Odd how that is, with age, you need more light, but you can't abide glare.)

Please talk to your wife about the flooring. Some people think tile is harder on your feet and legs, but you can get those cushiony gel mats (like Dr. Scholl's on steroids!) by GelPro for in front of the sink and in front of the stove.

https://www.gelpro.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr-CY2YGW7gIVAx6tBh0ePwDGEAAYASAAEgKL2PD_BwE

If you drop things like your dinnerware on tile or stone they are more likely to break than if you drop them on linoleum or wood.

Of course if you drop them from a height, they'll probably break anyway, as we all know from physics.

I would not paint those cabinets. You have two small kids and those cabinets will hold up much better than painted ones will. The cabinets also look to be in great shape. I would change out countertops and backsplash. Since you do have two small kids, I probably would not run the hardwood into the kitchen either. A nice tile, would be much better. I do like the idea of a slate tile. Your kitchen looks to be in great shape, however those countertops are very dated.

@cat_ky any recommendations on countertop/ back splash colors if we keep the cabinet color? Just trying to weigh our options.

Regarding painting the cabinets-

Alkyd semi glass enamel paint is washable, and that is a great paint for kitchen cabinets.

You can discuss the paint type with your professional kitchen cabinet painter.

I wouldn't give painting the cabinets a thought with regards to children.

And if your wife does not like those cabinets, no counter or backsplash or floor will make those cabinets look better in her eyes.

Wood floors is another issue, depending upon how much your children do in the kitchen, i.e. help out carrying things from the refrigerator to the table, etc.

Another thing to think about, professional cabinet painting costs a pretty penny.

Have you thought about getting rid of the soffit? It really does not look good at all.

It may or may not be easy depending upon whether there are ducts, electrical in there.