What are you aiming for? Your cabinetry is pretty up to date. The back splash is the thing that screams a different decade. You have a lot of wood tones in one place. Not sure the "crown" is doing you any favors. Is the long rectangle a sky light or recessed florescent fixture?

I am aiming for something more modern/scandi/transitional. I like the cabinetry - I think this wood tone is coming back in style. The plan is to paint all the trim/crown a nice creamy white, but that's all I know what to do 😂 It is a skylight.

What color/type of backsplash would you recommend?

Painting the cabinets professionally is not only inexpensive, but also makes a great impact. Get referrals from trusted neighbors, family, friends, pastor, lawyer, accountant, etc. Get several bids. Don't go by price alone. Try not to go with white or gray, because that has been overdone in the past decade. Change the counters, certainly. I would go with an off-white quartz, but that's me. I'd go for an off-white color for the cabs as well. Yes to redo the backsplash also. Look at kitchen designs and note what you like and don't like. I would definitely speak to a kitchen designer. Develop a budget before you do anything. Kitchens can easily get way out of hand in that department. I'm a total cheapskate, so that wouldn't be a problem for me! I know darn well how to say no to a sales person!!!! If you are open to doing some of the work yourself, you'll save a lot of money in demo and labor. However be realistic with what you can do and can't do. https://www.houzz.com/photos/query/updating-1990-kitchen/nqrwns

Where does the OP say anything about painting the cabinets??

How about blue?

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The light maple cabs can be easily made to look contemporary. You can update the hardware on the doors. You have some competing woods going on. Your cabinets are pale maple while your doors and trim are orange/brown. Your island has the same tone as the trim. We need to remove these competing woods.

As already mentioned you can do a fast update by painting out the wood trim and the kitchen side of the wood door. I would go one step further and suggest painting the island the same colour. That will brighten everything you have going right now.

I would then invest in professional grout cleaning and sealing to keep the floors in the background. Floors are EXPENSIVE. Yes they do plenty when updated....but the rest of the issues remain.

I would look to changing the counters to a crisp white (looks VERY handsome with pale maple). A blue-toned white (that's what makes it 'crisp' = more blue than yellow) really pops against pale wood. And with the counters you can then work the backsplash.

By adding in some paint (trim, door and island) and updated counter tops (white will really be a happy option if you keep the floors) and then backsplash. Those three things would cost roughly the same as a removing and replacing the tile.

If you remove the tile = $2-$3/sf (depending on location).

If you replace with another tile: $15-$18/sf (might include cost of materials as well...depending on where you live.

If you do the math, the cost of removing and replacing current tile with new tile = $20 - $22/sf all in.

Your kitchen looks quite generous. If we assume 400sf of flooring surface, the math adds up quite quickly.

$20/sf x 400sf = $8,000

I am guessing at your square footage. If you go ahead and 'assume' $20/sf for a complete tile remove/replace you can then come up with your own number.

Do you know the size of your tile floor that needs replacing? It looks like it goes into the laundry room? Are there any other areas that have the same tile?

What's your total budget for your refresh?

I'd change out the disco backsplash and keep everything else.

What particular brown granite do you have? Baltic Brown is pretty universally disliked (I don't share the hate), but I always thought Tan Brown was a far nicer stone than its dull name suggested.

Wow!! Lots of great advice here - thanks so much. To answer some questions; the granite is Baltic Brown. I do not think any cool tones
will look good in this kitchen - MAYBE a green.

I think this will be my plan of action:

1. Paint walls, crown molding, baseboards, window and door casings all a creamy white (thinking swiss coffee by BM)

2. Paint island a light color (suggestions??)

3. Replace backsplash with tan/cream tile

4. add pendant lights over island/change out hardware to a modern matte black (long skinny pulls)

What happened to the front of the dishwasher?

Can you get a replacement front panel?

@loobab Previous owners superglued textured white wallpaper to it. Husband ripped it off one morning and we haven't touched it since😂 Thinking of looking for a new front panel or just upgrading when we get a new fridge

Does your island cooktop have a downdraft vent? Or is that a vent in the ceiling? (Looks like a fluorescent light but without a cover.) I'm asking because pendant lights over an island cooktop might be problematic. Also, will you change out the other light fixture? I think that isn't helping your contemporary vibe. Finally, are you replacing the DW? It looks like something dreadful happened to it...

@chicagoans Yes there is a downdraft vent on the cooktop. It's actually a super nice Jennair stove, we love it. There is a skylight, a fluorescent light box (we took the cover off to encourage us to replace faster), and a chandelier, which we will definitely replace. Maybe something woven would look nice?

I would take some upper cabinets down on one or both sides of the window and put open shelves.

Superglue? Oh man. That stuff is serious.

Your plan sounds solid. Let us know/ SEE how it turned out.

Search Etsy for "stainless magnetic dishwasher cover" and save yourself a few hundred bucks. :)

IF it were me...

Cabinets are fine.

Replace that awful backsplash (egads)

Replace the dark and dated granite counters

Replace the flooring

Paint the brown trim and the island, white.

And definitely get a new dishwasher panel.

Yikes! So many competing shades of brown......I like your plan to paint white the walls, door, trim, etc. I would also paint the island white. A white backsplash would help and new counters too if that’s in the budget.

Yes, I agree with Amanda. Paint the island the same warm white as the trim. Don't go dark on the new backsplash, install a warm white tile.

Nicole

The burners should not be on the island near where people sit, so I would move the cooktop to a proper wall location. Since you did not say you are open to changing the counters, change the backsplash to a solid color found in the counter material. A stainless steel or black refrigerator would work better in the space...you may be able to move the white fridge to the pantry, laundry area or garage if you need a secondary refrigerator. Change the fluorescent light fixture and the uplight chandelier to standard electric fixtures which light the counters and the kitchen in general.

That dishwasher panel may be reversible. Try taking it out. The other side might be white but you could paint.

I would paint walls and bulkhead a neutral. Change backsplash to something Mediterranean which will look nice with the current granite. The pics posted by above are great ideas.