I don’t think painting your cabinets will give you a modern look, unless your entire definition of modern kitchen is white cabinets. I think a new floor would be a better investment, and switching some cabinet doors to glass. A differnt paint choice might be wise too.

What does “modern” mean to you? I’m not sure anyone can give you ideas that will make you enthusiastic about implementing unless you give more details or an inspiration pic about what kind of modern kitchen you wish you could wave a magic wand to have.

The hickory cabinets are awesome. I thinking painting them would be a crime. I do think the floor, counters and backsplash are where I would focus. I also think some crown molding on the cabinets would look great, but otherwise they are great looking cabinets and hickory is about as bullet proof as you can get.

The cabinets are great!! A couple of things that stand out to me-- The dark brown paint, the two level island, the backsplash choice-- All of those things can be changed for a different look. A lighter-- much lighter paint color for the walls would be a great start & like others have said take down the 4" splash & add a light backsplash. The hickory will darken over time. I would wait to paint it. You could always paint a warm white & not a cool stark white.

@Rachel Simanski beat me to the punch. The Hickory cabinets are the jewel in this house. Spend your money on the floors, countertop, backsplash and paint. And I seriously would reconsider grey flooring throughout your house. It won’t go with most of what you have. Please get a referral for a color designer! There needs to be a cohesive plan before removing or painting the high quality cabinets.

Okay let me be a little more clear, I realize its confusing because I haven’t fully been able to verbalize what’s going through my head.

1.) I plan on redoing my kitchen floor

2.) I plan on taking the 4” piece of granite off and getting a new backsplash.

3.) I have a family friend that would be painting my cabinets so there is no money invested there.

4.) I have to replace my nasty living room rug because it the original rug from the house and it’s white and in bad shape. No it is not open to the kitchen, I get that. But it runs adjacent to my dining room which IS open to my kitchen so it will be the same floor that’s in the living room.( It won’t be the maple anymore)Thus, I feel like it needs to blend with my kitchen.

5.) My husband installs floors professionally so all we are paying for is material for the downstairs flooring

If we go white, we are replacing the kitchen floor within roughly the same timeframe as painting. I’m not on a limited one project at a time thing. Also these are the best pics I can find to somewhat express the style I like for white kitchen. I enjoy warmth and coziness, not the sterile all white kitchen. So with that said, I guess I’m not looking for fully modern (I also enjoy a somewhat rustic look). I just was hoping for less country than my hickory cabinets are.

.

wow, you have some great connections! (this person who is painting the cabs, they know how to sand them first, prime, sand again, and then spray the paint?)

as for flooring, what if you did more of a natural wood floor? Gray is really subsiding, especially flooring. And since flooring is a huge investment and needs to stay put for 20-40 years, it might be better to pick something more neutral. You can bring in gray furniture, paint, accessories, but the wood floors will go w/everything.

Why not try something like french oak flooring?

and i'm assuming you'll be leveling out the floor in front of the patio doors?

you want the same flooring throughout, yes?

I just had my cabinets painted. got new flooring, countertops

the french oak flooring I took throughout. it's been great. easy to care for, works w/everything. the neutral color will work with any trend

or, think about doing a stain on site red oak flooring.

To answer your question, no, don't paint your kitchen white. Instead, add a full backsplash in the palest background shade from your countertops. Paint your walls that same color. The brown walls are bringing the whole kitchen down. Add crown moulding to the top of the cabinets. Do not do gray floors--again all wrong. Bring out the warmth of the cabinets with light warm wood floors as below.

How to harmonize floors and existing wood cabinets if you even have to change the floor. (Note the molding if you decide to do that).

@Beth H. : That is beautiful!! I love the idea of a separate color island. So for the floor, I never even thought about behaving the same floor all throughout. I was figuring I’d just have a tile in the kitchen. I like the thought of having wood all throughout. And yes, I’m definitely getting rid of that weird patio floor thing lol. My two toddlers trip on it all the time. My only issue is, we were planning on doing a pergo floor. I don’t know if that can be in a kitchen. And yes I’m very luck. My family friend has a very good reputation for painting cabinets. Also Im just curious for a personal opinion on why the darker latte paint color should go? I did that color a few months ago and ive been enjoying it haha so I’m just curious. And which white would you recommend for cabs? Do you think the paint will look better with white cabinets or should it just go completely?

Also, the countertop and is new and I can’t change it : and I also made a bad design decision and went with the split level bar, not realizing it was out. So unfortunately I can’t change that either

pergo? why not an engineered wood? since you're saving on the install costs, spend the extra and get the real wood. a nice neutral color and take throughout. It will make the rooms appear larger. (i used to have tile in my kitchen and so love the hardwood in there now. it cleans up easily. I've spilled tons of water on it, cleaned up pet barf, food, doesn't matter. stuff is great)

the wood will last a lot longer than the fake stuff, and be better for resale. If he can do the stain on site redo oak, or white oak, look at that option. if not, just go for a engineered french oak. since he installs, he probably gets a deal on purchase? like a contractors price? If you get that, don't waste the flooring doing pergo! You can find decent engineered wood floors in the $5 sq ft region. So much better looking

as for the dark paint color, I don't mind dark paint. maybe it's just everything else around it.

also too, what do you think about building on some boxes and taking those to the ceiling since you want to paint?

you can also leave them open.

the other option is to add a large crown molding to fill in the gap and give you height

before and after

throw in a few glass panels in the upper doors too

Here's a Hickory cabinet before/after

also, think about doing a built in microwave and getting a vent hood. you can buy one, or get an insert and build one around it. shouldn't be that much more to do. sounds like your husband can make one. have your friend paint it for you.

I moved my micro below my wall oven)

I actually did the wood trim myself on this one they built for me. got a piece of walnut and finished it to add to the bottom portion

I do love the built in boxes on top! I have crown molding that I’m waiting to put on. It wouldn’t leave a whole lot of room, im not sure how little is acceptable for the boxes. And yes I should just do real wood. I guess because I have to do the whole upstairs and downstairs floor so I figured I’d save money where I can. But the upstairs can wait and it would be worth getting real wood.

The cabinets are great as they are! I would change your island countertop to a solid warm white quartz, at one level. Just because the countertop is new doesn't mean it can't be changed. That would give you a brighter, lighter look for a reasonable cost, and look so much better than painted white cabinets. You could also remove the short backsplash on the rest of your countertops and use a simple warm white tile, but it wouldn't be necessary.

Looks like you are committed to painting, but still want to say that if your problem with your cabinets is that you think they look country, not modern enough for you, it seems to me if you get urban island lighting and different bar stools you will give a much different vibe to the kitchen

Even hanging modern pendants in a surprise not-country color might work if you don’t use straw-topped barstools

The shape of the door frames is partly what gives the room a more old fashioned feel, in partcular because your trim is so stark white. Will you be painting your cabinets that same stark glossy white? Not sure it will pull your room more into modern as much as it ties your cabinets to one of the more old fashioned features of your house.

I think one way to bring things into a contemporary feel is to avoid white trims, and instead play around with shades and color layering. If you are keeping the bronze-y paint on the walls, consider staying away from stark whites, and keeping some of your wood cabinets even if you don’t keep all of them, so you don’t end up with the sterile white gloss you hope to avoid

You clearly just want white cabinets. So do it. It is not going to be an improvement over what you have, because your current wood cabinets are beautiful and very much en Vogue. But you want white cabinets and you are just arguing for that with the folks here who are really trying to give you other options. So just paint the cabinets. Grey wood floors are a mistake. Period. Grey is a dead trend, and grey wood floors are the worst end of it. Grey can be beautiful in design and is not disappearing from the design palette,. But the overuse of grey is no longer seen as chic, and grey wood floors just fall into the bad trend category at this point. But if you really just want grey wood floors, for some reason, again - that is a personal choice.

I agree freedomplace. This kitchen, unfortunately, is on the verge of a major remuddle where it's being all redone to solve what the OP sees as problems. The brown walls are the main problem, not the floors--horrible choice with those cabinets and easy to fix.

OP already has maple floors. It would be easy enough to do the same in the kitchen. But no, people late to the gray floors, gray walls party want this bad, driftwood color gray flooring, which has no warmth, nothing from nature. (In some other kitchens and houses, that gray flooring is fine, just not this one.) Gray will be a total downer in this kitchen, not the cabinets. Sometimes people come on a Design Dilemma to ask for "permission" to do something they already plan to do. Several of us have posted multiple photos of cabinets and more Commentors than not said she has great cabinets already and suggested ways to give her warmth and light in her kitchen.

Before you do anything else, really anything... you really should look through this site and go through the tons of photos and ideas available and get some concrete ideas about the look and feel you want for your house. It seems you have made some choices - countertop, island, paint colors - that aren't really working together and aren't really having a full house plan in mind. You have no idea books created. Take a long moment before picking the flooring, before deciding on painting the kitchen or not and get some thoughts together. If that is really too difficult. Hire a local designer to help you get a general aesthetic for your house and a plan at least for colors, finishing options. What is modern to you? Or maybe transitional? Or not quite sure what your style is? That will ultimately make it easier for you to make the choices you need to make, which will not lead you to waste money with bad or rushed decisions.

And as always, Beth has given you lots of good ideas should you chose to eventually paint your kitchen.

Good luck it will be an exciting journey!

@freedomplace1 Well yes, I did say my heart lies with a white kitchen and that I’ve never been happy with the hickory. So I’m not really arguing. They are two completely different looks and I was hoping for advice on how to keep warmth in my kitchen with white cabs because that is the only aspect I like about the hickory cabinets which I stated. The only advice im really seeing as far as keeping the wood is to get a white tile backsplash and light walls which I personally do not like the look of with the hickory cabs and also that I should change my split level island and counters which are not options for me so im kind of stuck right back at square one with that. Also let me be a little more specific. I dont want “grey” wooden floor, I wanted like a white wash light gray and in my living and dining room. And by no stretch of the day marination do I have an over use of gray in my home. However , im not die hard for it so that’s really not my main issue at the moment. So if I get more advice that suits my style then I’m more apt to contemplate keeping the hickory. But yes right now youre correct, I’m leaning white .

You have received enough advice here. Hire a designer.

Please don’t do gray wood floors. They always look behind the times and they limit your other choices.

Next time then, here's how to ask your question: "I am planning to paint my cabinets white yada yada yada," instead of "Should I paint my cabinets white?" The overwhelming consensus was "No." Over and out.

Kristina, save photos [in your ideabooks] that ring true for you. I remember your post, but don't recall the tiles. If new flooring is future certainty, tear it up, for a durable indoor/outdoor rug, and large enough to look right?

Okay. I get it. I refaced a perfectly “good” oak kitchen despite everyone’s opinion to NOT do,it. I have a lot custom wood trim in my house so I went with a soft white - SW Cream. I highly recommend the color. It will go with your latte walls and urgent countertop. And since you are removing the 4” backsplash piece, you can look for new miles after the paint has been applied.
I wholeheartedly agree with @Beth H to get wood floors throughout. I have wood in my kitchen, had it in every kitchen I redid and it holds up well.
Here is SW creamy.

@freedomplace1 Ya. I’m not gonna limit the amount of advice I receive. But thanks. And I don’t need a designer with going white. My design dilemma is with the hickory.

I get it. You want a white kitchen. I refaced a perfectly “good” oak kitchen I didn’t like, so I will offer up a good “warm” white for you. I chose SW Creamy for my kitchen. It goes well with the all the custom wood trim I have in my house (plus tray ceilings, custom dining room cabinets, etc.) Stark white was never going to work. Creamy will go with your latte walls as well.
Here are some photos.

@LynneO ive decided I’m not doing any type of gray floor anymore. I really like beths idea of French oak

@housegal200 well I haven’t made a set in stone decision actually, I keep flipping back and forth. And just because I’m leaning more towards painting them doesnt mean my question was phrased wrong. So, sorry your so personally annoyed by my thread. But all advice is helpful to me even if it’s just to confirm that I want my kitchen white. 👍🏻

@RedRyder Thank you. That’s beautiful kitchen. And thats a really pretty white I could go with it I decide to do it. As much as I would love a white kitchen, I do understand that it might not work well for MY kitchen and so even though it appears I’m going to go ahead and do it just because I really like the look, that’s not the case. I am carefully going to think about what I’m going to do and I appreciate all suggestions on both ends. How did you make your decision to go ahead and do it if everyone was telling you not to?

Kristina - I am a big lover of stained wood and of hickory in particular. Had hickory in the old house and rustic hickory in the new. i know everyone has different tastes though. I hope you can determine what it is you want which I know can be difficult especially when we are constantly bombarded with white kitchens.

No, your question wasn't phrased wrong. You literally asked in these words: "Should I paint my cabinets white?" The majority of answers said: "No" and provided you with over a dozen photographic examples of how to work with your existing beautiful cabinets and make everything work together. But you're still "flipping back and forth." Yeah, definitely annoying.

Kristina, as a suggestion, why not start w/the island? (but first do your flooring, and then see if you can pick a backsplash tile you like that works w/your granite. I might opt for a few pendants over your island, just for more added light and decor.

if you do all the other things first, and then just the island, you'll get a better idea if the hickory cabinets can actually work for you.

you mentioned two-tone, so perhaps do a dark charcoal? I did this one on mine

I believe your granite has some of these same tones, so any of these should work

If not, white is fine. but before you paint, finish the trim work on the panels.

it's easy to do

See what they've done here? completes the look. this is prob a paint grade maple or poplar, 2-3" wide trim piece, edged on all side. You'll want to do your flooring FIRST, since this trim work will sit on top of it. (and hide the cut ends. otherwise, you'll need to do shoe molding)

basically what it looks like before painting

ignore the corbels. and choose a simple/flat baseboard trim

you could do a shiplap, or beadboard, whatever you like

if you decide to paint it all, and your end panels are also plain jane, do this to those:

here's a before and after that shows a two tone. The lowers are Gauntlet Gray. UPpers are similar to Oxford White or Simply White

if you did want to add on the boxes but don't want to do doors, here's how it looks w/some trim work and crown. simple baskets or pottery could be stored there. what it does do is elongate the cabs instead of cutting them short.

and this example of backsplash is why should ALWAYS remove that 4" piece before tiling!

here's a super white kitchen. maybe you'd like to remove that corner cabinet and do some shelves?

This kitchen is almost identical to yours! see the backsplash?? that's what the sample you have looks like once installed. Don't do it! come back after you ahve your flooring and paint color and I'll pick you a great tile.

lot of comments already, but I just wanted to say that if you like warmth, you shouldn't be putting in a grey wood floor!

Kristina: I worked for a kitchen refacing company many years ago, so I’m comfortable redoing my kitchens. I have had a light maple kitchen, a cherry kitchen and now I wanted a white one. I didn’t like the kitchen in this house AT ALL, and knew I could reface it, change the floors to match the rest of the house, tile the laundry room and redo the lighting to please myself. My husband trusts my taste but is grumpy throughout the remodeling process. Since I’m the cook, there was no argument about what the aesthetics would be.
I’ve owned 4 very different homes and redid each house to reflect their character. This one was going to be white, no matter what! I am more confident around this room than designing and organizing the furniture in my great room, so we all have our strengths. I have a designer to help me with various things like paint color, etc.
If you want a white kitchen, go for it.
Here is what I inherited.

The very first thing I would do is pour over kitchen inspiration pictures of white, hickory and two tone (my favourite). Save all your favourites and be open minded at first, so save a lot. You’ll soon discover your preference for one of the three. Next steps, in order:

Cabinets: if painting, use a warm white.

Flooring: your example works, but you could go a bit darker if you want a warmer feel; see kitchen example at end of post

Counter: if in budget, I’d replace and remove ledge. It’s a shame not to achieve the right overall look by being limited by counter.

Backsplash: warm and pull in colors from floor, counter, cabinets and wall

Walls: the brown is not very complementary and room doesn’t have to be dark to be cozy. I’d go a shade or two darker (in the same family) as the cabinets and it will feel larger. Add lighting (black to work with hardware) over island and window, a runner, and window treatments.

Here is a really lovely combination kitchen. Take your time to find the perfect combination and bring home lots of samples of everything and test them out together. Good luck.

I’m not a pro. There are so many great suggestions and ideas here for your kitchen. I’ll add that I love your cabinets, think they are beautiful and that they are the star of your kitchen. To me, they are the only design feature in your photos that look “modern”. Those who are telling you that your wood cabinets are currently in style are correct. If you are truly itching to paint them, what about starting with just the island? A simple tile backsplash would be lovely. I would stay away from that brick in your photo. I have had wood flooring in my kitchen (and the rest of the house) for decades, and I love it. I would agree that continuing the wood flooring throughout your home is best. Everything will look and BE more cohesive. I love a neutral oak floor, am not a fan of gray flooring at all, and really dislike the look and feel of pergo and other “wood-look” flooring. I agree a lighter wall color might help. You state that you feel you made mistakes with your initial design choices (wood cabinets, countertops) and perhaps you rushed those decisions a bit. Don’t rush now. Hire a designer who can help you with your kitchen (there is nothing warmer than hickory cabinets, to me), help with color choices, flooring choices, etc. It will be money well spent. That said, in the end it’s your house and your money. You get to decide what to do. But I’d take a breath, find a designer, and very carefully consider the ideas presented here.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful advice and suggestions. I have a lot to think about now and I feel well equipped to make the right decision.

My kitchen cabinets are hickory. I was dead set on painting them white. Until I painted my 6’ bathroom vanity. Having been through that, There is no friend I like enough to volunteer to paint their entire kitchen for free! ;)

I also decided to keep the hickory, and after living with the white in the bathroom for a few years, I’m glad I did. The wood hides the grime so much better than white. Because, much to my mother’s dismay, I do not clean my cabinet doors regularly!

Here’s an old picture from when I installed my new range:

SashaDog - The hickory is beautiful...glad you did not paint them.

My new kitchen (in progress) is rustic hickory which I know lots of people hate but I love it.

nancy, those are beautiful! You're doing hickory the way it should be done!!

Beth H, thanks so much. I always wanted rustic hickory with flush inset doors and drawers. These were made by the local Amish. They did a very good job and were reasonably priced!

love the other elements you have w/it. great choices.

Thanks Beth H. The doors in the house are also rustic hickory stained dark and were made by a local company in business for 100 years. I tried to support local as much as possible.

If your heart is calling for white, you can absolutely follow that. White cabinets can still be done with a warm kitchen. It can actually often times serve as a way of bringing a lot of light and brightness into the space. You can bring in warm tones and accents with things like your fixtures, adding a rich runner, and bringing in natural elements in other spaces.

Although I prefer wood kitchens, I do think they are more of a challenge to coordinate with other design elements. The best ones I have seen let the wood be the star and the other elements take a back burner. Otherwise, nothing really “shines”.

Your cabinets are beautiful as they are, but I always prefer white in a kitchen because it makes it a brighter room with fewer dark corners.

I think that white cabinets can brighten a space but if you have natural light and good lighting I think wood cabinets can work too. This may be more of a challenge though if you are remodeling. In my rustic hickory kitchen there is loads of light but we designed it that way.

Okay I’m trying to get my mind away from painting the hickory cabs white. I’ve photoshopped a picture with a possible idea to bring in some white. I’m not sure if it’s weird lol so honest opinions but not too harsh lol . Also I would be replacing my the floor and possibly the wall paint. This is the original picture and then the photoshopped one with just white backsplash and then photoshopped one with wooden panel Island and backsplash

I'm guessing the island would be a solid white and not the farmhouse, shiplap distressed version??

If so, it should be fine. Forget the backsplash for now.

I believe the walls, at least in the dining area or adjoining space, should be a lighter color. something about that dark brown w/the wood. I don't know. what if you really went dark and did black?

Or, at least a very black/brown. like Iron Ore, Black Fox, Wrought Iron, Kendall Charcoal?

maybe it's because I really dislike the color brown. especially that brown. If you like it, keep it.

You really need to pick your floors and then worry about painting. (but paint the island before the floors go in. The trim work around the base of the island will go on top of your new floors. this way you won't have shoe molding)

backsplash is the very last thing.

Okay yes I would redo the floor before the island, however I was into the wooden distressed ship lap thing. Is that not good? And if I went light but kept it a latte color, would that vibe? before I painted it this color I did do a very dark color and it was too dungeon Like for the space. It’s not that big of a kitchen. So perhaps light is best ? also what are thoughts on a black or charcoal backsplash when the time comes? It that too much with the white shiplap ? I quite enjoy this inspiration photo of hickory cabinets

dark kitchens result from poor lighting. you have the slider and the window, so it shouldn't be too cave-like. your recessed lights look very dim. what temp bulbs do you have in there? try the 4000K (no higher, and nothing lower than 3500) for whiter light. makes a huge diff.

grab some under cabinet led lights while youre at it. I leave mine on 24/7.

So shiplap. some love it, some hate it. for an island w/hickory cabinets, I'd forego the shiplap and do the simple trim

This look neat, finished and goes w/the room.

The shiplap would compete w/the variation of the hickory cabinets. and your granite. And, you prob want to get some type of flooring w/a type of design or veining on it? just more competition. Keep the island trim like ^

however, maybe the shiplap island would look better in a dark color.

I like this pendant over your island. and the other choices.

You could also paint the island a darker charcoal color

and paint your walls white or a soft gray like BM Calm. it's white w/a hint of silver.

It would work w/cabs and the granite. Then you could absolutely do the dark splash. I love black slate w/hickory

Or, do the Basalt tile. This poster did a basalt backsplash w/her oak cabinets and very dark granite. She has hickory floors and ceiling.

Notice the under cabinet lighting!

btw, just to show you some other Hickory cabs. paired here w/white uppers, white tile, soft white walls, and a stone mosaic flooring.

Have you done any updates on your kitchen?