I would not paint the cabinets. Painting cabinets is fraught with issues of chipping and bleed-through, and cost a lot to do a good job, especially with cabinetry with a lot of nooks and crannies. I don't find the range hood fussy - we see on here hoods with corbels, columns, fussy onlays, pretend-chimney looks, you name it. I think you will get a big difference in appearance by replacing the counters, backsplash (no medallion behind the rangetop!), sink (replace with rectangular single-bowl sink), and contemporary faucet.

Do you know if there is anything above the cabinets in that soffit/facia area?

If it is functional, the cost of the remodel would go up dramatically to get rid of it.

Anyway, if you decide to move forward with the smaller scope update, look at changing the lighting and the hood too.

What are the floors? Are you keeping them?

Is the current layout of the kitchen functional for you?

If your gorgeous kitchen is outdated, I am not sure what you would think of mine! Is it still functional, or is your concern mostly cosmetic? What is your budget? Are you talking about new appliances? Just a face lift? We need to know more about the look that you want and what your needs are.

Refacing/re-painting might be more expensive than you think. If you're planning to re-do the counters and lighting too, I'd cost it out both ways: one with refacing and one with gutting and starting over. My guess is that refacing and new counters will be roughly 1/3 of the cost of redoing the whole thing. So the question is, would you rather have that money go toward a brand new kitchen? Or can you live with the current layout?

If I bought your house and didn’t want to spend the money and hassle of redoing the kitchen to make it feel more up to date, I would replace the counter tops and the light fixture, and I might see what it cost to redo the range hood in copper.

I’d get myself new hardware for the cabinets and a new faucet.

I’d be tempted toward something like this although the smaller scale of your kitchen might deter me. If not, I would choose lighting fixtures quite different from this. But I would keep your backsplash.

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Shannon_WI The cabinet doors are getting a bit worn looking and we'd like to change the colour (less creamy) which is why I'm considering the paint option. I wondered about the durability of a spray painted kitchen but was quite impressed with one particular company that uses specific paint for cabinets (instead of architectural paint i.e. Benjamin Moore), primes, sands etc. That said, I don't know anyone who has actually done it so I'm not totally sold. Have you had personal experience going this route? Would love to hear your experience (or from anyone else out there who has had it done). Thanks!

kempek01 It is empty behind the soffit/facia. The top of the cabinet lines up with the top of the door. The kitchen does work for us as there really aren't a lot of other options for the space. The floor is going (it is also quite old) and will be replaced with a new wood floor.

The house has wide crown molding in the adjacent rooms, not just the kitchen. It also has grids in the windows. You can get to more transitional style easily but if you want to go modern, you'll need to change the windows as well as the crown molding and hood, and that starts the process of giving a mouse a cookie. I suggest you consider replacing the knobs and backsplash with simpler ones.

Also, there is no right answer to the question but ask yourselves: if you redo the kitchen now, will you want to change it again when styles have changed in ten years? There are people who enjoy following trends and those who don't. YMWV.

It may just be the photos, but to me the lighting is dark and on the yellow side. Have you tried updating bulbs/fixtures to 3K-4K? It really does make a difference in how you perceive the colors in the room.

If you bring in some darker elements, in light fixtures, hardware, maybe countertops, etc. - the cabinets will appear less creamy in comparison. This could also potentially give you a more modern look. Or... add brass/gold in light fixtures and hardware to blend with cabinetry. Gold is on trend in kitchen design, now, as well as black.

Why don't you start simple with a new light fixture and new backsplash. That will give you a fresh new look for not a lot of investment!

Beth H. Thanks, Beth, for your suggestions! I love the idea of stacking a small set of cabinets on top of existing but I don't think there is enough room (only about 7-8 inches in height). The idea of extending the cabinets up to 36-inches would work (and yes, they are currently 30 inches). Your kitchen turned out great. When you say it was 2K more, do you mean 2K more than painting the cabinets?

ptreckel haha! I'm sure your kitchen is lovely. I wasn't clear in my description but one of the main issues is that the paint colour has started to fade/wear on the cabinets which is why I was thinking of painting or refacing them. We are looking for something more transitional like this. My issue isn't really so much about budget as it is about pitching all this cabinetry (it feels like a waste) although any savings here could be applied to my rather endless list of decorating projects elsewhere in the house. :)

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apple_pie_order Yes, I do hope to get to a transitional look (modern would be too big a leap). I will not give the mouse the cookie, I promise! :)

L.D. Johnson I'm afraid that is just my bad photography skills coming into play. :)

freedomplace1 Love the idea of gold accents. The paint on the cabinets are showing their age so will need to be replaced/refaced/painted but I agree a lighter colour will definitely give the space a more modern feel.

I'd consider new cabinet doors and a new range hood in addition to the new countertop. With new doors, you can probably change the soffit to match. To be clear, I'm just talking about new doors - not new cabinets. I think you can definitely update the look without starting from scratch! A new pendant light might also be something to consider.

I would change the backsplash tile and nothing else.

rumsey, yes. originally I had the estimate for painting (and there is a large double pantry you can't see) as well as modifying the cabinet to fit the built in microwave, adding two large drawers to the open shelving in the island, making a vent hood, and removing all of the dated trim (rope/fluted). plus a few other small items.

when we talked about matching up the shaker style to the drawers, he pointed out that all of the top drawers were slab front. did I want them to match? plus, my center door panels were solid wood. MDF is better for painting. He told me all new doors/drawer fronts w/the 45 degree bevel on the shaker style (easier for cleaning) would be 2K more. all solid maple rails w/MDF center panels. wasn't any more labor. (actually less labor since they wouldn't have to sand down my doors / drawers!!) seemed like a no-brainer.

The painting cost alone wasn't cheap. It's a lot of work. and it's guaranteed. I've had some tiny issues at the bottom of the center panel and they came back and fixed them.

If you went that route you could update the look, AND have the 36" doors to cover the soffit area (they can build the boxes and paint everything to match.

I know a lot of people say, "it looks fine. don't paint". And my before looked fine too, didn't it? after 15 years, I was sick of it. Plus, the finish was worn off on many spots. do get that all redone would have been a nightmare, and not much cheaper. I wanted light and bright.

What I would urge you to do is upgrade your lighting. more cans, and brighter bulbs. go for the 4000K bulbs. that alone will make a big difference. your current lighting is dim and yellow

So do what makes you happy. It's your kitchen.

The style of the cabinets is perfectly fine for a transitional kitchen. Paint the cabinets a brighter white if you want to, and then replace the countertops and back splash with something simpler. I think you'd be wasting your money to redo all the cabinets or even just the doors. The most dated thing is the back splash. I think you could get a completely new look in the space by just changing the back splash, countertops, and lighting. Don't change the hardwood floors, and don't paint the island gray like your inspiration photo, which is already starting to be outdated.

Looks like a nice kitchen. I like the idea of removing soffit and putting taller cabinet doors and also a new range hood, counter and backsplash. It will be nice! I'm thinking of replacing my pendants with recessed lights. I'm looking for a more open and clean look.

Are your cabinets original to the house or did you have them made or put in 15 years ago? I ask because my kitchen is currently gutted we are looking at either RTA cabinets or having them built with wood then painted for perimeter and stained island. I’m just wondering which way to go to get longevity out of my cabinets and paint. Thx!

I read your post and was expecting a horrible looking kitchen. It's not. Change the countertop (nothing with movement), light fixture, cabinet pulls, faucet and backsplash. Paint the cabinets.