Knock out the wall! Love that look. I'm so tired of painted cabinets. Why not add nice hardware and dark concrete counter tops? Or even soapstone countertop, unless you're on a real budget. Lovely tile or Italian marble floor and backslashes.

I would paint and use trim on the doors to give it a more nicer design. looks dark in there I go with a lighter color like a off white , light blue or a light green like sage color. Is the counter top staying the same if not there are so much one can do with that I'm thinking colored concrete counters or some thing dark for the counter tops.make the floors dark to. and when you are done with this kitchen come fix my kitchen up for me. I got ideas but getting off my butt to do them well lets just say it will never get done.

I would start by removing the hardware, and trying a fresh style. Find a good custom cabinet or finish carpenter, and get his input on refinishing the existing wood. I would not paint unless it is professionally laquered; or you will be getting chips in no time. Also, look into what it would take to have these cabinets refreshed. If you have the funds, they could look great with some mitred trim added to make a "frame" concept without all the expense of new doors. But, I think changing your wall paint color, and adding new stainless appliances will make a big difference. I wouldn't pull the wall down unless you are sure you want to find new homes for the range AND the fridge. I can't tell what the tall cabinet is on the right; is it pantry space? I would try adding more light with ceiling fixtures, and under cabinet lighting. You can also add rope lighting under the toe kick, to brighten up and showcase the floors you wish to keep.
If it was me, I would probably jazz up the space with an amazing countertop and backsplash, stainless appliances, new hardware, and lighting. I would probably choose a granite (Persian Cream was my choice) that has a white/cream field, with accents that complement the cabinet and floor colors. That would keep the feel of the room lighter. Then find a backsplash you love and use the dark floor tones as accents there. There are so many choices, but I am seeing a cream field tile, and adding a glass tile band in varying shades that pick up your granite & floor. Add color with your countertop and cabinet top decor and appliances. A last tiny detail: Get the hinges cleaned up or replace them. They will date the cabinets long before the style does.:=)

@cheryl -The floor goes under the wall. he's a bad pic. I could remove it for a bar without having to refinish or redo any part of the floor.
@Keating you're dead on. I appreciate the concern with painting the cabinets. I've seen some that made the cabinets look worse. They're well built and I plan on doing them right.

@OSH Great ideas!

and @Joy I will definitely do a good before and after!!!

I just saw the comment about making that wall a half wall. I can see the point about moving the fridge to the area where the counter is lower. Then you can add new storage in the old fridge location, and pull down the tall "pantry." More money, though!

If the budget is limited. I would paint them and replace the pulls. Annie Sloan's chalk paint: white or a french gray. I would remove the bank of cabinets on the left side of the window and replace with open shelving, because is blocking the light. I would install wood Ikea countertops and seal. It will look nice with the stone floor. If one has a larger budget, I would check what is in the soffits by making a small hole. If there is nothing in them, one could raise the cabinets. (The soffit over the stove probably has the vent.) The other soffits might be empty; ours were.

Adding glass insert to cabinets on back. Would open it up more. Paint a white simi glass.,add new hardware in stainless, with long stainless pulls. On corners run vertically. I would go granite in a dark color black with silver, stainless sink and faucet. Stainless appl. This would update a sad kitchen. Paint a revere pewter by Ben Moore.

A roman shade on window in white.

I like the wood and if it is in good shape, I would keep it. I would change the handles and the hinges to something more modern and timeless. Also I would paint the walls in a bright shiny white. If you want to repaint the cabinets, go for shiny white and put country style handles. White is always modern and it will brighten up the whole room and give a feeling of big space. The handles below are from IKEA and not too expensive.

I like the two tone cabinets! Definitely open up to the living room. I think painting the cabinets is a great option to keep it bright and make it look more modern, especially adjacent to that super awesome stone living room!

How are the acoustics in the stone living room? Will the clatter from an open kitchen echo? Adding rugs and heavy curtains can help with noise.

I like the Cabinets just the way they are .. I like the idea of changing the handles and hinges. I would put my money into new flooring, Like Travertine, and then tile or stone the backsplashes. Solid Surface the counter tops and Stainless on the face of the dishwasher and new Frig . The ceiling needs lots of work with lighting and color . If I can help contact me www.jamesvconsulting.net

We think paint, and here is how:

http://bit.ly/1dqevUx

I just painted my cabinets white and was really happy with the results. I think it would completely change the feel of your kitchen as well. I splurged on hardware and got some glass square hardware with nickel. I also considered opening up the kitchen and living room to an open space as that seems all the rage today. But have had a few people say don't do it - it takes away from the privacy of having 2 separate rooms, especially if you have kids, or like to entertain. Having the rooms separate allows some "alone" time when needed. Just something to consider. Either way it will look great, it's a great space and I love the floors!

Yes, open up the wall and make the painted cabinets Rice Grain or Mushroom.

I didn't comment earlier on opening the wall up, but people suggested that I do that to a kitchen I remodeled, I didn't do it, because it would have forced me to make a cramped arrangement with my refrigerator and stove awkwardly placed. If you plan on doing a lot of cooking in your kitchen, think twice before you open it to your living room. It is very difficult to keep your kitchen as uncluttered as a living room, and it makes entertaining people more stressful, because you are always worried about what the sink, the range, and the counters look like from the living area. When I see "Open Plan" houses on TV shows or in magazines, I wonder why people want to have a working kitchen so exposed to their entertainment spaces. I have to think it has a lot to do with not actually cooking at home any more. If you don't really cook, I guess it works.
PS: I agree with an earlier comment about painting the cabinets. It is not an easy DIY project. Probably better left to the pros if you are not experienced at stripping and sanding, etc.

I think its cool so many good ideas , great job houzz . www.jamesvconsulting.net

Gorgeous floor throughout.I would definitely paint the cabinets update the hardware to a brushed stainless.....the look in new or existing kitchens with wood stained cabinets seems so heavy and dark no matter what type of lighting. Love the painted grey or beige? and white cabinets in Osh's pics below. My suggestion, if you choose a lighter paint for the cabinets go with the darker counter top as your floor is dark.....(as in Jeanette Mac's pic below) you don't want to lose the look of your stone floor with dark painted lower cabinets. I would hold off for the backsplash until your kitchen is complete.....just to be sure on the look and tile you want. If you are purchasing hinges I suggest the soft close hinges (pic below). if you decide to open your wall I don't think you will have any regrets.....as long as you are not losing needed wall space for appliances.....I have lived with total open concept of living room dining room and kitchen and wouldn't change it ..... Makes the rooms appear larger, brighter and if you are stuck in the kitchen while entertaining....you don't feel alone....you're still with your party..... One more suggestion is under mount cabinet lighting for your uppers.....but a softer light not as bright as florescent lighting......it will help add light to the room and a nice atmosphere at night....good luck with your choices and the reno.

the existing floors are stamped or stencil concrete .. to each his own taste

PS: I agree with an earlier comment about painting the cabinets. It is not an easy DIY project. Probably better left to the pros if you are not experienced at stripping and sanding, etc.

I like this experts comments: cottonqn

Your home has so many cool elements and textures. Do you know the history, architect, etc.. ? Take your time, especially if you are opening up the space and taking out the wall. You will probably have a little different perspective then and perhaps be more certain about painting versus staining.

James. Those floors are native flagstone. They are not stamped, stencil, or fake in any way.

ohh my

I think slightly off-white cabinets would make your awesome floors stand out beautifully! Countertops would look beautiful in an overall, slightly lighter tone than the floor. (nice contrast with the white cabinets, complimentary to the floor, perfect balance.) Wall color possibilities are many, but, a medium gray paint with green undertones would definitely look nice with the darker version of gray/green pulled from your floor. Nice home! Whatever you choose, just make it what you love!

The wood grain movement would be nice under a darker color stain - maybe even a really dark charcoal but one or two passes of it. The slight movement in the wood under the dark color would create texture so your light counter tops would be the focus. I would make primary the floor the focus with a calm counter and blended contrast of cabinets and walls in order for counters to complement floors and cabinets blend away.

Paint!!!

I would paint the upper cabinets a white shade and put glass fronts on some of them to brighten it up. I'd stain the lower cabinets a little bit darker for contrast.

The cabinets look like pine wood, if so I have the same cabinets. My neighbors (kitchens the same here) painted theirs, I stained mine. It depends what style you are going for, to get the right look that you desire. I went towards modern, ebony stain, new hardware and I love mine! I like the wood grain showing thru, mine ended up looking like zebra wood. But again, it depends what you like. If you do paint, I recommend having it professional spray painted, to give it an upgraded.oom. Good luck

good job lchristine with the white kitchen visual! this is a great indicator of the best/cheapest way to brighten the space, perhaps with the same white above the cabs with some trim detail to raise the eye.
sam, your original comment mentioned quartz counters in the future. this is a very expensive upgrade to complement inexpensive cabinets: the wall oven cabinet, the handle placement, top mounted hinges, the drop counter all point to a very dated kitchen.
home depot's bulk -not custom-cabinet sales: [$99/unit in canada] could redo the entire kitchen for the cost of the analyst you may require tackling this job in this manner. most box stores have kitchen designers that will give you great style ides when you provide them with measurements: this, and their professional experience will give you the best answer about the wall-- based on the pictures and comments removing the wall is a great idea. for the quick fix, i agree with those who say don't remove the whole thing, but if the floor goes right through it could be worth the trouble to remove the whole thing and reconfigure the space with an island.-- a leg detail would draw attention to the floor underneath.
if your purpose is a family home for several years then do the kitchen well -- once.
the floors look amazing and there is an abundance of stone in the living area, neither of which i'm sure you want to change. for me i would prefer not to have the juxtaposition of strong contrast of white/white in the kitchen without the opportunity to carry elements into the surrounding spaces, so i would choose a light neutral for the uppers if painting the cabs, and a darker tone on the base.
if you are planning a flip a great kitchen more than pays for itself! if this is only a temporary fix then rule out expensive counters and backsplash until you can do it justice.

Definately go for painting them a light colour to brighten up the space.

Remove a few upper doors for open shelving. Paper or paint the backs. Change the hardware. Try out a few different ones. Try rubbing the cabinets with some good nourishing oil...maybe they will darken up without too much work. I think painting is going to look so "00's" real soon. Like the backsplash idea. Think how someone will look at your kitchen in 10 years...empty. Pergo floors are the new "paneling".

Knock down the wall and open the kitchen up - then paint the cabinets and place new hardware for a fresh, updated look.

Maybe paint your cabinets with lacquer! I just bought a house and it had cabinets like yours some time back, but the folks I bought it from lacquered the cabinets and the kitchen is now just stunning ... Truly, it was one of the reasons I bought the house... Although not shown in this photo, the island is now the most gorgeous deep rich turquoise..

Do you have more photos of the rest of the house? It's fascinating. Is the fireplace illuminated by a skylight?

A white, or off-white painted kitchen would open up and brighten the room. We are in the process of having our kitchen professionally painted by a company called Paint it Like New.

Seeing that you have a large living area that has a lot of stone work I think white would look out of place. Your kitchen has a modern feel which seems out of place. I think you can add some architectural trim to your cabinets to make them look more antigue and have a gray finish or even a darker stained finish that would fit in better with the stonework. sectioning off a portion of your kitchen to paint and staining the rest is also a good look. less matchy matchy and more eclectic sounds fun.

The house is a mash up of styles. it's going to interesting to see what all I can do with it. It's empty. I'm closing on it in a few days. I'm just trying to figure out where to start. I'm an avid foodie and I cook all of the time so this kitchen seemed like a logical starting point for me. here are a few pics of the exterior for @ apple_pie

Your house is sooo cool! I hope you take your time and have fun with this project. Looked at your FB page you have wonderful taste and ideas. Please take and post lots of before and after pictures.

Sam, before you invest in quartz counter tops, you may want to visit a local kitchen & bath dealer to price new cabinets. You may be surprised by the low cost of the additional investment.

wow somebody liked stone , its cool it does have a lot of potential,

does the roof have blue plastic on it ? I kind of like the idea of a metal roof

Nice curb appeal!!!!!!!!

Why do I have the Flintstones tune in my head !!

I think white will dumb down your kitchen compared to the beautiful tones in the living room and the stone all over. Can you restrain the cabinets in a medium light tone similar to the current color to freshen them up, add new hardware and then paint the walls in a warm tone pulled from the living room? A fun backsplash and light countertops.

A colorful, patterned shade over the kitchen window will add a nice punch too. I think that mustard color from the loving room would be pretty in the kitchen. Unless you are going white all over the house?

Wow, that is a house with character! Thanks for posting the exterior photos. I see the skylight in the living room by the fireplace.

One more thought...if you remove the wall what will you do about the floor? Won't there be a gap?

Cabs are fine. Clean them with a mild detergent. Replace the pull hardware. The issue here, as far as I can see from a single photo, is the counters and wall color. I suggest you pick a new stone counter that contrasts with the natural stone floor. Then pick a wall color that is warm and balances with the colors within the stone floor... good luck !

So this is a bit bigger of a project, but this is what I would do. I would carefully remove all the upper cabinets and the drywall above them and smooth it out to a flat nice wall. I would probably leave the pantry cabinet since it separates the stove and fridge. Then I would put back only a few of the upper cabinets and have open shelving and put in a nice wall mounted range hood. Your kitchen would look so much bigger if you did that. It would allow the window to bring in more light also. Then you could paint or stain them whatever color you decide but you could also consider ordering new door for the cabinets too. It would look like a brand new kitchen. I think because of how natural the stone is I would also want the shelving to be a stained or natural wood. Your house is very cool and has a lot of character. It is going to be beautiful whatever you do!