Your cabs seem to pick up the cinnamon accents from the rug and pillows, but are the floors a different stain? Maybe just the lighting. In fact, have you changed your light bulbs to 400K LEDs? That can make a huge difference.

Floors are the same. i used photos from different days so maybe that is why? ill try and take more photos at same time later. Kitchen photo seems to be brighter.

Change the bulbs to LED 4000K then see how the space looks BTW you need to declutter and no stuff on the fridge. I often find just reorganizing cabinets can eleiminate all the stuff on the counters which in turn makes the kitchen feel and look better. As for professional painting that can be as expensive as new cabinets, you will need to find a cabinet refinisher not a house painter and get quotes in your area. Do not attempt DIY even if you see those on your computer they are rarely a good idea. nor do they look professional in real life . BTW that large rug screams tripping to me in the LR

Are you a do it yourselfer? Painting cabinets isn't terribly difficult. You can give them a light sanding to scuff up the surface to receive paint better. A cream color might work well in picking up some of the lighter tones in your flooring. Good luck!

On my screen, your cabinets are a nice colour and seem to be in good shape. I wouldn't go to the expense or trouble of painting them. Instead, I'd focus on easier to change decor elements. Screens can't be trusted to render colours accurately so it's difficult to suggest anything in particular but on my screen, the wall colour doesn't sing with the cabinets. As others pointed out, it might be due to the lighting.

I think the cabinets look good in there. They go with the smaller rug in the living room. I have to agree with Patricia on that big cream colored rug. That is definitely a tripping hazard, since it doesnt lay flat. I might try to match the smaller rug, for a rug in your kitchen. Mostly what I see, is a lot of clutter, so its really hard to get an accurate view. I do love the smaller rug in your living room. I would have liked to see a much larger one, just like it, and eliminate the cream color one.

i took a quick photo just to show the colors. The clutter is from weekend with a toddler and not hsving time to clean. Maybe will remove the spice rack etc that gets no use though. This would not be shown to guests lol. The plug is my garbage disposal broke so getting fixed.

im surprised that cabinets are getting praise. I know wood is coming back but i thought this orange pine color was out. Thought it was more 90s/2000s?

Decluttering before decor is a good motto to have before planning a big project like changing cabinets. If you clear your countertops (and fridge) of everything except what you use everyday, that will lift the space quite a bit. Change out lighting per Patricia Colwell. Change to white drum shades on all your lamps. Do you have undercabinet lighting? If not, install that, not new cabinets.

The reason several people are saying to keep the wood cabinets is that they add warmth to your gray, gray, gray furnishings and also echo your nice wood floors. Consider adding warmer items that echo the cabinets in like a new rug that fills the space in front of the sofa and a complementary runner to give your room more of an entryway. Suggested palette (not necessarily these particular rugs)

Safavieh Evoke Collection EVK236 Rug, Gray/Gold, 6'7" Square · More Info

Weave & Wander Vanhorn Contemporary Watercolor Rug, Gold/Birch, 10'x13'2" · More Info

I would replace counters with pure white quartz, backsplash may also need to be replaced, then put everything away except coffee maker and maybe one other thing. It may require reorganizing everything in kitchen. Lastly, if refrigerator is not counter depth I would replace it.

I just paid about $5+k to have similar cabinets painted, if those are Ikea - they may be the same. Our whole kitchen was dark & had an early-2000 vibe, The paint (plus new counters & backsplash) was a huge improvement.

I agree. I think your cupboards need a fresh clean bright look. The wood stain is a little dated. Maybe a red, because it's appetizing and it goes well with your grays. And it's gutsy.

Housegal200 - i do have lighting under cabinets i dont really use .

i do need to get an entryway mat but i am probably not going to change my sofa rug. i went back snd forth on rugs for months . i just ordered a blue ruggable rug for kitchen. hopefully that will go.

Paula A do you have photos of your before and after ? would love to see !

Any one have an idea of cost of putting new counters ? dont want to spend a fortune

Our quartz counters were $4300 - that included everything; cutout, installation, disposal, etc.. I will say, your kitchen isn't nearly as yuck/2000 as ours. It's bright, the counter look like a solid color (ours was busy + a busy backsplash). While I do think we have the same/similar cabs, your kitchen is better looking overall than ours was. I do have pics, I'll switch to my phone later & try to post.

Paula- thanks !! is your kitchen similar size to mine?

It may be similar in size... we are also in a narrow row house, the whole first floor is only 600 SF & includes living, kitchen & half bath. I'm having trouble getting pics from my phone to my laptop - I'll post a few when I figure out how.

I like your LR. I would pull the oriental rug under the feet of the sectional. Does a toddler live there?

Jck910 ok i will try that ! ha yes a toddler lives here. i have various baskets all over with toys.

lilceeja - here are a few pics. It looks very white but that's what we were going for, the space was so dark. I have a blue rug, stools, etc. that haven't arrived & there is a punchlist to conquer. It's not perfect, but we worked within our budget and the constraints of a (very) old house. If this were a forever home, I'd have picked a color with more pizzazz for the cabinets.

You are lucky in the fact your cabinet style is current and classic IMO. I would paint them. I just painted mine (I had to get all new door fronts as I had the cathedral shape doors) I used BM Advanced paint and it is amazing. It takes a long time to complete as after you sand and prime. You have to allow 16 hours between coats of BM to ensure proper curing. I did 3 coats on fronts and 2 coats on the back Plus primer on both sides.

BTW I did not use a sprayer... I didn't have experience with. I used a mohair roller for smooth surface and a good quality paint brush. No brush strokes and no roller marks. With that said, My finish is very good, but a sprayer would have been excellent if I would have known how to use.

Paula A love the redo! looks great! also love the island color. what color is that ?

Stutba i was considering doing myself but think that would be too much for me on my own. i have painted some furniture before though. Do you have any pics you could share ?

The cabinets & island are BM Simply White.

You can go with two toned cabs, leave base cabinets as they are now and painted only wall ones.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2628228/anyone-have-2-colored-cabinets-upper-different-color-from-lower

Celery - i really likd that two toned look!! do you think white would go with my colors or do i do gray ?

lilceeja you mentioned a toddler and I really didn't see any evidence of one. I just love the colors in your LR

Jck910 : thanks!! i have a bunch of baskets not in the picture and cubes for toys

I have not had the best of luck uploading photos, but will try. Here is a look of the updated kitchen with the exception of a new stove and backsplash installed. I will try two different posts for photos

stutba, waiting for pictures. Paula A., I love both the before and after pictures. The BM Simply White looks so nice.

So I have been trying to upload photo for well over an hour. Any suggestions? I cant figure out why I can not get photos to upload to this site. Other sites have no issues

I think your whole room looks just fine. If you want to change something may I suggest that you think first of the things that are easiest to change such as rugs and soft furnishings.

Having a nice paint job on cabinets is not something that comes together easily and is quite expensive to have done for you. I have had painted cabinets before and I found that painted surface to be harder to keep clean than was the nice hard original finish. Unless you have it done professionally, you are looking at a lot of tedious work and you also need a place to do it .

Then, you have to realize that the insides of the cabinet will not match the outisde and you may find that distracting. Of course, you paint the inside of the door. But, there is also the interiour of the cabinet that will be different.

Getting a nice finish on those cabinets is not easy and will probalby be best to use a spray gun.

If you live in a townhome you may not have the place to do but can pay to have it done.

Also, not sure what quality your existing cabinets are, but some of the ones that some of these builders use are not the best and some have a laminated paper with a wood print on some surfaces. Yous may not be that way. I know that many of the tract houses that were built in the past few decades may have that contractor grade cabinetry in them. Just something to look for and to consider. Maybe, maybe not.

Yes, I have painted cabinets before and I know that it takes some commitment or some real cash to do so.

It is not easy to duplicate that nice hard factory finish with a paint brush. There is much prep required, also. As with most paint jobs, the real work is the prep and the details. There are many details.

So thanks to all responses! i decided im going to try and do as suggested- declutter and then add things such as a rug or towels. Think i may also change the cabinet hardware to bronze and possibly put in charcoal gray shiplap on the peninsula.

That all sounds like a lot more fun than the tedious task of doing a good job painting cabinets. Believe me, you would curse the day your started down that road.

Some people have more experience, equipement, time and a place to do such things. But, it is vastly differnet from just painting a piece of furniture.

So i replaced hardware, decluttered and got a rug. Thinking rug may be too big though. it is 5X7. should i do smaller but same one? or different color? also ordered new hanging glass pendants with brass for over peninsula and having shiplap put in over peninsula. any suggestion on paint color?

Very good so far….one thing to consider since the space is smallish…paint the shiplap peninsula to match the walls …an accent color will chop up the space …a matching color will make it flow together..feel roomier in general

Btydrvn thays a good point! didnt think about that. do you mean do same color so it flows or a similar color ? was originally thinking a gray a little darker than walls. Walls are Benjamin moore moonshine.

Looks much better! Not a Pro. The rug looks a tad too big for me. I can't seem to zoom into the pics so must ask, what is the light-coloured wand-type item draped over the counter near the sink? That element is distracting in both pics.

"paint the shiplap peninsula to match the walls" Agree with @btydrvn. Using a low contrast palette in the space will help expand it visually.

Tartanmeup the thing on the sink is an extension cord. the circuit blew under sink but having it fixed this week so that will be gone !

thanks ! do you think a gray sligjtly darker than wall would work or the same color ?

Shorten the cord on your Roman shade so it doesn’t sit on the counter.

Ok im getting some suggestions to skip the shiplap on peninsula and put elsewhere. what do you think? if agreed could either put on accent wall in kitchen or half the walls in bathroom ?

I like the shiplap on the peninsula… it will be more interesting and feel more custom…and the reason for matching the walls… is that any change in color will stop the eye (flow) there… sort of cutting up the space… the color change is effective on islands in bigger spaces.. but may work against you in this case

I like the big rug .. makes the room feel more spacious…

I think shiplap could be used as wainscoting in the bathroom if the opposite wall is long enough…. It doesn’t show well in niches … between toilets… or in tiny areas….the pattern is lost and can end up conflicting with the decor…

Your update looks great! I love what you’ve done so far!