"How would you suggest updating this?"

It looks pretty up to date to me. Maybe change the lighting. What is it about this kitchen that is bothering you?

The floors and cabinets matching, too dark a look for a north facing unit - guess was curious if people thought the floor should be lightened or the cabinets painted as I’m clueless about good design

Painting those cabinets would be a pain, and with all that grain variation, you'll get bleedthrough shortly. You'd also have to take the cream-colored backsplash into account when choosing a cabinet paint color, and it might be tough to work with that.

I suggest you move in and live with it for a while. In any case, with materials shortages, labor shortages and contractor shortages, you won't be making updates any time soon, so you will have time to think about it, and decide more what needs to be done. That will be much easier once you are living there rather than looking at photos.

Regarding that it's a north-facing unit, that goes to my original suggestion of updating the lighting - the easiest fix. It might even be as easy as switching out the bulbs.

A large painting on the empty wall would be good.

Agree - lighter countertops for sure - I find black one annoying to use- hard to see our black handles knives - and I dislike a mirror finish -,much prefer a leathered finish

Here's my response:

Since you are flipping this property, redo the kitchen in what's trending -black & white. I'm also assuming you want to spend the least amount possible to flip - so that's painting.

The issue is that the floor is very dominant because of it's orangey/red colour. This just means that your options for new colours are limited. It looks like a cool blue was used on the walls and that's not the best option. Here's what I would do:

1. Paint the wall cabinets and the walls either Benjamin Moore "white dove" (an off white) OR "natural wicker." Get some paint samples & see what colour is closest to your wall tile. You don't multiple want shades of white/cream in the kitchen.

2. I'd leave the island in it's natural wood to provide some synthesis with the floor

3. I'd recover the stool tops in a matching off white (to the wall/counter paint)

4. When you stage the condo to sell, add some orangey accessories on the counters, whether this be a vase or wood bowl with lemons or other in it

“Since you are flipping this property”

@Wilder Interior Design Co. - where did the OP say she is flipping the condo? @Bonnie Mangold - are you asking about ipdating because you are flipping it? If so, then I woldn’t spend a dime on it. It looks clean and current.

The only things I really don't like are the stools (that row of big white dots!), which will presumably leave with the previous owner, and the flushmount fixtures, which seem fussy and not a great match for the other elements in the kitchen. A runner would alleviate any issues of the floor color being too close to the cabinet color.

I wouldn't mess with changing the wood on the cabinets or with the floor tones. I would change the countertops as you have already mentioned, get new stools, runners, and change the lighting, especially the flushmounts. And, as others have suggested, always great to live in a space for a bit first. Really nice condo kitchen by the way. Good use of space.

@Shannon_WI oops - looks like I read that wrong. On that note, the only thing I would add is change out the backsplash to coordinate with the paint (if it doesn't)

I’m not flipping - it’s for us part time - just wasn’t a fan of these finishes

I just was making the point that place feels darker than the photo shows

Yes!! The size and kitchen island for a small condo is what sold us on this one

Better lighting and maybe lighter counters. Having had two north facing kitchens, it will be on the dark side no matter what you do. Lights on almost all of the time is unavoidable. It really is an incredible kitchen for a small DC condo!

Looks very nice as is except for the countertops as been mentioned. I’m not good at lighting so listen to the experts. Our kitchen is west facing with windows only on one wall - so it’s either a dungeon or awash in so much light we need sunglasses. We have dark countertops similar to yours and our flooring is similar. The combination is dreary at best. I’ve always wondered what it would look like with white marble tops… I’m moving now so I don’t care, lol. Anyway - my point is get a lighting expert and new countertops and you’re good to go. Beautiful space, enjoy!

lighting needs upgrading. the two flushmounts should be replaced. You need recessed lighting. and at the island I could visulaize two larger pendants..maybe slight industrial urban style..larger than those. Do you anticipate using the island for seating aspect? get the stools of your choice..with backs? swivel? metal? wood? go ahead and start using the space. a different island top might improve the looks but you'd want to be sure of the functioning of the space initially. Lighting is aesthetics and function so tackle that. I wouldn't paint anything. Gray walls aren't a favorite but the shade is light enough and if you get some pendants w black detail or other cool metal you'll be good.

Here is same condo only one floor lower - liked finishes more but seller wanted too much money - hence the desire for lighter floors and Lighter countertops - definitely has an industrial vibe with the track lighter that all units have - ceilings are concrete so don’t know how much we can do with recessed lighting

Afraid to put too much money into unit as building seems a bit over priced as it is - condo market NOT like the hit housing market

Hi Bonnie - I'm still learning so I did a bit of a colour analysis on this other unit. It appears that the walls are an off-white (I compared 3 different gradations of whites as you can see in the photo & think the walls are closest to Benjamin Moore “white dove,” which is off-white).

I did find it trickier to decipher the wall colour in the unit but assumed it would be the same standard colour painted by the contractor as the other. There are several factors going on here:

1. There is so much of the orangey-red wood everywhere that it’s definitely reflecting colour onto the walls

2. You can’t alter the situation with lighting alone and it looks like the paint colour turns a blue-white on the lower, right hand side where the light ends

In any case, I think you have 2 challenges - a dark room & dated.

You’ll have to weigh options for how much money you want to put into this condo. My suggestions are independent of what’s going on in the rest of the condo but I think it’s earthy overall as it looks like brown/beige tile in the entrance-way. Also, the other unit has tons of natural light so I wouldn’t try to copy that as their situation is entirely different than that of this condo unit.

OPTIONS

1. Stripping & redoing the floor. You’d have to see if it’s doable, but changing the floor colour alone won’t lighten your room

2. Keep the floors. You could compare 2 creamier paint colours like “ivory white” from Benjamin Moore & even better, “natural wicker” as I mention above by testing them. These would be a wall-fix only. Add in a wicker-coloured or off-white area rug(s) and you’re beginning to tame the red/orange.

3. In addition to painting the walls, change out the counter tops to a solid-coloured cream or off-white (matching the undertone of the wall paint & without any other flecks of colour in the countertop at all). You have enough contrast with the red/orange on the floor & counters that you could do this fix as well. Your backsplash looks off-white but you want to make sure it’s not clashing with new countertop & paint choices.

4. As I mentioned above, paint all cupboards one of the 2 paint colours, along with the wall & either keep the black countertops as now you’ll have nice contrast, or replace them as in the suggestion above. I’d actually make this decision & pick out your countertop before you start.

You can decide what to do with the stools based on which way you go. Also, you’ll want to consider carrying this theme into the eating area, presuming it’s the same as in the other condo unit.

——

You can use this post for reference for a similar issue with dominant orange/red flooring:

https://mariakillam.com/should-i-match-the-wall-colour-to-my-wood-floor-colour/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Should%20I%20Match%20the%20Wall%20Colour%20To%20My%20Wood%20Floor%20Colour%3F%20%282021-10-25%29&_kx=cegXpI_CTo03CkTiuHfk1q8RC1Ql2CaWo-Efnjo8e1U%3D.VaxxgW

Thanks - the link was great as well!!

I disagree with most of @Wilder Interior Design Co.’s post. Lots of chasing good money after bad. Also some comments to make you feel your new home needs more help (and more expenditure) than it does. Naive viewpoint of the amount of money, time, and difficulty entailed with most of the changes she recommended.

Agree with Shannon, it's easy to get carried away with ideas about changing floors , counters, backsplashes and lose sight of the fact that it costs many thousands of dollars. You could easily spend $15,000. That does not reconcile with "Afraid to put too much money into unit as building seems a bit over priced as it is - condo market NOT like the hit housing market". Add a painting, maybe new counter stools, light fixtures and enjoy your home.

It doesn’t look out of date. The pendants are a little boring and the flush mounts are bleh, just change the lights, and put in a runner, nicer barstools. The big ticket items look nice

Changing everything to black and white to retain the floors you don't like. That'll cost more than changing the floors and counters.

Once we get in the unit to see if it’s engineered wood or solid hardwood may hep us decide - if we added wood to the carpeted bedroom and den - not shown ( doors between main area and these room) would it be weird to use different wood?

Ideally, you would either put all the same flooring in or have the floors tied in with the old, and the everything refinished to match

Perhaps hanging a mirror on the opposite wall to bounce the light around would help.