I agree with Cheryl the bones of the kitchen are perfect. The cupboards look good. I would suggest addressing the light fixtures, the flooring and the tiling and counter tops. That would really address the kitchen. It will be more cost effective too. There are numerous picks on Houzz that will help you match tiles, flooring and lighting. Good luck

As much as I love a white kitchen (I live with one), I think you have lovely cabinets and believe you are probably tired of the look. The above poster is on the money. If you update the counter top, tile the backsplash, remove the canopy over the window and replace the wall paper with paint, you are on your way to a fresh new look. You could then budget to replace the floor and lighting. I found this kitchen that could give you some inspiration.
http://houzz.com/photos/130960

I am in the camp of save the wood- replace hardware, counters and back-splash, remove wall paper and paint- what color are those current tiles on the floor?

I think also look in my Ideasbooks as i have saved Kitchen ideas that will definitely help you

This might give you an idea this is from Houzz website i included the link for you

https://www.houzz.com/products/kitchen-countertops-prbr0-br~t_439
And this too will look nice

I hope this helps. This addresses the idea i submitted ie tiles and countertops and dont change cup boards

Not sure why people want to talk you out of a white kitchen. If you don't paint your cabinets you will not have the white kitchen you want. Follow your instincts! I love my white kitchen and was never sorry for one minute that we painted the oak cabinets. I'm pretty sure you could even paint that satillo tile for a quick fix on your flooring.

See Cabinet color is perfect you just try to change your flooring in white color with use as many as white color things you can keep it will great and as far as lighting is concern use top ceiling lighting in while color it will be....

See Cabinet color is perfect you just try to change your flooring in white color with use as many as white color things you can keep it will great and as far as lighting is concern use top ceiling lighting in while color it will be....

While I completely understand the idea behind keeping the cabinets, I just do not like the color. I like bright kitchens much more and think lighter colors will make it look bigger too. I appreciate all the advice! We just bought this house and are not doing many renovations as we are in our twenty's and on a budget, and hope to do a bigger job in a few years. I love the above picture that karemore55 posted. Any other suggestions still welcome and much appreciated!

Just an idea for you before you commit to painting. I bought a cabinet at a box store to test out the color and finish. Despite my best efforts, hated my painting job. The finish was not hard enough even though I used the best paint and meticulous prep. It was sticky for a while (and even now sometimes sticks in humid weather). Some of the paint rubbed off when I used cleaners that make kitchen cleaning easy. After that I decided I would only hire a professional to do the job. I decided to love my cherry cabinets as is (with new backsplash, counter, hardware). I'm going to raise the uppers to the ceiling and add a nicer molding. You are lucky because your kitchen will look nice either way. Good luck and congrats on your new home!

The cabinets appear, at least in photos, to be the one thing in the kitchen worth keeping. A relatively quick, easy and cheap change that will make a big difference: remove the big blocky fluourescent ceiling light and replace it with hanging pendants that coordinate with light fixture hanging over the table, or where the table should be.

PS - I forgot to mention, if you pop open my kitchen idea book, the talented designers of the Palm Design Group and Frederick & Frederick kitchens have lovely color schemes that might go well with a reddish/orange floor. Plus, I added a photo at the end of what a white kitchen might look like if you leave the same backsplash.

msterling-thanks so much! I am starting to feel a little bit better about keeping the floors (our other option for our budget is just to put vinyl over it which I REALLY don't think I would like).

Any other budget friendly ideas for changing the backsplash?

If you are DIYers, the backsplash will be fairly inexpensive. There's great looking out there at budget friendly prices. So I'm not clear - did you decide to go ahead and reprint, or just keep cabinet color as is? I know this would drive up costs, but as someone me toned earlier, you can get them spray painted professionally so you don't have to worry about how they will look. Just make sure they out 3 clear coats on to protect the paint job.

pretty nervous about repainting but think we are going to go with that to get the look we love.

I've used both oil paint and latex paint to do cabinets. While latex worked fine, the oil paint definitely dried to a harder, more durable surface. I don't like working with oil paint tho as it is messy and smelly and you need mineral spirits to clean up. Too harsh, and oh, the fumes! Maybe paint the boxes yourself with rollerfoam rollers as they have no nap and give a smoother finish...but have your doors removed and sprayed by a professional. Great looking finish when sprayed, but make sure you prep the surface. You need to de-gloss it, or sand it first to get the best finish.

Good luck - go for it!

It will be great. If the tile is in good shape, its much better than vinyl. A professional steam clean of grout works wonders too and is inexpensive. Have you thought about removing two of the upper cabinet doors at the back wall to create a hutch feel and display your decorative items? Tips to consider: The prep is most important. Number your doors and cabinets and put the hinges in a plastic baggie with a number that matches each corresponding door. If you are going with white or cream, consider painting the island last and keep it and the patio door trim unpainted. You might want to keep it natural wood after you see the rest of the kitchen painted. The cabinets, drawers and doors will probably need to cure for a long while without use. Consider doing any dusty work like wallpaper removal and sanding of drywall before you paint the cabinets. Drop hints to family and friends about the backsplash. The holidays are coming and people love to get folks things that they really want. A few gift cards from one of the big hardware stores will cover the backsplash cost., and then you can invest in the overhead light replacement. If the scroll valance by the garden window comes down, it may also tone down the country features of the kitchen. I hope you post an "after" picture!

Good luck with your reno remember at the end of the day you have to do what will make you happy as you are going to be living in it. Please dont forget to post pics for us to see what the end product looks like.......

I was on the "save the cabinets" team, but if the light airy kitchen is what you desire then do not be nervous, learn as much as you can from tutorials and do it. I have done it with a bathroom cabinet and like Karen said, do put three coats of polyurethane sealer on them when you are done. I applied mine with a foam brush and it came out with the best finish. I went onto a woodworking website and they had the best YouTube tutorials linked to it, if I can find it I'll post a link here. If you can't do the floor for a while, maybe just re-grout it and it will improve the look. You can always get some sisal or jute runners as well.

dafrah, if that is unsealed satillo tile, I read somewhere that you can stain it. It needs a coat of some other product first but can then be stained. I'd look into it if I were you. You may be able to do something with it that will suit your look and not cost the earth.

Also check out the paint and approach used by the Petersiks about two years ago when they repainted their cabinets over on their blog Young House Love. They did a lot of research. I've used Rustoleum on small jobs but for a long term solution on an expanse or good cabinets like these, I'd go with a professional paint or use professional painters. But even then be sure to get references that are at least a year old so you can see how the paint job holds up. Are your floors tile or vinyl? If tile, I'd work the color scheme around them.

FYI, I did a subway tile backsplash myself about five years ago. I bought the plain white ceramic ones at Home Depot and they were very inexpensive. It wasn't more than a couple hundred bucks for the entire project and that included having to rent a wet-saw to cut the tile. It came out great. I think you should definitely give it a shot. And I agree with others that there are many great tutorials on youtube and other sites to walk you through it. I also took a quick class at Home Depot before doing mine.

I cannot wait to see your AFTER pics of your bright, white kitchen! :) Let there be white! ;)

If those are in fact Saltillo tiles and not vinyl flooring, consider keeping them because in the pics they're actually quite attractive, and it isn't a dated look. If they are quite scratched and damaged, then just ignore them until you can concentrate on replacing them.

Thanks so much everyone! This has just made me even more excited for this project! The floor tiles are a brick red, but hoping after everything else is painted it may not be a big deal :) We only have a little space where we have walls to paint, and I am torn between a color or just grey...Also, I have a bunch of kitchens posted in my ideabook to kind of give everyone the look I like. Thanks again!

If your in your twenty's and on a budget but plan a major renovation in the future I would hold off on painting wood cabinets but more importantly consider what you use if you replace counter tops. I cant tell from the picture what you have now. What is it?

New update! we decided to move a few things around in the kitchen. We also decided to go ahead and change the floors. We are now thinking of granite counter tops (I like simple quartz design better, but it is more expensive I think). I am deciding between a tile and dark hardwoods for the floor. I STILL have not decided on paint color for the cabinets. I am too worried the wrong white will look too cream and I REALLY like grey, but do not want it to look dark in the kitchen. We are thinking a light backsplash and maybe a nice blue for the wall color (not that there is much of that). Any other advice still helpful!

Maybe you could "cheat" and go to a cabinet store and find a door sample in a light grey and ask what co,or and paint company it is. And if they say they don't know, borrow the sample, see if you like it in your kitchen, then take it to a paint store and do a color match. For your flooring choice, I think you would be happier with hardwood because tile is so hard on the feet, not to mention totally unforgiving if you drop a glass on it. We have hardwood in our kitchen, in an 18 year old home, and the floor looks fine and has never been refinished.

With dark hardwood in mind, I would then go with a very light grey for the cabinets - very light! Especially if you're worried about your kitchen looking dark. Here in Canada, there isn't a huge difference between the price of granite vs. quartz. The granite prices vary wildly, depending on rarity, whereas quartz prices have a small range. Whichever you go with, keep it light, use light backsplash tiles, and it will look awesome against those dark hardwood floors. First things first, though - figure out what color you will be painting the cabinets. You can't really pick anything else until you do that. And, please post your choice(s)!

I think the tile floor you have are very classic and would contrast well with a lighter color palette. When going grey, consider either a clear light grey with colorful accents or a warm grey. Grey can be very dreary in the wintertime when the light is grey anyway. Warm grey or greige is grey with a bit of brown in it, and it has a warmer feel to it, but similar versatility as grey in decorating.

While you are at it, check out the Color Me Happy blog to coordinate color undertones and such. It can be tricky. She is a purist in the kitchen--white and wood floors preferred, which I think is really limiting, and wood isn't as hard=wearing as other surfaces--not hard to find pics of some real horror stories with wood. Quarry tile may be labeled "dated" now, but it is totally a classic and can last a lifetime. Check out cleaning it first.

BTW, if you replace flooring, it is best to install it under the cabinets as well, or at least the island.

UPDATE on our kitchen! New pics and NEED more help!
The colors came out a bit darker than the bright white and light grey kitchen that I had mentioned earlier, but the transformation is already crazy! We are going to go with black granite for the counter tops. I was hoping to get some feedback on backsplash ideas. I am currently debating between classic subway tiles with light gray grout lines or carrera marble tiles. Both will hopefully bring out the brightness that I had hoped for!
Traditional Kitchen by Richmond Kitchen & Bath Designers Kitchen Interiors, LLC
Traditional Kitchen by Hermosa Beach Design-Build Firms Lane Design + Build

Looks nice...it's going to look really chic when you have it finished. I personally like the colors I see on my screen. Good job! Don't worry! You're doing fine! Breathe! I really do like the colours.

I basically like what you have, but the warm grey of the walls and floor is clashing a bit to my eye with the cool grey of the island. A glaze can warm up the grey without too much fuss and can be enough to tie it all together and bring out the beadboard detail without being too fussy. You can wipe most of it off for a subtle touch..

My vote is for the marble subway tile if it has a bit of warmth to it, but white is always classic as long as it blends with the white of the cabinets. I always like darker grout or epoxy grout for ease of cleaning.

OMG this looks beautiful i am sure you glad you went with this lighter colour than us die hard dark wood fans (lol).

The tiles i am leaning towards the carrera marble but not sure subway tiles could also be good. You guys are lucky that you have so many options in America. I am from South Africa Johannesburg and things are available BUT so expensive.

AND, what really looks fabulous and fresh is the change in the ceiling and lighting!!!! You are really getting this done pretty quickly...it's only been two weeks ago that you were still questioning and planning! What happened to the idea about the hardwood floors? I guess I missed the part where you changed your mind. What are your counter tops still going to be black granite? :) The before and after pics already are astounding! It looks bigger though it could be the angle of the photos. Sure do appreciate the difference the lighting has made...that can not go unappreciated, for sure. LIGHTING IS A BIG DEAL!!! :) Great job, y'all. Keep it up! You are doing wonderfully! KUDOS! As per @Victorian, the flooring colour does seem a tiny bit off but it's probably my screen. It should not be a perfect match anyway so I am certainly not criticizing. I can see the paint colour and I like it but I see what you mean about both. What if the baseboard wasn't so bright white? That's a tough call on the back spash. All I can say is the ceramic is a bit more casual and easier to maintain, both are classics and great choices. The marble will be a bit dressier. What will go best with the rest of your house(plans)? Maybe it will be an easy decision to make after you get your counter tops in. Gosh, you'll be finished in a week! Tell that to the people who have said kitchen remodels take a year! You have to thrilled over the moon!

We have our granite! It is absolute black, but I do not have a picture of it. We decided on doing the carrera marble backsplash and thinking just for over the stove to do the same tiles but smaller ones and have them going vertically instead, just for something a little different. What color grout goes best with this tile??

Your makeover is amazing! I am agonizing over whether to paint cabinets, too. This just might seal the deal. I read the thread and there is lots of advice on how to paint cabinets - wondering, did you DIY or go with a pro?

This is turning beautiful. I think you shoud go for white grout...

Can't wait to see your tops on.

Backsplash and counters!! Here are some new pics! the backsplash guys just left so nothing has been cleaned yet, but i couldnt wait!

Love it!

beautiful!!

Thanks!

I am not sure why this took SO incredibly long, but here is a picture of our kitchen finally done! The after pictures from our redo!

Dafrah, Your kitchen looks totally awesome! What a transformation - congratulations. Great choices on the finishes, and I especially love the color of the island.

I hope you enjoy your new kitchen for many years to come!

Just noticed you finished and it looks fabulous. You must be well pleased with the results. We remodelled our kitchen almost two years ago and I still marvel at how great it looks and it's functionality.