Add crown, backsplash tile, new counters, paint cabinets, new hardware and replace over the stove microwave wtih a vent hood. I would also try to add a pull-out trash can next to the sink.

If you were to extend the exisiting cabinets to the celing, you would either have small doors on the new boxes, or need to order new tall doors.

For idea, binge watch No Demo Reno on HGTV or Discovery+ . ETA: DD2 recently purchased a home, and since she is spending money painting interior and exterior, the master bathroom is postponed a few years. When I saw the title of No Demo Reno, I was intrigued. The host has done many similar bathrooms to DD2's house and the end is results are nice. Same with the ktichens I have seen her do while using the existing cabinetry.

Do you use the counter seating? Do you need more storage? A pantry wall for overflow and storage?

what is the budget?

The kitchen is just a bit uninteresing. I wouldnt paint the cabinets. I would add a hood and get the microwave gone from over the stove. I would add a backsplash, but, the main thing you need is a bit of color. Some art work on the walls. Some colorful rugs here and there, and with that long span of cabinets, a few colorful pieces of glass ware, or something nice to look at on top of the cabinets. You dont need to clutter them, but, it is lack of accessories, you need more than anything. It is just not homey or a place anyone would want to spend time in.

Please ignore the clutter :P

Nope, can't do it. First, you have such a long, uninterrupted stretch of counter top, you must have something out ... otherwise, it looks empty, and that's its own problem. What you need is to curate your clutter, which will always be a part of your kitchen.

Ideas:

- You have a smattering of bottles near the stove. Gather them onto a little tray (colorful tray, not white), and now they're intentional.

- You have a coffee pot. I'd move it to the far right cabinet and add a basket to hold coffee "stuff". Add a mug tree or hooks under the cabinet to suspend them. Identify the coffee area with a small (colorful) placemat or small runner. The idea is to make it intentional, not just something that's left out.

- The cord by the bar stools is bothering me.

I feel like the cabinets definitely need to be painted

Absolutely not. Your cabinets are -- as another poster said -- uninteresting, but if you paint them, they'll still be one long line of plain cabinets. Said differently, they'll be uninteresting in a different color.

Instead, consider removing the center panel /putting glass into a couple cabinets. Since the interior of your cabinets won't be finished, go with opaque glass. Or lace over the glass.

Realistically, your cabinets are your background, your base. You must add interest elsewhere, but this is very possible.

and I would love to extend my cabinets to the ceiling.

To the ceiling! Always to the ceiling. But since you probably can't do that right now, consider adding baskets up top. Simple, square baskets that would give the appearance of being an intentional way of bringing the cabinets to the ceiling. Keep the color close to your cabinets. This adds storage, of course, but it also gives you a new texture and something natural in your kitchen. Done right, this can look like it was a plan.

I was thinking navy blue and white ... so leaning towards all white cabinets.

You're right to be nervous about navy. Without natural light, it's not for you. But all white doesn't seem like a good choice either ... all white is not easy or cheap to pull off well, and your kitchen doesn't seem like a natural choice for all-white.

I'd paint the walls instead. Something bright like a buttery yellow or a robin's egg blue. That big swash of wall at the end of the kitchen /the space above the cabinets -- if painted -- would bring in a good bit of color.

Do not for one minute consider painting your uppers and lowers different colors. That's trendy right now, but your kitchen is already long /painting the uppers a different color would divide things in a bad way.

Add crown

Yes to crown -- 1000xs yes to crown. One reason this space looks builder-basic and uninspired is that the ceiling line looks unfinished. You can go with a simple crown, even something you can do yourself, but crown molding will enhance, upgrade, improve your space exponentially.

backsplash tile

Backsplash, yes. Doesn't have to be tile, which is expensive. . Wallpaper or stenciling would give you an immediate burst of personality just as well.

new counters

In a perfect world, yes, but that's real money. When you're able, OP, keep it light but not so super-basic as you have now.

new hardware

Totally yes. I missed this one, but -- looking back -- your pulls are medium-dark and kinda blend in. Sometimes that's the right choice, but not here. You need an influx of personality, so choose something lighter /brighter. And don't go with simple silver buttons -- something with personality. Hardware is the jewelry of the kitchen.

replace over the stove microwave wtih a vent hood.

Thing is, where's the microwave going to go? If it can go into a cabinet or into -- is that a pantry beyond the kitchen? -- sure, but if it's going to land on the countertop and become clutter, no. Of course, this assumes the OP cares about the microwave. She might be willing to nix it.

the main thing you need is a bit of color. Some art work on the walls. Some colorful rugs here and there, and with that long span of cabinets, a few colorful pieces of glass ware, or something nice to look at on top of the cabinets. You dont need to clutter them, but, it is lack of accessories, you need more than anything.

Yes. Again, 1000xs yes to color and accessories:

- Sure, neutral kitchens are trendy right now, but those magazine-worthy white /gray /natural wood kitchens ALL have large, lovely windows bringing in perfect morning light. That's their focal feature -- that's why they look great, even without committing to a color. You cannnot have that, so you must bring in color to add interest.

- You already have plenty of neutral, basic, simple to ground your kitchen. You are not in danger of going overboard. You need to bring in bold through your color and accessories.

- Pick a color that you like for your principle shade, but bring in some print and texture as well.

- Add colorful chair mats to the bar stools, and add a couple small "stacked" pieces of artwork next to the chairs.

- Add a colorful teapot or soup pot to the stove.

Other thoughts:

- That door at the back of the kitchen is a black hole to nowhere. Right now it (nothing) is a focal point. Keep the door closed -- put it on a swivel, if necessary -- and add a pretty wreath. While you're at it, add a matching wreath to the door on the right of the kitchen.

- Lose that black chalkboard (chalkboard?) by the door. Nothing dark for you -- your kitchen needs light, bright, bold accents. That chalkboard just adds to the black hole effect.

- Consider an accent above that door -- a couple decorative plates? Not word art -- too neutral for your space.

- You can have a tall-skinny piece of artwork (or several small items "stacked") above the trash can.

- Natural accents are necessary. Add a plant at the end of the cabinet near the trash can, and add a hanging plant above the seating bar.

- You have loads of functional light in this kitchen, but it's not doing anything for the looks of the kitchen -- I wish the builder hadn't gone with such large lights. You need something in the center for personality -- something "more" than Swiss cheese ceiling lights, something dangle-y, something that ties into the metal on your cabinet hardware. And maybe a second, smaller version of this central light above the seating bar.

OP, in case you miss my ETA:

ETA: DD2 recently purchased a home, and since she is spending money painting interior and exterior, cleaning up the landscape, new light fixtures, kitchen hardware, etc etc the master bathroom is postponed a few years. When I saw the title of No Demo Reno, I was intrigued. The host has done many similar bathrooms to DD2's and the end is results are nice. Same with the ktichens I have seen her do while using the existing cabinetry.

If you don’t already have it, get some under cabinet lighting. There are kinds that stick under and then plug in. Easy and so beneficial!

It’s a cute kitchen and I like lots of the suggestions already stated above. Keep the wood cabinets as they are in great shape. A couple of colorful hand towels are a nice inexpensive way to brighten it up too.

Mrs Pete just said very well, exactly what I was trying to say. She did a much better job of getting the ideas across, than I did.

I have watched a couple of "No Demo Reno" episodes (as with other HGTV shows - I watch it mostly as a background while I am doing other stuff and pay attention mostly to the reveal part of the show). The title of the show is not accurate! Their definition of "No Demo" seems to be "no taking out load-bearing walls" because there is a lot of demolition going on in that show.

Painting cabinets is a huge job. Because you are planning to update the kitchen down the road, why not paint the walls blue. So much easier to do.