Pictures?

Oops... added now

It is nice with all the windows in the space! if it were me i would first tackle all the clutter and see if i could get/keep my counters clear (that cleans up a space visually) then i would paint the walls and crown a soft white to bring some freshness - your trim looks white in the adjoining hall?

After the freshening is when i woukd think about counters - Be careful to stay away from grey as your floor is warm and won’t play nicely with it. i would likely just update the backsplash with a neutral subway tile but that’s just me

A countertop like the one on the island in this pic would look beautiful -- it's light but brownish, which would tie it to your cabs and floor. IDK about a plain white counter -- I don't think it would do your cabs justice.

Unless the floor looks different IRL than it does in the pictures it's really not that bad. Since the cabinets are staying the same I don't see any reason to change the floor. TBH the counters aren't that bad either, but if you want to change something, this is what you could change. But as the other posters have said, you need to stay with a warm color. You shouldn't install a white-white counter. You have a lot of counter area so you're going to find this to be fairly expensive no matter what you use. Be aware of where there will be seams when choosing your slabs. The seams really disappear in speckled granite, but they can be very obvious in slabs like the one shown above. After changing the counters think about the backsplash.

All that stuff on the counters screams that the kitchen layout is dysfunctional.

Maybe you want to rethink whether or not you want to keep this layout.

Really nice kitchen & pretty cabinets. I’d leave them too! I agree with @joycedjay that replacing flooring would be messy since it appears to extend beyond kitchen. If you replace only kitchen floor the nice flow & continuity is lost. Counters are pretty, appear in good shape & look like granite which is extremely durable & low maintenance. The pattern adds some nice interest & texture to room. I do agree that painting crown molding to match the crown in rest of house makes sense - especially looking at that color change in pic showing where you have your coffee bar set up. It looks like your appliances are updated except for the coil burner electric cooktop. I would seriously think about updating it to an induction cooktop. Better looking, easier to clean & so much nicer to cook with because of burner heat control. This one item will really update your kitchen! Changing out cabinet handles is an easy update too. IMO painting white & adding white counters wouldn’t enhance cabinets. Maybe a lighter than what’s there now & a creamier color taken out of the counters would work & also work with crown painted out white to match other crown. About counter clutter others have commented on. I agree with having fewer small appliances on display but that’s a personal preference & maybe you use those items frequently enough to justify permanent spot on counter. The mixer is often stored just as you have it. The bulk of the rest of counter items look like a baby in household stuff & as babies grow, the need to have all their feeding supplies close at hand reduces! Temporary clutter is different than permanent. I would aim for reducing as much as possible though. As As for coffee bar / desk that’s a good reallocation of space. I would not place anything there that’s not coffee or tea related. The containers on left end might need a out of sight home.

I would declutter first. You have a ton of storage, there should not be so much stuff everywhere. You need window treatments. How do you feel about a new backsplash that maybe incorporates a little color? It would help out the coffee are too.

IMO, a sleek, counterdepth fridge would streamline the whole kitchen. The cabinets, floor and countertops all look fine to me.

White would be too stark against the cabinets

Thanks for everyone's input. Seems white works in these photos, albeit more an off-white or with some marbling design in it

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While you're working on your kitchen, perhaps you can get a built in garbage cabinet and also recycling.

The cabinet wood is warm and inviting. The usability is very low. Small width lowers with doors instead of 36-48" 3 drawers. Uppers with center stiles. All the work areas crammed to one side of a large space. An unused desk height area. I'd not spend on this configuration.

Bradley, I agree with the above recommendations re clutter etc, but I think you can do something similar to the last photo you posted above, with different hardware. I think your kitchen would look a whole lot more clean and updated if you could add another row of cabs at the top so they reach the ceiling; then choose a cleaner crown molding. Also, and you might not want to do this because it looks like yours might be new, but a counter depth refrigerator looks so much better, take up less space, which will help your new look. Yes, they hold less “stuff”, but maybe you have room for a secondary, smaller fridge somewhere else…..I think it’s worth it.

I like the whole kitchen. The island is becoming the item to highlight - could darker work? a paint like Peppercorn?

Let us see the black pendant/chandelier - and what is nearby. Idk why white would be better.

The wood cabinets are beautiful so I’m glad you are keeping them. I think a lighter, plain, warm coloured counter would be great. The top of ceiling crown moulding can be painted white to match other spaces in the home but keep the wood finish crown on the cabinets. Would a counter depth fridge be possible? It seems to jut into the room as it is. Unless you are going to add some cabinetry to the desk space (to build into the hole), I think it would be best to embrace that area as a proper desk with nice stool that will tuck in. I don’t like the look of a coffee/tea station at a desk - it just looks a bit off to me. I look forward to seeing your kitchen transformation!

1. Light grey marble look counters? Though I like the ones in your second white and wood picture idea too. But I think you are trying to contrast the warmth of the wood with a new coolness in counter, floor, and walls.

2. Flooring. Anything but wood. Stone, wood and glass have always appealed to me. So grey stone look.

3. Keep it wood.

4. You don't have to have the same backsplash everywhere. Corbels can help section off different backsplashes if needed, and provide visual structure, but also aren't necessary. I can see areas in your space, around the sink and window for example, where you could take the backsplash higher up the wall to a natural breakpoint. Zelige tiles are "in" now, but I am scared of them making a room look dated. I'd avoid subway too. A white tile would be consistent with your white wall idea but provide texture.

5. You can if you want. Or you could leave it wood. But here I would like to see a mirrored backsplash, or mirror tile backsplash. Put a small mirror there to see if you like it too. 

I like that you are creating contrast with warm wood and cool grey/white. There are tons of kitchens that are white and wood, except it's wood floors and white cabinets, so don't let anyone say you can't combine white and wood. Changing from granite to marble look will be an update if that's what you are looking for too. Natural materials are "in" now and I think are timeless. I am personally scared off by the care requirements of marble counters, but you've been living with granite, so maybe you are comfortable with them.

Hopefully these are supportive thoughts and ideas.

Bradley Davis I think all white counter tops and walls is a great way to freshen up the kitchen…We just moved into our new home this past March…we have similar backsplash we had our cabinets painted white but your stained cabinets look good…I white washed my backsplash with white paint it made a huge difference..something you may want to do once the white countertops and white walls are done…floors may be fine once it is all fresh!

A counter depth fridge would be a nice addition too..

While your cabinets are nice the current finish makes them look dingy and dated. Perhaps if they were stripped and restained you might get a better look. If you really want them updated I would suggest painting them. That seems to refresh a kitchen more than most anything else will. If you want to retain the wood grain you could pickle them instead. There are plenty of examples of pickling on the internet if you would care to view that. Good luck with your renovation!

Your floors are fine. Ripping them out will be too much mess and money since it’s not just in the kitchen.

A WARM white paint is a good start. I would paint the crown molding the same color as the wall.

A new countertop and backsplash is all you need to update the whole room. Solid white seems stark to me but if you go shopping for countertops with a door, it will help you to keep it in the “creamy zone”.

Decluttering is also important.

You can change hardware for very little money, but figure out your countertop and backsplash first.

You may want to deep clean your cabinets. You’ll be surprised at how much brighter they are after a deep clean. There is tons of kitchen smoke that adheres to our cabinets without really “seeing” it.