What you do with your cabinets is a function of how you want this space to look and feel. Have you browsed Houzz and other sources for inspiration images? What do you gravitate toward? It looks like your house is a 1970s-80s contemporary. Do you like that vibe and want to stick with it? Do you want something more modern? More classic/traditional? What colors do you like? What's the rest of the house like?

Until you answer those questions for yourself, I don't think you can make an intelligent decision on what to do with the cabinets. Your other questions regarding moving appliances, etc. are related, because if you want to keep the cabinets (particularly if you don't want to paint them), moving stuff around in your kitchen makes a lot less sense. If you end up deciding to replace, sky's the limit.

cat-ky — the peninsula does crowd the refrigerator a little so I like the idea of changing the shape of it. I just thought that moving the stovetop (the ovens are near the fridge) would make the peninsula more livable by not having to worry about cooking while people are sitting there. Thx for your ideas!

HU-918119203: Valid questions - and yes I comb Houzz and other sites for inspiration, but in this case, the house does decide some of these design questions because by leaving the wood ceilings and the shape of the room, it drives some of the changes. It is not a house like others I have had or seen and the wood ceilings are throughout the house. So although I have personal tastes, I want an answer that is about what would go with the wood ceiling and all the cabinets that are in this kitchen. I wasn’t able to classify this house — to me it feels like a lodge with a lot of wood - a Pacific NW house. It is a different kind of place and I although I usually can decide these things, this time I was stumped. Thanks for your questions!

I would change the shape of the peninsula, and just use it for stove stuff. You have a very nice table and chairs, that people can sit at, they dont need to sit at that peninsula.

cat-ky Yes, I’ve thought that too about the peninsula. Also - I am thinking a light colored tile floor and am thinking that I paint the white railing black for an accent. I’ll keep the wood cabinets but it is a lot of wood in one place - besides painting the white railing above a black color, is there any other ideas about how to add accent colors? Maybe the countertop should be a darker quartz? Or just use dark accents on the countertop? It’s hard to find examples online as a lot of cabinets are painted. Thanks again!!

Here are a few suggestions...

- Paint the walls a matte white from top to bottom (don't change colour above the wood moulding)

- You sound willing to change the floor tiles, go for a limestone look in a pale grey

- Change the countertop to a white quartz plain or not much veining

- Other than painting your railing in black, bring in other black accents: chairs, stools, new contemporary style ceiling fan, new peninsula pendants, install contemporary long pulls on the cabinets, depending on the rest of the house paint the window frames black, install a solar shade on the window, buy a washable colourful runner...

lisedv - thank you! I really like your suggestions - especially the other ways to incorporate black accents! I also think the white quartz for countertops. I wasn’t sure about the pulls on the cabinets, but I like the way it looks in your picture. Thanks again!!