Looks great as is. I wouldn’t touch the color or finish of cabs. If you just want an update - well, just because - think about changing out the wood railing with colonial style turned posts & the dainty looking light fixture over the bar. You like industrial, modern, iron …. change out the railing to iron - so many styles to choose from & would look great with the barn wood wall behind it. Beef up the light fixture after the railing is done - keep the black metal but a stronger feeling light. I think those two changes would really change the look of room.

ETA— looks like a light over the table too - shade seems to match what’s over the bar so that fixture would need to be changed out too.

How about changing out the oak railing to a black metal one? I think that would really help the transition from the oak floors to the reclaimed wood wall.

I agree the railing needs to be updated to either a metal one as suggested above, or even one with a metal railing and horizontal cables.

I would also paint the cabinets. Or, at least just paint the base cabinets a dark color to create contrast between the cabinets and the flooring.

Conversely, re-stain the floors a darker, ebonized color and leave the cabinets as is.

I think the features shown in the pics below might work for your kitchen. Light patterned quartz countertop and backsplash to blend with your choice of cabinet stain color, traditional/industrial lighting, white/cream color of entire kitchen, white window with white trim, and soft linen unlined roman shades, soft brass hardware and sink faucets etc. and custom stucco hood which adds so much style. Something to consider.......and iron railing or something metal for the staircase. White or stainless steel appliances. Just a suggestion. And not an exact copy but rather a feeling of light and medium tones in your room. Consider whitewashing the wood paneling and lighten the entire room.....remove the arch and wood trim over and on the kitchen window....going for a bit more clean lines.

Menlo Park Modern Traditional · More Info

Menlo Park Modern Traditional · More Info

Menlo Park Modern Traditional · More Info

Stair rail suggestion

Menlo Park Modern Traditional · More Info

Menlo Park Modern Traditional · More Info

Nice space! If it were me - I would pull back from the grey/blue tones and inject more warm white - I would paint the walls something lighter/warmer (like SW Creamy maybe), change the pendants (love the bone china pendants from BTC) and bring in more streamlined/nonwood counter chairs - then add a bamboo shade at the window for texture -

the barnwood seems dark & heavy to me but that's just personal preference - I would probably go with a lighter fresher wallpaper on that wall

As suggested, replace wood stair rail with metal. Change out light fixtures over island and table...perhaps a back with brass/cream. I would also change out the wood bar stools and chairs at the table for something not wood. Also, remove rug from under the table. At this point step back and re-evaluate.

So - get rid of rug…do you all think there is too much golden oak in kitchen? We don’t want to redo cabinets, except maybe the handles? We also live in the middle of nowhere, so, I haven’t really used window treatments. Also, don’t know what I would use. Just want to update things…

@Amy H I like the rug. I also like your cabs, flooring etc. Not too much golden oak for me or too much wood. You said you ’live in the middle of nowhere” so my bet is the style of your home is a nice country / woodsy home style. Everything fits! I stand by my original suggestion for updating - change hanging lights to heftier & change the railing to metal - both fit well with your goal of simple updates & your style of industrial / modern / iron. I like your cabinet hardware as is - the iron pulls. If you do want to change them I’d do railing & lights first then recheck - maybe great as is.

I think the only thing you need to do is select a new white wall color for your kitchen and eating area.....it will make a huge difference in how the kitchen feels. Start there....some nice colors can be Benjamin Moore Cotton Balls, or Cloud White. Sherwin Williams Alabaster or Shoji white are good whites too. Also Gliden Paints are often mentioned ln the forum as a nice paint choice....and they sell it at WalMart! But you might need two coats?

Paint first and then resubmit a lot of pictures to this advice forum and see if you need anything else to the room.....

Paint the kitchen and the eating area, but not the barnwood wall or the walls to the left in your pic.....I am excited to see the difference in the room with just paint.

PS Cream heavy feeling cotton cushions for the chairs and the bar stools would be a nice softening touch, and a pretty green plant in a white/cream/black low pot in the center of the dining table if you have room. Keep postingl

@KW PNW Z8 yes, I do live in the middle of nowhere, so barnboard is kind of the thing, we live on a hobby type farm. Do you think the whole railing should be iron? Or have some wood to it, thought about using barn beams as posts?

Hmm - having trouble with vision of using barn beams as posts. Too rustic for me & just not a great blend with the rest of your kitchen area IMO. I searched images of wood and iron interior railings & wow! endless options! What my first thought was when looking at the pics was how great it would look in your space to have wood top & wood end & center support then alternate iron & wood railing / spindles. The iron could be plain rods or have a design embellishment in them. I think the ’acorn’ shaped tops at each end & middle should be swapped for a flat & square piece. If there’s a bannister going down the stairs behind the railing in pic, that should be changed too. No idea about cost or DIY options but I have no doubt this change would be dramatic.

If you feel the need to darken the oak cupboards, strip then stain dark DON'T PAINT!! That would be tragic. Your wall and the countertops are plenty dark. I would leave the oak as is to keep the room from becoming a cave. Metal spindles are all the rage. I would have the handrail wood. As was mentioned there are a lot of spinal designs to choose from. Once you choose get hardware for your kitchen to match. Getting new chairs would be easier and cheaper than dealing with the cupboards. If it too much golden oak for you start with a furniture swap. Light fixtures could be larger and that arch over the sink will probably just pop off.

Arch_gw, so mixture oak and wood… we don’t have a light above the sink, what do you all think about the area above the cupboards…I love the suggestions and will start with railing, chairs a light fixture. I don’t want to darken anything if I don’t have to ☺️just don’t want it to looks like the orange cupboards of the 90s. The picture is the handrail to the stairs. So now to try to find an image of what you guys are thinking.

Are you guys thinking like this?

No - that’s not what I’m thinking.. If you have only a handrail going down the stairs I’d leave it be. It works fine. The bigger deal is the rail at the top of the stairs along the eating area. I’m thinking wood top rail, wood larger support posts at center & each end but change out the top piece & either all metal spindles or combo alternate metal & straight - not turned like you have - wood spindles. Search on images - so many ideas.

ETA - seeing more of your barn wood wall in the stair way view - it’s very pretty.

You could paint that railing black for an updated feel. Also, consider replacing the wood furniture or just the chairs.

I would replace the furniture with something with fabric/texture/color, paint the walls white, get a new white countertop, get new lightening, add a light backsplash, stain or replace the railing with something dark, and/or get two big colorful rugs to break up the wood flooring. Your floor and cabinets are both beautiful. I would try to add white, dark, and colorful accents everywhere else before messing with either of them.

Rail possibility, and note the white paint and oak floors......guess I missed on painting the room? Whoops!

Menlo Park Modern Traditional · More Info