put a vision board together... lots of kitchen ideas on Pinterest and Houzz with Stainless, etc.

is it just a facelift or are you re arranging the space? is that a patio door near the stools?

Just a facelift and yes it is a French patio door

Another viewpoints

Paint the island white to match the other cabinets. Declutter countertops. Get stainless appliances. Install black cabinet knobs/handles.

The peninsula back in stained wood is odd, and all the black is dreary and dark. There is no good lighting. Paint the peninsula back. Replace the black counters and black appliances. Add more and better lighting.

If you update your hardware I would replace the knobs with pulls, especially on long cabinets. Otherwise, agree with new countertop, paint the back of the peninsula, better lighting.

Paint the cabinets and island the same color you go with the emerald green or blue grey. I would keep the black countertops there nothing wrong with it. I think better lighting and change the floor to title flooring you always get tile looks like wood flooring think floors too dark.

Replacing that much countertop could be very costly. I would start small. I would paint the rest of the island to match the cabinets. The 2-tone looks weird. I would also replace the appliances. Start with the fridge. That way you'd at least get an energy efficiency upgrade along with it. Definitely declutter as much as possible. You have a lot on your countertop. Also do you need a countertop light. If so you might switch to something more streamlined. You might want to change the stools and do something a little more modern. Also, do you need that many or could you get away with fewer?
After making those changes then take a step back and look again at your kitchen. You might end up really liking it without ever having to change the counters.

Iluvdark kychn- do you have any suggestions for stool styles?

It looks like the penisula was perhaps added after the original kitchen cabinets so painting it the same white will make the cabinetry more cohesive. Stainless appliances. Declutter small appliances. Without knowing the length of the penisula, it's hard to gauge the available space for your stools but four looks too crowded. Typically, allow about 30 inches for each seat.

Very mech budget dependent! Personally, I would swap appliances only if I’m not super concerned with budget or, I resell the old ones. Assuming they all work, it’s extremely wasteful to chuck them just to change the color. Clearing everything off the counters and painting the back, side and trim on the peninsula to match the cabinets will help a lot. You could consider something decorative in front of the stools, like tile, reclaimed wood, wallpaper, beadboard….just make sure it flows with the rest of the house’s design. New stools, and a runner, and done!

It's a really handsome kitchen from the guest side and I don't think your stools can be improved. The dark countertops are sophisticated. I wouldn't lose them.

A new referigerator seems in order. Probably ditto a microwave. If it would amuse you to paint the interior lower cabinets. great. But I would suggest a non-flash hue.

I think I'd paint all the lowers a shade of green. Leave the white uppers. then I'd swap the backsplash for something with green. I dont care for the splash currently there. Rattan stools can be a nice look. If you want a new fridge just start shopping because that opening size has to be considered. Stainless would be fine w the other black pieces and look good w green lower cabs . Appliance replacement is sometimes personal preference ...some people swap before they are worn out so cant really comment about all that. If you want coordinated look maybe open box sale and just grab a black one for not too much money. Maybe fridge , stove , and mwave in stainless...a package deal and just leave the dishwasher. Do any of the appliances actually need upgrading?

good lord.

Thank you for your comments and ideas. I’m trying to make the guest side of the peninsula look less “ kitcheny” from the side that backs on to the dining area. I’m afraid that white will look too casual…….

Such a nice kitchen with great natural light - i think decluttering the countertops would go a long way, I would also lose one of the stools it seems crowded on that side

maybe your own search for inspiration pics would help the most. not sure what is meant by "less kitcheny" for all that kitchens have now adays i think looking at kitchens and all they contain is nice, personally. People spend months if not years looking for tile...people spend hundreds if not thousands on lighting. [it can be for looks and function] So maybe you need something a little bit more special. What is meant by "too casual" ??

if you have fear of "too" much of whatever you think.....and is holding back doing things I'd stick w working w the lower cab coordinated look .thats where paint can be the best thing..not super cheap but the lowers only is feasible and would accomplish a change. Not really sure what you want to take on.

here's a good looking space w pendants they chose....color for the painted cab areas/ along w the white uppers/ a newer look for the backsplash . It's kitcheny , but what is undesirable?

a few other greens shown in pic 2 and 3. Your floor goes well w mid tone shades of colors if you want to seek something out VS. all white kitchen.

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Do one thing at a time. First, paint the wood cabinet to match the kitchen. Move the stools away so you can assess how this looks. You will now have a black and white kitchen. It could be wonderful with that one project.

You can buy some black hardware to see how it looks. That might be enough.

Then add a rug.

At this point you might be happy. Changing appliances because they are black is a HUGE expense. Have you priced refrigerators and dishwashers?

Start slow. Each step of the way rethink the room and live with it for a couple of weeks.

The stools are definitely “heavy” looking. Something cleaner (after you paint) will be better. Can you work with 3 stools, not 4?

If you are wary of white on the cabinets, test it out first by painting up some cardboard and temporally fixing in place. See how that changes the look and if you want to continue further. I also note there are 2 under cabinet lights - they brighten up the counter space quite well, so you could consider some strip led lighting to provide a continuous light. As RedRyder suggests- go step by step and evaluate.

I really like your kitchen and think small changes will make a big difference. I agree about painting the peninsula white. After that, your wood stools may be just right to add warmth against the white peninsula. I do agree they look a little crowded. While I love a table lamp in a kitchen, that one might be a tiny bit large. Definitely remove some things from the countertops. I could go either way on the appliances. If you want to spend the money, you could replace to make them all match but I don't think it's a necessity. You have a nice, cozy kitchen.

I agree with the painting of the peninsula (perhaps a green so that it is less "casual" on the other side. I like the stools. When budget allows, I would replace the appliances with white or stainless steel (I like white but it's your kitchen). My pet peeve is a microwave over a stove. Unless you are very tall, I believe they are dangerous for any cooking. Imagine taking soup or lasagna or even heated up coffee from anything above your sight line, not too mention if you have accidentally left on a burner. Not safe.

Where would you place the microwave?

Your main problem is the visual clutter is blocking the light and the beautiful reflective quality of your backsplash. Killing all that with clutter, and business, doesn’t give your eye anywhere to land and is making your lovely kitchen appear darker and smaller than it is. Do yourself a favor, take everything off the countertops, and remove that trash can and then make design decisions from there. You may be shocked at how much better you like your kitchen.

Knowing that it does need to be a functioning kitchen, my advise is, find out of sight locations for everything except a coffee maker, and if you use it regularly, toaster, and replace those two items with high end stainless, which will reflect and make a statement. Behind sink , keep only cutting board.

Paint the island white to match cabs, by all means move that trash can (it’s the first thing you notice) if at all possible do under the sink trash

If you use all the stools, space them out more evenly, if you don,t loose one of them. Your kitchen really does have good bones, I think you’re just feeling closed in by it,

Much as you need to remove some of the visual clutter on your counter, I would place the microwave on the counter to the right of the toaster in front of the plug (which is not attractive anyway).

Weekend project. No cost except time and effort. Empty all the cabinets. Yes, inside the cabinets, too. Reallocate where you place things. Get rid of duplicates and items no longer used. Clear the countertops of the appliances that you don't use daily. Everyone has commented on the clutter on the counters. That means this definitely an issue that should be addressed.

I would get rid of one of the stools, maybe two.

As appliances need replacing, select stainless steel finishes.

Your granite countertops and white cabinets are just fine except for the wood area under the stools. I would paint the the wood area on the peninsula in order to make things cohesive and appear larger.

Your attempt to make things look less kitcheny is doomed to failure. The kitchen is not separate from the living space and never will be. It's a kitchen. Make it quiet, neat, cohesive and coordinated by painting everything the same color. It will makes things seem bigger, too.

You might change the cabinet hardware if so inclined for a change of pace.

The flooring is fine.

Get your color from towels, dishes and potentially a colorful shade for the window.

Declutter. Matching stainless steel appliances. Paint outside island to match cabinets. Remove stools with two back friendly stools. If and when you are replacing counter tops lower the island counter to same height as the rest of counter.

Paint all the cabinets, including the island, a soft gray. Keep the counters. Stainless appliances.

I think stainless appliances would make a big difference. They would blend in much better than the black with your white cupboards, making your kitchen more cohesive, and less choppy looking. Maybe that is all you would need.

You've already gotten the very best advice that will cost you nothing. Declutter like mad per homechef59 and others. This will upgrade the look of your kitchen more than anything else you do. After you pare down everything from inside and outside the cabinets, investigate Rev-a-Shelf cabinet systems so you can relocate your trash can under the sink, composting container. Attach paper towel holder to inside of a cabinet door.

Your floors look good. Your backsplash looks good, too. Look for countertop with white background and very light tan/gold pattern that goes well with backsplash. (You'll have to test multiple samples against backsplash, floors, cabinets.)

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White cabinets, wood floors, light countertops, peninsula:

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What are your thoughts on painting the cupboards including the peninsula a lighter shade of the walls?