My countertop is a grayish green. It photographs very gray and the cabinets throw off yellow. It’s Typhoon Green granite, but who knows what it’s called in other cities.

The Creamy is very neutral but definitely warm so if you want some gray in your room, it’s not going to work. I would do the paint combo from Jan.

You might try the following:

Remove the arch over the sink, replace the hood with stainless, remove the corbels from the island then paint it.

Nothing wrong with a painted strie' finish on traditional cabinets to keep the Mediterranean style.

https://www.robertschott.com/2015/10/painting-strie-look-on-kitchen-cabinet.html

If ALL you did was paint the cabinets........essentially it's going to feel like this.

Not great lighting obviously : ( And you have to look at the lower cabinets for truer "cream". The internet is abundant with it girl kitchen of the moment and all others are a bit of a dig, or irrelevant.

VERSUS THIS

I do think it is high time we stopped giving traditional kitchens a bad name, warmth a bad name !, as white and light oak and all manner of "modern" kitchens steal the limelight.

I'll come here for dinner and hang around as long as you will have me. Do I need the curtains? No. But I forgive.

And I will always love a dark counter with creamy ivory. Bonus? That dark counter will pair with any floor......whenever it happens or if it doesn't happen.

I personally love your kitchen as is. It’s beautiful and it looks wonderfully crafted.

Rich dark natural wood is sooo on trend. It would be a horrid misstep to paint your cabinetry!! The back splash could be updated it is the only thing that even leans to the 90s 'Tuscan' to my eye. I suppose lighter counters would change things up but not really necessary. I think what you need is a vacation. Leave this behind and use the money for FUN!!

I too think your kitchen looks beautiful as is. I would leave it alone and just enjoy it.

I’d keep the cabinets, replace the countertops and backsplash with a green soapstone, and update the lighting to make it brighter.

Your kitchen looks nice but I understand why you would want to freshen it up.

What is your budget? The cabinets should be professionally painted, which can be expensive. HGTV lies when they make it look easy! Adding new counters, backsplash, flooring, and carpentry will add up quickly.

Do you have any inspiration photos? Can you post a photo of the other side of the kitchen?

I turned it into a black and white photo and simplified a couple elements

Better yet, (and a lot cheaper than the stainless range hood which may be quite pricey), you could paint the range hood the creamy white mix that Jan suggested along with painting the island after removing the fussy corbels on both. That, along with removing the arch over the window, will lighten up the room substantially.

You could also keep the backsplash but paint white over the little black diamonds.

With the money you saved, go on a nice vacation or add the money to your retirement account.

Better lighting.

Under cabinet lighting.

Lighter counters and backsplash.

Pacific Palisades Kitchen and Master Bath · More Info

Well. Under cabinet lighting is always great, but it's really not a dark counter top as is. The flooring is already light.

The op hasn't returned, I see a highchair in the corner. ..........

And there's always a debate about the "sinful" act of painting wood. It's not a sin, especially if you do not favor dark kitchens. I think inspo's are best when they are really relevant. ......nothing will be online exactly AS the scenario

Close enough is good enough : ) even with its poor lighting tone.

This used to be a dark cherry kitchen. ........yes it was gut. But I can say she'd NEVER go back

( bad picture day )

Interior Design Work · More Info

Below was honey oak....she'd never, ever go back , either

Kitchen redo with butler · More Info

In the end, it just depends desire and pocket book.

This is the adjoining family room, which I plan to refurbish too. The other photo is my living room which I have partially redone, except for pillows, etc. That is the look I’m trying to tie in with rest of house Thank you to all who have responded. I’m open to all suggestions incl adjoining room and living room

After seeing your second set of pictures, the travertine floor looks great. After seeing the rest of the house, painting the cabinets a creamy white would look wonderful. You don't even have to change the backsplash if you don't want to get into that. It's already a coordinating travertine. Or, you could change it. Simply depends on how much you want to do. It's not an expensive project. The professional painting will cost much more than the backsplash. I'd keep the counters.

You could approach this incrementally but with a Plan. You could always pick a lighter color (or less busy) countertop and backsplash that went with the current floor and the current cabinets, but also went well with a "white" cabinet color of some sort. If the changes without painting the cabinets are not enough, you could always paint. As long as it was planned to work with a white shade as well as the current stain color.

The OP clearly craves light. Why, when seeing a living room she just refurbished, as opposed to the family room which she has not, as opposed to a kitchen she's thinking about...........??

Would anyone believe she wants the dark cabinets in a kitchen. I doubt it.

@ homechef got it, so do I.

Go for it......: ) ! paint 'em. No permission slip required.

I removed a quartersawn oak kitchen, with gray floors and beige countertops. I also added a ton of recessed lighting. Many people were surprised since the kitchen was clearly custom made (as were all the bathroom oak vanities….).

My white refaced kitchen makes me happy every single day. You don’t like your wood Tuscan-inspired kitchen? Paint it. Change whatever you want to. It’s your house.

What I like is to go with the same cabinet color and quartz with golden veins (calacatta gold, cambria brittanicca gold)

https://www.homedepot.com/p/CAMBRIA-6-in-x-10-in-Quartz-Countertop-Sample-in-Brittanicca-Gold-Warm-11077802/325752560

Celery - The challenge is to tone down the “Tuscan” feel. If she removes some of the elements but leaves the cabinets the color they are, the issue becomes fixing the “naked” areas.

I agree with you it could be updated with new counter and backsplash tiles, but the Tuscan features are challenging. Always love your visualizations.

Celery, the OP wants to keep the travertine flooring, too. So, the countertops must coordinate with the flooring.

what the OP doesn't want is an *American* kitchen. This is a Tuscan kitchen (in San Quirico, Tuscany)

another in Impruneta

Capalbio

Florence

People should just say I don't want a dark wood American kitchen with golden brown granite countertops.

@mytwocents - 😂😂

Well . To my knowledge, there was never any authentic "French Country" that looked like Charles Faudree or Betty Phillips either. : )

What's in a name...the OP hasn't returned.

I realize my kitchen isn’t the look of kitchens in Tuscany, because I visited my cousin there. But, the term is what has been popularized for my look and was easier to explain.

Jan, would you also advise removing dentil moulding and fluted areas on island?

21100, That's a conversation that you will need to have with your cabinet refinisher/painter. Some things come off easily like the dentil molding around the crown molding. The corbels will come off easily, too. But, the fluted columns on the island may have to stay. Looking at the picture, I'd say I doubt it. Each piece has to be treated individually.

If you can, you should. If you can't, don't stress about it.

Thank yiu

Yes, ”Tuscan” was just an invented decorating term, popular in the 90’s, 2000’s. Very popular in my area (South Florida) about 30 years ago.

I think once those fussy corbels are removed, and the arch over the window, your kitchen will come up to date. The cabinetry doesn’t look particularly dated to me. I wouldn’t worry about the fluting.

@ 21100

I'd be inclined to get a very good trim carpenter over there, first.

You're clearly not loving dentil moulding, corbels, fluted details. But honestly, none are a big deal to rid IF you're painting. Get that issue cleared up prior.

Those elemants and the arch at window are the only elements screaming faux "Tuscan" .

If you want to go whole hog? Take out the hood cabinetry, get a STAINLESS hood. The cabinet skins on both sides will need to be dealt with, and whatever crown you select? Just "return" it to the back cook wall. You're tearing off the back splash in any scenario!

I like your idea of keeping wood on the island - and just re-staining the island base if you want a different wood finish. That’s a great idea. It will keep your kitchen from being too cold looking, and also keep it from being too cliche with the all white kitchen thing. Plus, could help to tie in with your current floor, and can also work fine with wood or wood look flooring. Another option could be to paint the island base, too - and use wood/butcher block on island or throughout. ( I am suggesting this since you are planning to change the counters. I personally like granite - any kind of granite. But this is not my kitchen. It’s yours.)

You could consider doing some glass in a few of your uppers.

Painting that kitchen as it exists will only accent all the gewgaws and make it look even more ”Tuscan”. It needs a good cabinet maker to do quite a bit of plastic surgery on it before you spend the 14K on a cabinet finisher to paint it. Between that remaking/refacing labor and the expert finishing, you likely could buy all new mid grade quality cabinets.

" Gee Gaws".

Mmmmmm. So UNLESS there is something wrong with the cabinetry, unless there is something in the kitchen that doesn't function ( and there is NOT much about the layout that can be changed) , minus a few details and painted, it is really nothing more than a creamy traditional kitchen, with raised panels.

Tearing out a kitchen is disruptive.

We've no clue the location, a coast? Middle of the country?

You need to sit down, ask yourself what is next door, up the street. How long are you staying? Five years? Ten? "Forever" ? If you have a 10 k paint job , a 4 k trim job...new tops for 7 k, a 1 k tab for new lights/ lighting and any ceiling repair/paint , 400.00 max for a faucet, 2k for splash and install, another 500 max for hardware...

Call it 24 k all in, in mid country USA. New cabinetry ?? 22 k minimum plus all the other! (minus the trim issue ) is another 11k or 33k all in.

p

What's that 9k delta over 5 yrs, 10 yrs. or "forever" ?

and your kitchen cabinetry goes to a dumpster

Answer, 1800 per year.

900 per year

450.00 over 20 years and total redo yet again, or the move to empty nest housing :)

Get a KD in there - price new

Get a trim carpenter in there price it

Get a pro painter estimate too

You will never decide, until you ask the people, and ask y.o.u.r.s.e.l.f

If what you want is a shaker door in soft white with flat stock trim? And you won't be happy until that's what you have? You do this:

Gather your inspos of the dream kitchen. .....and step away from the thread : )

" Only you know what you want, and ONLY you will be unhappy if you don't get it."

(Really it's a bigger delta than 9k, as I assume you'd get a new stainless HOOD.) lol

Removing any of the decorative elements will reveal lighter wood underneath, that hasn’t been exposed to the lights. The raised panel

doors and the fluted pilasters contribute as much to the traditional feel as do the corbels. Right now, the kitchen is an interconnected whole cloth that works. Removing one element can start to unravel that whole cloth.

I would suggest addressing the lighting first, if you want a light kitchen. That will make the biggest difference. It's also forward transferable to any other step of a process. Lighting is much more expensive than you think! Get a budget number in mind to go past that, and get some good design help too.

That’s a good point Jan. I live in Southern California and have no plans or reason to move. I had Pro paint bids from 11,000-17,000 which is mind-boggling to me. I figured with counters and backsplash , trim work , sink it would be 25-30k My cabinets are 20 yr old cherry and excellent condition. I’m pretty sure all new with good cabinets would be quite a bid more. But, i guess it would be smart to see the cost for sure.
Although, it would be a struggle to convince hubby 😂

@21100

I get it, and absolutely! . But ? There is no denying that a factory finished upper moderate cabinet line will outlast a paint job.

Your decision is only yours and hubby. Do you want to throw 35k and more at this and ten years from now start over?! ? Maybe not.

Might be time to get the 20 year kitchen and make it as timeless/classic simple as you can. EVEN if it means a delay of a couple years. I DO see that high chair : ) and I don't think you are the grandma with a loaner lol

21100, I'm outside of Atlanta, so my costs won't be as high. I set myself a budget of 50K for a kitchen refresh rather than moving to a over 55 community. In the long run, it will prove to be cheaper for me.

I suggest you set a budget of what you have to spend and then see if you can do what needs to be done for your budget. That's what I did. I'm in the homestretch and I made mine with a few thousand to spare.

I did make a few compromises along the way. I need new countertops and sink. I didn't get the Taj Mahal quartzite, I got a grade III granite. Because of that, I was able to get new countertops in the laundry room, too. You don't need new countertops. Yours are great already. That is a significant savings.

I didn't get the Cleo tile backsplash, I got a classic plain white subway tile because I needed a bright, light reflecting background. My choice was also driven by the movement of the new granite countertops. The backsplash needed to be quiet. Doing something similar with a choice skewed to traditional will change the vibe of the kitchen like nothing else. Do that if you do nothing else.

I did splurge for better replacement appliances and luxurious lighting fixtures. I don't think that you are contemplating new appliances.

I'm keeping the cabinet hardware because that's the hill that my DH wants to die on. Can't move him and he actually has some good reasons to justify his position. Drats, I hate that!

I did get a new faucet and new sink. I'm not certain of your situation regarding these elements. But, they are reasonably easy changes even if you don't change countertops.

I'm painting rather than reconditioning. That's one area where I ended up selecting the slightly more expensive option. I'm removing 90% of the embellishments, 10% will remain due to structural issues. You can keep the kitchen hood, there's nothing wrong with it. It's just fine. You may be replacing the corbels for a less ornate set. It's not a high cost item.

Neither of us is replacing cabinets or flooring, nor are we moving the location of appliances. That's where the big bucks are spent. I just see no reason to replace good cabinetry for the sake of fashion. Traditional style kitchens are perfectly fine. That's why they are traditional.

I"ve done a few kitchen gut jobs. It's really hard and very expensive. I'm just as excited about the changes to this kitchen as I was to the new kitchens that I installed. Amazing what a new cooktop, sink and refrigerator will do for your attitude.

A newly painted kitchen done by a professional will last a long time. You will pay a lot for the same quality cabinets you now have, and you also avoid the headache-inducing disruption of a full tear out. With a paint job, you can remove the “fancy” elements you don’t like and keep the layout you’re used to.

HGTV has convinced everyone that tearing out anything and everything is a good idea. It’s only good television. I’ve redone two kitchen remodels and two refacing jobs. Tearing everything out is a huge headache.

The suggestions here would give you a lighter (painted) kitchen, avoid raw, unfinished areas that have elements you want to remove, and update several things. You can change the countertops, or not. They’re in great shape and would be pretty with a new cabinet color.

@21100 - Have you made a decision about the kitchen?

Yes. I’m going to remove decorative elements, paint cabinets off white and restain island lighter wood tone. Just not sure if I should take out cabinet over stone or replace to stainless What do you think.

And change counters to Taj Mahal or quartz.

Great to hear!

When shopping for Taj stone, look for the creamy ones with light caramel veining. Many slabs are leaning grayish. Find stone dealers and let them know exactly what you’re looking for so they will call you if a shipment of cream colored ones arrive. You can pre-pay and have them saved for you. It’s harder to find but so much prettier with what you’re planning.

Yes to removing the cabinet-style hood. I wouldn’t paint the one that is there.

The two cabinets are up for discussion. Depends on the style of hood you choose. Do you need those cabinets?

Have you chosen a color for the white? I’m sure some of the pros on this thread can give you specific ones that work with TM countertops. Can’t wait to see your progress. We will need pictures along the way!

Sounds like you have developed a plan of action. Good luck.

Because our kitchens are so similar, I want you to know about my countertop process. I thought that I wanted Taj Mahal or Perla Veneta countertops and white subway tile backsplash. After shopping the entire Atlanta area for countertop material, I found some and had it priced. I was gobsmacked at the price. Because of it's current popularity, the upcharge was at least 30% over even the level 5 granites and top of the line quartz.

I made the decision to look for either a lower level granite or a competitive quartz. Finding good granite has become difficult because the big granite suppliers are not shipping large amounts f granite into the North American market. While it continues to be popular internationally, it's a real gamble in the US and this is reflected in the number of varieties that are available.

I was lucky to stumble across some Istanbul slabs and selected them. They are now installed and I like them. I found plenty of quartz that I thought would go well with my wood floors and warm decorations. But, I literally flipped a coin to make the decision. I'm happy with the granite because I like it's durability and I don't feel that I have to baby it like I would quartz.

I was able to use my 50% savings to pay for more expensive appliances, lighting and new countertops in the laundry room. The new refrigerator arrives next week and the kitchen refinisher has my doors and drawers at the paint shop.

Good luck. I hope the process is simple and easy for you. Please do post pictures of the project and final result. We are interested.

Easy Peasy! Remove/replace as much of the fussy wood cabinet details as possible, I.e., corbel, crown molding, etc. Paint the cabinets. Personally, I’d go with a warm cream for the uppers and dark espresso for the lowers as it would work amazingly with the countertop, backsplash and floors. Change out the cabinet hardware to something bright and more on trend (super budget friendly). If your budget allows, change out your stovetop hood to copper or stainless. This will tone down the Tuscan-feel. Lastly, you really need statement lighting over the island, which unfortunately may be a good chunk of change for an electrician, but so worth it. Don’t stress and Remember to have fun during the kitchen update.

In response to Red Ryder, one of small upper cabinets on either side of stove could be removed, but other keeps our spices, so would have to think about options for that. I’m intrigued with what you are envisioning for area without being flanked by cabinets. I’m a very visual person and would have to look for some photos. I know it’s kinda hard to see in photos. But, I found a couple of quartz and a Perla Venata and Taj Mahal quartzite. In the photo, I put a wood piece, the color of my island, by quartz/quartzite. Can you give me your expert opinion on any of those or should I look for some more. Thank you and all of you for taking time out of your day in giving me your advice. I truly appreciate it.

Here’s another photo

In the last photo, the third one looks the “creamiest”. The second one is pretty, but as a large countertop may be too much bright white (unless that’s what you want). It’s always hard to choose from small pieces in a photo.

you should take photos of tiles not near other tiles or wood unlike your cabinets. It affects what people see in the tile you want to them to advise you about

2100 - I would love to see pictures of your new kitchen. I have a very similar kitchen I too am trying to update, and am having a hard time finding countertop to go with those travertine floors.