White countertops with minimal brown veining.

Changing the hardware will go a very far way too.

Post a large when clicked on floorplan with readable measurements.

Consider reworking your stove area to remove the narrow cabinets on either side to create counter space on either side.

Do you want to keep the two-tier island or change to one level?

It's a late nineties, early 2000 very very traditional kitchen with high low upper cabinetry. Update it to what? Shaker style cabinets to uniform height to the ceiling? Be rid of the breakfast bar height island to all counter top level with beautiful pendants? ( bar height really makes no sense as the sink there is only a prep sink ) Replace stove side door / pullout shelf cabinets with generous drawers? Lose the heavy corbels at range hood, the leg detail at the sink?

I'd paint the walls, and I would hold on ALL else, as I think you want a completely different kitchen. Yes?

You could throw thirty plus grand at this, and it will essentially be the same kitchen. I'd wait for what I GUESS you may really want.

Show the dream kitchen ( inspos )

What is your budget? Average 100K? Upscale 200K? Designer 300K? Luxury 500K+?

If you want to make smaller changes, this kitchen offers those opportunities without a complete gut job. It's an attractive traditional kitchen with high quality components.

Here is what I would propose:

Change the island by removing the bi-level bar and go with one level. This will require a new countertop and some modifications to the back of the island. You would need to paint the island because you will never match the wood.

Remove the corbels and sides of the ventilation hood. Or, replace it entirely with a new design. It's not attached to anything else. That offers you the opportunity of a new design that will provide you with useful space on each side of the stove. A good carpenter/cabinet maker could change this set up. And, this change probably wouldn't require a new countertop. New countertop would be entirely at your discretion.

If you did do a new countertop for the entire kitchen, get rid of the backsplash while you are at it. It's a good granite as they go. It doesn't have to be replaced. You would have to repair and paint the drywall that is damaged when you remove the backsplash. You would have the opportunity for new sinks if you don't like your sinks.

New hardware would provide another opportunity to replace the basketweave knobs.

Those are the items that date the kitchen. If it were me, I'd replace the hood, take the island to one level with new countertop, get new hardware, and paint the cabinets a uniform color. But, that's what I would do.

If you decide that you want an entirely new kitchen, then provide the dimensions as requested and our handy kitchen designer folks will help you with a new layout from scratch.

It's up to you to define what you want. We'll help you either way.

One of the more mysterious posts on this forum. We have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out what you are asking about. What are you repainting? The cabinets or the walls? When you say updating, what scope are you talking about? Removing some things? Rearranging? Removing all the cabinetry for a new layout? Or just the counters? Or just the backsplash? Or what?

If I were going to update this kitchen, and without any parameters provided by the OP, but assuming no change in layout, I'd remove the heavy range hood cabinet and its ornate legs, and replace with a beautiful custom stainless steel hood, perhaps barrel shaped, but without ornamentation. I'd change the 2-tier island to one level. Remove the fussy legs on either side of the range. Change the counters to something quiet and more current. Remove the 4" backsplash and install a backsplash that goes from counter to bottom of uppers. Change the window blinds to some that don't have the old-style valence across the top. Change the counter stools to something more fun, with some color, more current. The light switch and outlet covers replaced to ones that blend with the wall color. The floors are really nice.

You have a minimum 35 k decision ; changes I mentioned and those of others that remove fussy details on the cabinetry island etc. .......... Which leads us to lipstick refresh on something you do not love? Or wait and save more $$$$$

To solve a problem, you have to define the parameters of a solution. The most restrictive parameter for a kitchen redo usually involves budgets. Or we would all have Joanna’s Gaines 100K French range, and Chrissy Teagan’s 900K exotic teak veneered cabinets, with Kim Kardashian’s 100K slabs of marble counters!

The lack of drawers would be a big issue for me and not one that can be fixed easily with just a "refresh".

thank you for all the responses. I am sorry I did not provide enough info. Ideally we would love to sell and find a new house with our dream kitchen so do not want to invest a ton. $30-40k tops probably- we def want to level counter to one height

What would be your time frame for moving? If it's within a year or two, I would hesitate to do anything beyond changing the island to one level. Any change to improve function would probably be too expensive to recoup your investment; any cosmetic changes are a crap shoot as to whether they would appeal to a potential buyer more or less than what you already have.

If you are remodeling for your own use and pleasure, the decision comes down to budget, which, as others have said, could be substantial.

Unless you custom build the house, your lot, your everything? No house, no kitchen especially, is ever exactly quite the dream: ) If you're going to "spend 40 tops" ? THIS kitchen will still have high/low uppers. It still will not have nice wide generous drawers. It will not have a stainless hood. You may as well make a whole new island, as by the time you horse around with that one? Not worth it.

Depending neighborhood, and the state of the appliances (which seem to be fine ), and are generally 30 % of a kitchen budget or close?

You might be better to throw 70k at it all new, and get at least half back in resale,rather than 40 k and get very little back, other than your "Band Aid" couple of years . Because( mark my words) someone will be pleading right here on how to refresh, YOUR refresh. At which point it will be a 22 yr old kitchen with the look from even earlier days still clinging like glue : )

Better yet perhaps? Spend some time LOOKING and wait another year to do anything. You won't die, and you won't starve.

Remove the corbels too, along with leveling the island. It will go a long way to making the kitchen look a bit more modern.