Any chance you could be convinced to wait until you can tackle more? What really dates it (IMO) is the double level island. The color of the cabinets is fine…would be nice if they went to the ceiling though. Can you vent over the cooktop or will that never happen based on the location? I like your spacious kitchen with solid wood floors - however, I don’t think a painted cabinet and new splash will take it very far for the $ spent so that’s why I asked if you could wait to do more. If the cabinets went to the ceiling (there are fixes for this without ditching what you have - if you ultimately paint the cabinets) that would be a really big visual improvement. Big paint job to do those cabinets correctly so that’s $$ and ideally done last after any corrections are made (like potential hood, extending the uppers, even redoing splash which is a messy job).

Do you like your current granite? If not and you’re planning a complete renovation then wait and save for the renovation (speaking from experience). If you’re ok with your current cabinets and want to repaint but don’t like the granite/backsplash colors then I’d still say wait and save to get the countertops you love.

I hated my entire kitchen the moment we walked in to view my house but knew that there were numerous unsexy but much higher priority fixes like a new roof, all new HVAC, and electrical work. Although COVID added 2 additional years during which I had only a kitchen sink cabinet because we had just gutted the space it was still worth it. Wishing you the best with your kitchen!

If you are set on just painting and splash - select paint and splash but do splash first then painting. The conundrum is that your counters would look best with a charcoal tone - no no no to white - it will only make your counters look off. But if you do the uppers in charcoal and they stay short it will make it feel squatty (better if they went to the ceiling). Start with tile - grab tiles that match your wall color to start. No bright white!

If you’re keeping the granite I would do a solid color backsplash using the lightest color from the granite. You have pattern in the granite and don’t need more in the backsplash.

Agree with refinishing the floors, better lighting, and new backsplash vs painting cabinets. You can look at restraining cabinets

https://mariakillam.com/will-white-kitchen-work-with-existing-granite-countertop/

The cabinets are fina as is they are even modern looking . Your budget if tight cannot handle painting the cabinets and IMO DIY painting rarely lasts or looks good. Save your money and wait to loswer the bar top and get a new counter down the road . Really the only place you need a backsplash is on the range wall so remove what you have patch the drwywall and get a nice simple inexpensive subway tile in a color form the granite for now. Make sure all the bulbs in all the fixtures are LED 4000K before choosing the tile. DIY painting of cabinets is huge time and effort undertaking and as I mentioned often not good. I see issues with layout that really need to addressed in the new kitchen that you should be saving for.

Don’t feel bamboozled by the need to remove the bar height counter, if it works for you keep it. But consider keeping the cabinets as is and change countertops and backsplash for bigger impact.

Rather than paint, get the finish changed on the cabinets. Right now they are gloss. Sand and refinish in a satin varnish and you’ll be surprised how much more modern they look. It’s a good time to look at new handles at that point, too.

The granite, backsplash and two-tiered bar are what’s dating your kitchen. I like the cabinets as they are now. I would put my money towards fixing those three areas. Good luck!

What color are the walls? they look grey on my screen -

yes, grey walls

Perhaps just look at removing the current backsplash and looking for a cream colored tile that works well with the countertops. You might consider leaving the cabinets how they are and the hardware doesn't look bad either. See the backsplash we used in this design below:

Contemporary Kitchen & Bath · More Info