It's a shame to just trash beautiful cupboards. Hopefully someone will want them. As these things go, they are not overly ornate. All the 'intricate details' are on the green island and I would agree it does not go with the rest of the space. Do you have any idea pics? What is your vision of simpler? If you are going to do this properly it's a gut job due to it's lay out. The sink needs relocation. If it were elsewhere that run could make a lovely place for a buffet when entertaining. I wouldn't just lower the tiered counter top unless the sink is going, as is it hides the sink and mess from the eating area. No one wants to look at the dirty dishes used for cooking while they eat. The desk area can go, the cupboards should be to the ceiling or at least all the same height, stools don't presently have the leg room needed for comfortable seating and it's just silly to have chairs backed up to each other so even though its 'the thing' right now, your kitchen doesn't need them. Your cabinetry does not exist in a vacuum. It's interesting that the kitchen and the built in around the fireplace are wood and the rest of the trim out is white.

the wood is a nice contrast to the all white everywhere and fairly light floors. I would not change it. you could paint the island.

things I'd do 1. change the backsplash 2. paint the island .3. change the dining table and island pendant. 4. wait and evaluate the desk area in the rear/ useful or not?

Its a very nice kitchen, and the cabinets are beautiful and look to be a good quality, and taken care of. Best advice for you, because, you are excited to get the new house, and thats often a problem, people jump in and change things, that dont need changing and a yr or two down the road, they realise they want something entirely different. My advice, move in, enjoy your house. Repair anything that is actually broken, if there is anything, but, live with the rest for 6 months to a yr. By then, you will know exactly what isnt working for you, and what you want to do about it. Congratulations on your new house.

I totally agree to live with it for at least 3-6 months I find thta is long enough to figure out what you love about the space and what you hate. I also find the whole thing too ornate and busy for mt style. I think the wood in the other space is not an issue.. I for sure would not spend money painting those cabinets you in the kitchen , they are dated and if ease of cleaning is amust wya too many grooves. IMO this is akitchen too big for good function since you have 2 islands that never make sense to me and I always suggest to my clinets to count the steps it takes to make a simple pasta and salad dinner , it that how many steps and then some you want to take to make dinner ? All the base cabinest should be drawers not behind doors but actaul drawers , I love true pullot pnatries for storage and often build them in a wall including the fridge .. Waht I am saying is a well designed kitchen is one that works for how you use the space . We can help but IMO too soon . When the time comes to do this come here with a to scale plan on graph paer showing every measurement, doorway and window all marked clearly , posted here in jpeg format in a comment . You will get a ton of free advice to begin this project .

Definitely live in the house for several months before making a plan for the things you want to change. The only thing that you should do before moving in, is paint the walls, if you don't love the cool white-gray color. Easier to paint when there is no furniture in a space.

The key to buying a house that has expensive things you don't love, is to have enough budget left over to change those things. With good quality cabinets (all drawers), sub-zero/miele appliances and quartzite counters, you are looking at $200K+ to fully remodel that kitchen. More if you include layout changes, which then adds in plumbing, electrical and flooring costs.

How much do you have (or want) to spend on any updates? Are there bathrooms that need to be updated too?

Thank you so much for all your thoughtful comments and advices. The kitchen layout is not ideal; it feels a bit disjointed with the appliances all over the place and changing this layout would definitely be a costly endeavor. As you pointed out, it probably makes the most sense to live with it for a bit and really understand our needs before diving into such a big project. In the meantime, we will attempt to tackle a few items that Lorraine Leroux suggested.

While I'd love to have the cabinets painted professionally to a lighter color to achieve that bright, airy look, I'm hesitant due to worries about paint chipping and the need for frequent touch-ups.

I'm thinking an off-white countertop and backsplash could really help brighten up these dark cabinets. Since I'm having such a hard time finding a light-color backsplash that complements the existing counters, I'm starting to wonder if I may just have to replace all the counters to get the look I want.

I wouldn't do anything much at all -- the counters, backsplash, floor all coordinate beautifully with the cupboards, and I wouldn't dream of doing anything to those beautiful cupboards other than maybe change out the hardware if you must do something.

What I would change is the wall paint -- the grey isn't doing the warm tones of the kitchen any favors. At all. A creamy white will look so, so much better than grey here. Kitchen and eating area. I would also ditch the chandelier over the island, get something less fussy and doesn't look like a hanging violin.

Seriously, though -- I bet 1,000,000+ people would have kitchen envy were they to see this kitchen. I think it's beautiful -- warm and inviting, and it ties in perfectly with the adjacent room (with the fireplace).

That was my plan with my previous kitchen, but after using it for the first year, we realized the cabinets were not as good quality as we thought, specially the drawer glides. Not worth it to just put lipstick on it. I lived with the kitchen for 7 years while I tackled other projects first (guest house addition, remodeling 5 bathrooms, exterior hardscape & landscape, etc). The extra 7 years also made it easier to justify replacing all the appliances too.

It really isn't that dark of a kitchen. The area is well lit and the high ceilings keep it bright.

I am fully in agreement about living there for a while. Tyr to have a big party and see how the flow works for you. You can't really tell until you live in there. You need to adjust to the new space.

The cabinets do not need to match the cabinets in the other room IMO.

I think I would get rid of the 2 islands and try to combine those cabinets into one nice size island ( of course that can open a can of worms with the floors!! )

Patience is a virtue when moving into a new place!

Congrats on the new home!!

I'm looking to remove the decorative corner pieces from the kitchen island and then paint it. Do you have any recommended color suggestions that would complement the existing countertops and the rest of the kitchen's current elements?

I think it's a very nice kitchen, and I agree that you should live in it and cook in it for a few months before doing anything. Not sure if it's possible to remove the corner "legs" from the island without damaging the rest of the cabinet.

I'm also considering removing the tiered countertop in the kitchen to create a single-level island. Would this be a complex and costly fix?

I did this and kept the same countertop - Not expensive at all since they had to take my 48" range top into consideration - 1600.00.

Color suggestion for island - navy blue.

I think a nice sage green or navy would look great!

Looking at the photo, I see that the lower countertop comes right at the rear facing edge of the cabinet. Will that look right?

I envision the decorative corner legs will be difficult to remove without damages as they may be glued to the cabinet. I just try to make the island look updated and less busy.

I'm trying to decide between two colors for painting the island. Which one do you think would be best?

if you think you may change the pendant then I'd go a little stronger green. doesnt have to be dark but something less gray/ the blue you show is good if you choose that family of color. kitchen is large . Color value can be stronger in your space giving nice easy upgrade

greens---

Butternut and Green · More Info

Modern Lakeside Farmhouse Kitchen with Sage Green Island and Wine Cooler · More Info

The Green Kitchen · More Info

with a true green I'd love a freshen up of the pendant choice.... then later maybe a textural white backsplash when you have time to search. white tile choices arent boring these days.

3-Light Design Hanging Pendant Island Light · More Info

Hudson Valley Bowery Eight Light Island Pendant 3747-AOB · More Info

213SGG2018 Three Light Island Pendant Franklin Restoration Satin Gold · More Info

Kiki 1-Light Pendant, Aged Brass Finish - Cream Shade, Large · More Info

overall look to work w your wood...rich green island / new pendant/ cleaned up backsplash. Not difficult. one step at a time.

93rd Street Kitchen Addition · More Info

Take a look at SW Alabaster for the walls, its a warmer creamier white. I like the bluish color better for the island.

herbflavor and cat_ky, thank you so much for your thoughtful suggestions!

Your center island at it is in its current state stands out too much. The flooring is old and dated orange color. I would seriously consider everyone else’s advice to live in there for a some time and then decide what you want to do. Form my past experiences I feel that paint and flooring do the trick, and many times, you don’t need to do anything else. You could change countertops/backsplash next. And while you are deciding what countertops to go with, decide how to paint that center island. Green is beautiful. But I feel like you have too much orange hues in there right now. You will be adding a color (current green or new green, ….does not matter) that is direct opposite of orange and it stands out like a sore thumb. If you want to paint the center island, I would go with something that does not stand out. I would also change your countertops. But again, prior to investing in my kitchen, and prior to moving in, I would refinish this flooring.

I disagree about the floor. Unless it's in bad shape, it's perfectly fine. It doesn't look orange to me--it looks like a nice brown wood floor. Which is the color wood should be--it isn't normally white or grey unless it's dried out and petrified.

And for the record, green is not directly opposite orange on the color wheel, green is opposite red, and blue is opposite orange. If you're a pro and don't know that very basic knowledge of color, that's not good.

I still maintain that changing the counter tops and backsplash would add a lot to the room. The cabinets and floor are fine.

Poor selection on light fixtures. They can make or break a room.

A linear fixture over the dining table would be better.

Then because the kitchen volume is so very great, a fixture that visually takes up more space and has more contrast will make the space more interesting.

Then IMO the island needs more contrast and color. I would add a darker green.

This kitchen is beautiful. I wouldn't change anything, but maybe just the light above the island.

I agree, the floors look very nice already, I wouldnt be changing those either.

I think a navy color on the island with new brass pulls, a new brass linear style pendant light, and navy and brass stools would be a good start. Maybe next a new backsplash, but I’d live with it for a while first. I would definitely not paint the gorgeous wood cabinets in the kitchen and living room. Floors look great too. Enjoy your new home!

Beautiful kitchen - agree with others not to rush into changes. Switching out the light fixtures could make a big difference and not a big investment. Paint the island a color you like. I’d paint it dark blue because blue is my favorite color.

If you’re trying to lighten the kitchen why would you paint the island darker? Paint it a creamy white that works with the countertops. This looks like a good quality kitchen. I would just change the lighting for now, and maybe later change just the countertop and backsplash to get one level by the sink.

That's a lot of wood - flooring and cabinetry and the wood tones don't quite go together. I do like the green color of your island. Perhaps painting all the cabinetry the same green might provide a good foil for the wood flooring. Or maybe painting your cabinetry white might be more to your liking as you say you would like a lighter, brighter appearance.

Doors and drawer fronts, next to paint or stain color, really make a kitchen design. What we see a lot is customers who want a new, updated kitchen look, but not the price of switching out all the components (kitchen cabinets, countertops, appliance location, etc...).

I agree with what others have said about living in it before changing out everything, but slab doors and drawer fronts are slowly emerging as the next trend in cabinets, so if you like that look, it would be something to consider.

You can have a good kitchen remodeling company change out the doors and drawer fronts, repaint, and voila! It's a brand new kitchen.

Then, we always recommend getting rid of the bar top countertop extension, and lowering that to the same height. Yes, you can have the company use the same countertop, but you don't get quite the stability of the entire piece being one. You will also have a seam there.

As long as they know how to secure that and make sure it's very stable, you're good to go.

I'd check their reviews and ask to speak to some previous customers.

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any questions.

These aren't the best pics, but they are a good example of slab doors. Wood grain is actually making a comeback, so it might be worth sitting with the colors for a bit to see if you like them.

At the end of the day, upgrading the doors and drawers, a coat of paint by a good painter (don't cut corners there, it will cost you!), and a small alteration in your island countertop will yield big visual impact changes for your kitchen.

BTW, no reason to marry up the colors for your living room unless you just want to.

Congratulations on the new home—what an exciting chapter ahead! You're absolutely right: the bones of this kitchen are excellent, and with a few smart updates, you can completely transform the space into something brighter, more modern, and tailored to your taste.

Cabinet Color & Style
You're not alone in feeling that the dark wood, while high quality, can make the space feel heavier than it needs to. Painting the cabinets a soft, warm white can instantly open things up. If you're not a fan of the ornate detail, swapping just the doors for something with a cleaner profile (like a Shaker or slab style) can make a huge difference without ripping out perfectly good cabinetry.

Tiered Countertop
Removing the raised portion of the island is a very common update, and typically not as complicated or costly as people fear—especially if the cabinetry underneath is staying put. It may involve replacing the stone and doing a bit of electrical rerouting if there are outlets, but the payoff in both looks and functionality is huge. A single-level island not only looks more current, it also increases usable prep and gathering space.

Coordination with the Family Room
It’s helpful—but not mandatory—to coordinate finishes with the adjacent family room. We actually remodeled our kitchen to off white cabinetry for most of the areas and the island and a peninsula in a darker wood. The family room is adjacent, and the wood tones are different but work well together. The family room, in the background, is a different wood tone, as is the dining table. The photo below shows more contrast than when in the room.

Other Ideas to Brighten the Space

• Update the backsplash with a simple, light tile—zellige or handmade-look subway tiles are popular and timeless.

• Consider replacing light fixtures with something airy and sculptural that makes more of a statement.

• If you can swing it, replacing the countertops with something lighter (like quartz or a pale honed stone) can dramatically lift the whole space.

The good news is—you’re starting with solid cabinetry and a great layout. These changes, while impactful, don’t have to be overwhelming or wildly expensive. I’ve helped many clients make similar transformations, and the results are always worth it.

Keep us posted—would love to see progress photos as things move along!

"but the payoff in both looks and functionality is huge. A single-level island not only looks more current, it also increases usable prep and gathering space. " Not when there is a sink or cook top in the island!! No one wants to hang out near either of them!!!