White walls, white counters, and lighter colored hardware will freshen up this space a lot.

I don't think the countertops are the issue. It's the randomness of all the other selections.

The wall paint color should be changed. You can select a white or go dark gray

The counter stools are traditional and your dining chairs are modern. Pick a lane

I'd remove the rug & banish the tablecoth

Add a sizeable canvas to the wall

Countertops: If you’re replacing, consider a white quartz with subtle gray veining (like Carrara-look quartz) to lighten up the room. If keeping your existing dark counters, this still works with the right wall color.

Walls: Soft warm white (Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee or Sherwin-Williams Alabaster). This brightens the space and makes it feel larger while complementing the warm wood tones.

Since your cabinets are mid-tone wood, avoid overly yellow or orange wall paints — they’ll exaggerate the warmth. Instead, use light neutrals or earthy greens to balance the tones.

Take that table cloth off the table. Show the rest of your near / adjacent rooms. The counter is not the problem, the back splash is NOT good with the tops and nothing in there works well together except your hands/feet.

The paint color.......NOPE!! Not great, either.

The china hutch may be very sentimental, does not look good in the kitchen. The counter stools are heavy/bulky.... not good with dining table chairs.

What is the rest of flooring ? Oak strip everywhere?

Add more pics from everywhere. : ) so we get a sense of the overall, please?

I have lots of ideas and if interested, think bigger picture as often when a counter is changed, other components will feel off, especially a backsplash. Can you provide a close up of yours? A paint decision should be last to ensure it is complementary to the adjoining spaces as well. Since you are updating counter, it’s not that expensive to change a backsplash and can have a big impact.

Consider painting the hutch lighter (maybe comp the flooring) and if the electrical over peninsula lines up, pendants would be a nice addition and black will tie in the dining chairs and add larger art to ground the area.

What are are you wanting to achieve? What is it that you do like about your kitchen and what do you not like? I think those are questions that need to be answered before giving any advice.

Your kitchen is nice, I don't think the counters are the problem.

I know a lot of people seem to like the large, high backed counter stools but I think they only work well in really large kitchens. In a medium sized space, they often end up looking like clutter. Get stools that slide under the counter and visually disappear when not in use. It's a place for quick meal or drink, the stools don't need to be posh.

I asked ChatGPT to do three things to your space.
-remove the tablecloth
-remove the barstools
-paint the walls cream

It also decluttered a bit but you get the idea.

Consider Norwood's suggestion before you do anything. also what is your budget? how long have you lived there and how long do you see yourself in this house?

I don't think the counters need to be changed. Paint the room first (a warm white or off white) and see if that doesn't make enough of a difference. When your appliances need to be replaced, buy SS ones. The black ones aren't doing anything for your kitchen. Other commenters have given you more good suggestions.

You have two backsplashes so I would plan to address that as well.

Pix from Maureen…nice!

Agree with Celery’s suggestion of Alabaster.

Also agree with no for two backsplashes.

There’s a lot of fun you can have with color when you’re pairing paint and kitchen counters. First thing I’d ask you: what’s your countertop material (granite, quartz, wood, laminate, concrete)? That helps a lot in choosing complementary tones. A few general ideas:

If your counters are quite bold or busy (lots of veining or movement), go with calmer, neutral walls or cabinetry, warm whites, greiges, soft taupes, so the counters don’t compete. If your counters are simple or neutral (plain white, soft gray, light tones), you have more freedom to pick accent colors: sage greens, muted blues, or even deep teals look beautiful paired with pale/neutral counters. Designers are also favoring warmer whites over stark bright white in kitchens now because they soften the space and age more gracefull.

Another trick: contrast. If your counters are dark, paint the cabinets or walls lighter to balance. If your counters are light, a darker base cabinet or accent wall can ground the space. Lastly, always test paint chips next to your countertop under different lighting, color undertones shift with daylight and artificial light.