Have no idea what we would be voting on . I ahve many times had Ikea cabinets painted for clients so yes you can paint them but why ?? IMO he cabinets are not the issue . The floor the clutter and the lighting are all bigger issues for sure . I do not see damage to the counters so can't comment on that . The flooring is a huge deal and if planning on the same all through the home then if you love the kitchen as it is you start with the floors. I see ahuge need for storage so maybe share a to scale floor plan of the whole kitchen, show every window, doorway where those lead . Every measurement clearly marked Post here in jpeg format in a comment . If this is anew to you home then stop right now and wait at least 3-6 months before any major change . You brughte a space with lighting and you need lots . Pot lights are the best and I like all LED 4000k bulbs Layers of light are great so under cabinet for sure and if you actually have space for an island then pendants over the island . I like the different levels of light to be on separate swithches too. Lots to think about so be patient and garner all the info you can from the free advice you will get here before doing anything .

Will need to do in stages because we are on a budget

This means that you need a plan for the whole project before you start doing anything.

There have been many people here who started their project in stages, and then found that they have made selections that don't work together.

Since your flooring is in bad shape, that is probably the place to start. If you want the same flooring throughout the first floor, you will get a lot of affirmation for that idea here. It will be easier to get the same flooring through the first floor if you do it all at once. Don't do the kitchen now and the living room in a year or two. The odds are very high that you will not be able to find the same flooring again.

I like your cabinets, so I would make choices that embraced them. I think part of the problem is that the cabinets don't like the paint on the walls.

Wood in the tones of your cabinet is becoming more popular in cabinets. White is always in even when it's not trendy popular. Gray is not trendy popular anymore.

Generally, I would say to make the decision on the cabinets first. If you dislike the color because you dislike the color (not because you dislike it in your kitchen), then you can paint them. If the cabinets are wood, it will be easier than if they are laminate. However, DIY paint on kitchen cabinets is not an easy process.

Here's the order I would recommend following:

1. Floor (do the whole first floor if you want the same flooring)

2. Cabinets (whatever you decided)

3. Countertops

4. Backsplash and wall paint.

Good luck with this project.

What color floors. Have a golden retriever. Laminate or vinyl? A lighter backsplash and counter. Definitely new lights. I love bicycle glass pendants

How about light wood floors

We can’t answer the question about laminate or vinyl or hardwood floors…get a local flooring pro out to measure and quote based on your conditions. You may need to add all new plywood underlayment for a proper vinyl installation and that may bring the cost up. Spend all your time right now researching flooring contractors and doing all your due diligence as this will be a huge decision and cost and will be the foundation of your new kitchen design. You may hold off on the kitchen for a number of years in order to do the floors right. Patience and planning is key.

Thank you

If the IKEA cabinets are from the current system you can purchase replacement doors and doors which would be much more durable than paint, however, the cabinets are one of the good features of the room.

I agree with Patricia that the quality of light is a problem along with just too much clutter. That has to be addressed because that will kill a perfectly brand new kitchen also.

Here is your kitchen with three different new floors. I think I'd lean to a tile that would look like honed limestone for your floors. Something more neutral than what I even post here.

Here is an engineered light wood floor

Here is a gray 18 x18 porcelain tile

Here is an 18 x 18 tan stone tile.

What is the flooring in the adjoining spaces? Have you considered hardwood through main floor? It’s so nice when it’s cohesive and the same. Also have a golden and three kids and it is great.

Would love for the first floor to be all the same. Currently a little of everything

It’s obviously a far bigger project but well worth it

The great wood cabinets are the BEST thing about the room. Replace the floors, and get an electrician to add better lighting, invkuding under cabinet lighting. That is all a MUST, no matter what rlse you do. Decluttering is free.

That is the least amount spent, with the biggest impact. Do that, and reassess. The lighting will make a HUGE difference.

I'd start with the floors, you can get along with other things, but the foundation of the space is the floors. Make them all the same material/color.

I would choose a light wood floor if the spaces are small and the natural lighting is limited.

What kind of lights do you recommend and do you have any suggestions for where to shop for them

You can shop online for lighting but IMO it's really nice to shop in person. There must be an independent light store in your area.

I think your cabinets look fine. As others have said, focus on the flooring and lighting first, then see if any other changes are desired.

debra

Get quotes from many vendors for many different flooring materials for the entire first floor. Settle on that. Then figure out how long it will take to complete that phase of the process. Next figure out a stop gap budget for some easy to change things in your kitchen that will get you by until you can make other changes. New hardware and living fixtures probably won't break that bank and will really give things a change in here.

I like your cabinets. They are in good contition. An inexpensive paint job is not going to last. An your Ikea cabinets may not merit the many thousands of dollars for a really good paint job.

I think replacing the counters with lighter tops will make your cabinets look completely different and you might start liking them.

Even though changes will be made gradually, an overall design is so important as is your budget for each stage, especially since you want to unify the first floor.

The flooring is a major decision and when choosing, consider the entire 1st floor and have preferred cabinet choice in mind (spend time on line to identify floor/cabinet combos). After cabinets are done, bring home samples of counters/backslashes/paint samples if redoing and lighting and accessories come last.

Spend time doing ”homework”:

Compare flooring options’ pros/cons, brands, costs, durability.

Compare cost of having cabinets painted vs new Ikea ones. If new, did you want adjustments, ie: adding a pantry.

Hard to give you helpful advice, but maybe as you go along (continue in this post) provide what you are narrowing down to and inspirstion pictures you like. You’ll get more relevant advice. Also…take your time and good luck.

My brother and SIL have these same cabinets. they have a 2x10" sage-y green glass tile backsplash in a stacked pattern. It's LOVELY. Very arts and crafts-y. They have a wood floor and a warm granite with a lot of movement. Some mission lighting over the sink. You can make this lovely. Agree on the flooring first.

I agree with others, especially Kempek. To recap:

You need to plan out ALL changes you want to make and break the work down into stages - whether to be done now or in a few years as more money is saved/available. By starting with a plan, you limit the amount of "redo" you'll need down the road and not waste money on something today that you're going to tear out in a year or two (or three). Or, if something is un-livable right now, "fix" it with something very inexpensive and then address it when you can afford to. E.g., if the floor really is in bad shape and needs to be addressed now but you want to redo it when you can with whatever you decide for the rest of the floor the Kitchen is on, then stick with an inexpensive vinyl. That way you won't be either tearing out something expensive now at a later date or force yourself into limitations/constraints that have an impact on your overall plans/look.

Start with the infrastructure items that have the greatest impact on other work - e.g., floors.

In the case of floors, however, don't do them piecemeal right now. If you plan to change all the flooring to the same, decide what type of flooring and, if possible, do it now in the Kitchen at least. Although, you do run the risk of whatever flooring you're planning to no longer be available when you're ready to do the rest of the home. Personally, I would either redo the floor as cheaply as possible now so I can do it right all at once when funds are available and when it will be seamless (as opposed to having stop/start transitions b/c it was done separately/piecemeal) or do all the floors now. But...see below about replacing cabinets.

If you plan to replace the cabinets later, don't do anything to them now -- I agree with others that they're the best thing in the Kitchen. In fact if you plan to both replace the floors and the cabinets, try to wait until you can afford to do them together. With the exception of floating floors, the cabinets should ideally sit on top of the finished floor. If you redo the floors without redoing the floors first, be sure the finished floor in front of DW doesn't "lock" or "trap" it in so it's difficult, if not impossible, to remove it later for repairs or replacement. Yes, there are leveling feet that might give you enough leeway to get the DW out, but they might not and even then if you choose a thicker flooring (e.g., 3/4" hardwood) they may be enough.

Unless it's unsafe or unsanitary, I would not replace the counters yet - wait until you know for certain what you want to do with the cabinets (paint, replace doors with a different finish, or replace them altogether) so you can get a counter that goes with the cabinets. Ditto the backsplash - that should be the last thing you do. If they are unsafe or unsanitary consider inexpensive laminate or butcher block for now. (IKEA has relatively inexpensive butcher block that you can DIY a counter from.)

You might also want to redo the layout a bit to put more room b/w the sink and corner. Or, you might want to get all drawer bases instead of ones with doors/shelves (even instead of roll out tray shelves). Or you might want to replace the open shelves with upper cabinets for additional storage or even that entire space there with pantry cabinets for even more storage space.

You could fix some of the lighting issues right now by adding recessed lighting throughout the ceiling in the Kitchen (not just in the center) of the Kitchen - the center lights create shadows on the work counters along the perimeter. You could also get some inexpensive undercounter lights (either battery or plug-in, depending on where your plugs are and whether you have any inside the cabinets. (If you don't like recessed lights, then maybe additional track lights similar to what you have in the Kitchen right now and put them over the work counters so your body doesn't create shadows when it's b/w the work counter and the light fixture.)

The above are just some things to think about. That's why we're cautioning you about jumping in with changes willy-nilly. Have a FULL plan in place before starting.

In the meantime, do a major declutter of the counters, island, and the open shelves - they all make the Kitchen look too busy and cluttered. If you can't move the stuff in the "island", consider some simple curtains to surround the sides so you can't see the clutter on the island shelves - but not fussy or busy, a simple plain color would be best.

Consider moving the toaster oven to the counter to the right of the refrigerator to free up some landing/workspace to the right of the range.

Lighting just needs to be a whole lot of recessed/disc lights, over cabinet, and under cabinet LED tape lighting. Not the pretty pendant stuff. That would be weird over the tiny island. The electrician should supply all of those materials.

It's useful to clip the nails of your golden retriever. There's a trick to make your dog stand still so you can eastly clip his nails. Take plastic wrap and wind a piece around your head at forehead height. On the plastic covering your forehead smear peanut butter. Your dog will lick that and take time because it's sticky. He'll concentrate on the sticky peanut butter. You can now pick up his paw and trim his nails. Here's the method in action. starting at 14;40.

You don’t need a full remodel to make a kitchen look high-end, a few strategic updates can totally transform it. Start with hardware and lighting; swapping outdated pulls and fixtures for brushed brass or matte black instantly modernizes the look. Next, focus on the backsplash, peel-and-stick tiles or even painted beadboard can add texture without breaking the bank.

Paint is your biggest friend here: painting cabinets (even just the lowers) in a warm neutral or bold tone can make the space feel designer-level. Add under-cabinet lighting for ambiance and visibility, and style your counters with everyday essentials that double as décor, a wooden cutting board, ceramic utensil holder, or a few potted herbs. These low-cost tweaks give you maximum visual impact while staying wallet-friendly.