if your not sure about white,and how
about off white or mushroom,it goes with floor and backsplash and the appliances dont jump out at you..cabinet transformations is a great product,easy to do and only about 100.00 to complete.it also looks very proffessional if you read and follow the directions

think the cabinets look good. I would have the granite transformations do a cover on the countertop. Much less expensive than new counters but I think it would tie it all together.

I would leave the cabinets alone.

cwag, are your cabinets in good shape or is it time to do something?

It's the countertops that need help.

As we are in the middle of painting our darkish (fake) wood cabinets, I will say it is a lot of work *but* it is SO WORTH IT. Our space has no direct natural lighting, and was dark and blah, 1970's browns everywhere. We have gone with a light bluey-gray, (didn't want white either due to white appliances, and didn't want the kitchen to look too modern compared with the rest of the house) but with the colors you have in your backsplash, I love the idea of a light sagey-green, with matte pewter hardware if you can change that too. Go for it! You will not regret it.

I would not paint the cabinets, id change the countertops to a solid surface and change the appliances.

http://houzz.com/photos/98832

http://houzz.com/photos/2601095

Maybe you prefer blue?
http://houzz.com/photos/116060

Cabinets don't have to be black or white.

http://houzz.com/discussions/568698

How about removing the upper cabinet doors' inserts and replacing them with a milky white glass? That would allow you to keep the cabinets as they are, and much, much less work involved.

My kitchen was very similar to yours ( I even have the same coffee pot, lol) I painted my cabinets "winter fog" (unglazed), replaced the hardware with brushed nickel, and painted the walls a dark smokey-taupe. It looks amazing, warm and contemporary. Check out the sight, it helps: http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/ Good luck!

I think the real culprit here is the boring, cheap-looking, white laminate counters. Put in butcher's block or stone in brown and cream tones and then decide. Whatever you do, don't paint the cabinets white! If you change the countertop and still want to paint the cabinets, do the uppers in a rich cream (not white!) and the lowers in a brown to coordinate with the backsplash.

i like the idea of changing the counters, but if you can't and want to do the cabinets, i would pick a color out of the tiles. i like the sandy brown color and a putty color

When I looked at all the pics the 1st thing I notice is the stark counter top. I would change it to something in a brown / tan family. Preferably in a stone or stone look. The cabinets seem to be in good shape and I actually really like them, the hardware and the flooring. If you must/want/need to paint the cabinets, then I would stay with tan family and not stark white.

If they are laminate you can paint them
http://www.diynetwork.com/kitchen/how-to-paint-laminate-kitchen-countertops/index.html

Pick a color from the backsplash. IMO the mistake here is not having removed the 4inch counter backsplash before adding the tile backsplash.

Perimeter cabinets are Manchester Tan

I had wood cabinets and this is the color I painted them.

I have the same backsplash. I installed a lagos blue ceasarstone countertop (a brownish/grey color and matches exactly the color of one of the mosaic tiles) and painted the cabinets a Ralph Lauren cream (warm white) color which is similar to Manchester Tan as shown above comment) and changed hardware to stainless steel. I would say it is definitely updated from what it was. It is brighter and has a contemporary look to it, whereas the oak cabinets had a more 70s traditional look). I much prefer them painted. I have black/stainless steel appliances but will be updating those when Black Friday rolls around. I did all this for around $2,500.00. My friend spent $15,000.00 and has a gorgeous remodel with the island costing $5,000 alone. It really depends on your budget, but I am pleased with my update.

I agree with @Judy M! I think a nice color besides the normal black or white would help the kitchen! I like the light blue color!

If you need any tips for when you do paint your cabinets, check out our blog on the topic: http://budgetmybuild.co/remodeling/how-to-paint-kitchen-cabinets

In addition, I will say this.....it is not an easy job to paint cabinets, if you do it correctly. I had to sand and sand and sand until my fingers hurt. After sanding, I had to put two coats of primer and let dry in between each coat.; that was followed by 4 coats of paint, drying between coats. It takes that much to get rid of the wood grain. Another neighbor painted hers and did not sand and only put one coat of primer and one coat of paint and it looks terrible. If you do not want to go to that much trouble, you could more easily change out appliances to black or stainless and install a warmer stone countertop to compliment your cabinets and floor. Those changes would also make a huge difference. Goodluck!

When I finished my cabinets I used one coat of primer and sprayed two. If you are trying to cover a wood grain, you can use a wood filler. Sanding is imperative but a palm sander can be useful on everything but the molded parts. Quality of the finish depends on skill at sanding and applying finish. Use a 180-220 grit open coat for bare wood, depending on the softness of the wood. Clean. Prime. Let it dry in a very clean environment--no sawdust--. Sand with 220 grit no load paper. Clean it well. Spray first coat. Again let it dry in a very clean environment with no dust. Sand with a 400 grit no load paper. Clean well. Spray final coat and let dry in a very clean environment.

Lay everything flat to spray and dry. If you're not very experienced at spraying this will help avoid runs.

cream or off white

Is it easier to use wood filler or paint an extra two coats of paint?

Wood filler. A good finish is 80% prep. 20% laying down paint.

Judy M Rocks!!! I love all the picks you posted.

turquoise

Do NOT paint the cabinets white, because there will be zero contrast with all white appliances. It will be a white-out, blah and boring. Try instead for a soft neutral gray. Lots of examples online, gray is the new neutral for kitchens, goes with stainless and nickel finishes, and with black or white appliances, countertops, etc.

If you must paint the cabinets, which I don't think you necessarily need to do, I think you should go with a warm grey. Grey is a neutral and if you pick one that plays off the colors in your back splash or compliments the floor I think it will look great. Whats throwing this kitchen off is the starkness of the white appliances. White cabinets wont necessarily look bad, you just have to get the white right! Maybe the grout color could work. Even changing the counter top could work and eventually should get changed when your time allows for it. Get some spare pieces of wood or cardboard and try some colors out that's really the only way you'll know for sure which colors work with the current features and which colors work for you! :) Good Luck!

How odd that's what I'm doing as of right now. My cabinets looked just like this. I chose Behr Hawksbill 3A8-4 (out of an older fandex ) it's close to the Benjamin Moore sample above. My appliances are black but I think it would go good with the white as well. Wish I had done this a long time ago.

Dark floors, dark countertop. Dee's picture above shows how much better the cabinets and backsplash look against darker colors.

I have read a blog for a few years and learned a lot. It is called Color Me Happy and Maria would tell you to paint the cabinets white but not stark white. She would tell you to go with black, gray or white on the counter and not to do a pattern because your backslash is already busy. If you were to replace your back splash, she would say to put in only subway tile either in white or cream depending on your cabinet color. Your white appliances are fine with white (and I don't mean pure white) cabinets. So, IMHO it would be off white cabinets perhaps Ben White Dove, charcoal counter and it can be laminate if you don't have the budget for stone. Formica has a soapstone that is fine. If you do stone, quartz over granite. Check her blog out, she has a whole series on painting oak cabinets, which white to use and back splashes fighting with countertops. Good luck!

Oops, forgot link. http://www.mariakillam.com/category/white-kitchens/

I had this same dilemma earlier this year with maple cabinets & the comments were so mixed, made me more anxious:):) I hear oak is much harder because of the heavy grain. Finally decided to paint & I love it! Took all doors & hardware off, numbered etc. We did the prep work (sanding & 2 coats primer). I then called a professional painter as the 1st coat of finish paint was taking on an "orange peel" affect due to the foam rollers we were using. I would suggest getting a pro involved. We are DIYers, but I wanted the cabinets to have as much of a factory finish look as possible - he sprayed them & sanded between each coat. I have done all the painting in our home over the years, including doors, walls, crown mold, furniture, etc, but the kitchen cabinets became a monster project. If you do decide to paint, I would suggest taking off the crown molding from the top of cabinets & building them up with MDF board (we used 5 1/2"), then reattaching crown mold to MDF. It gave our custom made cabinets a more updated look. Good luck whatever you decide!

Your cabinets look like they are in good condition. I agree with others here to change out your countertop. It's amazing what a little granite can do. Good luck!

You said white. That is what you will prefer in the end. I would too.......

I say white! I had cupboards very similar and wow...when I just went ahead and painted them white the whole room changed! It is fresh, clean, and makes the room brighter and bigger. I'll never be sorry that I did this! I love it! Give it a chance. If you end up not liking white, you can always paint another color. By the way, my cupboards were in great condition...just needed to change them up to get the look I wanted. Just do it! :)

I think maybe a duck egg blue on the bottom and white on top. Maybe also consider doing a faux concrete top, as the laminate looks a bit tired! Some info on painting timber cabinets http://www.paintmyplace.mobi/update-your-kitchen-by-painting-the-cabinets/

After painting all my cupboards white, my friends followed suit. Changed the whole look of the kitchen and looked so fabulous. Clean, crisp and bright. Add color elsewhere..

What about sage green?

I vote for a dove gray color, it is hard to see the color in the backsplash.

Thanks for all of your comments. I was never planning on doing a stark white paint color. Also the dated formica is not white it is more like a cream color with some light browns in it that you all cannot see.That will be changed at some point. I know it is dated as well as all of the appliances. They will be changed to stainless steel when that time comes. The cabinets are not in bad shape at all but I hate the stain the I choice 7 years ago when we built the house and I was only 25 at that time. I stained every cabinet in this house by myself as well as help build them. So therefore a lot of time and love were put into them. The main reason I wanted to go with a white color instead of a green/grey/ etc. is I felt that just like my backslash I would be stuck with a set color instead of a neutral. I have been stuck with this dilemma for some time and just can't seem to see something that I know I will be happy with long-term. I tend to do things in steps instead of all at once for $ reasons. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

Maybe consider a neutral light color that is both in the counter and the backsplash as a cabinet color.

Your back splash looks as if it is pretty neutral, white would look great with it. Let us know if we can help you in any way!

What are the colors of the back splash and the floor. I think a color that blended well with them would be nice. White would wash out the kitchen I think.

White appliances I'd do a soft white paint on cabinet.

I really liked the idea with the sage green cabinets. Also you might want to look at giani for your counter tops. My daughter has never even painted a wall until recently and she did her counter tops. They look great. Her counter tops were an off white. Look at them now. Amazing what some paint and a sponge can do to a counter top.

Look at Sherwin Williams Chatroom...really nice and I feel it will do well with the backsplash