What color are the floor tiles? They appear yellow on my screen. If they are beige, I'd paint the walls either taupe or gray. Replace the curtain topper with a woven shade. It shouldn't be difficult to update your space. Add a few accents in your favorite color....maybe a turquoise bowl for fresh fruit or a pretty canister.

The color of the countertop , wall, and flooring are dating the entire kitchen.

The easiest fixes would be coordinating wall color with the floor for a seamless, neutral look and then changing out the knobs to more modern ones. Remove the valance and leave the window bare if privacy isn't a factor. Then clear the counters to the essentials, and perhaps add a runner to give color and texture. It's impossible to suggest actual colors, so pick up small samples from the paint store and try a few out. Even whites and beiges have a lot of color variance.

Remove the upper cabinets; use narrow shelves instead.

Thanks for the great advice! I'm doing one room at the time, so i'm concerned that if I change the floor, I won't be able to find the same flooring when I move on to the rest of the house. Any suggestions?

What are adjoining rooms? What is current/planned flooring there?

Paint the walls about six shades lighter than the beige on your floors .
Get rid of the valance.

Get everything off the counters except things that MUST stay. Then find a rectangular bread basket line it with a beige or white cotton dish towel and then a larger beige or white piece of crock ware to set on your counters, put nothing in them. I'm always a big fan of dressing up the hardware. These small items will have you on your way. Unless it's a total makeover. Send pics if rest of kitchen.

You have too many colors in that little area