I like the colour of the walls, but I would take them down to a lighter shade if your budget allows it. I also like the idea of white/linen against the colour of the walls. Keep it simple by painting the cabinets and the door frame a crisp off-white. That would brighten up the space a lot. Consider under counter lighting, you would be surprised at what that can do.

I'd go with white cabinets, as well. Leave the house woodworking natural. The woodwork and your lovely blue walls will show off better against white cabinets.

I can't tell what color they are now since the picture is a bit small, but it seems as though the current color is really out of place. I would probably paint them white, tan or light gray, and bring the same color in on other elements to make it more cohesive. White might make the white door stand out less, since you don't want to paint the trim white, otherwise I'd paint or change out that door, too. The wood doors are fine because they go with the trim.

Go with a light color (ok, I like white) on the cabinets and leave the rest of the wood alone. It's hard to tell from the photo, but it doesn't appear to have a lot of natural light.

I agree with Sarah-Marie about lightening and adding light. Having lived in an older house with little natural light and dark lacquered wood doors, every addition of light brought out the character of the woodwork and other architectural elements. I would not paint the wood because of the warm value it brings to the interior. For me paint colors don't achieve the same effect as wood, no matter how red they are. As for wall colors, because your woodwork is a mid-range shade, a tint of a complimentary or contrasting hue would brighten the space, and the lighter the better. Really, more light brings more interest to the natural character of wood, even dark wood. Consider reducing the wood's visual dominance with a wall cream color, and let your art and furniture provide the eye catching colors.

I'm all about white or some variation of it. I think the dark moldings and doors darken your home and you need a little bit of white to brighten the space up.

I think Black would be the last thing you should do. It'll make the room seem even darker and you def need some contrast.

I think black might be too much with the dark walls and trim. Especially if, as you say, your home is small. I recommend a pale grey or creamy white for the cabinets if you keep your wall colour. Or, if you want dark cabinetry, try a much lighter version of your wall colour. In terms of your flooring, staining it to match your existing trim might help unify the space. Painting your door the wall colour (or a few shades lighter or darker) will also make for a more cohesive space. Good luck!
~Tanya
dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.com

All woodwork should be the same color.... That white door looks completely out of place specially with that dark wood frame.... I believe the darker one to the left is real wood while the white one is not, you should really think about replacing it.

One other thing to consider..... Are the cabinets real wood?... If it's so it will be a crime to paint them. Think about removing the wood panels on the cabinets and replacing with glass.... then inside they could be painted and have some light.

If you totally adore that color...(which i don't) maybe you should try the next lighter shade on the walls and an even lighter one for the insided of the cabinets... That should do the trick... in a really nice way.

If you still want to paint the cabinets... you should go all white including every single piece of woodwork in the room to make it all look cohesive.

I do like the look of painted cupboards, but doing it is a LOT of work. We painted the cupboards at our old house, and despite doing all the proper steps (cleaning, sanding, priming and 3 coats of paint), they still chipped, scraped and marked like you wouldn't believe. They were cheap cupboards and looked better painted, but it was a total PITA and I wished we had just left them alone.

Not saying you shouldn't paint them, of course, if that's what you really want to do, I just want you to know it's not the "quick fix" some people make it sound like! Although the wall color you have now is lovely, but maybe a lighter wall color would brighten things up a bit? Adding more lighting was a good suggestion too. Also, some kitchens, no matter what you do, will never be bright and cheery, sometimes it's besto to work with that and go dark and cozy instead.

Im with the majority- white! I would paint the trim white to match, but that's just me. I am not against slapping paint on original anything.

Although I can't see how the room connects with the rest of your house - I'd say the easy way out would be to paint the door/trim white and repaint the walls a lighter hue.

I had a hard time seeing past the white door -- I would try to stain that to match the woodwork if possible. Then go with something much lighter for the cabinets.

Mix in 2 other colors to go with the wall? My husband and I painted our kitchen 2 blues and a white to cover some obscenely dark cabinets when we bought our house a year ago. The walls are a lighter blue, similar to yours. The cabinets are darker blue, with the cabinet doors and underside of the cabinets painted white.

Before pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesaturtle/4349867114/in/set-72157623286399967/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesaturtle/4396512745/in/set-72157623286399967/ After pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesaturtle/4443963164/in/set-72157623286399967/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/wesaturtle/4406367317/in/set-72157623286399967/

Good luck whatever you decide to do, and remember: it's only paint. You can redo anything that doesn't work out.

I agree with the comments that painting the cabinets can be more of a pain than you might know. I would paint the walls a much lighter tone of what you have, replace or paint the white door to go better with the trim, add undercabinet lights and a reflective backsplash (glass or stainless steel, there are some peel and stick options so don't even need to go through the hassle of tiling). I can't see your floors too well in the picture, but after you do the easier steps above, then you might have a better view of how much you really need to do with the costlier projects of the cabients and floors.

I completely empathise with your situation, Marian. We bought our 1920s row house almost 4 years ago and that's how long I've hated our ugly, dated honey oak cabinets with cathedral trim. Why haven't I painted them yet? Not because I think it's a crime to paint wood (that's retarded IMO, no offense), but because I've been told I might be able to sell them on Craigslist or Kijiji for a decent amount of money. And I just haven't gotten around to listing them yet, because if I do and they sell, then I have to have another solution lined up, pronto. The domino effect if you will.

But if I ever get sick and tired enough, I would paint them a slate blue on the bottom and a creamy white on top. Nothing wrong with doing two shades; slightly darker on the bottom and lighter on top to keep things anchored. And if it were my kitchen, the walls would be much lighter, too. Maybe same colour, lighter tone. Or just creamy white, to leave room for accent colours like some other commenters have suggested.

Also, if you do go ahead and paint them, you might want to think of starting by washing them down with TSP or an equivalent, environmentally-friendly substitute to increase adherence, priming them with a super-adhesive primer, then finishing the job by adding a couple of coats of non-reflective varnish to make them more resistant to scratches and nicks. Mig job, but I think, worth it.
This Before-After blog referenced here on AT a short while ago will give you an idea of the possibilities:
http://purestylehome.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-70s-split-redo-part-iii-kitchen.html

From that small photo, it appears that this is a very dark space - I'd be inclined to lighten it up w/ an off-white/cream paint on the cabinets...
...and some off-white tilework for the backsplash.

I agree with the comments that recommend lightening up the cabinetry. A cream white or a soft gray would be nice. I'd also lighten up the walls by going with a paler powder blue shade that will show up your lovely woodwork trim better without competing with it. As for that problematic white door, I'd paint it a bright red (but I'm the sort that thinks a red door looks good anywhere).

Oh, and if you do decide to paint the cabinets, a top coat of polyurethane or polyacrylic in a satin finish will help prevent chipping.

Paint the cabinets, doors, and floor off-white (maybe a heavier cream on the floor); keep the original woodwork dark as it is; walls look good blue, or you could go for a sage green.

Grey would look lovely!

Check this post for inspiration, looks like similar wood and appliances:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/kitchen-tours/top-chef-yigit-pura-visits-johns-beautiful-kitchen-137456

If you decide to paint (& I agree you should), consider removing the doors & bringing to auto paintshop. They can spray the doors with an a fiberglass like paint (or whatever toxic substance they use on cars). You'll get a very durable finish and save a lot of work. also, new hardward (hidden hinges & knobs) do wonders to spruce up kitchen/bath cabinets.