Please, don't go grey in the kitchen. Kitchens should be happy places, not moody places. I agree with the editor, a punchy color of your taste (blue, green, orange, pink, yellow, red). If you hate the faux granite (and I do), call around and see what getting new laminate counters would cost you. We replaced ours for about $500. It will get rid of that bullnose edge and you can get something darker, which will ground the sea of white. I wouldn't do a tall table either, as they are often uncomfortable to sit out and will likely not get used.

Personally, I'm a fan of yellow kitchens, and I think yellow would work well for yours since it's so sunny.

It's hard to see the drawer pulls -- are they shaped liked utensils? I'd recommend updating those to something classic.

I agree that the island is awkward, and it looks like you have a lot of space anyway. The rug is pretty, but I think it's too big for the space. I'd get a few smaller, matching rugs.

Consider replacing your vent hood, which is cheap and will get rid of the distracting yellowed color. Give your laminate cabinets a really good cleaning. Add in a backsplash to create some contrast with the white--the cheapest and easiest thing would be to put up stainless steel panels, either the type you can buy from Home Depot (in the lumber department) or Ace in sheets, or pre-made Fastbo panels from Ikea. And figure out one accent color that really appeals to you, like turquoise or bright yellow or red, and tie it in with consistent accents on the countertop--a utensil crock, a set of flour/sugar/salt bins, etc.

Honestly, I don't think having recessed lighting installed is your best use of budget. It's labor intensive in a retrofit installation and recessed lighting is highly overrated, IMO, particularly so in a situation where you have plenty of room for regular fixtures. I actually think this situation would look BETTER with ceiling mount fixture(s) or track lighting than recessed anyway.

You can, yourselves, take down the drop ceiling structure with just a screwdriver (take the plastic panels out first and the rest will reveal itself...it will take minutes, literally) Taking down the fluorescent fixtures is also totally DIY able, or hire an electrician to do this and relocate the junction boxes if need be. You also may need to skim coat the ceiling depending on whether or not it was ever finished under there. This is something that would be worth hiring out.
Save the expense and screwing around of recessed lighting for when you're read for a whole-kitchen overhaul.

As far as color, you need an inspiration piece and a clear direction. What is the style you are trying to achieve? What you have is a VERY blank slate (this is a good thing!) so just choose what makes you happy! Kitchen textiles are always a good jumping off point.

I have just a few more recommendations to add to what the editor suggested. Why not add a simple and relatively affordable backsplash using stainless steel adhesive tiles? They are very easy to apply and cut to size and will provide a more current element to your kitchen. I would also "cap" the open space above your top cabinets. Using it as storage makes the kitchen looks cluttered and its not tall enough to use as a display area. Just use molding, decorative or plain, to cover up this void. Finally, I recommend replacing your hood vent and microwave. They seem to have yellowed and really distract your eye from the rest of the room.
Good luck!
~Erin @ Cultivating Home

I agree that painting the walls a color would make a huge difference. Pink would pop but, if that's too scary for you, try green, blue, orange or yellow. You have such a neutral palette, you can really do any color on your walls.

I also suggest removing the doors from some of the cabs to create open shelving for a visual break. If you can remove the cabinets from above the sink altogether it would also give you some nice breathing room. It would be a great space to hang pots and stainless utensils.

Lastly, I understand that you don't want to invest a lot of money into this existing kitchen but if you removed the cabinets from above the stove it would also open the space. It would require you to replace the vent with something a little more architectural. Then tile just the area behind the stove up to the ceiling or add a stainless backsplash. It would give the space a completely different
feel.

I agree with editor about punching up the wall with some bright color. Hot pink, which I love, is going to be tough to cook around however. You might try a shade of gray ( sorry from above to disagree!) that has a taupe tone. There are several BM colors that will work. While hot pink would look good i a photograph, it is best used as an accent and not as a wall color that would "envelop" you and make it tougher on actually cooking. I would agree that the faux laminate should go. You can get other post form laminates ( what this is called) for pretty inexpensively and if you can deal with the grout on tile, can get lots of bang for your buck using a large format tile. Look for a rectified version ( where the grout lines are minimal because they fit tight) I realize many do not like grout but new sealers make it much better...and you will get a richer look than with laminate. But, personally, if my home or for one of my clients, I would use a funky fun laminate. Pionite has a sea green and a sea blue I am using now that are good looking. If you use the green, you can paint the walls a tonality of gray that incoporates the greenish gray color. I would not do a bar height island. If room, get a long table and use it on one side as the work space and it can double as your sit down table and then perhaps can put a piece of storage furniture on wall where table is now. Hard to tell really with just one photo. You are welcome to check out my website for ideas. I am award winning kitchen and bath designer. Cheryl

I wanted to add one thought. If you do take out the ceiling lighting and add can lights or track, but can lights still might be better, consider this ceiling to be your punch of color. It will be much easier to live with and would accent the ceiling but reader above is correct...could be a budget buster. You could replace the vent hood with a GE Advantium that is a microwave and speed cook oven. Clients LOVE them and it will give you a second oven AND get the micro off the counter which you really should do also. They are not cheap but not too bad. And, work great. Cooks without heating up your kitchen so much and if this is an enclosed kitchen which it looks like, then will help quite a bit.

The other thought is to paint the legs of your table a bold color that will coordinate with the final palette ..maybe a hot pink there! Nice combo with the wood. And you could then still do a blue/gray on the laminate tops. And the backsplash ideas are great. I have used the sticky stainless tiles and they work "ok" but for the price, can't be beat. Since the cabinets are so simple, you could also ( and I am sure I will be castigated here) put a paintable wall covering that has a pattern/texture..one that comes to mind is a fun retro with subtle swirls. Looks fun and can liven up the simple white tile and cabinets. Look at Graham and Brown. http://www.grahambrown.com/us/product/17583/Curvy

~~~Cheryl @kitchendetailsanddesign.com

If you can paint your cabinets a brighter white to match the appliances, that would help to get rid of the distracting contrast.

Depending on the construction of the cabinets, you might be able to re-hang them up flush against the ceiling and add a lower open shelf beneath.

Agree with PP that a terra cotta would look lovely, especially if keep the grey countertops.

I think you've got a wonderfully blank slate, no glaring eyesore that you have to work around, so you really can't go wrong. Just pick colors that make you happy. I agree with all the others who have suggested removing some of the cabinet doors for open shelving. Maybe use a bold pattern wall covering/contact paper in the back (and surfaces) of the open shelves rather than on cabinet fronts. Also, some curtains to frame out your sliding doors will add some much-needed texture to a space that is otherwise pretty flat.

Some nice drop pendants(maybe four or five evenly spaced).

A classic tiled backsplash for depth/texture and contrast.

Replace the slider with some french doors.

Agree with Splatgirl -- don't waste $ on recessed lighting. A general/pendant light above table (if it's still there), a strip of simple stainless track lights for each counter, and upgrade the undercounter lights.

For color, look out your beautiful back door for guidance -- maybe a light warm gray-green (goes well with stainless), referencing the tree trunk and the weathered wood of the deck. Also, with so much light coming in, the wall with the door will always look darker/different from the others -- maybe do it as an accent wall? In any case, when you test possible colors, really test them: get a big piece of plywood, prime it and paint it with your color, and lean it up against each different wall over the course of a few days, to see it under different lighting conditions.

I disagree w/ gray and hot pink. You need some color with the white and gray kitchen, and gray is more of a neutral to me. Hot pink would be too dark. I think you need a bright but still light color- greens, blues, yellows. Aja (I think that's the screenname) on flickr has an amazing kitchen makeover with a wonderful yellow on the walls.

Or, if your backsplash area does not meet with the full wall anywhere (from what I see it doesn't) try painting the backsplash area a totally different color from the rest of the walls. Since you can't afford to reno, you can get a backsplash look without buying tiles or glass. If you don't like it, easy fix. So like, do a light color on the walls and over the cabinets, but a bright contrasting but complementary colors as the "backsplash". Might work.

Get a new microwave, that yellowed color stands out in a bad way.

The good thing about your kitchen is: it looks functional and not really bad! You can start with a few little things and add on later.

I also agree with splatgirl on the light fixtures - you'll most likely be able to put a track lightning in yourself, and should be able to fix any holes / damage left after removing the panels.

If you prefer to hire someone, have them check what's above the cabinets. Maybe you could remove the part around the recessed lights, too? That would open up the space even more and resolve the "limited space above cabinets" problem.

Hot pink... Someone mentioned pink looking good in a picture - and that's exactly what I thought. I repainted my micro-kitchen like 5 times now: beige, brown, green, lemon-yellow (there's like 4sq. feet of visible wall tho) and decided to stay with mustardy yellow. If I had your space - I'd go buttery, creamy shade of yellow.

Not sure about the stainless back splash. Is it really a good material for one? How easy does it clean? And if you don't want to update your appliances to stainless, white may look outdated with very modern design. I would tile the back splash (so easy to do if you ever iced a cake...). I would go with something classic and timeless - you don't seem to have a huge surface to cover.

If you can - save up some space by replacing both microwave and vent with over the range microwave.

If you have enough room - I'd think of a bigger island with extended countertop to fit a couple stools underneath (there's one with a longer top somewhere there: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00116996), and a sitting bench with narrower table where the round table was. There are lots of good DIY projects for benches out of bookshelves and wall cabinets. Definitely go for some curtains and colorful fabrics.

Good luck with your kitchen! I'd kill for any window...

Remove the upper cabinet above your range and add an above range microwave oven. Add a backsplash and upgrade your faucet and cabinet pulls. These changes will make a big impact. You can do the rest in steps (like the lighting, floors, new appliances, etc.) later when your budget allows.

You have some great tips above. I would suggest spending money on good appliances, and perhaps a wooden counter-top. Introduce more texture and colour through accessories. Your cabinets really don't look too bad and to make them blend in with the background even more, I'd paint the walls white! I'd recommend adding warmth by using real wood tones. Get a wooden circular table or an old butcher's block, some white Ikea Urban chairs, natural linen (oatmeal coloured) curtains to filter the light and to add some needed softness, and add some black-framed photographs of what you like for a touch of drama. Colour can be added through flowers and plants as the season changes. Terra-cotta pots bursting with geraniums on your terrace would look great, and also add colour indoors. What about adding some strip lighting along the top of your cabinets too? On the floor, if you must have a rug, then maybe something natural at the table - sisal, seagrass, etc.

The kitchen is sunny so I'd recommend painting the wall in perhaps green or some other happy colour. That will contrast nicely against your white cabinets.

Take off all those stuff cluttering the top of your cabinets, same goes for the island..it looks rather awkward..you've got lots of space...don't seem to need the island

oh yeah, maybe it's time to say goodbye to the microwave, it's yellowing sadly on the counter...

Oops, I said white walls above, but white might be too cold and "grey" depending on your light quality, so a warm cream would be better.

Oh Apartment Therapy People - How I love thee!

Thank you for your suggestions. I guess I should have prefaced the picture by stating that this is a photo the old owners have taken - nothing in it is ours.

1) Definitely we will not store anything above the cabinets - totally clutters the space

2) I also agree that keeping the counter space clean is key - luckily we do not have nearly as many appliances as they do. (Who needs TWO coffee machines?)

3) Just yesterday we purchased an inexpensive oven hood since the current one is so yellow - our microwave is a clean white. We won't put it above the oven (great idea though) but perhaps we can hide the microwave and toaster oven in the shelves above the fridge. In our current place we have one on top of the other to save counter space as it is.

4) Yes - the cabinet pulls are small utensils!! Luckily, someone on craigslist adores them and will graciously take them off my hands. I purchased new ones that are simple and clean.

5) The very second we walked into the house we pulled down the california lights to see what is up there. Unfortunately, there is a large vent/tube thing running thru it, but a contractor will hide that and fix it up for us. The plan is to keep it indented/raised and we purchased track lighting since it seemed like a better idea. When we reno the kitchen the track lighting can stay since we bought nice sets.

6) Sadly, I think the faux granite must stay for now. Especially since we decided to replace the hardwood on the first floor.

7) We looked at the sticker stainless steel back splashes but we weren't sure that they would stand the test of time (i.e. stay up and wear well). I will keep my eyes open for something that looks inspiring.

8) Kitchen textiles as a starting off point - great idea. Perhaps I'll find some sort of fabric/curtain that I just love, and pick paint colors based on that. Since we've purchased this house I am thinking about window treatments in a whole new light in terms of using them to be the art piece in the room rather than just fading into the background.

9) Never thought about removing cabinets, great idea to display some of our more beloved kitchen objects.

So is it fair to say that everyone is suggesting leaving the cabinets white and then using the color on the walls and ceiling?

Keep the feedback coming - I really appreciate it (especially since my SO is no help whatsoever)!

And we've also purchased a new faucet and reverse osmosis water filter (lead pipes feed water into the house in this part of Toronto unfortunately).

I have to say I absolutely love white cabinets. But I think that adding some crown molding to the top of your cabinets would make them look a lot more expensive. You could build your cabinets up to the ceiling then add crown molding for a high end look.

When a kitchen reno was not in our budget and we had white cabinets, we left the doors white and painted the cabinet frames the same colour as the kitchen walls. It broke up the amount of white and looked great.

Great potential!

We had one of those lighting systems too- and a very limited budget. So what we did was remove the plastic/plexi ? panels & frame and the flouresent lights and installed a nice cable lighting system. It looks great and added height to the kitchen.

first things first, take that poor tiny microwave cart out of the middle of the room! it's not substantial to serve as an island and looks silly. it's a nice piece though, so...keep it.

good luck, would love to see afters!

http://mylittleapartment.blogspot.com/

I agree that you should at least pop off a panel from that ceiling and have a look to see what's underneath. As someone else mentioned it is easy to remove yourself - whatever is under there cannot be worse than that paneling. There is so much that you could do but all the little things add up $$.

I think a very neutral cream color, the lightest and warmest color in your rug would be great for the walls. Pink, wow that's a little crazy! And grey doesn't seem good either, your kitchen looks very cool right now.

I love your idea of bringing in a big butcher block or rustic farm style table for dining/prep. Maybe you could make a shelf under the table on one end for extra storage while you are extending it's height.

The few things I would definitely do are: 1. Take down the paneled ceiling 2. paint 3. replace cabinet hardware 4. invest in one or two pendants to replace the old lighting. I don't recommend recessed or track lighting.

Some other ideas are rather than replace the hood you could build a wooden facade over it and cover it. There are wood hood trim kits or if you're confident you could do it yourself. You could also change up the face of you cabinets to have a shaker style by adding trim and repainting.

I agree that you should remove the cabinets from above the sink. In their place you could install a shelf with hooks underneath like this one from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60139235 . It depends on the style you want to achieve in your kitchen.

I recently was gifted a fabulous book: Kitchens: A Sunset Design Guide: Inspiration Expert Advice I highly recommend it. It has some great ideas and examples and will make you rethink what you want to do in your kitchen more than once.

I think that covering the space between the ceiling and the cabinets and adding some molding will improve the look of your kitchen, again it depends o the style you are going for. But I agree with the editor that you should avoid storing anything up there.

Good luck. You have a of good suggestions!

I agree with the editor. DECLUTTER! Get the stuff off the top of the cabinets, and as much off the counter as you can. I limit myself to three items. Toaster, coffee pot, and burr coffee grinder.

I personally like white kitchens. I paint them all white, all white appliances, and white pulls or handles. I see a kitchen as an operating room. I want to see the CLEAN!

After this last move, I dedicated an entire double door three shelf cabinet to the stuff that isn't on my counters anymore. The top shelf is stuff I rarely use, the middle shelf is stuff I use everyday like sugar, crackers, salt and pepper, and such as that, and the bottom shelf is fresh food like tomatoes, bananas, nuts, and stuff I need constantly like canned cat food sealers, etc. I love it. Now I have nothing on my counters but my breakfast bar. It makes it so much easier to clean.

Good luck with all these suggestions. Here is (IMO) a gorgeous kitchen.

http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/06/reader-redesign-a-mouthwatering-masterpiece/

This is also a place to see many gorgeous kitchens:

http://inspirationfordecoration.blogspot.com/search/label/kitchen

Crate & Barrel has some very colorful textiles a nice sized rug would do wonders to "break up" the sea of white on the floor.

What about butcherblock counters? IKEA sells them very inexpensively and they are very easy to cut and install yourself. Another idea, instead of textiles you could use wallpaper as a jumping off point. You could install it on the backsplash, then have glass cut to cover it, just screw it in. There are great, inexpensive selections for vintage wallpaper on ebay. One other suggestion, which I realize may be down the road, it would be nice to replace the fridge with a counter-depth one that doesn't jut out.

Oh, and one more thing, this company has great curtain selections at very affordable prices:
http://www.halfpricedrapes.com/shop-by-category-signature-printed-cotton-curtains---drapes.html

Good luck and congrats on your new home!

www.homesweetbrooklyn.blogspot.com

With a white floor, white ceiling, white cupboards and neutral granite countertops, you can really go crazy with the colours. How about an apple green or chartreuse? Or, if you're feeling daring, apple green AND chartreuse, with the apple on the backsplash and the chartreuse everywhere else?

You could try the same idea with any combination of two shades of one colour, as long as it tones with the granite. Think ochre and terracotta, baby blue with cobalt blue, amber and orange, yellow and mimosa etc.

I have faced a lot of the same issues in past kitchens. White cabinets and a white floor is a lotta white! First off, my white cabinets have blue undertone, and I have never been able to get warm or creamy colors to work. If yours have a bluish cast, you will need to stick to blues, greens or blue-toned reds for the walls. For the floor, I would get a indoor/outdoor woven area rug that almost fills the space (leaving about a foot on each side). You will be amazed how much it warms up the room, and if people spill on it, you can take it out and hose it off. If you are having more work done on the ceiling and lighting, ask if they can bring a soffit down to the tops of the cabinets (why do builders leave that space about the cabinets anyway). The wood table and chairs will bring a nice note of warmth to the room. Finish off with cheerful curtains and table linens.

What a nice bright kitchen!

I suggest replacing your countertops with butcher block. Ikea sells some very nice and reasonably priced butcher block counter tops. The wood would really warm the space up. It would also tie in with your counter height butcher block table for a more cohesive look. You could try painting just one wall with a strong color - that might be enough. Or the terracotta paint color (as someone above suggested) would look lovely with the white cabinets and wood surfaces.

When I renovated my kitchen circumstances required installation of both recessed (can) lights and track lights. I also put in under-cabinet lighting. The only time I turn the "cans" on is when I'm cleaning and I want to see every little detail! The tracks and under-cabinet lights make the room glow and are perfect task lighting.

Good luck and have fun!

The dropped ceiling isn't that bad, and I'm glad you're giong to quit storing things on top of the cabinets. They're fine, too. A little paint would go a long way. With the light, the view and the overall coolness of the room, you can still do dramatic but not pink or orange. Your aesthetic seems clinical and cheeky a little, too. Something like Arsenic by Farrow and Ball would be a good choice, I think. A stainless steel backsplash and some ferns would also look nice.