I would go with different. make it edgy! those cabinets look pretty boring to me anyway, create an island that is very different (that way, it's not mismatched but different)

I think you could totally pull off different cabinets. If you did them the same white as the wall it would probably have better flow...although the kitchen is so neutral colored, a pop of color could also be kind of interesting. Something open, used for displaying things like your wine collection and wine glasses, or interesting plates or something, would make it look like it was intentionally built as a different kind of cabinet- as opposed to something with doors, which might just look like a mismatched cabinet. Also, getting new hardware for your existing cabinets can be a cheap way to spruce them up.

I think in this instance doing white cabinets there would be a bonus to the space and make it blend more. The counter tops and hardware will unify the cabinets regardless of the finish.

??? Who told you you can't paint over veneer? If it's not precious wood veneer, degloss the suckers, sand, prime and paint. That's one option. The other is to replace the doors and reface the cabinets. Of course, you CAN mismatch your cabinets but a.) they're shoddy b.) you don't like them and c.) mismatching them with new cabinets is only going to call attention to them. So, you might be making the problem worse. I think your better option is to paint or replace the doors.

I think it would be especially easy to do mis-matched cabinets if the new ones have glass doors, or just use the cabinet box for open shelving, or something that makes them markedly different from the existing cabinets.

I second the painting-over skepticism. It might take some nasty oil-based paint, primer, deglosser, etc., but you can definitely paint over them and I think it would make a HUGE difference. I think you'll be much happier with that than with mis-matching them, as I'm afraid things will just look a little jumbled.

My condo have both white and wood cabinets and I love it. They arent even the same style! I think try some options and see what works. Continuing the granite will make it look seamless. Try to match hardware too

see my kitchen here:

http://wafflingdesign.blogspot.ca/2012/08/friday-tips-small-kitchen-storage.html

You can paint over anything, with the right paint an primer. I would paint.

What about doing something with stainless steel - a kind of industrial look that would go with your appliances? You could probably get a commercial unit stainless steel unit of some kind and build around it. Alternatively, there's very little color and contrast in the space. Find a nice color - maybe charcoal to pick up the blacks in the room, or a deep red or green like the wine bottle or their caps and then echo the color in accessories elsewhere in the room.

If you're really not going to try and paint the veneer, I'd go for broke and not even put floor to ceiling cabinets where the wine fridge is (your plan)... and purposefully use open shelving up that wall and find a cool standalone piece to use as a peninsula/island either with or without the granite top - say, an antique table w/butcher block or go modern if that's more your taste. I don't know... matchy-matchy just doesn't seem to cut it for this space, even if it wouldn't cost you anything (granite).

I definitely agree with the above posters--mis-matched can look cool, especially if you make it look intentional!

About your existing cabinets: One solution that I've found to instantly make a kitchen look more interesting is to simply take off the doors to all the upper-level cabinets. I find that my dishes, glass ware, serving platters, spices and food storage jars make a hell of a lot more of an eye-catching, colorful statement than some dull cabinet doors. Doing this on the old cabinets, and keeping the new ones open or glass, could add some visual coherence without too much labor or cost on your part.

paint them!

mismatched cabinets with all the different cabinets in one place at the end is going to look exactly like you just stuck a bunch of mismatched cabinets on your existing kitchen.You'll hate it once you've spent the money on it.

They have to match. I couldn't live if they don't match. Haha. :)

I have spring green cabinets on top, white on the bottom with black counters and black granite back splash. I get compliments on it all the time. Saw it in a magazine (cottage living?) years ago and I'm so glad i did otherwise I never would have thought of it.

Either prime and paint them or else consider black for the open shelves and peninsula.

If it were an island you could totally do different cabinets (or more of a table thing than a built-in) but since it's a peninsula, I definitely agree with your concerns that it would look obviously added-on. I would consider open shelving instead of cabinets since in the picture it looks like once you leave a comfortable overhang for seating, the peninsula won't be that deep. You could probably build them for cheap, then figure out how to paint your cabinets (I promise it can be done!) and paint it all the same color. I'm picturing shelves like the open lower cabinets here: http://pinterest.com/pin/56576539039898110/

I had the same exact situation in my kitchen in terms of not being told I shouldn't paint it. That was a little over a year ago there was this dusty pink laminate on the surface of all the cabinets.
I listened to the nay sayers for a while until I noticed that the laminate was literally peeling off the surface of the cabinets revealing the MDF underneath and I know for a FACT that MDF board CAN be painted so that is exactly what I did!

It took a few weekends but I slowly began to peel the laminate off the surface of each of the hinged cabinets that get the most wear and removed them from the hinges. I did not bother peeling the laminate off the sides or underbelly of the cabinets (as they were not going to be under the same amount of stress) but they were each primed and painted the same color and in my opinion whole thing about 10 years into the future from where it was.

Don't listen to nay sayers, do whatever you want.

Sorry for the double comment but I just found this picture and something like this could also work and be fairly cheap to build, since you seem to just be concerned about having a seating area and defining the kitchen as a room, rather than having tons of extra storage. http://pinterest.com/pin/56576539039960009/ Of course it also depends on being painted to match the cabinets. You could also do open shelves between the windows!

Are you sure those cabinets are a veneer? They look more a like thermofoil to me. There was a time when they did say you couldn't paint over thermofoil, but primers have come a long way, so I don't know if that's still the case. If you really dislike them and don't want to/can't paint over them, what about refacing?

I think it would look odd to have different cabinets under it, since the peninsula cabinets will be attached to the other cabinets. The contrasting cabinets only works when the area with the different cabinets is totally separate from the others (e.g. uppers vs lowers, perimeter vs. island, etc.).

What about doing legs under the peninsula instead of cabinets? Like these:
1) http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/graphics21/handymanclub-peninsula.jpg
2) http://www.flickr.com/photos/bathroom-improvement/5416592352/

That would circumvent the whole problem.

Check out your local Habitat For Humanity "Restores" I have seen those kind of cabinets many times.
I don't disagree with what others said about glass. However, if the counter top is going to overhang the cabinets (for sitting), a close enough match might be good enough especially if hardware matched. Then the above counter unit could be some kind of feature. Perhaps I am looking at the picture wrong but it looks like that boxy overhang stops at the current counter edge so the new upper cabinet will already look different. We once had a cabinet with glass doors and shelves and a florescent light inside so the glassware all lit up when it was on. Or perhaps you could build an upper cabinet or shelves and use paint that highlights one of the colours in your granite countertop.

@annalisa- I LOVE that kitchen. What a great use of space. And tge white cabinets? So clean, crisp and classic.

Original poster here -- thanks to everyone for the helpful suggestions! Lots to mull over.

@TARA77, you are absolutely correct, and my apologies for the mistake -- these cabinets are in fact thermofoil, not veneer. I discovered this only after sending in my question! So unless someone can recommend a miracle primer, I think painting is out.

I agree with one of the previous posters about doing the glass doors to make them totally different. I would do them up top especially...

If it's going to be floor to ceiling with a counter, the top being glass doors on both sides if you have things you would like to display. It would give a little more interest facing out to the other room(my landlady has it and I love it). Also, like others have said, white should be totally fine with your walls and door.

Have fun and don't ask the contractor. Most have stinky taste in my opinion!

Go ahead and mismatch. It'll actually look better. Make sure the new piece is painted the exact same white as the trim. It will look like a piece of cabinetry that's meant to go with the adjoining room rather than the kitchen (more like furniture than kitchen cabinets). I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I agree with the train of thought that you should consider re-painting to match the new cabinets (that you will buy). But if you absolutely have to use a different color, my two cents are that you should keep the knobs etc., in the same decade. For e.g. go for high gloss red cabinet doors to contrast against the existing veneer but make sure the handles and knobs are not contemporary, that way, it looks deliberate. I am also veering toward glass cabinets with piping of similar color wood as the existing one. Or how about open faced veneer colored cabinetry but painting the back a bright color so it pops?

Yeah, I agree with those who say to go white.

If you also resurface the side of the cabinet in the far left of the photo that faces into your living room, it will read as a sort of defining wall instead of part of your kitchen. If that makes sense. You could just get the cabinet maker to make a big rectangle to match and adhere it to the side.

PAINT THEM! I have the standard European cabinets with the oak trim and I can’t stand them. When I bought my first home I could not afford to redo the kitchen so I spent a great deal of time researching how to properly paint over that type of surface. I cleaned and degreased them very well using TSP, primed them using Zinsser primer, and then painted them with a high quality (Ralph Lauren) paint. Three years later and they still look great! Glidden also has a new “self leveling” paint out called Glidden Trim and Doors that has a nice finish and works very well, I have used it on a piece in my house. Good luck!

Mis-matched is fine, but as others have said, embrace the mismatch. Don't try to get close, otherwise it will look like you tried.

BUT- why not get a large rolling island, perhaps with a butcher block top? If your plan is to do some kitchen construction someday (the floor to ceiling cabinets), use this time to save a bit and actually use the space the way you think you're going to. Find out how it feels, what works/doesn't.

And I like the idea of the open top ala ananlisa

Do not paint the veneer! it will be a ton of work and the end result will be less than stellar. Do however; get a price quote for new doors that would match whatever new cabinets you install for the island. I would not go box store for this. Check with a local cabinet company. You will be surprised how the price will compare and they will do all the measuring and provide you with the accurate match. Also, you can check the hinge and sometimes the brand is marked on the hinge.

Chalk paint (Annie Sloan or CeeCee Caldwell) goes on just about anything without sanding or priming.

May I make a bold suggestion? If you don't like your kitchen, why not install a wall instead of a kitchen island? There's no law that you have to be able to see your fridge from the living room.

I finally decided to close off my kitchen after I realized I was obsessing about my coffee maker not looking nice enough. I sometimes think the open-kitchen idea was invented to make people invest in higher cost kitchen design than they'd otherwise "need."

I would turn the wine frig area into a built in wine rack up the wall, to put all of those wine bottles in, with the wine frig built into it. Take that piece of granite and put it on top of a simple wheeled island so you can move it where ever you want. Live with this for a while till you can afford what you really want, this is not a bad kitchen. Matchy matchy is out.Good luck.

@lisa(montreal): amen!

It's actually very on trend to do a different island finish than the main cabinetry. Take a door to a local kitchen cabinet expert to help you match or find a coordinating finish for your island.

I'd build an island in a different colour, with space for your two stools facing toward the kitchen or toward the windows if you prefer. I'd store the wine in the island.

Do NOT do a floor to ceiling cabinet where the wine fridge is. Lower cabinets only, nothing above the counter or it will feel closed in. You can easily get by without that extra cabinet space.

Personally, I would put in a big, painted - white set of cabinets with the same door style and knobs. see if you like it with white and existing cabinets. If not, paint your existing ones. They sell kitchen cabinet paint kits by Rustoleum at HD and Lowes. It is a total PITA but if you are up for it and you want white, it's possible.

Before I say anything else, please know that you need to seek advice from more knowledgeable people. You CAN paint over anything...although some surfaces will illicit more blood, sweat and tears than others. If you are not eager to shed blood, then I recommend two things:

1) if you like the idea of a white floor-to-ceiling built-in, consider adding a few details to make it look like a piece of furniture instead. If you are the matchy-matchy type, then match that to your kitchen furniture (or family room furniture). Add faux legs (or feet) and crown moulding for a polished look (just be sure to leave yourself several inches between the top of your cabinet and your ceiling if you go with the crown moulding idea). Also keep in mind you may need framed (vs. frameless) cabinets if you choose to do the crown moulding (Google those so you know what I mean).

2) I strongly recommend doing a portable island with shelving (or cabinets if you really need to hide whatever you're storing) beneath the countertop (which could be your matching granite to add a more cohesive--or matchy-matchy--look). Martha Stewart (although I'm not really a fan) loves the portable island thing (she has two in her current main kitchen which she replicated from her previous residence) and it is extremely practical and flexible...not to mention affordable. You can easily and inexpensively convert an old bookshelf or a beat-up chunky microwave table with some paint and some industrial casters. You can shorten the legs or leave them as is for a taller workspace (ideal for taller folks...which might encourage your hubby to cook more often if he has his own "big boy" surface). You can also add a curtain to add a softness to such a hard, angular space; a towel rack and/or a spice rack; a small hole in the countertop where your chopping scraps could be easily pushed into their appropriate home in your trash (or compost) bin below.

Other random (yet applicable) advice:
I would strongly recommend choosing a bold color (red is the most ideal in the kitchen as it subconsciously spurs your appetite and metabolism) to paint your tall cabinet and maybe even your island. If you like it enough, then maybe you can paint your lower cabinets the same. Don't be afraid of color in the kitchen. It is the one place in your home where you want to feel invigorated and energized. If you dislike your cabinets, I do suggest swapping out your cabinet doors and drawer faces. You can switch it up and add some clear or frosted glass inserts to your cabinet doors (and add lighting inside those to highlight them). In that case, the amount of blood, sweat and tears that will be shed is drastically decreased because you'll only have to paint the cabinet boxes themselves to match your new doors and drawer faces. If you're planning to add hardware (new knobs and/or pulls), consider how far those will stick out and if they will interfere, hinder or even prevent the use of other cabinets, drawers, or applicances (this is more commonly a problem in the corners of your kitchen). If you aren't going to do the work yourselves, obtain at least three quotes from professionals with references you've actually checked. NEVER EVER go with the cheapest bid; chances are that they either are scam artists, scumbags, or inexperienced and experimenting on your home. You will spend more money fixing their mistakes than if you had gone with the highest bidder in the first place. Google everything (such as how to paint a laminate surface) and read other DIYers' and other homeowners' blogs (learn from their mistakes--not your own). When seeking advice from your local hardware store, I found that the smaller the hardware store, the better the advice. If you're seeking advice from a custom-cabinet maker, chances are he's going to tell you that you need to replace and not repaint. If you're seeking advice from a interior/exterior house painter, he's going to tell you it's impossible to paint because the amount of time and work he will spend doing it the right way (if he even knows how) will not be cost-effective. I would seek out someone like a professional furniture refinisher or repairman who may have experience with your laminate type (or he may know someone who has). Take off a door to bring with you so they can see (and feel) for themselves to give you more accurate advice. Also, if you're not fond of your granite, you may be able to make it more desirable with the right backsplash. Think of the importance of the eyebrow to the overall beauty of the face: people are often most attracted to eyes, but a weak (or absent--think Whoopi Goldberg) eyebrow can deminish the look of even the most beautiful eyes. Eyebrows frame your eyes and add drama to your face, yet no one will compliment you on your beautiful brows--the eyes get all the attention. Same thing with backsplashes--they are there to frame and enhance the beauty of your countertops. Pull your favorite color from the granite variations and use a tile in that color to draw more attention to that color in the granite. Always anticipate that you will spend a minimum of 10-15% more than you budget and that it will take twice as long as you predict. Good luck!!!

If you've got the money/time I'd get all new doors to match the new cabinets. But you could also totally pull off different cabinets.

make the peninsula look like a table and make it RED. I also agree that you can definitely paint over veneer. I've done it. sand first, primer, and roll those suckers out. I think if you have a distinct and aggressive style to the add-on it can look great and that will certainly simplify your life.

Do a mismatched base cabinet with granite but don't do a floor to ceiling. It will make it look like the cabinet just does not belong. Instead, I suggest glass shelves up the wall.

Ok, you say it is ugly, but I think the cabinets look good in that close-up shot. Maybe it is actually wood veneer - you can see the grain quite nicely. I definitely wouldn't paint it that's the case - it is lovely. Then there are two kinds of plastic veneer - high-end plastic that is so well done to show the (fake) wood grain that you have to look really closely to tell it isn't actual wood...if these are custom cabinets, it could be - I wouldn't paint that, either. Then there is the thermofoil, think many Ikea products, which CAN be painted, and it is ugly, so I might paint that. I doubt this is that, though - it looks too good in the pics. There's also a shiny cabinet finish that reminds me of formica finish - perhaps it is that. I don't like that at all...and I don't know how easily paintable that is.

If the wood grain, real or fake, looks as good as it does in that picture, but you just don't like it, I think you think it is bland because your entire kitchen is bland. You can keep the cabinets, and un-bland everything else, and you might like them a lot better. The floor is bland because it is in a similar shade to the cabinets. You have a rug on it, but it also looks bland. Add more color, or something darker, in your rug - that will help. Paint those walls something other than white, and that door in the back a darker shade of the wall color. I don't love the granite color either - but I don't see why you would want to use the leftover piece, just because you have it, if you don't love it.

Don't add a peninsula - that will not add to your kitchen at all. Stop thinking built in - add a freestanding table like piece, with shelving below for storage. I like one with iron supports - see one crate and barrel has for an idea. You won't want to mix your granite with theirs, likely (though it could work) - maybe you will find a base you can add your own top to. But please don't add more of the bland granite you don't like. (Leave that in the basement for the next owner.) Add a top you like - wood is nice, Ikea has cheap but really nice wood countertop, or get some other free standing piece in wood, metal,or whatever. Just don't get white. Or a light wood like your cabinets. Go for a darker tone. If you stop thinking about a built-in peninsula, all your issues about what matches go away. And it isn't a second best design idea - it is the best way to go here anyway - even if you loved your cabinets and could order the same ones for your peninsula. Peninsual closes off the kitchen permanently. Adding a table with some lightness of space underneath doesn't close off the space visually, and, since it can be moved, even if you don't every move it, it doesn't have the effect of closing off the space actually either (and I would, myself, certainly consider something on wheels, with brakes, that I could move out of the way if and when I ever wanted to do so.)

Also, I agree you shouldn't put upper cabinets above whatever you add there. Because it will block the light from the windows. No uppers between those windows that provide nice light - hang something decorative there. (Or something useful, just not deep as upper cabinets are - narrow open shelveswould be ok.)

And, if the cabinets are truly ugly thermofoil, consider painting. They CAN be painted, but it will be a lot of work, and you may not love the results. Easier (and with results more controlled) is to just replace the doors. You can usually do this quite easily. Leave the boxes as they are - you don't see so much of them, it is mostly the doors one sees. Or maybe you can successfully paint what does show.

And, you can also replace the granite easily if you don't like it. I would. Get a countertop you like - doesn't HAVE to be granite. (I wouldn't put in granite in any event.) Donate it to a green building place so someone else can use it, along with the extra piece. Or, sell it on craigslist. You don't have to keep it if you don't like it.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5615873_paint-over-mdf-thermofoil-cabinets.html

But I think non matching white cabinets would look fine too