1. Backsplash: Ikea has a "backsplash" called Fastbo. Or you could look into creating your.
2. Colorful rug or kitchen mat
3. Window treatments
4. Something for the top of the cabinets! Even just baskets spray painted red could be cute.
5. Switch out the cabinet hardware.

-repaint if you hate the color
-pops of your favorite color across the top of the cabinets and floating shelves
-add undercounter lighting if it isn't there already
-any rug will change the feel of the floor dramatically
-you could take the doors off of the upper cabinets if you like the open shelving idea, or cut out the centers of the doors and install glass

Ooooooh. I like the space above the cabinets for cute storage. Red and green are very pretty together.

Cabinet Hardware: Pick out some cool hardware that you will incorporate into your future remodeling. It sounds like your interested in eventually changing the cabinets, so this is a great option.

Stencil your backsplase. Pegboard backsplash.

No need to replace the cabinets! Those are probably my favorite next to the appliances. It feels a bit dark because of your flooring and your counters, I'd start with a bring rug, look in to a beige or something lighter colored (but not TOO light) jute-type of material that will resist a lot of stains. I agree, look in to backsplash (this can be done very cheaply if you do it right!) and/or paint the walls a bright or even a neutral gray color! Then you can really make everything bright with some wonderful color accents throughout the kitchen. Look for some great window treatments and some art or something to hang over the sink, like a pot rack or something of the sort. Also switch out the cabinet hardware if you're not thrilled with the cabinets - it may make a huge difference.

My suggestion is to get paint samples of a large variety of saturated colors, hold them up to the wall (to the wall color, actually) to find the ones that pop to your liking
against the walls, and then paint the cabinets (bottom cabinets only) in that color.

It sounds like you like red, so one option I might suggest is pulling your colors from your ceramic flooring. Maybe think about a warm golden yellow for the walls with accents of red that pick up the colors from the tiles?

Our old place had almost exactly the same ceramic tiles for the downstairs den and we went in a kind of Tuscan/Italian feel. It made it very warm and cozy.

The only color you have to work around is the floor. I'm seeing a bright paprika on the walls.

The cabinets are beautiful just the way they are, so I don't know why you're already dreaming about replacing them. If it's the lack of color that annoys you, just pick a bold saturated color to replace the pistachio, and the cabinets will fade into the background as supporting players.

This kitchen desperately needs a backsplash! White subway tile, maybe; though this picture makes a good case for brown.

Also, I think the green walls make for one color too many in this room. Go back to white or a warm, taupey gray. And invest in some good lighting to counteract the darkness of the counters and floors.

Finally, you could also swap out the silver knobs with oil-rubbed bronze handles or cup pulls to tie them in with the floor and counters. Depending on what you choose, it may require patching the knob holes and drilling new ones in the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. But the pulls will cover the original knob holes, so as long as you're careful, they won't be visible.

I would repaint the walls to a neutral color then add some bright wallpaper or color on the small wall that surrounds the window to anchor that corner. after that, the accessories will make the room.

I don't know if it's just the photo, but it seems very dark and that would make me crazy. Adding a light backsplash would make a huge difference and need not be expensive.
Possibly the floor is also making it seem darker, so, if not new flooring, at least a rug or even try painting it.

www.apartmenttherapy.com/diy-floors-painted-stenciled-a-144119
www.apartmenttherapy.com/painted-floors-inspiration-gal-138302
www.apartmenttherapy.com/roundup-painted-floors-92270

Other than that, I always think kitchens should be fairly neutral and the color should come from the food and tools and necessary equipment. You've got a good start here, so pay attention to your dishtowels and mixers and anything else that will be in plain view.

I WISH that was my kitchen. The fixes in that are so easy. Tile behind the sink and the stove. Paint the rest of the walls something more vibrant. Put a collection of one type of thing on top of the cabinets: bottles, cookie jars, teapots, etc.

The whole design on the cabinets is pretty good, so I agree, no need to change those.
You might want to consider changing the countertop to something lighter. Light woods work wonderfully with white cabinets. Other than that, maybe repainting the walls with a brighter color and add a couple light fixtures.

Get one of those colorful outdoor rugs. They are good looking and perfect for a kitchen because spills clean up with water. Agree with backsplash or paint and lighting. Flooring, counters and cabinets are costly and yours are in good shape. Congrats on the house.

YAY PITTSBURGH congrats on your house!

i have nothing else to add :)

- backsplash
- tea towels and textiles
- knick knacks on the open shelving
- valance or blind for the window
- plants

Maybe it's because it's looking a little "rental apartment" with the very plain white cabinets and builder basic hardware, black granite, etc? I had this issue when we bought our place. Not to say it's not the paint color at all, but I would focus on things that help it feel like a more custom kitchen: add crown, a backsplash, new cabinet hardware, new faucet, under-cabinet lighting, maybe convert some of the uppers to have glass or be open?

I would personally swap out that sink - we also had granite counters and an overmount stainless sink and while I like SS undermount, it bugs me in overmount..so we bought a black silgranite sink and it's one of the biggest impact things we did. It minimizes the overmount look and blends into the counters for a more seamless effect.

Paint color is important, but I found I wasn't happy with our kitchen until we made more of these kinds of changes. Then the finishing touches - paint, rug, window treatments!

I think its beautiful! The only thing I could see adding to it right now, is a back splash. I would move in first, and see what it looks like before making any changes. This way you will be sure they are the right changes.
I could imagine some succulent plants on the shelves, some colorful oil bottles. Some platters with fruit. I love white platters with green pears.
A small Kitchenaid mixer in Yellow.
Some cutting boards, a magnetic knife holder, Some cook books.
Congrats on the house. Pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy!

Can I be the one voice against a backsplash? I think it would add too much visual clutter. I would only put one in if you need it.

I do agree though with painting the walls a color you like in a gloss or semi-gloss so it is easy to clean. I have a dark red kitchen and I love it. It feels very warm, especially in the evening. Also, I agree about adding undercounter lighting. I think every kitchen should have it as it adds wonderfully to creating ambience. Adding a dimmer to overhead lighting does this too.

I recommend picking out a fun, vibrant textile (marimekko?) and having it made into a shade for the window. Also, a patterned or colorful towel hanging neatly on the stove always works for me in terms of adding some visual interest.

I have to add, that I am not a fan of adding clutter on tops of cabinets, especially baskets.

Good luck!

I want to neutralize the black & white contrast by adding a softer, textured background tile. I'd look for a marble tile, mostly soft greys with some brown/tan tones in it. That will soften the counter/cabinets and tie in your flooring. I am feeling the smaller subway tiles too.

Here are a few examples I found:

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z306/november1117/backsplashandkidsart004.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tzeuhPTBu9o/TYZbJnldpsI/AAAAAAAAFSI/mmKjtL_LLkU/bs19.jpg

http://lifeinkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Subway-Tiles.jpg

This one is a little different, but I like it for your space: http://www.classictileny.com/productgallery.php?catid=35&pagename=&subcatId=1885

ALSO Consider:
- Under cabinet lighting
- bronze / black cabinet pulls
- Find a great painted pottery plate to hang above your sink. Even a cool tile or piece of funky artwork. I feel like that space is yelling for something fun. For example, I have this great angel from etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/61709475/new-york-angel
It is VERY heavy, but if I were to hang it with my backsplash, I could mount it to the studs. :)
- Maybe a natural jute rug with a black border, again tying the floor to the counter
- It's hard to see your window, but if there is a little bit of budget, go for a custom roman shade in a great fabric. Something that suits your style and this color palette. No budget for a shade? Maybe hang a funky tiered basket from the ceiling and fill it with fruits or plants.
- Tie in the brick red with some pottery on the top of your cabinets. I like the idea of some natural/sand colored pieces and a large brick red basket (spray paint)

...hope this helps... thanks for the 10 minute mental break from work! Enjoy & Congrats!

The upper cabinets on the wall over the sink look stubby and they're blocking the light from the only window. Put the largest upper cabinet over the oven. Add subway tile backsplash. Put long open shelves on the wall over the sink to let the light in. Give the base cabinets some weight with a darker color -- it'll look good with the darker tile on your floor. Add nice, thick trim around the window. Paint the wall a lighter color to reflect the light from the window.

I did a quick (and rough) photochop to illustrate.
<a hrep

Find a color that appears in your floor tile for the wall color. Then play it up with textiles (curtain, rug, towels). Otherwise it's a great kitchen. Even the countertops look like honed granite rather than the ubiquitous shiny stuff. I'm not a huge fan of the slate floor tiles, but you can't go wrong with black counters, white cabinets and stainless appliances. In other words, you don't have a problem.

I totally agree with white on white. I think backsplashes are over rated and fall into the category of doing something twice for little or no reason. This category was invented by my mother by the way. "Why do wood floors and then put a rug down? You're just doing the floor twice!" She's a huge fan of wall to wall carpeting. It's also yet another thing that has to be torn out and redone when it goes out of date.

My first thought as far as saturated colors go, is a peacock blue. I'm not exactly sure how it would look with your red dining room, but it looks like it would complement your ceramic tiles nicely. I wouldn't suggest a backsplash, especially yet another stone or tile. There is enough going on now.

I don't think you need to replace your cabinets, ever. They are nice and just need new hardware. I would spend the money on better flooring, preferably wood, instead.

A colourful tile backsplash; you could even remove heck out this AT post from a few days ago for inspiration: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/post_9-165243.

If you have enough storage space to sacrifice some of your kitchen cupboards, you could remove the bank of cupboards over your stove and tile the whole wall (you'd have to install a new funnel-style stove vent), a la this Katie Ridder kitchen (note the hardware on the cabinets as well):
http://www.thekitchn.com/design-inspiration-moroccan-tiles-in-the-kitchen-165375
You could put up open shelving so the space isn't completely wasted.

A couple of herbs or flowers in pots in front of the window would help warm things up, too.

Sorry for the weird edit. It should read: A colourful tile backsplash; check out this AT post from a few days ago for inspiration: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/post_9-165243.

I am shocked no one said (unless I missed it) KNOBS! Glass, painted ceramic (World Market) or bin pulls on the drawers? Find cool tea towels and let that be inspiration for paint. But live there a bit, see how the daylight is in the room and pick paint after that! Have fun!

glass tiles behind the sink, under the cabinets!

A red wool persian rug with any fun pattern (geometric, floral, whatever) is my favorite thing in the kitchen. Some people think of them as being fancy and formal and nothing you'd want to subject to food and wine spills, but their durability and natural stain resistance make them so perfect! Furthermore, it would tie in with your dining room....there is nothing I love more than looking from one room into another and seeing a common thread. In our case, we have a red vinyl upholstered vintage diner set in the dining area and the red rug in the kitchen really creates nice visual continuity. We also have a rather builder-boring kitchen and the rug really helps a lot. I know they are pricey but you can find great vintage ones in stores and on craigslist at more reasonable prices. One of my faves is this runner from overstock (I have it in my hallway but have envisioned it in a kitchen or bathroom as well....at the price I may just order more!)
http://www.overstock.com/Worldstock-Fair-Trade/Persian-Hand-knotted-Balouchi-Runner-110-x-63/4589180/product.html

Congratulations on your house! Your kitchen is very similar to mine (black granite, same white cabinets), and until I added my own personal touches (linens/rugs, cooking oils, porcelain canisters, ubiquitous Keurig, bowl of fruit, and a tiny pink Domo figurine!), my kitchen was also rather sterile & model-looking. All it takes is the little things to make it yours (the instant I put magnets on the side of my fridge, I knew my kitchen was mine haha), but for some further ideas:

1) Backsplash or repaint: I was 110% positive I was going to install a glass tile backsplash - until I had my kitchen painted in a nice 'warm' grey, then decided totally against it. I think the backsplash would have been too busy against the counter's granite pattern (uba-tuba anyone?) - so I recommend paint first, then decide!
2) Undermount sink. Oh yes. If simply for ease of cleaning.
3) Splurge on some crown moulding - I did with my cabinets, and it made a world of difference (went from apt standard to homey kitchen)
4) If you have flourescent lighting, make it go away. Seriously. First thing I did in my kitchen was replace the ugly UFO (unidentified fluorescent object) with a simple $20 3-light track fixture from IKEA - easy to install, so worth it. Undercabinet lighting is also a good option.
5) I converted one of those canister ceiling lights above my sink into a pendant light using a 'conversion' kit from Lowe's (if you can screw in a lightbulb, you can install this); bought a gorgeous red swirly glass shade and it instantly elevated the mood of the kitchen.
6) Decorate, decorate, decorate - make the kitchen a reflection of you. =)

good luck with the new home! =)

Congrats on the new place! I rarely comment, but I see a vision here! : ) I would....
Paint Color:
I love color, but I'm seeing white walls. Looks like this kitchen could start to feel cramped with too many design elements going on. A semigloss bright white will feel fresh and modern and your color accents will pop...
Backsplash:
I'd skip it, see above!
Window Treatment:
Know what's cool? Instead of curtains, try this look:
http://www.dwelllovely.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/screens.jpg
You get lace with a large pattern, and use it instead of mesh for the window screen. It's a nice, crisp Scandinavian statement that gives you privacy, and won't clutter the space like a curtain may. (Again, I'm sensing this room could feel cramped quickly)
Lights:
Multiple light sources!
Top of cabinets:
Baskets are a good idea! Maybe get them natural first, and decide what color to spray paint (if any) after the rest of your new kitchen is in place! Also, cute figurines or food containers or wine storage can look good, obvs.
Rug:
Totally agree with everyone that this will be a huge step with huge benes. I hope you can find a nice big one saturated with your fave colors (that don't clash with the floor tile).
Have fun!

Hard to tell with the limited pics. But...
Remove exhaust hood and cabinet over stove, replace with
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10222538/
or the like. Use that removed cabinet elsewhere.. perhaps on top of one of the other wall cabinets to add height. Same for the small cabinet above the sink, remove it and use it some where else, over the sink do simple open shelves. The window looks ripe for an herb garden,, get creative, suspended from the ceiling maybe. and perhaps a pot rack.
Find some way to lighten the dark tile floor (paint? rugs?) Is there room for a butcher block work station in the center of the kitchen?
Life in it, cook in it, make it work for you... good luck. and more pics when you're happier with it please.

My kitchen has white cabinets, black honed granite countertops and white subway tile backsplash, all by choice via a remodel when we moved in. I love it! The countertops are my favorite. They wear really well and clean up beautifully. With a basic black and white backdrop you can brighten things up with paint on the walls or bold items on the countertop and a cool rug to cover the tile (which is my least favorite element in your kitchen).
Should be easy and cheap. We DIY'd our subway tile backsplash and it was really inexpensive and looks great.

Pistachio green would work beautifully with bright red accents. Or you can paint over it in any color. Add a rug, I think the rest of the warmth will be created when you bring in your pots and pans and towels and cutting boaeds and such :)

Oh,a subway tile back splash would be great.. But there is absolutely nothing wrong with the cabinets.

what ever you do, don't paint it yellow, nothing is worse for the eye than walking from a yellow room into a red room. Plus yellow is the most fought in color room (aggression much?).

you are lucky its all so neutral, with the white cabinets and black counters. It reminds me of a vintage 30s color scheme and to go with that vintage/modern theme you should blend the styles. You like warm colors, but I don't think you should paint the room red or brown because that will make it dark, because of your floor color, I think what would add a real big punch would be copper color tin as a backsplash that goes around the cabinets and up to the ceiling. Not real copper because that would be expensive, but there are great copper color tin tiles that can be bought online or home depot and put up with adhesive. Because the dining room is red, the copper would be pleasing and would draw the floor up onto the backsplash. I like the look of mixing copper and stainless steel, its very rich in the contrasting warm and cool tones while still being in the same form of metal. It would be amazing if you could make or find small drawers that fit that odd cubby/wine rack next to the stove and have copper fronts put on them, that would marry the copper into the cabinets and you could use it for spices, plus the copper next to the stainless stove would be awesome looking.

Replace the basic hood/cabinet combo with a great stand alone hood.
Consider raising the upper cabinets to help give a little more space/luxury to the counters
Add an awesome rug -- consider a trompe l'oeil floor mat.
Add a tile backsplash.
Fun artwork behind the sink (something framed to protect it from splashes) or a a mirror with some patina to it.
The little nooks next to the oven would be great for bright linens and dishtowels.

I like strong colours too and I also have a black and white kitchen, so I can say with confidence you actually have the perfect canvas on which to work. I think you should tile below the cabinets with plain white (maybe subway) tiles to bounce the light around from the quite small window. And I think you should paint there rest of the wall brilliant white (which is a warm white).

Then bring in your bright coloured things on those shelves, the countertops, the windowsill and maybe in a tea-towel hanging from the handle of that corner cabinet. If you like saturated colours I'm sure you have a collection of tins / ceramics / books, all of which will really pop against the black and white and make the room feel warm and personal, while the black and white keeps it feeling crisp and clean. It's the perfect combination IMO.

Chilewich makes rugs that work great in a kitchen.

I had black granite counters in my house when I bought it. Hated them, but after a year, I've come to appreciate them.

White paint would open up this space considerably and also even it out, which I think it needs. With white cabinets, black counters, and brown/black multi colored floors, you have quite a few colors going on here already. Doesn't have to be a pure white - I would think more greige-white to tie the neutral tones together (Ben Moor Abalone is a start). Bins or baskets painted the same color as your dining room walls could go in the space above the upper cabinets, and a different style of bin or other objects (vase, picture frame) painted the same color, on the shelves by the window. I would do these things first, then decide if you need a backsplash. If there's room for an island, paint that piece an intense color, maybe with a stainless top so it coordinates with appliances.

I'm a designer and I love bright colors, but I find that painting large areas like room walls with really intense colors can create a lot of difficulties when decorating. It interferes with the overall lighting of the space, and can exhaust and overwhelm the eye. You can get your colors in the room with furniture, art, lamps and decor items, while keeping the larger masses (walls, cabinets, floors) neutral.

An important improvement to any kitchen is task lighting. Install halogen or LED lighting beneath your upper cabinets to increase the light levels on your countertops. Most kits can be plugged into a nearby outlet or wired into your wall switches. To make the lighting more accessible you can plug the lighting runs into a radio controlled module, controlled by a battery powered wall switch locatable anywhere in the room. The same can be done with accent lighting such as rope lighting. Stringing runs of it on top of the cabinets against the walls will give the room more visual height. Running it on the underside of the lower cabinet toekicks visually expands the room and provides dramatic night lighting.

If the kitchen’s overall light levels make spotting items in your upper cabinets difficult, consider installing track or cable lighting in the ceiling aimed so that it “washes” the front of your upper cabinets.

Add mouldings to the tops and bottoms of your cabinets to provide a finished look and to hide undercabinet lighting modules and other devices. The mouldings may be available from the original manufacturer of your cabinets or you may choose from a selection at your local lumber supply.

Consider using aluminum or stainless steel sheet as a backsplash. It is inexpensive and easy to install.

Top down-bottom up window coverings or a window shade hung upside down will provide privacy while maximizing light levels in the window.

Change out your cabinet door/drawer pulls.

Change out your sink faucet and/or sink. Acquire a faucet with built in sink sprayer, great for sink cleaning and large pot/pitcher filling.

Make your kitchen more functional and efficient by adding storage devices like pull-out shelves in your lower cabinets. The hardware may be reinstalled in any future new kitchen.

Consider replacing your black range hood with a stainless steel model. Simple range hoods are very inexpensive. If you don’t have space for a microwave oven, raise the cabinet over the range and install an undercabinet microwave oven with range hood.

Since you like color, consider brightening the floor by adding a kitchen rug. The rugs are washable and frequently rubber-backed, for slip prevention and cushioning.

Good Luck!

Since it's a bit of an awkward space for backsplash (with the shelves at the end, plus the stove at a different level --where/how does the backsplash start/finish?) I think you should paint a contrasting color up to the top of the cabinets and carry that across the window and stove area at the same height. alternately, you could use a durable wallpaper in the same area. Where it breaks on the window wall, you could add a small wall moulding to conceal the division which would give it a nicely finished feel. This is also much easier than it sounds and quite easy to take down later.
The problem with putting in a backsplash is if you want to change everything later you probably won't be able to keep it, so it's time and money down the drain.
Also, adding a string of lighting on top of the cabinets would be an easy way to add interest (as mentioned in the last post). Changing the hardware is also a quick, non-invasive way to change things up, and color can be added there too. I wouldn't paint the cabinets -- sounds easy but is quite labor-intensive (just did it on a job and it's definitely not a "quick-fix"!).

If possible, I would find out what kind of cabinets those are, and see if you can get more short ones to go on top of the big wall cabinets to bring the whole assembly closer to the ceiling, then trim it out with crown molding or whatver you'd need at that point to bring it the rest of the way to the ceiling. If you can find glass-fronts for the top, great, although solid would be good, too. This will add height, storage space, and a more built-in feel. Assuming it would work with your configuration, I also like the option of taking the short cabinet over the sink and the short one that's over the stove, and putting them over the existing taller wall cabinets. Then, you could put a free standing hood over the stove and maybe some open shelves over the sink. I'd also replace all the hardware with something more interesting--maybe something in black. For wall paint, I'd do a sea glass green or maybe a warm gray. This might be a good inspiration image for you: http://rehkamplarson.com/projects/brandt . You'd also do well to trim out that window with some nice moulding, and I like the idea of a warm rug, either bold and graphic, or persian, etc. Add some nice pendant lighting, and you're in business.

I'm in your neck of the woods (we could even be neighbors!), and I wish my kitchen were as neutral and ready for a few easy tweaks as yours. The previous owners of our house made some weird color and quality choices for flooring, counters, and cabinets (and walls, but at least I was able to repaint those), and I've been plotting a remodel for about 7 years now--and 2012 is the year it's finally going to happen!

Well, contrary to just about everybody I think, I'd keep everything as it is except maybe the wall color -- if you love the red and the red works with the floor tiles (some reds would, others would be too blue) maybe make the walls red. (Gloss or semi gloss.) No carpentry, no modifications...

I'd KEEP the knobs, they are perfectly nice neutral ones, why spend money on something else?

I would add some colorful blooming plants (maybe even from the supermarket) to the shelves next to the window -- one primrose per shelf, maybe.

I'd add a pretty window shade or maybe cafe curtain in a very colorful contemporary print.

Maybe a red tea kettle.

But I would NOT put a lot of stuff on top of the cabinets. I tried that in my past and all it did was collect dust and look nasty. (Now I have cabinets installed to the ceiling. Someday you could add more to get the extra storage and eliminate that pointless wasted space, but I don't think filling it with stuff is a great decision for now.)

The things you use regularly and really can't put away will add life and if you shop well some color as well. It's a kitchen, it doesn't need much, and you already have great basics!

One thing I did was put two small framed watercolor paintings of fruit on little plate easels on the counter. (Since you don't have a backspash yet, you could put something right on the wall). They are kind of unexpected and fun, and they can easily go away if I tire of them. I'm short, so I can see them better than tall people, which also amuses me.

Have fun, and don't get mired in fantasies of a "dream kitchen". The one you have is perfectly lovely, and even those of us who build and choose our own components have to compromise.

If it were me, I wouldn't do much other than paint as long as everything is in good condition. It's pretty taste-specific, but I love bright, saturated citrus colors in kitchens -- orange, lemon yellow, lime-green ... I'd use something like that for the wall color and maybe a rug in front of the sink, and then see how I feel about the space once all my stuff is in it.

Saturated colors will make this kitchen look even darker (and smaller) than it already is, not the other way around. I would put a neutral(ish) color on the wall...light gray, taupe, something with a hint of green, maybe, and reserve the saturated colors for your accessories. A Roman Shade with an awning stripe in the same color as your accessories could make it really pop.

Congrats on your new house! I have a white/black kitchen as well, which our house came with. I painted the walls a light warm beige and added a glass mosaic tile backsplash in turquoise to just one wall behind the sink for a pop of color. We also changed out the knobs/pulls and changed them to matte black. It actually looks much better. A butcher block, some kitchen towels, and a couple of cute prints from Etsy later, the kitchen looks great.

Seconded: HOORAY, PITTSBURGH. :)

You have a good foundation to work from which is great!

-I would do a white subway tile backsplash (polished carrera if budget allows would be great)
-Personally I hate floor tiles in a kitchen. They are too hard to stand on for long periods of time and cold as well. If its possible to replace with hardwood I would start there.
-When you have some extra cash, I would build up the cabinets to the ceiling. The cabinets seem standard so it wouldnt be too hard to match it up and it would make the kitchen feel more substantial.

1. BACKSPLASH
2. UNCABINET LIGHTING
3. HERB PLANTS NEAR WINDOW
4. RECESSED LIGHTING ABOVE CABINETS
5. AREA RUG
6. STAINLESS STEEL RANGE HOOD
7. COUNTERTOP (NOT LAMINATE)
8. WINDOW FILM (PRIVACY) I THINK CURTAINS MIGHT BE TOO MUCH IN THE SMALL SPACE.
9. SPACE FILLER ABOVE SINK AND CABINETS (ARTWORK, PLANTS, FUNCTIONAL PIECES LIKE LARGE BOWLS OR TEAPOTS)

I'm kind of baffled about this type of post. "Here's my perfect kitchen, how can I make it better?" Try living in the house for a few months before you decide to tear out perfectly good materials because you are too bored or have too much money. Maybe use the time and dollars to spend on your family instead of cabinets.

If you find out that you just can't live with it, decide why by living in it for a while.