We have dulux whisper white cabinetry and it is lovely soft/warm but I made mistake of using non-tinted ceiling paint and even with bulkhead divide it looks too stark white (or makes cabinetry look too creamy). Since I can't change the cabinetry, I think I will eventually go over ceiling with 1/4 tint whisper white.

Hi Mon, have you seen the Dulux Paint App? You can download it to your phone for free. The idea is that you can take a photo of of the space you want to paint and the App allows you to change the wall colour by selecting from their colour range; Dulux says this enables you to actually see what the new colour looks like next to your floor and other furnishings without the need of trying out several paint pot samples. I have not personally used it but the concept is pretty cool. Hope this is of help. Malcolm

Hi Marie Claire, it is always tempting to paint over varnished cabinet doors, but real timber is so rare in kitchens these days, that I think it would be nice to leave it be (and save all that time and repainting down the track!). Would you consider dark grey or black engineered stone benchtops? That would create a crisp tailored look and quiet down the timber. You could then add new black shiny cabinetry knobs. The contrast would like great with the tiled floor and still retain a country kitchen feel, just with a bit of pizazz ;)

Hi, firstly congratulations on the new purchase. If you are on a tight budget then painting is certainly an option... you can do this yourself if you are feeling particularly DIY inclined or you can also have the doors and panels painted professionally in a polyurethane finish. Dulux does a great range of renovation paints that people tend to get some good results with. If you go the poly route bare in mind there will still be a significant investment required. Green cabinetry with timber accents would look great. Either a darker shade or you could look at sage perhaps, which is very popular at the moment. You could add some open shelving on the wall where the hanging scales are currently positioned. White is also an option as its timeless but everyone has a white kitchen. If you're going to renovate and this is your home for the foreseeable future dare to be bold and add some colour in your life :) Timber benchtops would be lovely but they are very expensive, especially at the moment. You could however add a timber top on the island as a butchers block type feature and update the back bench with either an engineered stone or a laminate. You could add in some brass or black handles and depending on how far you want to go update your tapware to match to finish the look. Good luck with the renovation!