Keeping things cosmetic will mean that. Angled dwarf wall will need to stay, if not refaced. With terra-cotta tiles that look to be laid around your joinery, your footprint will remain, and replacing doors won't address the side panels of the wall oven Adjoining the cabinets, as to replace this, you need to uninstall the back units adjoining them, so it is almost a rip out and refit. The alternative is paint. Without correct and proper priming products and aplication, this is risky, doors and end panels are quite easy, hoer adjoining wet areas or heated panels, unless you use the right product things can go wrong. Fr light, all horizontal surfaces boulder reflect and bounce light around the work surface, so light, stone is great, but will cost what a new kitchen would, if your painting cabinets, a stone top may be an over capitalization, replacing your doors with new and a laminated top would have an overall improved aesthetic instead, and save stone for a future new layout. That's not to say the bar top couldn't be. I would use this dated feature to create a new one. A stone waterfall or slab end as their known would help draw your eye down to your floor, and provide a contemporary element to clad. Go with a chunky stone edge build up, say 60mm and then it will frame the back wall area to display a feature material, in this case, I suggest a horizontal timber plank. Yu could do a laminate, but a pack of engineered flooring will provide the character aswell as durability, choose something that ties into your floor, and this could be used elsewhere as a feature. Re tile over your spalshbackin, and if you go with all white cabinets, consider a patterned or aggregated white counter, with lint cabinets, then a stone to in a solid white, to stand out against the patterned laminated benches. Or opposite for te same reason, the bar top is what will be touched and stone does that, so an interesting pattern, pebble or grain would add to the interest, and plain white laminate in the practical space will juxtapose this. I would think of using a vinyl (thermolaminated) profiled door, something simple. Like a square shaker style door, both modern and classic but not old fashioned. It will create focus in the kitchen and again front he simplicity of the Benchtops, The splash back could be anything, but subway are great I agree, there is also a DIY acrylic sheet from laminex called metaline which can be installed right over tile, you can even co yourself or have the cabinet maker do it. It has the appearance of a glass splash back with great colour choices. There is a pewter or grey metallic like argente perle, which would tie in your stainless appliances making it overall modern and clean. Good luck?

I am unsure if the cabinet door you're showing us is the original or proposed colour, as I find 'honey' colours to vary wildly. Can you clarify. Thanks

Hi Kat, I agree with bigreader, a few tweaks could make a big difference. I don’t think the colour is bad, just the saturation level a little too high. Perhaps changing the door, window frame, and trim to a white and adding white shutters? New, more prominent hardware and changing out the rangehood, definitely. Have the tiles professionally cleaned if they / the grout are looking a bit tired and purchase a neutral floor mat that is suitable for wet areas. A timber benchtop would look great, but if budget is tight (and when do we ever have an unlimited budget 😉), a few decor items in silver, grey or white - I think cool colours would work best - would diffuse the all blue look, and maybe switch out the bar stools in one of those colours or timber as it would also help.

The existing kitchen is just so cookie cutter -- there is almost no character . The irony is that they presumably added the light mint green tiles to try and lift things , but as has been said , its that plain and insipid it detracts IMO . As well as that , just visually I think the tiles go too high up the wall , but thats a minor moan . Those who know me will probably guess , but I think it heeds a stronger colour -- a strong sherwood green , or my favourite , a mid to bright red , even a maroon , would work best with the existing colours and some natural wooden lightshades and stools etc . Gloss black tiles may work , but my worry is that it may make the cabinets look even more like the cheapest Bunnings flat pack ones you can buy , whereas colour will add to the overall look . One little thing though 0-- the overhead cupboards I'd look at getting plaster or silicone or possibly even some small square mouldings added -- right now they look like they'd fall off the roof if you add too much weight !