SFGate

deardeniseh and, by the way, that's not my furniture in the photos so don't take that into consideration.

ASVInteriors May I suggest you start with a moodboard? (gathering pictures, images, swatches and samples). Place them together and then start to focus on what really works for you. Your canvas has begun with the tan tones in wood and tile. Now do you want a dark dramatic effect, a light airy one, traditional, modern, etc etc?
Then you can hone in on colour schemes on the colour of your counter top (tile definitely should go) and your cabinet. BTW for painting cabinets there are a number of discussions on that subject here which will give you very good advice as a starting point.
Best of luck with your lovely project.

Jayme Hobbs If you don't want to strip and refinish the cabinets, I would paint them white....I would plan on updating your lighting, keep it in mind as u go. What colors and/or looks do you like?

Prairie Point Interiors Inc I would consider painting the cabinets, the yellowing will continue to get worse. Not white though but something in a warmer cream like Benjamin Moore's Mayonnaise or Marble white.Their Advance series or Aura will work well if you are Doing it yourself. These paints are also low VOC. Make sure you prime first with a good primer. The paint finish is very durable but If you want extra durability you can add a clear coat. I reccomend Varathanes diamond coat which is non yellowing. Hope this helps. This picture is Mayonnaise

Dezign Studio Inc Normally, changing the floor and c.top are big investments. So if your budget allows you, I would change the cabinets too as the arched/ cathedral look in the wall cabinets look dated after some time. Also you can have a wall corner cabinet on the sink stove corner. and add in a glass door if you like. Above the refrigerator you could have a deep refrigerator cabinet and any other upgrades you need.

deardeniseh Starting with a mood board is not a bad idea. I need to gather samples of all materials and make sure they will work together.

I love the Mayonnaise white cabinets in the Prairie Point Interiors photo and the granite countertop as well! As a general rule, I'm not crazy about all white kitchens. But a creamy off white, such as the ones you mention, might work just fine, especially if it picks up the lightest cream value in the tile I'm considering. Thanks for that suggestion. My brother (a contractor) will likely do any painting needed but he is not the greatest at choosing colors.

Right now, changing the cabinets out is not in my budget because there are so many other things I need to take care of first. But if I paint the cabinets, maybe I can get new wood doors on the upper cabinets to mirror those on the base cabinets.

What do you think of darker base cabinets and lighter upper cabinets in a kitchen this small?

fancee44 Since you said that you wanted earth tones then I suggest you stick with that color pallet. Nice appliances but I definitely think that white cabinets would not work well with the tones that you like. I recently redone the kitchen and bathroom cabinets for a friend of mine. Home Depot as well as Lowe's carries beautiful cabinet paint colors. A nice dark color would bring out the room. I also went back and found some inexpensive pewter handles on Ebay. It came out beautiful. I've added a couple of pictures to show you what painted kitchen cabinet in a dark tone would look like. These are not his cabinets, just wanted you to see that with proper lighting you can use a darker tone in a small kitchen. Good luck and I envy you. I will I had some home projects to tackle but unfortunately for me, mine are all done. Good luck and I hope to see pics of your finished results.

Jayme Hobbs You have an open enough concept that I think u could do darker on the bottom...

deardeniseh Yes, I see that dark cabinets would work well, also. I like those, especially the first photo that shows a granite countertop in the tan/brown tones I'm thinking of. I even like the pain color. Thanks fancee44!

fancee44 Anytime!

flymoma42 I could see a med/dark grey or even French blue on bottom and a grey-white or creamy-white on top cabinets. Also bird's nest pulls plus a change in the valance. The design in the cabinets could work For you, then.

deardeniseh I like the combinations of gray and off-white but probably not french blue (been there, done that). Definitely need some new hardware and the valance is gone! I prefer something not too fussy, an almost contemporary but warm feel. I love neutral backgrounds for eye-popping color in art and accessories. But neutrals to me include mossy or grassy greens, the colors of the high desert that surrounds me.

mdamron61 Paint the cabinets and install door handles. Go with granite countertop.

ptmatthews Search the kitchen section for "travertine floors" to see different cabinet and countertop color combos.

onthefence Regardless of what you do with color, I do think you should change out the doors on the upper cabinets. The cathedral arch doesn't work well with your casual southwest/mission feel.

Prairie Point Interiors Inc Hi deardeniseh
I think that darker cabinets on the bottom can look good but don't try to make a paint look like a wooden stained finish by going to dark, I think you will be disappointed. I feel one colour will look great. If your brothers a contractor may be he could add some crown moulding on the upper cabinets and some new handles. Its amazing what new handles do. Then if you want to introduce more colour do it with the flooring ,counter tops and backsplash

Cancork Floor Inc. Hi. As a flooring expert, and hearing that your priority is to pull the carpets, I suggest you focus your energy/finances on the "big" picture = flooring. Any other choices (at this point = carte blanche) will become frustrated/moot once you've settled on the big price ticket items = flooring.

Once you have fallen in love with the flooring, THEN you go ahead and look at colour schemes in kitchen. It is easier to match paint to floor than floor to paint.

I will mention cork, in passing...because that's what I do. With cork, you can run it wall to wall to wall to wall (and up walls and onto ceilings...if that is your wish). Cost per square foot is significantly lower than wood/travertine while achieving the same look. A cork floating floor can run $2.29/sf - $4.09/sf and a glue down floor (entrances, bathrooms and even kitchen) can be as little as $1.28 - $2.99/sf. You can achieve a "seamless" floor throughout the space...without changing patterns or colours.

Again...cork is what I do..so I had to chime in that last bit! Have fun. Focus on $$$$ ticket items and THEN go for colour matching. It's the least stressful...mentally.

deardeniseh Yes, Mr. Cork Man, I have been looking at flooring first because it will be the largest investment in fixing up this fixer-upper house. And it's funny you should mention cork. I was just in a flooring store and saw cork on display (first time ever) and liked the variation in the colors. It was a darker cork like your top right photo. Didn't know cork came in different colors. I really like the color in the top left photo. But how durable is cork? Won't it scratch and gouge easily?

Cancork Floor Inc. Hi Deardeniseh,

That colour is called: Brown Leather ($3.89/sf floating; $2.49/sf glue down). It comes in a floating floor (click together) AND a glue down option (best for bathrooms, entrance ways, and kitchens for those who are very nervous).

A cork floor is the "softest" of the soft woods. Gouges can be easily fixed (after 4 years, our shop FINALLY had a gouge the size of quarter...fixed it with a "cork transplant" inside of 30 minutes). Scratches are normally not a problem. Cork absorbs the energy of things that "scratch"...like dog's claws, chairs, etc. This flexing causes it to "dimple" (a mark that is not permanent, but is visible for a few hours/days/weeks). These dimples recover...given enough time. Or, if time is of the essence and you want that dimple "gone" you simple take a clothe, pour boiling water onto it and then apply the hot clothe to the dimple. Let stand x10 minutes. Repeat until the dimple is removed (2-3 applications work very well).

A hardwood floor scratches faster than a cork floor. The finish on hardwood is "hard" = brittle (like glass); a finish on a cork floor = "soft" (stretchy like a trampoline). It is possible to do, but the dimpling is more likely to occur than a true scratch.

Feel free to visit the icorkfloor.com website and look up "Brown Leather". You can also order samples on line or via email.

Have fun!

deardeniseh Thanks, I'll check out the website.

toni1959 I suggest you paint the cabinets white and choose a granite top in earth tones. Everything else you bring into the space should be bold.

deardeniseh Thanks to you all for helping me out with suggestions and ideas. I have a lot to think about. Escrow closes on this house in a couple of weeks and I want a plan in place to hit the ground running with the necessary upgrades immediately. I need to move into the house 4 weeks after the sale is finalized so I'm hoping the bulk of the work will have been done by then.