SFGate

Sara Bederman Interior Design Congratulations on your new home! A darker floor stain would give the space a lift but the cabinet color will then stand out even more. You could consider quoting to stain the cabinets as well but it is usually quite costly. Perhaps you should go with a floor stain that is slightly darker but more in the brown tones to get a bit of contrast without making a drastic change.

The Welcome Home: Interior Design Solutions Re-staining the floors a richer brown will create a more updated look but don't go too dark. The dark chocolate stains and ebony will show every speck of dust and dirt and could also become dated. You also want to have enough contrast between the floor color and the furniture that is resting on it. Assuming the cabinets are in good condition you could either re-face them in a richer wood or you could paint them. You could paint them white for a fresh, classic look that matches your trim or you could choose a medium to dark gray that will reduce the contrast between the counter tops and the cabinets. Gray would also work well with your existing color scheme. Hardware will also help update the look of your kitchen. The style of the hardware will play a strong role in overall style of the kitchen. You could go very modern and simple which would work well with your furniture. You can add a pop of color ans add some softness with a fabric valance or cornice above your kitchen window. Choose a fabric that you can repeat in the living room as pillows either in the exact same pattern or in a different pattern but same colorway. Good luck and enjoy your new home!

Designing Richmond Hello,

I like the natural floors... I have done a great deal of the more brown tones... but here I like the light.
On the cheap... change out the pandants, a snazzy back splash with undercounter lighting will change the look instantly!... down the line... if you like the look of a chimmney hood... would look
spectacular here... If you had an alternate place for a microwave... Good luck!

Jayme Hobbs I love your new home! I would say a darker stain..

carole all your furniture looks more contempory,so if you can afford it i would put new kitchencabinetsdoors
without the oldfashioned pattern in the wood!!or a white kitchen...

Tammy Cody I agree with @Carole. New cabinet doors are the way to go to update your kitchen. Staining it may help a little, but it won't update them much. The design on the cabinets lends itself to a mass produced kitchen cabinet style, so doors with a flat front or cleaner lines would certainly update it. I would also be careful not to stain your floors darker as well as your kitchen cabinets darker. But then again, I'm a fan of lighter wood.