We have a love/hate relationship with our honey oak kit cabinets

Wood look tile isn't going to help with the yellow tone. Go with crisp white to modernize the space.

I would use black hardware to tie in with your appliances.

Then add in accessories in your favorite colors.

(But honestly, I would keep working at him if you really want them painted... Show him photos of before and after, and how much light it adds to the house.)

Good luck.

I love the advice above and second the wood-like tile wouldn’t help with the yellow. White subway tile would be perfect and add a modern element. I would do brushed nickel for the hardware. But I also think your cabinets would look amazing white if you were up for the work.

I'm with your husband on this one. I hate white kitchen cabinets. I would consider a dark kitchen floor, stainless steel faucet and brushed nickel door hardware, then I would consider a backsplash that adds some contrast. Maybe white marble with a black accent to tie in the appliances. You could also go with a light floor, but I would be sure there's a strong contrast between the cabinets and the floor.

If I were you, I would pass on the floor and instead use those resources to:

A. Swap out all the doors for General purpose wood.

B. Cover these new flat modern doors with: Stainless Steel or Mirror Contact Paper or any other Contact Paper you like.

why not paint the top cabinets with that chalk paint and keep the bottom ones as is. it will brighten the space up and give a more up dated look.

Would a different back splash help to draw out more of the red than the yellow? What you have there isn't a good contrast. Perhaps start there. Take a pic of your cabinets or take the door panel with you to lowes or somewhere where they mix paint using a natural light bulb and select some free paint cards that you believe will help in colors that you like then once outside compare the colors to wood again. Natural light in your home is far different to florescent lighting in the store. I know this because i've had to fix or remix my mom's store bought paint loads of times. I explained this theory to her and now her paint is always exactly what she wanted.

I have the same stain. After seeing so many of my friends regretting the white cabinets after some abuse, I decided to try darkening my cabinets using a dark walnut danish oil. It really toned down the yellow and made them look so much better. I ended up doing my doors and trim throughout the house.

It needed something and so I decided to start small and take the focus from the cabinets to the island by using a rich greige. I am using brushed gold pulls and hardware to elevate the look. I have white countertops and backsplash and think I might use a butcher block type top on my island. I would recommend closing in the area above the cabinets and finish with a thicker crown molding. It would make the cabinets look taller as well as your ceilings. Some pendants or a large pendant light fixture above th island to draw the eye up would look great also. Just some thoughts. D