How can I Update kitchen cabinets for a farmhouse look?

I would buy some wide, flat trim and add to the doors and drawers....I wouldn't mitre the corners but leave them square, paint everything the same colour and change the handles to something that is more in keeping with the style you want. To save money, you could paint the hinges to match the new handles/knobs rather than replace them.

What Holly said. If you want to go a step further, use beadboard wallpaper inside the trim and paint it along with the rest of the cabinets. Be aware that if you have a really bad cat, like I do, that the wallpaper is a favorite thing to stretch his claws on. So glad I bought extra....

You can also use small trim and box in rectangles on the doors. You can sand and stain a gray or paint a gray, so it looks like old boards. I wouldn't advise painting the hinges...the paint will eventually chip off and it looks kind of sloppy.

Whatever you do though, do it right! Take your time and believe me, it'll take some time, but if you DO take the time and research to do it, you'll be happy with the results.

I cleaned my cabinets and put a watered-down gray wash over the wood. Used a neutral midtone MATTE gray. The wood popped and neutralized. Then put two coats of deal flat varnish over top. Please see my post http://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/cabinets/12-reasons-i-went-crazy-this-year-perfect-matte-grey-dead-flat-22461290

Neutralizing the orange tones with gray was a great start for me loving my country home again. Rich & elegant & cheap.

I've used this technique again and again on two homes and a camper over the past two years and saved myself from spending way too much $$$$ and emotional energy and wasting time.

After that's done you can decide on decor & trim details. Lots of good ideas on Hometalk to reflect your personal charm.

Here's an idea of how the first step might look just by toning down the cabinets with a light gray wash. Please see my post that also shows how I redid the counter in my bath with paints and sealers. It has held up well after a year. Add under-cabinet lights, clean up your hardware -- you might first try repaint. All can be done in one day... Then if you are not impressed go onto more expensive, time-consuming solutions.

I think a white washed look would give that farmhouse feel. I've used Minwax white Wash Pickling Water Based stain on a kitchen island project with good results. I used it on unfinished oak so you would need to sand off or remove the existing finish first but then it is just a matter of wipe or brush on and wipe off as little or as much as you'd like to get the result you're wanting.

paint them in gray, exchange all the handles with contemporary ones.

Update the countertop with quartz or marble if you can afford...

If you are handy, you can also exchange these black hinges to put them inside the cabinet door, so they wont be visible.

Paint them all white and change all the hardware for a more modern look. You can go to a Restore (Habitat for Humanity store) in your area and see if they have kitchen hardware at a fraction of the price. It is a hit or miss thing, so you might have to go a few times before you find them. You can use Rustoleum to paint the tiles. I found a How to using this product on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3UwfB38qTg