If you are willing to give me some style and material choice ideas that come to you, I'd be much obliged to you.

Kitchen: U-shaped, cherry type cabinets (very visible oak grains) that go to ceiling but the doors don't go all the way up, sandy white laminate counters, and fluorescent lighting. The doors and windows all have the same color wood trim.

21 year old house with adequate appliances (they all work for now and I'd like to keep them as long as possible). So far we've had the wallpaper removed and the walls painted light robins'egg blue above the chair rail and true robin's egg blue below the chair rail. The wood has a reddish tone and doesn't look that great with the blues.

The floor is a grayish taupe tile laid by the former owners and it is adequate.

I'm thinking of painting the cabinets white, since they are good and solid, and we are hoping to keep costs down. We are not do-it-yourselfs, fyi.

So I'm wondering should we go ahead and paint all the trim work and windows white as well? The cabinets go all the way to the ceiling and meet the moulding in several places.

Next question, I read about Ikea butcher block. Would that look good with white cabinets and blue walls? Or should I use a laminate again, if so, what shade?

What about a backsplash? I'd rather keep it simple - beadboard or more laminate? That's what is there now. Or tile? colors?

Also, I've thought of putting white beadboard below the chair rail (it's in the "breakfast" room where our table is). Turns out my robin's egg blue, on the east side of the house there, is just too much, at least with wood trim. It is reminiscent of a swimming pool! Hubby is averse to repainting, though, and I do like the lighter shade of blue up above.

I'm thinking of keeping the sink (porcelain). Ought I get a new sink when the counters are replaced?

Can I keep the electric stove top I have when I have new counters put in or should I go ahead and get a new stove top when the new counters get put in? Should I wait to get a new countertop when the electric stove top finally breaks?

I thank you in advance for any words of advice you may have to offer to me.