Can you post some photos?

Accessories!!!

Also, one way to neutralize boring colors is to incorporate and accentuate them. A few charcoal grays, strong pinks and golds will pull the finishes together and make them look deliberate rather than blah. A big charcoal glass vase with some dark brown twigs. Some bright pink depression glass. A brass clock. Things like that. A little shine and sparkle, and a little color. It should only take a few pieces--no need to get into a lot of clutter unless you're a collector.

Just saw this ring holder on Amazon. I'm not sure if it's wonderful or creepy.

If you don't want stuff out, then consider going "fun" with interesting and vibrant door and drawer knobs/pulls. And if you have a blank wall somewhere, a nice, bright art piece.

If you want more punchy color, try orange, like a "flamme" kettle by Le Creuset:

I wouldn't do a lot of bright red with your colors, but orange should either be great or awful, and easy to tell which.

I am an advocate of artwork. Consider a fabulous piece or two--give yourself permission to cruise art fairs, local galleries, auctions, etc.

You can also insert a lot of personality with fabrics (chair covers, placemats, roman shades, valences, towels) and colored or textured honeycomb shades or miniblinds--ask the clerk for the special order book.

Colored glass in pendant light fixtures is very big right now. Cruise the lighting websites and skip right past those items that only have colors that aren't on the rainbow.

Grab a color from the window views or from the rooms visible from the kitchen. For example, I have decorated a neutral living room by using the colors I see on the hill in the distance--sumac red, spring greens, and deep greens.

Throw rugs? Washable rugs?

brainstorm different ways to get some color up near the ceiling--paint a band of color around the perimeter of theroom on the ceiling? Hang something from the ceiling? Put something on a high shelf?

Colored cooking implements? Lots of colored handles on knives and utensils and such these days.

Splurge on a fabulous set of bright dishes. Use them!

Choose colorful cookbooks--put them on an open shelf.

Get some houseplants or an aquarium. Even a bowl of goldfish or betas is good!

Paint something. Chairs or stools? The rim of the clock? the stepstool?

Put colored glass into the doors of a few cupboards. Or use plain glass and mount fabric inside the door to coordinate with other items in room.

Go walk through a few open houses and page through some kitchen catalogs. Look at a couple years' worth of Better Homes & Gardens kitchens. Visit Starpooh's "Finished Kitchens Blog." You will find more than enough ideas.

It sounds like a job for Paint!

Post pics and see this blog about kitchen paint
http://colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/5-questions-to-consider-when-selecting.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Picking Paint Colors

Since I read your query, I've been musing on the irony that many posters on GW are afraid to use color or texture or distinction for fear no one will buy the kitchen. You're the opposite--you bought the safely decorated one and now are trying to figure out how to live in it!

gopintos has just posted some in-process photos for her new kitchen, which has some of the same color and texture qualities as yours. Notice how that kitchen is evolving and where it is headed. Very subtle colors. Not like some of the others on the modest and quirky thread (F. blushes, coughs, coughs again, ducks down to hide.)

Here is a link that might be useful: gopintos kitchen on modest&quirky thread

Paint, paint and more paint....

Use the neutral elements to your advantage and go for
some fun, exotic, rich, wild, exiting, stir your energy up
kind of fun...

Here are some oak kitchens with neutral counters that
look anything but toon neutral.

~boxer
Ps. yes, post a photo that can help get the GWebbers
to create a few dream ideas.

Peach Coral walls

Tuscan Tan Behr

Golden Delicious Benjamin MOore

Red Tomato

Sangria BM

Yellow (unknown paint color)

Saybrook Sage BM

THanks so much for all of your awesome advice- I linked the realtors page- it has pics of kitchen, formal dining and formal living)
I like the charcoal gray and sage green ideas- just fora little background, the adjoining room is a dining room with dreadful wallpaper (and nicechair railing) which I will be taking down and painting too- the bathrom off the kitchen is a yucky mauve, so I have to paint that too- so I guess I really need a whole new color scheme. (the formal living is a cheery, beachy faded teal, which I like- but I'm not sure if it matches....
Thanks y'all!

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6-Amethyst-Rd-Palmyra-VA-22963/79109879_zpid/

Change the backsplash; use interesting materials and colors.

Add a bottom (a.k.a. light) rail to the bottom of the wall cabinets in a contrasting color, perhaps along with matching crown moulding at the top of the cabinets.

Change out only a few of the floor tiles to a different color - every third one or so in a semi-random pattern. Much less expensive than redoing the whole floor, but totally changes the look.

New handles or knobs on the cabinets.

Wow what a lovely home.. Wall color, a jazzy backsplash and new lighting ... that light above the island is an eyesore and could be replaced with some inexpensive and much more attractive options...

Since nothing has to be done before you move in - you might want to live in it, see how your furniture etc fits in - and you'll have a better feel of where you want the colors to go..

Yeah-
Paint is the answer & definitley a new backsplash, some kind of natural stone, there's a copper slate which has red metallic tones, that would look good & then a strong bold paint color.
Also there's plenty of room for accents above the cabinets, but you don't want to go too far with it. Maybe some natural materials, like ivy in baskets here & there. Or some pretty glass items that will still show off your new wall color & not take away from it.
My sister has plain oak cabinets & corian tops a sort of light grey/taupe color- real light and oak floors. Her kitchen isn't as big as your, but she just painted her walls black ! It's a real stark contrast & it looks great. She really didn't have as many full walls as you do, but it might be worth a try. Or a dark barn red...

Good Luck!

I agree this is a lovely kitchen with good bones.

My first instinct says change out the light fixture, if
you can put in undercab lighting and add molding to the
top of the cabinets.

A paint idea, Gray might be too neutral but a green might
be a bit more exciting.

And yes the wallpaper needs to go and when it is done
you will love your dinning room. A great space.

Interesting Aqua by Sherwin Williams paint

Conan Obrien's dining room

Very cute house. Very pink kitchen!! Paint will definitely help.

In the picture, the cabinets look like pinky maple rather than golden oak. If that's the case, I think the best way to neutralize it is to stay away from cool colors. Rather than making the pink pop, you want it to blend. Just about any color you can find non-punk lipstick in might work. Don't go too yellowy-orangey, but anything from a bright coral to a dulce de leche to rose red might be good. I wouldn't go too dark--stay in the medium values to provide some contrast but nothing too stark that will focus on the cabinet colors.