I'd get some pretty hardware, paint whatever color you like on the walls, get a nice wt and maybe a pretty faucet, and save your pennies for the big reno later on.
Your kitchen is cute now and not in need of a major overhaul in order to use it. You have a nice amount of space and storage and with a few pretty accessories, you could be done easily and cheaply. The cost of painting the cabs, or the labor alone, is worth it if you want to keep it that way for a long time. It is too much effort if it is to be shorter term. Besides, your cabs are not ugly and in need of being hidden under paint.

I like your kitchen! I think you're spot on about where to put a bit of money. I bet hardware will make the biggest visual impact. I like the cabinets white. Fabric around those sliding glass doors would soften and warm up that space considerably.

Countertop, sink and faucet, add hardware to the cabinets, possibly replacing the hinges with white ones. Id do the counters in laminate or possibly IKEA butcher block and not spend any more than that on them if you plan to do more down the road. And the counter might be negotiable but it and the wall paint are reading like a near miss on my computer screen. The counters are reading a pinker beige and for that reason and because there is less of them than walls to paint, they'd be the first to go for me. Make that ledge above the range a place for a fun display -- colorful pottery , cookie jars, large glass jars with dry goods, less often used cookbooks, antique pieces, kid art on easels, something tropical, coastal or fishy to tie in with your aquarium -- just don't leave it bare and questioning why it and the soffits are there.

celinieke, I love your kitchen so much! What color is your kitchen cabinets and backsplash. Do you have a post to share that has the details of your kitchen? That is a great idea to hide the Soffits. I must save this thread! My kitchen is next after my Master Bedroom's carpet is removed and replaced with hardwood flooring.

Thank you for posting that picture, I would have never figured out what you mean by fake doors. That is a great idea, the one on the left at the very top above the fridge has to stay for venting later on but the rest can go.

And yes those counter tops are pinkish and the walls are a beige/peachy color so they definately have got to go.

I had not thought of the ikea counters, I will look into that and I think they have inexpensive cabinet knobs there also.

Thanks

lyn2006 , can you tell me more about your light fixtures? I do not mind spending extra on the lights because I would be able to keep those later.

Hi Lynn2006 - thanks for much for the compliments!
the cabs are BM Cloud White and the backsplash is white Heath Ceramics tile.
here's the link my kitchen thread...

Here is a link that might be useful: my white kitchen

What Celineike has is what I was thinking of suggesting until I saw the soffits in this kitchen. Not only do they sit out further than the cabinet, you also have that second tier. I don't know how you can deal with that by using a super crown or fake doors.

Once in a while I see a kitchen with a stenciled saying that really works and looks classy. Here is one resource--you can compose your own saying or use one of theirs

Here is a link that might be useful: resource for stenciled phrases

I love the ideas mentioned about soffits.
You can turn the soffit into a faux molding of doors.
I adore Celineike's beautiful kitchen, what a creative
way to deal with soffits.
Here are a few more examples. Soffit into a stacked
cab or even adding molding to the soffit in the pic
with the yellow. All fun ideas to make the space
even more beautiful.

I would put some elegant drapes on the windows something
like this...Not a Duncan P table but lovely nevertheless.

Oriental rugs over your tile floors and rich woven
drapes will make the coolness of the room flow with the
duncan pyfe table you are invisioning.

What about a built in fish tank?
Fish tanks can take on a mood or feel of their own but
built in ones remind us that they are part of the art
and passion of the owner not an entitiy of their own.
The built in fish tank becomes elegant art.

Back to the kitchen...
Here is a combo of gray and white with a gentle soffit
above. That sort of blends into the wall. I thought
of this when you mentioned gray.

Painting soffitts above to match walls and cabs unify the
space.

Boxerpup's last two photos are good to de-emphasize those multi-level soffits.

Create more emphasis down below so people's eyes don't go UP.

The dark lower cabinets, a "wilder" countertop, colorful backsplash, more detailed cabinets, would all help.

Then one simple color above into the ceiling.
Perhaps a paler "color" of the wall for the soffits and ceiling, so it isn't a stark white?

maybe not elegant but the PO (son-in-law made all cabinets in the house) added some trim details to the soffits to be a little less blank.

HTH

THANK YOU!!! So many wonderful Ideas. I was painting my dining room all weekend so next weekend I get to sit down and look at these pics again and determine what to do.

I think I will start by removing the popcorn ceiling from under the soffit and try to get to Ikea to get some inexpensive knobs to start with.

Please keep sharing!

Do measure extra super hard before putting the fish tank there. It looks like it might be tight (depending on the particular tank dimensions--I'm guessing 4 feet long if it's typical) and you don't want to close off any of that passageway.

It looks like a wonderful house with nice details and good ceiling height and a well-thought-out kitchen and then you get those weird kitchen soffits. I like the multilevel soffit but the one over the sink! Yes paint it to match the cabinets.

Or you could always take a cue from how the title of this post was cut off--embrace the oddity and go with kitsch over elegant! NAh. A nice elephant grey one cabinets (and soffits) might work. I don't believe in taupe but if you LIKE it...but ya know, I'd put color on the walls instead and keep the cabinets white (and white on soffits). You want enough contrast between walls and cabinets so that the eye sees cabinet-colored soffit and thinks it's cabinet.

This is a subject I am very interested, unfortunately I became interested AFTER my remodel. I definitely like the idea of painting the soffit (at least the lowest one)including the refrigerator wall, to match the cabinets. This one is an example, even thought it is wood, it gives the impression of height because it is different from the other walls:

This one still has a soffit, but the added cabinets:

This is what I am considering, just paneling it in:

Hardware will be a game changer, as will a new counter. Eliminating the 3" backsplash, will add increased height in the backsplash wall and will really make the whole wall look taller. I envy you, you have a great space and it won't take much to make a big impact!