By the fact that it is Rimu ,. I am guessing you are in New Zealand ? One trick to get more feedback ( although those Aussies might get thrtown by the Rimu thing haha ) is that when you post , if you scroll down the page you can change your location to Australia . We automatically see the Australian posts , but they don't see the NZ ones .

Anyway , that aside , what condition is the benchtop in ? Pdrsonally , I like the colour , love the rimu doors , and like the flooring .

If it was my place , I'd get rid of the 70's -- paint the beige walls , possibly white BUT what other tones are in your dining and lounge ? Too much white isn't a good thing IMO -- lacks imagination . Of course , you can get say a red or orange clock , toaster , maybe a 30 x 30cm artwork to lift the room , even if it is white walls .

BUT the main thing I would do is go all stainless on your appliances -- the fridge , range hood , dishwasher , microwave . The stove top has a charm , tghe oven isn't shown but I'm assuming white or black -- you might get away with black , but not white IMO .

So okay , thats $5k or thereabouts , and some of your appliances might last 5 or even 10 years more , but I don't think its a waste of money or good ( okay ) appliances -- its the look and vibe you are after .

If the benchtop needs changing , go for a similar tone off white IMO -- a chunkier stone one . Basically , keep it simple .

Of course , if the layout isn't working or you want a $100k kitchen remodel , thats a different story , but I gather you want a pleasant update on a reasonable budget , and like me you like the rimu ., so stick with the good bits and tweak the rest .

Thanks for the posting advice!

We are thinking the same thing. I am going to keep the layout and get a new bench top (maybe white/grey stone). Looking to go stainless on all appliances. I'm not sure what colour would go well on the cabinet handles.

Stainless handles might be overdoing things , and sort of cheapen the overall look . But you don't want to introduce too many colours . The existing ones would probably work , but being a bit dated that might bring down the whole 'age' .

What are the lights like , and what tone ? They look like they might be copper and/or black ? Why I ask is how about a bit of a feature light in those tones , then do the cupboard door handles the same -- it ties it all in , as long as you keep it all reasonably modern looking .