There's such a thing as dark and moody, but this kitchen was more like dark and a total downer. This project was one of my favorites so far, a complete transformation from before to after, and I mean it. Another factor in this project that I love is that it was actually a total budget job (challenge accepted!!) - but I'll go more into that later.
Originally this kitchen was very outdated - vinyl flooring, painted and repainted cabinets, laminate countertops, popcorn ceilings (eew), and a fairly dire lighting situation. OH and did I mention it was also really tiny? For this adorable family of three there was so little counterspace, let alone standing space in there for all of them, it just didn't provide them the function they needed. 
When we got in there we knew some walls had to go. We took down two walls that separated the kitchen from the adjoining living room so there was now a free flow between the two areas. This move also allowed for more light to come through from a (former) living room window as well. The popcorn came down and the weird lighting box was leveled out to match the ceiling height across the board, can lights were installed and the a fresh coat of paint all help lighten and brighten the space. We added an island with storage underneath and room for barstools, giving this social couple more room to entertain/party - I fully expect an invite by the way....
So now lemme get to the budget part! The clients weren't sure what style they really wanted to go with so when it came to choosing the material and finishes, the objective here was to keep things looking clean, neutral, and updated - but we also had to work backwards from their budget since it was pretty tight. Uhm, well guess what, no problem.
Cabinets: These are the shaker style Hampton Bay cabinets in white from Home Depot. Yeah, I said it. We saved them tons of money going this route and the shaker style is undeniably attractive. We added the appliance wrap package for the refrigerator so it gave a more custom and built in feel, as well as the angled corner upper cabinet, a hidden garbage cabinet, and a lazy-susan in the lower corner.
Hardware: Amazon, nuff said. The soft iron color is beautiful in person and felt more elevated because it wasn't your standard nickel, brass, or black, but more of a charcoal. Smooth feel and very budget friendly too.
Lights: A lot of people have commented about the pendant lights over the island - also Amazon. These are really gorgeous, the seeded glass is my favorite, and the shape of them gave an otherwise very simple kitchen a fashionable but timeless twist. I opted for the see through look so we didn't visually obstruct the openness of this space. We got them open box to save a few extra bucks, so that was a total bonus too. 
Countertops: Of course we all woulda loved to go with a nice light quartz countertop in here, but pricewise that would have over doubled the cost. So instead we searched for a granite that wasn't so.....granite-y (haha) and behold "white desert". Its a charcoal and white swirl pattern, there is a little taupe in there to warm it up, and also the tops were leather finish which might be my new favorite. It gave this a more elevated look in my opinion, plus for the price I'm pretty sure everyone was pretty into it.
Floors: I was excited about these - let me tell you why. For starters they are durable as hell. These are click in laminate floors and are waterproof, not resistant, but PROOF. Which I love. Especially if you have kids or even adults who spill a lot. Second, this material typically only comes in wood look which we didn't want because we were butting up against the existing wood planks in the living room. I was seeking out the stone look and the 12x24 size and it was much harder to find than I expected. I found this at Floor&Decor and at a great price too. Third, I did a light cost comparison with this flooring vs an actual 12x24 tile and even though the tiles are cheaper per sq ft, once you buy all the materials for the tile its about even. HOWEVER, the labor is where you save. The click in installation is so easy you would pay much less in labor because it goes in so quickly. Better yet, its a total DIY opportunity.
If you made it this far, bravo. People usually just wanna see pictures, so big ups to you. If you have any questions about the project or materials, please reach out, I'm always happy to share!