Use a stain a little darker than they are now and put on new handles.

I'll be using laminate for the counters, then using unfurnished cabinets(I will do the staining on it).

If you want to change the color you can also STAIN the brick which does not seal it.

Ive seen a few down here that the trim get painted white and the doors get a high gloss clear or stay stained dark.

We clean walls with a vinegar wash, following by TSP (or TSP substitute), followed by odor/stain blocking paint, followed by top coat paint.

The main floor has 5 inch oak stained dark, there is a front and back staircase going to the upstairs which is currently carpet.  

We got some of their quality interior paint for $84/5 gal, kind of like a price matching program.If you can do concrete slab, staining/sealing is THE cheapest route, period.  

Wood tone textured floor, so I grabbed the wood staining pens, colored the scratch and when it dried buffed off the overage.

Most of the walls are really stained with dirt and marked all over with crayons and markers.

Of course good screening can mitigate SOME of this.When my rent was lower, I did things like replace lightbulbs in the hallway, make adjustments to the door closer to keep the door from slamming, installed a new peephole because the door installer painted over it with stain, picking up paper in the yard.