I promised you "after" pics. Well, here you are:
I wanted it to be warm and down-to-earth... the opposite of what it used to be. I had a small cottage in my mind. That's why I chose wood panels.
We also got storage space because of that Ikea cabinet. The counter top is from Ikea too. I just waxed it because the color was not perfect.
It's still not completely finished. Accessories need to be added. I'm not sure which accent color to choose: purple or turquoise.
By the way, it's really hard to take pics in a small space without much day light.