My wife and I just bought a new place, and did some renovations prior to moving in, including the whole kitchen. The before wasn't great. The cabinets were old and just not in good shape. The counters were in good condition however (granite that had been replaced at some point). However, there was a small stretch of cabinets that were smaller than the normal base cabinets (both shorter and shallower) so even just a cabinet replacement would've required new counters.
The range had a microwave with recirculating fan over it (despite there being ductwork directly above it for external venting). There was also tiled backsplash behind the sink, but the prior owners decided to cover it with stick on metal backsplash.
The before:
Based on reviews and comments in a number of places (including this thread), we decided to go with Ikea cabinets. To save some cost, I assembled the cabinets, and then after our contractor installed, I did the drawers, doors, and pulls. We went with mostly base cabinets, and built a peninsula for additional counter space. Most of the storage is drawers instead of shelves. We also went with quartz countertops (bought from a local place that was actually a little cheaper than Ikea would have been).
For appliances, since the place is all electric, I went with an induction cooktop (a 36" ge) and did a wall oven and built in microwave, instead of the prior range and OTR microwave.
We also replaced the stick-on vinyl tile with a floating vinyl tile floor. We're pretty happy with the way it came out.