Decorating and Design - Working with white

I'd really like to redo our kitchen, but since we don't have the money it takes to put in new flooring, tile, and cabinetry, I need some help. I would very much like to have the WARM-feeling kitchen that usually comes from having wood cabinets and the like. What we have (and can't change) is white tile on the floor, white tile backsplashes (with navy blue diamond tiles in a line along the center), white tile countertops, and the cabinetry is this awful sort of textury definitely-not-wood white stuff. You can't distress it, and I'm terrified of trying to paint it.

So basically, how do I make WHITE = WARM? Someone suggested a sort of country-shabby-chic look, but I'm looking for other suggestions as well.

If you have ANY idea at all, no matter how small, I'll take it!

Thank you so much!

paint the walls a really warm color from the red/yellow family. and paint your backsplash tiles. don't, however, paint your countertop tiles. backsplash tiles don't get much (if any at all) wear & will do well painted. instead of little 2x3 rugs in front of the sink/stove/door, use one big area rug in a size that best fills most of the area. accessorize the counters with lots of colorful theme-appropriate items, and the walls with good art & knickknacks. basically, cover up as much of the white as you can & draw the attention away from the white stuff toward the good stuff.

and if you know you'll eventually be gutting & redoing, take a chance on painting the cabinets. there's special paint for melamine cabinets.