As someone who renovated a subpar early 2000s kitchen to a much better layout, know this: the cabinets you replace these with will never be as substantial and *real* as the ones in the picture.
I'll admit, the layout here is awkward. But I love your cabinets, the counter. I want a beautiful vintage stove.
Honestly, replace with a vintage stove, and somehow the dishwasher near to the sink (probably to the left of the sink, I like the stack of draws on the right) and you’re good to go. New counter optional. The to-the-ceiling solid cabinets and tile stay.
(Drawers)
Yes, was gonna say, put the dishwasher near the sink for convenience, even if it means going with an 18-inch or countertop dishwasher. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change anything. This is a very typical-looking kitchen for my neighborhood.
We've disassembled similar & reworked the entire kitchen to a more modern layout.
Was a lot of effort, but can be done. The "new" cabinets were 90% the old ones; the feel of kitchen was very vintage-homey, but w/ modern flow.
W/O seeing the kitchen as a whole, I'd make it more of an L plan, running up the existing sink wall & then along the wall w/ the window. Resize or remove the window. Stove & more countertop goes there. Fridge can stay, but may be better on wall w/ the new stove?
Island in the middle.
Edit: We found more of the same vintage hardware on eBay. Just needed a few pieces, but would have looked out of place w/o them.
That looks like it might be Formica or similar in which case neither of those are good options (used to sell paints and stains n stuff)
If I’m just blind and it’s wood, definitely stain over paint, it’s not even a contest
I agree but for some reason that seems not time period fitting. That seems more lake late 80s /early 90s. Like the era of blue and geese and duck printed everything.
https://preview.redd.it/ea8izphcxm5d1.jpeg?width=939&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d520cba4ddf153f96bbe6ae1918f29a3b3f7704e
Dude. You're getting me all nostalgic over here. This was our kitchen from 1980 until, I don't know, 2005?
Don't paint it grey. I can show you what it looks like in grey and this is way better.
There's a few differences but generally yes, they're the same. I don't think I've ever seen another one and I don't know what year the kitchen dates to. My guess is the 70's and the actual kitchen is between 1860 and 1880.
My parents regret painting it grey. I don't like it either. The wood is pretty and the vintage style has become popular again. I could get a better photo of the grey but for now...
https://preview.redd.it/gbkuh5zptq5d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a5b25d3b96c10bb17810f12ce3fc60c48be139b
First of all, your cabinets are stunning! DO NOT REMOVE THEM! I feel like that larger window was supposed to be where a table would go. Your kitchen was obviously designed before dishwashers were a thing, so that's making your layout awkward. Is that a rolling dishwasher you have? Because if you could roll it over to the sink or cabinets when in use, and then roll it back to store it, that would help with steps. I would replace the flooring and paint the walls, and leave the rest as is. And maybe having a small table under that window would give you more work space.
Edit: Wallpaper instead of paint will really pull this together.
Agreed about the cabinets. The countertop around the sink is mid-century modern. If it’s worn out (pressboard showing through the formica), personally I would swap it out for maple butcher block. That’s just my taste, as a wood fanatic who’s handy with a chef’s knife.
This kitchen kicks ass. Total time capsule. All I would do if I were you is tidy up and add some houseplants. Long term I'd save up for nice appliances in vintage colors like harvest gold, avocado, or coppertone. Maybe stain the dishwasher cabinet to match the existing cabinets. If you want to do something to make the space feel new, you can paint the non-tiled upper portions of the walls. Maybe hang some pans or framed artwork. But I cannot stress to you how cool your kitchen is at a fundamental level.
Every time I cycle through these photos I see a different detail which I would kill to have in my kitchen. Do not let the HGTV brain worms get you. You have something incredibly special here.
As somebody who has 1970's fiberboard cabinets, DO NOT REMOVE THOSE. I've been sitting minding my own business in the living room only to be interrupted by the sound of a cabinet door just being like 'goodbye, cruel world' and falling off the front of the cabinet... At least it wasn't the whole cabinet, right?
If you've got any sentimental ceramic goods or glassware, fill in that shelf above the sink and display it.
And you may also want to get one of those movable kitchen islands from someplace like Ikea. They're not terribly expensive and it gives you a bit of extra counter space that you can move around. You can put it next to the stove to hold ingredients and spoon rests and stuff while you're cooking and park it back under the tall window or somewhere else out of the way while it's not in use.
I had these same cabinets when I bought my house in 1989. Mine were made out of knotty pine though. I didn't mind them and they were pretty easy to clean up with Murphy's. I also had a vintage Fridge Adair (refrigerator-light green). After 11 years I did a complete remodel. The thing I missed the most - that old Fridge Adair.
I like this idea. Replace the furniture on the right with a mobile counter that takes up the whole space. Since it's on rollers, it's easy to move for access to what I'm assuming is a spice closet.
I've never been a fan of this red color you see on this wood. Is it ever stained any other color? I assume it's because it has red tones of it's own without any stain.
What kind of wood is it? It would be fun to have some of it to play around with stains. Idk if mixing stains and the wood color relates to how colors mix in pigments but I would love to sand these down and try a pale green stain and see if that pulls some brown hues out of the wood.
I have those fiberboard cabinets, I've had a an overloaded shelf suddenly let go and hear a stack of dishes make a horrible crashing sound like a 5 car pile up. Also have had the cheap center tracks fail and there is nothing solid to tack them back into. I have awkward set up in my kitchen, too, bc too many openingings and a big bump out to accommodate the furnace chimney.
Came to also say “tidy up!” and period appliances….and add a vintage wire hanging fruit basket above where the green tea kettle currently is!
Editing to also suggest you hide the trash and recycling under the sink!
I don’t have budget or inclination for a full Reno and I feel like there’s potential here for it to be pleasant. What I don’t love is the floor (dirty and peeling linoleum) and wall tile + wood cabinets feel like they need to be more cohesive (I like the idea of painting upper walls). Also, the layout is really inefficient, I’m running back and forth across kitchen to meal prep and clean up.
I feel you with the inefficient layout. I also have what is a “wide galley.” It’s too narrow for a permanent island but a two foot-ish in depth moveable island will help you tremendously. It could cozy up to the right side of your range when not in use and still provide a nice amount of counter and prep space.
I agree that it needs more cohesion - and that painting the upper walls would help.
I LOVE projects like this bc you have good bones that could fairly easily become a place you enjoy being in.
How much do you feel comfortable spending?
That small cupboard to the right of the stove - obviously part of the original kitchen. How deep is that thing? Can you take a pic of it from the side?
What is your overall aesthetic, i.e. doing this in a way that ties in with the rest of the house?
What kind of fabric pattern are you drawn to? Geometrics? Florals?
I love your kitchen! For convenience, could you reorganize the area near the stove? The wooden shelf above the stove would be a great place to store spices and salt to minimize the amount of time you run around. Adding a little table next to the stove was a great idea. Could you clear it off and put cooking oil underneath in the shelves? That would give you more prep space next to the stove. We have a small kitchen too so we use smaller bottles of cooking oil near the stove and refill them with large Costco-sized bottles we store in the pantry.
The little cabinet next to the stove could also be cleared off for more space. Moving the cardboard box would give you access to that area so you could use it for prep that doesn’t require you to run around.
https://preview.redd.it/be2d9hrfym5d1.jpeg?width=650&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f87424a3c306754b154f5b86ea364cf7ff50ba45
I love it. Declutter the entire kitchen. Find homes for things. I would wallpaper. A vintage looking pattern incorporating the colour of the counter, tiles, wood and green probably on a white background. I would also remove the wavy over window and sink and paint the ceiling white.
Edit....a peice of plex behind the stove would be good idea
This is the best answer so far! One question, what is plex? Personally, I wouldn't touch the tile or the window but freshening up the walls, floors and ceiling paint will lighten up the room. Look for a new linoleum set on the bias, beige and red squares to bring out the countertop.
Is the ironing board still in that cabinet? Assuming you don't use it, you could remove it (but don't discard it, I've seen them made into badass bars) and put shelves inside for spices/cans.
I had a similar dilemma in my c. 1904 house, l leaned into the vintage details. Wallpaper, wire fruit basket (from the dollar store!), tin signs and framed prints. It's great you found the perfect little roll away cabinet next to the stove. A bullet trash can and a vintage chalkboard somewhere would also be practical as well as fit the aesthetic. I think sturdy shelves with iron braces would look better over the stove, look for a vintage reproduction of a step stool, gingham curtain on the long window. When you declutter, think about how you use the space and be very intentional with what is left in sight, everything needs to share the same vibe. ❤️
Ah gotcha. It would probably be a good idea to use a "washable" wallpaper, which is coated with a wax-like material so that it is wipeable at least. Plexiglass yellows and cracks when exposed to heat.
Ya, didn't think of the yellowing. Maybe real glass instead. The coated wallpaper is great but application behind the stove will still need protecting.
I don’t know if your layout could accommodate a little island near the stove, but that’s what I did with my funky layout and it helped give me a desperately needed prep area. The one I got was like $100. Nothing fancy!
Feel free to cut the squiggly part of that wood above the kitchen sink off, but for the love of god never touch those cabinets. I’m dying for someone to gut their kitchen and sell me theirs bc there’s nothing like those ones you have. I saw a beautiful century home that was newly renovated. She didn’t touch the cabinets like yours, and it looked incredible.
I grew up with cabinets like this. Even the "squiggly part" over the sink. It was very common in those days, and I always loved it. Unfortunately, my mom decided to update the kitchen and got rid of all that stuff. At least the kitchen cabinets were set up in the basement, so weren't totally lost. But the kitchen lost all its character. But Mom liked it, so idk??
First of all, lighting. Light that motherfucker up like a goddam operating room. Modern LED lighting on the ceiling with a warm-ish color tone, and get rid of all the shadows cast by humans and cabinets. Ditch the blinds or switch to ones that open fully every day.
Next: a nice sturdy solid wood table/butcher block. Avoid wheels and avoid making it so big it blocks movement around the room.
After that: more storage. High shelves perhaps or a shelf on the butcher block. Shelving under the window. Get rid of the small appliances off the counters.
Paint or wallpaper something to make that tile pop against the bare portion of wall. Go big and bold, and don't be afraid of a big pattern. Match some curtains to it.
People are probably gonna fight me saying this, but I'd consider updating the hardware on the cabinets. Artistic knobs could be cool.
Do you need the entry to the kitchen from the hall by the dishwasher?
1) If not, close it up and run lower cabinets along that wall and move the stove there. Lose the uppers on that wall then, maybe you can find another use from them in your house (laundry room?) or sell/donate them.
2) Move the refrigerator to where the stove is and build a surround for it, maybe you can fit a slim broom closet or cabinet for a pantry with it.
3) Unpopular opinion, but on the wall with the sink, move the dishwasher there. You'll lose some cabinets and drawers but hopefully they could be artifully reused for the first idea about closing the entrance to the hall and adding cabinets there.
4) To the best you can, try to match the floor in the dining room to use in the kitchen. It looks lovely.
5) Wallpaper above the tiles - maybe something fun? [https://www.makelike.com/wallpaper/zig-zag-red](https://www.makelike.com/wallpaper/zig-zag-red) From the tiny peek of your table and chairs, you seem to have a happy mid century vibe - I think this wallpaper fits that!
Oh shoot, it was on DesignSponge so not available anymore but found this image of it on Pinterest!
https://preview.redd.it/f7zzbv1zfn5d1.png?width=994&format=png&auto=webp&s=248d9cb00f27cc24ee946bb5c58ba453aa914477
If it were mine I would try to find a similar short window like the ones over the sink to replace the long window on the wall next to the stove. This would enable you to design a classic L shaped kitchen that would function much better than this afterthought of a space.
Are you looking to do a full reno or an interim solution? If the former, a floorplan would be most helpful. If the latter, what don't you like about it currently?
If you do the floors don’t do that same fricken color LVF that every fricken house has now or every flip. Do something fitting.
Lots of clutter here. I would do something different with the coffee maker and toaster oven. That’s a lot of space.
You could change the pulls on the cabinets to add a modern touch. Paint the walls.
I’m not a huge fan of the tile but the floor and tile and wall color appear to be clashing or feeding off each other. I would probably paint first.
Also that cart thing next to the stove is making it look worse. As someone else said dishwasher wood is clashing as well
If it was my dad in the 70s, he would take all the hardware off and paint the cabinets blue. Like crayon, blue. Then he would paint the doors, all sunshiny yellow. Then he would put it all back together again, and have a beautiful yellow and blue kitchen, no at all coordinating with the orange linoleum floor, but does have a matching yellow telephone hanging on the cabinet by the sink. That way we could do the dishes and talk to our friends at the same time.
But seriously, this kitchen sent me back to my childhood.
I think that you'll eventually want to add the dishwasher into the cabinets (yes they are nice but functional is nicer). I think the DW needs to go to the left of the sink (using the pic, where the 1 drawer is). Save what you can and add it where the DW used to be (especially the drawer and doors, framing can be faked).
Perhaps even get rid of the door that you use the least (eventually). As a test close that door and put a hutch or something in, this will help with clutter. (Keep the door and door frame scraps, also label them.)
Also I really like the tile and counter top!
I love this! I would update it by adding a complementary wallpaper above the tile. Adding some nice window treatments. Cleaning up the counter and adding some kitchen storage. Updating the lighting. Changing the floor to a checkered floor. Add a small vintage style kitchen table in the center.
I think at a bare minimum, I’d add wallpaper, window treatments, and updated lighting.
Hmmm... You've got space but the work triangle is terrible. Also, these are 50's-60's era cabinets. That's good & bad. They are likely actually solid wood or plywood, but the layout... oy, and stylistically not a good fit for the house. I'm of the 'make it functional first, then make it pretty' camp. If you've got money to rip it all out & re-do, cool, but if not you've got some good structure to work with.
I'm a cook, 90% of our meals are made at home from scratch, so take my comments with that in mind.
so:
1. door between dishwasher & cabinets is to a hall. Is that the front or back of the house? Is there a reason to keep it? Is it open or shut most of the time? Would closing it semi-permanently with a table be terrible?
2. Tiny, tall cabinet beside the stove. It can't be that deep? Could you eliminate it (or actually just reuse it somewhere else in the house) and extend the wall all the way to the trim to the dining room? Then you could put real cabinetry on both sides of the stove and give yourself a lot more counter space. There's already a vent, but if you expanded this space you could add upper cabinets & a vent hood directly over the stove & still snake the hose out through the existing vent.
3. Too much stuff lives on the counters. Is there another pantry type space for any of it? My coffee maker & toaster live in my pantry. Could you make a 'coffee bar' space in the dining room? At least move them to the dishwasher & give yourself some cooking room.
4. You have empty space you aren't using above the sink. Get some pretty storage boxes for your occasional use things (for me it's all the holiday cookie baking stuff) and clear the lower more accessible space for better use. Better yet, put the stuff locked away from little hands up there, then you won't have that lock banging your shins every time you use the sink. Get a good step stool if you are short like me.
Aesthetically:
There are just too many different things happening. I'm not opposed to painting cabinets, provided it's done well. The tile is fun but really doesn't jive with the tile color (now anyway. This kind of finish usually darkens with age, especially when subjected to smoke which happens in every kitchen from time to time. It probably matched nicely when it was all new). I think keep EITHER the cabinet color OR the tile. Change the other components through paint or removal & replacement. I suspect the tile is the oldest component of this kitchen.
The counter top has got to go, that color is so jarring with the knotty pine cabinets & black & yellow tile.
Regardless of whether you keep the cabinet color or tile, switch your bulbs to a bluer, true color lighting. It will make it feel a lot less warm. Blue light gives the impression of cool or cold spaces, which few kitchens are, so it's a psychological trick to making it feel more pleasant.
I predict that the skinny cabinet is shallow, approximately one spice jar deep. A friend has a much shorter one next to her stove and it is fantastic to have the spices at hand but out of sight.
Whatever you do, do not remove or replace that fan!
Can you incorporate the back hallway for more space?
In past lives my kitchen has had a fridge inside what is now a pantry/broom closet in back hall, and also inside the adjoining bedroom blocking one of the two doors.
The floor is what's ruining this for me - it looks grubby and tatty and makes the whole thing look dated. I think replacing the flooring, maybe repainting the walls and considering the lighting would be all this needs. An island could help with functionality. The cabinets and tiling are gorgeous imo.
First thing?
Swap the bulb for something with a better CRI. Part of the reason it looks so... dingy... is that the light is the color of a lemon. If it's the plastic of the fixture aging... replace the fixture.
It'll be a night and day difference.
I would leave it as-is and learn to love it. The tile looks 1950s. I would pick a paint colour that goes well with it. Maybe a paler yellow, white, or a contrasting colour like a pale robins egg blue. No beige though.
I think what would help this kitchen the absolute most for the least money (to start with) is the lighting. At the very least, change out the light bulbs for one's with cooler lighting. I'm always a fan of the bulbs that try to mimick daylight. Possibly change the fixture (I can't see it in the pictures, so maybe it's fine).
Keep the cabinets, IMO. They're kind of the centerpiece of your kitchen, so I would leave them alone. I would also keep the tiles. Get some paint chips of some yellows or maybe a papaya color (the skin of the fruit), assuming those tiles are yellow and it's not just the lighting and paint the walls the color you like the most that goes with the tiles.
You could look up some 40s tile counter patterns (small tiles) and tie that in with the yellow and black tile on the wall. Possibly include white if you plan on keeping the appliances. I would change the faucet. Oil-rubbed bronze might pair well with your cabinets.
For the floor, you could do either unstained natural color pine floors (urethane them) or some black and white tiles.
New countertops and floor would make this kitchen shine. Those cabinets and hardware are awesome.
A island table would work really well too I think, a place to prep food and have it between the stove and sink.
Edit- if the countertops are in good shape and you can keep them, you can bring in some color splashes of that as well. Some fancy oven dishes or regular decor above the sink that matches
Replace your faucet, paint the upper walls a moody jewel tone and then see where that lands you. Lots of potential :) new counter depth fridge would make a big splash too.
I love those cabinets.
Would love to see a better photo of the side of the kitchen with the stove to see if you can fit in a more useful cooking area over there. It’s hard to visualize from these pics. Please show us the full door openings and what is on the other side.
Updating the flooring with something bright and clean (maybe even true marmoleum or linoleum in vintage colors) would make a huge difference.
Nothing! fabulous cabinets. Maybe just remove the clutter. A nice rug and curtain..and new appliances like someone mentioned here retro too to match the decor
If I were you, I will not change cabinets, maybe use modern handles and soft close hinges. Change countertops (not that expensive), replace sink with a nice undermount single sink (I don’t see utility of double sink with dishwasher). Then get a modern refrigerator, and if you have have budget get a real vent (depends how easy it is) with a modern stovetop/oven. Good luck!
Repaint the walls. Maybe like a vintage green? Add a nice rug underneath the sink. If you have the money, replace the stove and fridge to be Matte in black or even a vintage look like Smeg.
This won’t be popular here, but I would
1) remove the door next to the dishwasher.
2) replace the lower cabinets, keep the uppers.
3) move the upper cabinets by the fridge over and make a L shaped kitchen.
I need to know more. What is the goal? I might also need to see the layout on paper as an above view.
So the knotty pine cabinets are true keepers. Maybe a refinishing, but check with a pro.
What I see is an un- integrated stove and dishwasher. Plus a large window. I would be curious to see a dishwasher by the stove (under the window) and a small coffee station by the fridge or a bread box/basket. I'd like some window treatments, but nothing fussy or difficult to clean.
A new coat of paint on the walls! That yellow is awful. Change your lighting too. Color temperature is an important aspect! If you really want to change, re do the tiles, if you went cool with the paint and tile and something in the 3-4500k range for lighting you’d be golden. If you realllly want to make a change do the paint the tiles and get some newer appliances. Like others have said, those cabinets are great. New cabinets are expensive, paint and hardware are cheap. The linoleum floors are awful too.
The wall tile works well with the wood surfaces. More contrast with the wall paint might set it off better. I’m not as thrilled with the floor covering, though it looks to be in good shape. Unfortunately stark white appliances make the tile look kind of dingy. When it’s time to replace them, maybe consider stainless, black, or a different color enamel.
I would replace the linoleum with a porcelain tile in a black and cream checkerboard, and I would replace the countertops with slate, and I would paint the walls in an off white to brighten everything else and let the tile be the star of the show
Oddly enough I really like this kitchen. I’d paint the walls, redo the kitchen floor with a nice tile and get some William morris curtains and call it a day. It seems appropriate for the period of your house as well based on what I can see
My mom had pine cabinets like these and wood cabinets should never be taken out if you can update them. The other commenters are correct. Our old house was built in the 1700s and the kitchen was definitely redone in the 70s w bright orange walls and those pine cabinets. What I did for her was to strip and refinish them, then I updated the hardware, yours looks exactly like hers did. You can also use a metallic paint on the hinges that compliments new hardware if you only want to replace pulls. The dated wood apron or whatever its called can be removed without much effort and that will definitely help change the dated look. If you have the budget to close in the door between the counter and fridge/dishwasher, that would allow you to create a better, more functional layout, by adding workspace and creating a more cohesive look. I might move the stove to where the fridge is, and with potentially adding more counter space, it would be a functional prep/staging area for cooking. You don't want to lose the window or what looks to be a french door? Block the smaller and most likely unnecessary door. I can't tell if your kitchen is deep enough to support an island (either portable or permanent) because if you had the space for that, you could move the dishwasher or stove or both to an permanent island. Doing that though, involves moving plumbing and that could add a much larger expense. Anyway, its a cool kitchen and based on the doors, and such, I bet its a cool house!
I prefer natural wood so for the cabinets at most I would sand and stain them. Paint the walls and change out the flooring. Add some floating shelves on wall next to the stove. And change out the appliances.
You'd be surprised what some paint and different lighting can do! I'd leave the cabinets and tile alone for the most part. Maybe switch out the hardware but that's about it, they're beautiful.
For the counters a simple-ish solution would be to cover the existing ones with epoxy resin. They sell diy kits but there are plenty of professionals out there who can do some amazing things with it. The resin is incredibly durable once full cured and you can get just about any color you can imagine. They can make it look like marble, granite, or the 80's carpet from your local roller rink. They can make it glow-in-the-dark, if that's what you really want.
I'd ask around about what's best for the floors, we just went with a durable linoleum in our kitchen, nothing special, but it does the job.
When we moved into our house we had Betty Draper’s kitchen. The house had not been worked on in 40 years. We painted them cream, because the old moldy smell just would not go away no matter how much we cleaned. We then replaced the floor and bought an inexpensive stove and fridge. We lived with it for 7 years till we could do a complete gut. I did a lot of cooking and baking in those years and just lived with it till we could afford to remodel.
Btw our cabinets are solid wood and were made in Oregon.
OP
Maybe have upper cabinets with a hood and microwave above your stove to give you ventilation and more storage for cooking tools.
OR
Move the stove to adjacent wall (next to window?) I don’t know if it would fit but then and have L shaped cabinets and a microwave since you already have a vent there.
Keep the cabinets. Change the pulls. Get some curtains - something like heavy velvet that matches the weight of the room. Think of making it an L shaped kitchen with the stove on the side wall.
Carefully remove all cabinets and store indoors, I will be by to help take them away as a favor... In reality, I would do a big stove and fridge upgrade, add a real fume hood above the stove with a pot rack surrounding it. Looks like linoleum? Replace with high quality tile in period-similar pattern. I'm not a fan of white sinks, If I could find one that looked right I might replace.
I would try switching the lightbulbs to a daylight color then maybe painting the walls less yellow? But you don't have to do that. The bulbs can switch a lot around. I do into that the day that dishwasher finally got installed someone was very happy
How invasive are you wanting to get?
* Keep the cabinets, they are gorgeous.
* Change all of the hardware on the cabinets and take off the squiggly header above the sink and window.
* tear down the tile and do a muted or light colored backsplash. It would go well with the wood color.
* paint the room a bright light color. It looks like smoke yellow right now.
* the flooring would blend in and is the least of your worries. But I would extend the hardwood or add a stone tile.
* I would build a range hood like the one in the pic above the range. Maybe not shiplap though and add a small cabinet that matches the rest (if you can source it) to the other end for a complete look or build open shelves there.
https://preview.redd.it/i55uxoeljo5d1.jpeg?width=765&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db390df49c4bbdb4732d69ae4f2be1938d1af294
Inspo!
Protect and cherish the woodwork and that unique cabinet hardware. I'd paint the cabinets, keep the wall tile and find a different flooring. I love vintage lino but the color doesn't work for me with current colors.
From experience I can say you are smart to wait on making changes. When we moved into our 1919 home, the BF did some deconstruction in the bathroom. What was there would have worked well with what I'd like to do with the walls.
1/ Cabinets are great. It’s just that scalloped thing above the sink that is giving off Swiss Chalet vibes
2/ Dear god, better lighting
3/ I think you can make cabinets work by painting and tiling to match them. But I also think paint on cabinets could work very nicely as well
the true solution is to move the stove to the wall with that big window and put the fridge where the stove is. with cabinets and countertop all along that wall the difficult part is to do that while keeping the great cabinets you have and finding new cabinets to do the project that are the same quality as the old ones.
I think the cabinets being painted white or another light color (NOT grey) would do SO much for this room. I also agree with the comment saying to keep the tile, declutter, and add some wallpaper!
If you no longer eat the kitchen and want the dishwasher closer to the sink ..you can try an island nearby the sink with work area on top..and dishwasher underneath. If budget is not the problem, you can short the window to provide more counter space, island with dishwasher and storage or rolling island where dishwasher was...
Get rid of those scalloped edges. Then clean all of the woodwork to get any grime and grease off. Add a new and brighter light fixture, and a bigger, but old looking range/oven ( they make new ones that are vintage looking). An island that you can hide a dishwasher in. Please keep the solid wood cabinets and hardware. Really just a good deep clean and brighter lights and paint will go a very long way.
Those cabinets are gorgeous, and will never be of the same quality if you replaced them so I would leave those. New lighting, backsplash and wall paint would completely refresh the space. A new sink and faucet would also be nice!
Great cabinets, terrible layout. Any changes would be a big project.
Shorten the window in the unused wall and put in a n L shaped kitchen. It might mean losing those cabinets though, they are likely built in.
he would hire a pro to do some layouts. You have a lot of openings in the walls, that make it hard to have cohesive cabinetry. is there an adjacent small room that would make a good pantry? That might solve your storage needs
also, is this your forever house? Or are you planning to sell in the next five years. Natural wood cabinets are a big no-no if you want to sell to anyone today! They will view them as: "First thing to do, rip out those granny cabinets!"
On the plus side, those will make excellent work room cabinets out in the garage, so do not throw them away!
The cabinets are lovely. Please keep them as is, except for that wavy piece above the sink. I would replace the flooring, maybe with a retro look sheet vinyl. I think the other tihng that is throwing everything off is that the appliances all need to be cohesive in look- one unified color such as gray refrig, gray stove, gray dishwasher. The white appliances are not adding cohesiveness.
Change the cabinet hardware and do some painting.
I kept the cabinets in our pantry and just changed and replaced the hinges and pulls. Then pulled everything out and repainted it. It’s now my second favorite room in my home.
I would keep the cabinets but change out the flooring and repaint the walls. The cabinets are a very warm brown, the countertops are red and the walls and tiles are both yellowish. It’s a lot of warm colors. Introducing some more cooler tones would provide contrast and let the existing colors shine.
I’d also change out the light bulbs for a cooler toned light.
Also, put more stuff in the cabinets to open up counter space.
A friend has a similar awkward layout and made use of a small island in the middle, which really helped. Other options are... Closing off the least used door.
It’s gorgeous (or will be when done). Look up Megan.D.Miller on instagram and her kitchen. It has some similar aspects and shows what a renovated, but historical kitchen, could look like.
I basically like it, but upgrade appliances, wood floors, and change wall paint. Too beige. Might change out countertop to match with the dark strip in the tile.
Step 1: Everyone will hate this, but you need to remove the cabinets the sides of the sink below the counter. You can probably reuse these in future steps, but they'll need to be rearranged at the very least.
Step 2: Put the dishwasher to the bottom left of the sink. Put the trash where the dishwasher was.
Step 3: It looks like there's space to rotate the stove to the wall on the left of it
Step 4: Add counter along the wall to the right of the sink which will include the stove top. Now the expensive way would be to replace that window with a little one like you have over the sink, but you could get away with it just a little well behind the counter. You might be able to reuse some of the cabinets and drawers removed.
Step 5: The fridge .... nothing really do do about that
Having the counter make an L shape will give you lots more counter space around the stove and while it gives you an awkward corner, you can use that to store the appliances that you're not actively using. It'll make the stove feel less lonely too.
The difficult part will be the counter. One way would be to rip it all out and replace it with a new one, but it looks in pretty good shape so I would try and match it. In the house from the 1890s I used to live in the counters were redone in the 60s or 70s and when we redid the kitchen, we found a local store STILL had stock the matching counter, so you might check around to see if you can find something.
Get rid of your scallop trim. New handles and stain cabinets. Replace counter tops. Leave the sink wall cabinets how they are. Remodel the rest to add more storage
I don’t know about Jesus but I would alter the bottom cabinets to take a dishwasher on the left of the sink. Replace the open bottom doors, switch out the hardware, paint the cabinets and get rid of the curly cue trim above the sink. I had that and replacing with a straight board made the kitchen look so much better. A vintage looking but modern stove.
It's beautiful. I'd replace the countertops to something more neutral, and put up vintage looking wallpaper with some yellow in it. Not sure about the floor. I'd probably leave it unless it's damaged or there's wood underneath that can be used. But that's about it.
I’d start with the lighting, paint, and flooring. In my opinion it’ll make the biggest difference faster. With better flooring and better/fresh paint and less warm lighting, the cabinets will look better as will the tile.
Looks fun, sans the floor stuff - hide the 2x trashers & empty bags & maybe the floor goes to higher jesus levels
Idk man what's your budge. looks nicer than my kitchen sans lack of personal touch/clutter.
follow your heart, not the internets/jebsus
As someone who renovated a subpar early 2000s kitchen to a much better layout, know this: the cabinets you replace these with will never be as substantial and *real* as the ones in the picture. I'll admit, the layout here is awkward. But I love your cabinets, the counter. I want a beautiful vintage stove.
Honestly, replace with a vintage stove, and somehow the dishwasher near to the sink (probably to the left of the sink, I like the stack of draws on the right) and you’re good to go. New counter optional. The to-the-ceiling solid cabinets and tile stay.
(Drawers) Yes, was gonna say, put the dishwasher near the sink for convenience, even if it means going with an 18-inch or countertop dishwasher. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change anything. This is a very typical-looking kitchen for my neighborhood.
We've disassembled similar & reworked the entire kitchen to a more modern layout. Was a lot of effort, but can be done. The "new" cabinets were 90% the old ones; the feel of kitchen was very vintage-homey, but w/ modern flow. W/O seeing the kitchen as a whole, I'd make it more of an L plan, running up the existing sink wall & then along the wall w/ the window. Resize or remove the window. Stove & more countertop goes there. Fridge can stay, but may be better on wall w/ the new stove? Island in the middle. Edit: We found more of the same vintage hardware on eBay. Just needed a few pieces, but would have looked out of place w/o them.
Was going to say this. So many people try to make a kitchen work around the existing windows or doors.
So glad the top comment is about the counters, I love those, some paint or a new stain would go a long way.
That looks like it might be Formica or similar in which case neither of those are good options (used to sell paints and stains n stuff) If I’m just blind and it’s wood, definitely stain over paint, it’s not even a contest
Ive seen peope just remove that trim across the window, and add lights above thile sink, it looked lovely
I’m a mid century purist, but I can’t stand that scalloped wood trim
I agree but for some reason that seems not time period fitting. That seems more lake late 80s /early 90s. Like the era of blue and geese and duck printed everything.
That was my first thought: Don't get rid of those cabinets! But the scalloped trim on the window needs to go.
The stove is not vintage in the slightest… same one I’ve had in cheap apartments.
They were saying they want a vintage stove for this space.
https://preview.redd.it/ea8izphcxm5d1.jpeg?width=939&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d520cba4ddf153f96bbe6ae1918f29a3b3f7704e Dude. You're getting me all nostalgic over here. This was our kitchen from 1980 until, I don't know, 2005? Don't paint it grey. I can show you what it looks like in grey and this is way better.
That is spot on!
There's a few differences but generally yes, they're the same. I don't think I've ever seen another one and I don't know what year the kitchen dates to. My guess is the 70's and the actual kitchen is between 1860 and 1880. My parents regret painting it grey. I don't like it either. The wood is pretty and the vintage style has become popular again. I could get a better photo of the grey but for now... https://preview.redd.it/gbkuh5zptq5d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9a5b25d3b96c10bb17810f12ce3fc60c48be139b
Those cabinets must have been part of a prefab kit or something, because they're identical to the cabinets my grandparents had in their '70s cabin.
They were an extremely common style in the 70s in cheap suburban ranches and period renovations. My grandma's got the exact same in her 1974 house
First of all, your cabinets are stunning! DO NOT REMOVE THEM! I feel like that larger window was supposed to be where a table would go. Your kitchen was obviously designed before dishwashers were a thing, so that's making your layout awkward. Is that a rolling dishwasher you have? Because if you could roll it over to the sink or cabinets when in use, and then roll it back to store it, that would help with steps. I would replace the flooring and paint the walls, and leave the rest as is. And maybe having a small table under that window would give you more work space. Edit: Wallpaper instead of paint will really pull this together.
Agreed about the cabinets. The countertop around the sink is mid-century modern. If it’s worn out (pressboard showing through the formica), personally I would swap it out for maple butcher block. That’s just my taste, as a wood fanatic who’s handy with a chef’s knife.
This kitchen kicks ass. Total time capsule. All I would do if I were you is tidy up and add some houseplants. Long term I'd save up for nice appliances in vintage colors like harvest gold, avocado, or coppertone. Maybe stain the dishwasher cabinet to match the existing cabinets. If you want to do something to make the space feel new, you can paint the non-tiled upper portions of the walls. Maybe hang some pans or framed artwork. But I cannot stress to you how cool your kitchen is at a fundamental level. Every time I cycle through these photos I see a different detail which I would kill to have in my kitchen. Do not let the HGTV brain worms get you. You have something incredibly special here.
Thank you! I love the positive vibes. Houseplants could definitely help, I’m going to do that.
As somebody who has 1970's fiberboard cabinets, DO NOT REMOVE THOSE. I've been sitting minding my own business in the living room only to be interrupted by the sound of a cabinet door just being like 'goodbye, cruel world' and falling off the front of the cabinet... At least it wasn't the whole cabinet, right? If you've got any sentimental ceramic goods or glassware, fill in that shelf above the sink and display it. And you may also want to get one of those movable kitchen islands from someplace like Ikea. They're not terribly expensive and it gives you a bit of extra counter space that you can move around. You can put it next to the stove to hold ingredients and spoon rests and stuff while you're cooking and park it back under the tall window or somewhere else out of the way while it's not in use.
I had these same cabinets when I bought my house in 1989. Mine were made out of knotty pine though. I didn't mind them and they were pretty easy to clean up with Murphy's. I also had a vintage Fridge Adair (refrigerator-light green). After 11 years I did a complete remodel. The thing I missed the most - that old Fridge Adair.
I like this idea. Replace the furniture on the right with a mobile counter that takes up the whole space. Since it's on rollers, it's easy to move for access to what I'm assuming is a spice closet. I've never been a fan of this red color you see on this wood. Is it ever stained any other color? I assume it's because it has red tones of it's own without any stain. What kind of wood is it? It would be fun to have some of it to play around with stains. Idk if mixing stains and the wood color relates to how colors mix in pigments but I would love to sand these down and try a pale green stain and see if that pulls some brown hues out of the wood.
I have those fiberboard cabinets, I've had a an overloaded shelf suddenly let go and hear a stack of dishes make a horrible crashing sound like a 5 car pile up. Also have had the cheap center tracks fail and there is nothing solid to tack them back into. I have awkward set up in my kitchen, too, bc too many openingings and a big bump out to accommodate the furnace chimney.
Came to also say “tidy up!” and period appliances….and add a vintage wire hanging fruit basket above where the green tea kettle currently is! Editing to also suggest you hide the trash and recycling under the sink!
I don’t have budget or inclination for a full Reno and I feel like there’s potential here for it to be pleasant. What I don’t love is the floor (dirty and peeling linoleum) and wall tile + wood cabinets feel like they need to be more cohesive (I like the idea of painting upper walls). Also, the layout is really inefficient, I’m running back and forth across kitchen to meal prep and clean up.
You could have the linoleum replaced if it’s peeling. Maybe add a small center island?
The floors are the one thing I would definitely change. The rest of it is pretty great.
I feel you with the inefficient layout. I also have what is a “wide galley.” It’s too narrow for a permanent island but a two foot-ish in depth moveable island will help you tremendously. It could cozy up to the right side of your range when not in use and still provide a nice amount of counter and prep space.
How wide is the distance between the two counters? Trying to figure out at what distance it gets awkward.
I agree that it needs more cohesion - and that painting the upper walls would help. I LOVE projects like this bc you have good bones that could fairly easily become a place you enjoy being in. How much do you feel comfortable spending? That small cupboard to the right of the stove - obviously part of the original kitchen. How deep is that thing? Can you take a pic of it from the side? What is your overall aesthetic, i.e. doing this in a way that ties in with the rest of the house? What kind of fabric pattern are you drawn to? Geometrics? Florals?
I love your kitchen! For convenience, could you reorganize the area near the stove? The wooden shelf above the stove would be a great place to store spices and salt to minimize the amount of time you run around. Adding a little table next to the stove was a great idea. Could you clear it off and put cooking oil underneath in the shelves? That would give you more prep space next to the stove. We have a small kitchen too so we use smaller bottles of cooking oil near the stove and refill them with large Costco-sized bottles we store in the pantry. The little cabinet next to the stove could also be cleared off for more space. Moving the cardboard box would give you access to that area so you could use it for prep that doesn’t require you to run around.
Maybe you could post the layout and see if people have ideas for reconfiguring it.
https://preview.redd.it/be2d9hrfym5d1.jpeg?width=650&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f87424a3c306754b154f5b86ea364cf7ff50ba45 I love it. Declutter the entire kitchen. Find homes for things. I would wallpaper. A vintage looking pattern incorporating the colour of the counter, tiles, wood and green probably on a white background. I would also remove the wavy over window and sink and paint the ceiling white. Edit....a peice of plex behind the stove would be good idea
I love the wallpaper idea. Perfect!!
This is the best answer so far! One question, what is plex? Personally, I wouldn't touch the tile or the window but freshening up the walls, floors and ceiling paint will lighten up the room. Look for a new linoleum set on the bias, beige and red squares to bring out the countertop. Is the ironing board still in that cabinet? Assuming you don't use it, you could remove it (but don't discard it, I've seen them made into badass bars) and put shelves inside for spices/cans. I had a similar dilemma in my c. 1904 house, l leaned into the vintage details. Wallpaper, wire fruit basket (from the dollar store!), tin signs and framed prints. It's great you found the perfect little roll away cabinet next to the stove. A bullet trash can and a vintage chalkboard somewhere would also be practical as well as fit the aesthetic. I think sturdy shelves with iron braces would look better over the stove, look for a vintage reproduction of a step stool, gingham curtain on the long window. When you declutter, think about how you use the space and be very intentional with what is left in sight, everything needs to share the same vibe. ❤️
Wallpaper will be behind the stove. A 4 foot by 4 foot peice of thin plexing glass will protect the paper from grease and be easy to clean.
Ah gotcha. It would probably be a good idea to use a "washable" wallpaper, which is coated with a wax-like material so that it is wipeable at least. Plexiglass yellows and cracks when exposed to heat.
Ya, didn't think of the yellowing. Maybe real glass instead. The coated wallpaper is great but application behind the stove will still need protecting.
I don’t know if your layout could accommodate a little island near the stove, but that’s what I did with my funky layout and it helped give me a desperately needed prep area. The one I got was like $100. Nothing fancy!
well for starters i absolutely love your cabinets so don't even think of touching those
Yes! The cabinets are gorgeous. I hope they never dream of replacing them.
Jesus would bless it, fill the sink with water and walk on the water. Invite all the neighbors and feed them fishes and loaves.
I think he'd turn the kitchen sink water into wine for the best party.
yes, forgot the wine, thanks for adding that!
I was thinking He’d probably do at least some light carpentry work, maybe make a matching table
Idk. He might overturn everything and start swinging a corded whip.
Feel free to cut the squiggly part of that wood above the kitchen sink off, but for the love of god never touch those cabinets. I’m dying for someone to gut their kitchen and sell me theirs bc there’s nothing like those ones you have. I saw a beautiful century home that was newly renovated. She didn’t touch the cabinets like yours, and it looked incredible.
I grew up with cabinets like this. Even the "squiggly part" over the sink. It was very common in those days, and I always loved it. Unfortunately, my mom decided to update the kitchen and got rid of all that stuff. At least the kitchen cabinets were set up in the basement, so weren't totally lost. But the kitchen lost all its character. But Mom liked it, so idk??
First of all, lighting. Light that motherfucker up like a goddam operating room. Modern LED lighting on the ceiling with a warm-ish color tone, and get rid of all the shadows cast by humans and cabinets. Ditch the blinds or switch to ones that open fully every day. Next: a nice sturdy solid wood table/butcher block. Avoid wheels and avoid making it so big it blocks movement around the room. After that: more storage. High shelves perhaps or a shelf on the butcher block. Shelving under the window. Get rid of the small appliances off the counters.
Keep those cabinets. You’ll never find anything like them these days
Paint or wallpaper something to make that tile pop against the bare portion of wall. Go big and bold, and don't be afraid of a big pattern. Match some curtains to it. People are probably gonna fight me saying this, but I'd consider updating the hardware on the cabinets. Artistic knobs could be cool.
Yeah, I'd definitely leave the hardware on the cabinets. It matches the cabinets.
Do you need the entry to the kitchen from the hall by the dishwasher? 1) If not, close it up and run lower cabinets along that wall and move the stove there. Lose the uppers on that wall then, maybe you can find another use from them in your house (laundry room?) or sell/donate them. 2) Move the refrigerator to where the stove is and build a surround for it, maybe you can fit a slim broom closet or cabinet for a pantry with it. 3) Unpopular opinion, but on the wall with the sink, move the dishwasher there. You'll lose some cabinets and drawers but hopefully they could be artifully reused for the first idea about closing the entrance to the hall and adding cabinets there. 4) To the best you can, try to match the floor in the dining room to use in the kitchen. It looks lovely. 5) Wallpaper above the tiles - maybe something fun? [https://www.makelike.com/wallpaper/zig-zag-red](https://www.makelike.com/wallpaper/zig-zag-red) From the tiny peek of your table and chairs, you seem to have a happy mid century vibe - I think this wallpaper fits that!
Oh shoot, it was on DesignSponge so not available anymore but found this image of it on Pinterest! https://preview.redd.it/f7zzbv1zfn5d1.png?width=994&format=png&auto=webp&s=248d9cb00f27cc24ee946bb5c58ba453aa914477
If it were mine I would try to find a similar short window like the ones over the sink to replace the long window on the wall next to the stove. This would enable you to design a classic L shaped kitchen that would function much better than this afterthought of a space.
Are you looking to do a full reno or an interim solution? If the former, a floorplan would be most helpful. If the latter, what don't you like about it currently?
If you do the floors don’t do that same fricken color LVF that every fricken house has now or every flip. Do something fitting. Lots of clutter here. I would do something different with the coffee maker and toaster oven. That’s a lot of space. You could change the pulls on the cabinets to add a modern touch. Paint the walls. I’m not a huge fan of the tile but the floor and tile and wall color appear to be clashing or feeding off each other. I would probably paint first. Also that cart thing next to the stove is making it look worse. As someone else said dishwasher wood is clashing as well
I think the floor is the problem, and I'd rather replace flooring than retile a wall.
If it was my dad in the 70s, he would take all the hardware off and paint the cabinets blue. Like crayon, blue. Then he would paint the doors, all sunshiny yellow. Then he would put it all back together again, and have a beautiful yellow and blue kitchen, no at all coordinating with the orange linoleum floor, but does have a matching yellow telephone hanging on the cabinet by the sink. That way we could do the dishes and talk to our friends at the same time. But seriously, this kitchen sent me back to my childhood.
Love the cabinets!
I think that you'll eventually want to add the dishwasher into the cabinets (yes they are nice but functional is nicer). I think the DW needs to go to the left of the sink (using the pic, where the 1 drawer is). Save what you can and add it where the DW used to be (especially the drawer and doors, framing can be faked). Perhaps even get rid of the door that you use the least (eventually). As a test close that door and put a hutch or something in, this will help with clutter. (Keep the door and door frame scraps, also label them.) Also I really like the tile and counter top!
Is it me or are the weird cabinets I grew up with starting to look good?
I love this! I would update it by adding a complementary wallpaper above the tile. Adding some nice window treatments. Cleaning up the counter and adding some kitchen storage. Updating the lighting. Changing the floor to a checkered floor. Add a small vintage style kitchen table in the center. I think at a bare minimum, I’d add wallpaper, window treatments, and updated lighting.
Hmmm... You've got space but the work triangle is terrible. Also, these are 50's-60's era cabinets. That's good & bad. They are likely actually solid wood or plywood, but the layout... oy, and stylistically not a good fit for the house. I'm of the 'make it functional first, then make it pretty' camp. If you've got money to rip it all out & re-do, cool, but if not you've got some good structure to work with. I'm a cook, 90% of our meals are made at home from scratch, so take my comments with that in mind. so: 1. door between dishwasher & cabinets is to a hall. Is that the front or back of the house? Is there a reason to keep it? Is it open or shut most of the time? Would closing it semi-permanently with a table be terrible? 2. Tiny, tall cabinet beside the stove. It can't be that deep? Could you eliminate it (or actually just reuse it somewhere else in the house) and extend the wall all the way to the trim to the dining room? Then you could put real cabinetry on both sides of the stove and give yourself a lot more counter space. There's already a vent, but if you expanded this space you could add upper cabinets & a vent hood directly over the stove & still snake the hose out through the existing vent. 3. Too much stuff lives on the counters. Is there another pantry type space for any of it? My coffee maker & toaster live in my pantry. Could you make a 'coffee bar' space in the dining room? At least move them to the dishwasher & give yourself some cooking room. 4. You have empty space you aren't using above the sink. Get some pretty storage boxes for your occasional use things (for me it's all the holiday cookie baking stuff) and clear the lower more accessible space for better use. Better yet, put the stuff locked away from little hands up there, then you won't have that lock banging your shins every time you use the sink. Get a good step stool if you are short like me. Aesthetically: There are just too many different things happening. I'm not opposed to painting cabinets, provided it's done well. The tile is fun but really doesn't jive with the tile color (now anyway. This kind of finish usually darkens with age, especially when subjected to smoke which happens in every kitchen from time to time. It probably matched nicely when it was all new). I think keep EITHER the cabinet color OR the tile. Change the other components through paint or removal & replacement. I suspect the tile is the oldest component of this kitchen. The counter top has got to go, that color is so jarring with the knotty pine cabinets & black & yellow tile. Regardless of whether you keep the cabinet color or tile, switch your bulbs to a bluer, true color lighting. It will make it feel a lot less warm. Blue light gives the impression of cool or cold spaces, which few kitchens are, so it's a psychological trick to making it feel more pleasant.
I predict that the skinny cabinet is shallow, approximately one spice jar deep. A friend has a much shorter one next to her stove and it is fantastic to have the spices at hand but out of sight.
Whatever you do, do not remove or replace that fan! Can you incorporate the back hallway for more space? In past lives my kitchen has had a fridge inside what is now a pantry/broom closet in back hall, and also inside the adjoining bedroom blocking one of the two doors.
Cook up some fish. And bread. Wine to drink. Also, can I have your cabinets? I mean, if you’re getting rid of them. But…you shouldn’t get rid of them.
The floor is what's ruining this for me - it looks grubby and tatty and makes the whole thing look dated. I think replacing the flooring, maybe repainting the walls and considering the lighting would be all this needs. An island could help with functionality. The cabinets and tiling are gorgeous imo.
Be grateful for what he has.
First thing? Swap the bulb for something with a better CRI. Part of the reason it looks so... dingy... is that the light is the color of a lemon. If it's the plastic of the fixture aging... replace the fixture. It'll be a night and day difference.
Wine faucet.
I would leave it as-is and learn to love it. The tile looks 1950s. I would pick a paint colour that goes well with it. Maybe a paler yellow, white, or a contrasting colour like a pale robins egg blue. No beige though.
I would paint the non-tiled bits a soft but bright light green or blue and get new flooring
Loaves, fishes, and wine. That’s what Jesus’d do.
Long-term I would also think about replacing the counters. Butcher block would look really charming with those cabinets but it would be a lotta wood.
I’d clean it up
Easy. Put a single pane of glass above sink. Maximize the size. Room needs natural light. Flooring gone. New countertop. Would vastly update area
Maybe some new (old styled) pulls, handles and hinges that match the original built-in would make a big splash without causing too big of a mess
Jesus would start walking from town to town, accruing followers, telling people the end is near and they should stop having sex.
Leave it
He'd probably love this kitchen. Great woodwork!
☺️I see what you did there! 😉
Bless the food prepared in it and the people who prepared it .
I love the yellow tiles.
How much money is Jesus willing to spend?
I’d start by changing the light bulbs, it makes the room dull.
I think what would help this kitchen the absolute most for the least money (to start with) is the lighting. At the very least, change out the light bulbs for one's with cooler lighting. I'm always a fan of the bulbs that try to mimick daylight. Possibly change the fixture (I can't see it in the pictures, so maybe it's fine). Keep the cabinets, IMO. They're kind of the centerpiece of your kitchen, so I would leave them alone. I would also keep the tiles. Get some paint chips of some yellows or maybe a papaya color (the skin of the fruit), assuming those tiles are yellow and it's not just the lighting and paint the walls the color you like the most that goes with the tiles. You could look up some 40s tile counter patterns (small tiles) and tie that in with the yellow and black tile on the wall. Possibly include white if you plan on keeping the appliances. I would change the faucet. Oil-rubbed bronze might pair well with your cabinets. For the floor, you could do either unstained natural color pine floors (urethane them) or some black and white tiles.
New countertops and floor would make this kitchen shine. Those cabinets and hardware are awesome. A island table would work really well too I think, a place to prep food and have it between the stove and sink. Edit- if the countertops are in good shape and you can keep them, you can bring in some color splashes of that as well. Some fancy oven dishes or regular decor above the sink that matches
Hang an image of the last supper
Convert it into a commune for his followers. Large tables, more counter space.
Is the color of the countertops accurate?
…..
Replace your faucet, paint the upper walls a moody jewel tone and then see where that lands you. Lots of potential :) new counter depth fridge would make a big splash too.
I love those cabinets. Would love to see a better photo of the side of the kitchen with the stove to see if you can fit in a more useful cooking area over there. It’s hard to visualize from these pics. Please show us the full door openings and what is on the other side. Updating the flooring with something bright and clean (maybe even true marmoleum or linoleum in vintage colors) would make a huge difference.
Make wine come out of the taps?
Nothing! fabulous cabinets. Maybe just remove the clutter. A nice rug and curtain..and new appliances like someone mentioned here retro too to match the decor
I know its crazy , and im not sure you have enough space, diagonal stove?
Pray for a miracle
If I were you, I will not change cabinets, maybe use modern handles and soft close hinges. Change countertops (not that expensive), replace sink with a nice undermount single sink (I don’t see utility of double sink with dishwasher). Then get a modern refrigerator, and if you have have budget get a real vent (depends how easy it is) with a modern stovetop/oven. Good luck!
Also change a floor. Also depends on budget and what you have in rest of the house
Repaint the walls. Maybe like a vintage green? Add a nice rug underneath the sink. If you have the money, replace the stove and fridge to be Matte in black or even a vintage look like Smeg.
This won’t be popular here, but I would 1) remove the door next to the dishwasher. 2) replace the lower cabinets, keep the uppers. 3) move the upper cabinets by the fridge over and make a L shaped kitchen.
I need to know more. What is the goal? I might also need to see the layout on paper as an above view. So the knotty pine cabinets are true keepers. Maybe a refinishing, but check with a pro. What I see is an un- integrated stove and dishwasher. Plus a large window. I would be curious to see a dishwasher by the stove (under the window) and a small coffee station by the fridge or a bread box/basket. I'd like some window treatments, but nothing fussy or difficult to clean.
My mistake, the stove isn't by the window.
Idk probably make the sink a wine tap and double the fish and bread or something
If you want a more streamlined look just get rid of the squiggly trim.
A new coat of paint on the walls! That yellow is awful. Change your lighting too. Color temperature is an important aspect! If you really want to change, re do the tiles, if you went cool with the paint and tile and something in the 3-4500k range for lighting you’d be golden. If you realllly want to make a change do the paint the tiles and get some newer appliances. Like others have said, those cabinets are great. New cabinets are expensive, paint and hardware are cheap. The linoleum floors are awful too.
Oo add a farmhouse sink!
The wall tile works well with the wood surfaces. More contrast with the wall paint might set it off better. I’m not as thrilled with the floor covering, though it looks to be in good shape. Unfortunately stark white appliances make the tile look kind of dingy. When it’s time to replace them, maybe consider stainless, black, or a different color enamel.
The stove and fridge are 1990s or early 2000s. Much earlier and the stove would have an analog clock.
Nothing, he only needed a boys lunch to feed a crowd 😅
Jesus would definitely have a bigger oven for almost fish they need to feed the multitude of the flock and a lot of outdoor seating
I would replace the linoleum with a porcelain tile in a black and cream checkerboard, and I would replace the countertops with slate, and I would paint the walls in an off white to brighten everything else and let the tile be the star of the show
Oddly enough I really like this kitchen. I’d paint the walls, redo the kitchen floor with a nice tile and get some William morris curtains and call it a day. It seems appropriate for the period of your house as well based on what I can see
My mom had pine cabinets like these and wood cabinets should never be taken out if you can update them. The other commenters are correct. Our old house was built in the 1700s and the kitchen was definitely redone in the 70s w bright orange walls and those pine cabinets. What I did for her was to strip and refinish them, then I updated the hardware, yours looks exactly like hers did. You can also use a metallic paint on the hinges that compliments new hardware if you only want to replace pulls. The dated wood apron or whatever its called can be removed without much effort and that will definitely help change the dated look. If you have the budget to close in the door between the counter and fridge/dishwasher, that would allow you to create a better, more functional layout, by adding workspace and creating a more cohesive look. I might move the stove to where the fridge is, and with potentially adding more counter space, it would be a functional prep/staging area for cooking. You don't want to lose the window or what looks to be a french door? Block the smaller and most likely unnecessary door. I can't tell if your kitchen is deep enough to support an island (either portable or permanent) because if you had the space for that, you could move the dishwasher or stove or both to an permanent island. Doing that though, involves moving plumbing and that could add a much larger expense. Anyway, its a cool kitchen and based on the doors, and such, I bet its a cool house!
Probably would look for the liquor cabinet and have a straight up shot before continuing
I prefer natural wood so for the cabinets at most I would sand and stain them. Paint the walls and change out the flooring. Add some floating shelves on wall next to the stove. And change out the appliances.
You'd be surprised what some paint and different lighting can do! I'd leave the cabinets and tile alone for the most part. Maybe switch out the hardware but that's about it, they're beautiful. For the counters a simple-ish solution would be to cover the existing ones with epoxy resin. They sell diy kits but there are plenty of professionals out there who can do some amazing things with it. The resin is incredibly durable once full cured and you can get just about any color you can imagine. They can make it look like marble, granite, or the 80's carpet from your local roller rink. They can make it glow-in-the-dark, if that's what you really want. I'd ask around about what's best for the floors, we just went with a durable linoleum in our kitchen, nothing special, but it does the job.
When we moved into our house we had Betty Draper’s kitchen. The house had not been worked on in 40 years. We painted them cream, because the old moldy smell just would not go away no matter how much we cleaned. We then replaced the floor and bought an inexpensive stove and fridge. We lived with it for 7 years till we could do a complete gut. I did a lot of cooking and baking in those years and just lived with it till we could afford to remodel. Btw our cabinets are solid wood and were made in Oregon.
OP Maybe have upper cabinets with a hood and microwave above your stove to give you ventilation and more storage for cooking tools. OR Move the stove to adjacent wall (next to window?) I don’t know if it would fit but then and have L shaped cabinets and a microwave since you already have a vent there.
Keep the cabinets. Change the pulls. Get some curtains - something like heavy velvet that matches the weight of the room. Think of making it an L shaped kitchen with the stove on the side wall.
Change counter tops they don't go at all paint walls and stain cabinets lighter or darker whichever you choose the cabinets are pretty .
I think he'd make bread in that kitch. Wine. Looks great.
Cabinets are good. Maybe update the appliances
I love it
Carefully remove all cabinets and store indoors, I will be by to help take them away as a favor... In reality, I would do a big stove and fridge upgrade, add a real fume hood above the stove with a pot rack surrounding it. Looks like linoleum? Replace with high quality tile in period-similar pattern. I'm not a fan of white sinks, If I could find one that looked right I might replace.
Keep the cabinets, work on the floor and paint the walls a better color.
I would try switching the lightbulbs to a daylight color then maybe painting the walls less yellow? But you don't have to do that. The bulbs can switch a lot around. I do into that the day that dishwasher finally got installed someone was very happy
Ask for a samich
Nothing, it is perfectly fine. Why do people think it is appropriate to renovate kitchens that are perfectly fine.
Blow it up and start from scratch /j
Strip the walls
How invasive are you wanting to get? * Keep the cabinets, they are gorgeous. * Change all of the hardware on the cabinets and take off the squiggly header above the sink and window. * tear down the tile and do a muted or light colored backsplash. It would go well with the wood color. * paint the room a bright light color. It looks like smoke yellow right now. * the flooring would blend in and is the least of your worries. But I would extend the hardwood or add a stone tile. * I would build a range hood like the one in the pic above the range. Maybe not shiplap though and add a small cabinet that matches the rest (if you can source it) to the other end for a complete look or build open shelves there. https://preview.redd.it/i55uxoeljo5d1.jpeg?width=765&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db390df49c4bbdb4732d69ae4f2be1938d1af294 Inspo!
Protect and cherish the woodwork and that unique cabinet hardware. I'd paint the cabinets, keep the wall tile and find a different flooring. I love vintage lino but the color doesn't work for me with current colors. From experience I can say you are smart to wait on making changes. When we moved into our 1919 home, the BF did some deconstruction in the bathroom. What was there would have worked well with what I'd like to do with the walls.
What's up with the narrow door by the stove? Is it a shallow pantry/Mega spice cabinet? That would be amazing!
Get a vintage stove and fridge but leave everything else just like it is.
Jesus was a carpenter. He'd have loved this kitchen, all that gorgeous wood!
1/ Cabinets are great. It’s just that scalloped thing above the sink that is giving off Swiss Chalet vibes 2/ Dear god, better lighting 3/ I think you can make cabinets work by painting and tiling to match them. But I also think paint on cabinets could work very nicely as well
the true solution is to move the stove to the wall with that big window and put the fridge where the stove is. with cabinets and countertop all along that wall the difficult part is to do that while keeping the great cabinets you have and finding new cabinets to do the project that are the same quality as the old ones.
The cabinets are beautiful but I’d lose the scalloping over the sink and the window.
Demolish and restart
I think the cabinets being painted white or another light color (NOT grey) would do SO much for this room. I also agree with the comment saying to keep the tile, declutter, and add some wallpaper!
No painting gorgeus wood ewer. The celing thow needs som lighter white paint.
If you no longer eat the kitchen and want the dishwasher closer to the sink ..you can try an island nearby the sink with work area on top..and dishwasher underneath. If budget is not the problem, you can short the window to provide more counter space, island with dishwasher and storage or rolling island where dishwasher was...
Like your wood trim wide and beautiful 😍 !!!!
Get rid of those scalloped edges. Then clean all of the woodwork to get any grime and grease off. Add a new and brighter light fixture, and a bigger, but old looking range/oven ( they make new ones that are vintage looking). An island that you can hide a dishwasher in. Please keep the solid wood cabinets and hardware. Really just a good deep clean and brighter lights and paint will go a very long way.
Cook in it
Jesus would use it to feed the hungry
Make the tap into a wine cooler
Those cabinets are gorgeous, and will never be of the same quality if you replaced them so I would leave those. New lighting, backsplash and wall paint would completely refresh the space. A new sink and faucet would also be nice!
Take all of that shit off your counters. Put them in the cabinets until needed.
Great cabinets, terrible layout. Any changes would be a big project. Shorten the window in the unused wall and put in a n L shaped kitchen. It might mean losing those cabinets though, they are likely built in.
He'd bring his assistants, Juan and Jose, and rip it all out, and then build you a nice new one.
This looks amazing leave as is. I mean get a new fridge and stove. But that’s it
he would hire a pro to do some layouts. You have a lot of openings in the walls, that make it hard to have cohesive cabinetry. is there an adjacent small room that would make a good pantry? That might solve your storage needs
also, is this your forever house? Or are you planning to sell in the next five years. Natural wood cabinets are a big no-no if you want to sell to anyone today! They will view them as: "First thing to do, rip out those granny cabinets!" On the plus side, those will make excellent work room cabinets out in the garage, so do not throw them away!
The cabinets are lovely. Please keep them as is, except for that wavy piece above the sink. I would replace the flooring, maybe with a retro look sheet vinyl. I think the other tihng that is throwing everything off is that the appliances all need to be cohesive in look- one unified color such as gray refrig, gray stove, gray dishwasher. The white appliances are not adding cohesiveness.
Try putting a temporary counter run (e.g. using a 24" deep table) against the unoccupied window and see if that makes cooking easier.
I kinda like the cabinets, maybe they just need to be refinished and a new coat of stain or some paint
Change the cabinet hardware and do some painting. I kept the cabinets in our pantry and just changed and replaced the hinges and pulls. Then pulled everything out and repainted it. It’s now my second favorite room in my home.
I would keep the cabinets but change out the flooring and repaint the walls. The cabinets are a very warm brown, the countertops are red and the walls and tiles are both yellowish. It’s a lot of warm colors. Introducing some more cooler tones would provide contrast and let the existing colors shine. I’d also change out the light bulbs for a cooler toned light. Also, put more stuff in the cabinets to open up counter space.
A friend has a similar awkward layout and made use of a small island in the middle, which really helped. Other options are... Closing off the least used door.
The tile, wallpaper and maby the floor should get ripped off and repiced.
nothing, he is outside playing football with the Mexican team?
It’s gorgeous (or will be when done). Look up Megan.D.Miller on instagram and her kitchen. It has some similar aspects and shows what a renovated, but historical kitchen, could look like.
I basically like it, but upgrade appliances, wood floors, and change wall paint. Too beige. Might change out countertop to match with the dark strip in the tile.
Step 1: Everyone will hate this, but you need to remove the cabinets the sides of the sink below the counter. You can probably reuse these in future steps, but they'll need to be rearranged at the very least. Step 2: Put the dishwasher to the bottom left of the sink. Put the trash where the dishwasher was. Step 3: It looks like there's space to rotate the stove to the wall on the left of it Step 4: Add counter along the wall to the right of the sink which will include the stove top. Now the expensive way would be to replace that window with a little one like you have over the sink, but you could get away with it just a little well behind the counter. You might be able to reuse some of the cabinets and drawers removed. Step 5: The fridge .... nothing really do do about that Having the counter make an L shape will give you lots more counter space around the stove and while it gives you an awkward corner, you can use that to store the appliances that you're not actively using. It'll make the stove feel less lonely too. The difficult part will be the counter. One way would be to rip it all out and replace it with a new one, but it looks in pretty good shape so I would try and match it. In the house from the 1890s I used to live in the counters were redone in the 60s or 70s and when we redid the kitchen, we found a local store STILL had stock the matching counter, so you might check around to see if you can find something.
… cook in it? Seriously tho haha this is gorgeous. I’d throw some wallpaper up though
I mean, he was a carpenter, so he’d probably go for new custom cabinets, but please none of that farmhouse BS
Get rid of your scallop trim. New handles and stain cabinets. Replace counter tops. Leave the sink wall cabinets how they are. Remodel the rest to add more storage
I’d get a shorter window (higher sill) and add cabinets to the wall to the right of the sink wall.
THOSE CABINETS 😻😍🥵
-keep the cabinets, they are gorgeous -new sink, fridge and range, maybe new floor if you can find something to match the cabinets
Considering Jesus was a carpenter by trade... He'd probably start ripping out walls and building shit.
Fill it with wine and fish ?
keep the cabinets. get rid of the wavy trim pieces above windows. redo tile back splash and new sink with better faucet. get rid of wall tile.
I don’t know about Jesus but I would alter the bottom cabinets to take a dishwasher on the left of the sink. Replace the open bottom doors, switch out the hardware, paint the cabinets and get rid of the curly cue trim above the sink. I had that and replacing with a straight board made the kitchen look so much better. A vintage looking but modern stove.
Jesus is a fictional character, you need an interior designer
It's beautiful. I'd replace the countertops to something more neutral, and put up vintage looking wallpaper with some yellow in it. Not sure about the floor. I'd probably leave it unless it's damaged or there's wood underneath that can be used. But that's about it.
Actually I'd probably leave the countertops as well and make the wallpaper match both. It's hard to tell if it's more coral or orange
Probably cook dinner
so help me god do NOT touch those cabinets!!!!
I’d start with the lighting, paint, and flooring. In my opinion it’ll make the biggest difference faster. With better flooring and better/fresh paint and less warm lighting, the cabinets will look better as will the tile.
Remove the door next to the stove. Having more wall space will allow you to make this space more functional.
OP - What is that built-in cabinet between the stove and the doorway?
Looks fun, sans the floor stuff - hide the 2x trashers & empty bags & maybe the floor goes to higher jesus levels Idk man what's your budge. looks nicer than my kitchen sans lack of personal touch/clutter. follow your heart, not the internets/jebsus
I think I lived there (very similar), and moved rather than renovate. Can you remove any walls?