Hi,
It looks nice and neat! From the photos the floor looks like the most updated feature aside from the french door/drawer refrigertor. I think painting the cabinets and adding new hardware would make a huge difference. Are you are going for a modern, retro, or traditional look? Good luck!

The floor is laminate and was installed poorly. I really like the clean look of a white kitchen, I would prefer something more modern, but I'm not sure quite how to accomplish that.

I understand, the craftmanship or lack thereof, of the floor installment doesn't show up in the photo. The cabinet doors would be good for a modern kitchen since they do not have any trim. I would spray paint them rather than use a paint brush or roller for a modern feel. Something high gloss would look great and be very modern. With new hardware you would have a whole new kitchen!

It looks just like the floor plan and space in my kitchen. I moved the fridge to the end of the counter next to the sink and I put a small rolling cart/island where the refrigerator used to be. The darn thing stuck out so far, just like in your kitchen, that the flow of the space just felt blocked. I think I have a picture, just to show how it looks.

how do you paint old cabinets?? do you have to remove varnish?

What's the subfloor underneath the laminate? You can usually find out by pulling up a heating vent (assuming you've got forced air heating) and checking the "wall" of the vent at floor level.

If the subfloor looks sound, your altogether cheapest and quickest route would be to pull up the laminate, and simply stain, paint or urethane the subfloor. This would give you a floor colour that YOU choose right away, thus removing the angst thereon! Even painted plywood looks great (think of a diagonal chequer-board pattern, for instance). Search Google Images and Houzz for finishes that you dream up: chances are someone else did them already, and that gives you a head-start on what might (not!) work for you.

You can paint your cupboard doors fairly easily - instructions all over the 'net. Just make sure you prime properly. Use a good brush, don't bother with a roller. A good brush and a steady hand give a much more pleasing finish, and are quicker, than a splattering roller, and you will use (waste) WAY less paint.

You don't need a fancy tile/ceramic/tin/copper backsplash - it's perfectly acceptable to just paint the wall - use as waterproof a paint as possible; i.e. exterior latex - you won't need much!

Go to craigslist, kijiji, your local Habitat for Humanity Restores, etc, for hardware for the cupboards. You may also luck out there on countertops.

Or - Ikea do very inexpensive fairly nice quality hardwood countertops in a pseudo butcher-block, using oak, beech, or birch, and you finish them on-site according to your taste. Or, leave "naked," although that will pick up all stains, damp damage, etc. If you can get away with it, don't attach the Ikea countertop to the cabinets - they're fully reversible, so when one side gets ratty, you can simply flip and start afresh!

Or - going back to craigslist et al, keep an eye open for old slate chalkboard, and cut it to fit. You can often find it dirt cheap, and if you're handy, you can cut it yourself - don't forget to sand the edges, as they may be pretty rough.

For the cabinet you'd like beside the fridge - maybe consider open shelves? You don't appear to have any, and they're handy for cookbooks and heavy small appliances such as mixers, etc.

It's OK for a kitchen to look like a kitchen - I can never understand why people feel compelled to hide everything - those kitchens with built-in everythings quickly resemble mausoleums!

Don't forget to post the "after" photos!

Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformations. Easy to use, no sanding and a huge variety of colors and everything you need is in the kit. I used it on my cabinets and am not that handy. They turned out fantastic. I am now finishing the end sides of my cabinets and back splash with white beadboard. Next, satin nickle hardware. I am also on a exceedingly tight budget!

Someone asked if you have to remove varnish before painting? You might be able to use liquid sander instead.

Someone asked if you have to remove varnish before painting? You might be able to use liquid sander instead.

If you are going to paint cabinets, you do not have to strip them first. Just make sure to lightly sand then use primer. I did some in a vintage/antique look. I lightly sanded, painted with primer, painted just a pure white, lightly sanded again, then used my own 'glaze' (cheap acrylic paint mixed with lots of water). Wiped on the glaze, left on for about 2 minutes then wiped off. Went back and sanded some areas to distress then sanded a little more in the grooves and added more glaze. You can either finish up with flat poly or just use wax! I have used both and I like the look of wax but it seems to take longer. My cabinets turned out really well and everyone complimented me on them. Unfortunately, I don't have pics because it was in my house I just sold. I am a very eclectic decorator and I use vintage, traditional, and modern all together. Although this style of cabinet would not be modern, if you were up for mixing different styles, I say go for it. Besides, this is an easy way to refinish cabinets. If you are painting a solid color, they have to be perfect or it shows, especially if you use gloss or semi-gloss. With the distressed style, it does not have to be perfect at all.

Just a little suggestion from a serial kitchen renovater - I really like going to Ikea just to cruise their rooms and get ideas for layout, colours and so on. Sometimes it just provides the spark you need to inspire your decisions, and for those of us on a budget it is more realistic than some of the kitchens featured in the glossy magazines! Good luck.

Congrats austincline, its a nice kitchen on the first look , Do you plan a Diy ?

I don't know the shape of the inside of the cabinet boxes but you may be able to find some fronts, doors, and trim at Keystone Cabinetry Components. Even if you leave the cabinetry as is, putting a granite countertop and backsplash with a color like Giallo Ornamental or New Venetian Gold will bring some richness to this kitchen. A complementary backsplash will further perk it up with not too much cost. Since you are handy you can install the backsplash yourself. Oh, also, a new tile floor or even Armstrong Alterna vinyl tile will bring this puppy together. Painting above the cabinets similar colors in your backsplash and countertop will also give the room a larger feel.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I love the idea of moving the fridge to the other side, unfortunately there is a window and the only seating area where the fridge would go (attached is an image of the other side of the kitchen). The entire main floor is all original hardwood flooring, including underneath the kitchen tile from what I can tell. The pictures attached were taken by the previous owner, so I don't have that table and don't need room for high chairs.

I've priced out the back splash and my area is fairly small, so that wouldn't be too costly to tile. The cabinets are very solid, they are built better then I've seen in new homes so refinishing is the best option. I also agree with the open shelving next to the fridge, I was considering building a butcher block style top with some re purposed hardwood flooring and some old lumber I found in the basement.

Oh, too bad! I had just enough room for the fridge, and then comes my dinette, just about the same size.

A pantry area next to the fridge would come in very handy.

As for the vent over the stove, it looks to be an original Nutone. If is still in working condition do not destroy it. Offer it on eBay or Craigslist. Lots of people want that original mid-century look. Would you like to put in an over the stove vent, maybe with microwave? I always found those shelves over the stove kind of useless. My tall mom used to keep spices up there, and I burned my tummy more than once reaching up there while cooking. :^p

Has potential. The vent hood looks odd.

I love the idea of a white kitchen ...check out www.Caromal paint and colors their white is great ,easy product to use look at their gallery photos..I Intend to use this product soon in my kitchen...

I love the idea of a white kitchen ...check out www.Caromal paint and colors their white is great ,easy product to use look at their gallery photos..I Intend to use this product soon in my kitchen...

austinkline, I don't see a microwave. Is there one somewhere? I'm not sure that even a smaller model could mount about your stove( which you could use that for ventilation too. ) If not , you'll need to mount a small hood above if you are doing away with the old fashioned vent.You can try for a micro there, but if not, perhaps a small rolling butcher block cart next to the fridge for that.
If you paint your cabs white and add long, modern stainless handles, they will look great! As stated earlier, you must remove that scalloped piece over sink.. that dates the look.
Try Lowe's or Home Depot for their stock countertops. You may find they have what you need. I would suggest a dark color, with dark browns or black as base to contrast with your cabs. A new sink if needed and a new pullout faucet will be great. You can get wonderful mosaic tile backsplash's at the big box stores now.. find one that has your counter base color in it and a few pops of other colors. You won't need much and this will go a long way towards modernizing the space. you are so lucky to have hardwood under that laminate! Refinish that to match existing! Lastly, find a color you want to carry thru the home and paint the walls. It needs to be a contrast with the white.. need not be bright. Gray is very popular right now and goes with everything. It will look very modern. You can maybe find a splash with gray or stainless bits to brighten up. Best of luck!

There is a microwave on the counter, left of the refrigerator. The old exhaust fan really does bother me, but for the time being I think it stays, just to expensive to put in a hood.

I've removed all the cabinet doors and hardware and began prep work on the cabinets. I decided to leave the doors off above the stove for open shelving. I add bead board to the soffit above the cabinets and added crown molding to give the illusion of taller cabinets, I think once painted it will look pretty convincing. I removed the scalloped piece over the sink as well. I still haven't decided on a color for the cabinets yet, at first I wanted white, but the more I look around the more I become unsure of color.

I also lucked out and picked up some reclaimed barn lumbar that I will be building a bench seat under the window to make more seating room, as well as build a wheeled cart the go to the right of the fridge.

It may be awhile before I make any progress since I will be working out town the next two weekends so anymore suggestions, pictures or ideas are great. The help I've already received on this site is amazing.

Thanks!

Austin - there's a not-dissimilar discussion to this one, started by a designer trying to figure out how to update her client's oak kitchen. On it was a link to a blog with some great ideas that you might find useful.

The discussion is here:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/updating-a-dated-kitchen-while-keeping-dated-cabinets-dsvw-vd~170767

The pertinent blog is here:

http://designinthewoods.blogspot.ca/2011/09/what-to-do-with-oak-cabinets.html

Fascinating to witness what talent can accomplish!

These links are great. Thanks

Considering the area in the picture, I can get you a brand new kitchen cabinets and granite top for $4,000 if you handy, installation will be real easy.

Just wanted to leave an update on my progress so far.

Cabinets and cabinet doors have been prepped and primed inside and out.

Removed the decorative piece and shelves around windows about the sink.

Installed bead board and crown molding on soffets above cabinets, filled with caulk and primed.

I still haven't been able to decide on color scheme for the kitchen, part of my really likes the white, while I still find the colorful, vibrant kitchens attractive as well. I was also pricing out counter tops and sinks, but I just keep migrating to granite. The amount of time I spend in the kitchen cooking I think I would appreciate the durability a lot more down the road.

I am slowly working on a rolling island and shelving to the right of fridge with the reclaimed wood I acquired. I removed the surface of the wood and I intend to use a two-part epoxy to seal it unfinished, the age and the wear of the wood will turn out great.

The flooring is still down the road, this will be the most time consuming task I believe so this will be last thing to be completed in the project.

why not use a vibrant color on your island ?with white? or colorful tiles with white, you can use vibrant accessories art kitchen towels that change and have the ability for a broad color spectrum....its all fun! It's all good! You have great instincts and advice trust yourself. Durability is good...I think granite is more porous than people realize..Everyone is using it..why not be tastefully different? but if you love it go for it.!

I wish i had an island to contrast the color, but I think I found another solution. I saw a few great examples of using a few different shades between the upper, lower and pantry cabinets to get more color.

I'm not particular to granite, I want something durable, that can withstand heat. Granite just seams to be the best value as far as know.

I am in the lighting business so I am a bit biased, but I would consider under cabinet lighting. You have a nice long run of cabinets, with lighting added that entire kitchen will light up, and at night offer a nice ambient effect as the lighting fill the room. Good luck with your project, and congratulations on your new home.