I think you should buy stainless steel appliances. Are you interested in painting your cabinets or your walls or both? It would be nice to have a built in microwave. It looks like you might have space for an island. If you can only have a small one, IKEA has some really nice ones, with either stainless steel top or butcher block tops. Can you sketch the room with dimensions so that we can better advise you?

I'll try to provide a sketch. Meantime, the door is to a pantry. The kitchen is approximately 13 x 14. The part you cannot see from these pics is where an eating area will be. Am condiering some kind of banquette seating for spacesaving. I have a neat butcher block with spice drawers that I currently use as an island in our present home. I worry about not having enough space for it as I dearly love it. I am considering either stainless or black appliances. Definitely not painting the cabinets...I think a good clean-up will suffice. This photo is as it is now. Another part I want to change is the lighting. I intend to do a Microwave over the range and want to "bump" up the cabinet as I want more space between range and Microwave for using large pots/canner.

Do not do black appliances. SS is definitely the right choice. Perhaps instead of banquette seating you might be able to have a large island with seating. How many do you want to seat? Anyone younger than 4?

My thoughts...
- If budget is a concern, why not just change the floor - that could make a big difference.
- The ceiling fixtures. A few can lights surrounding the cabinet areas would look nice.
- Depending on your counters, I don't know what they are, they could be changed out. If your cabinets aren't in bad shape why not work with them? No need to go crazy!
...maybe hang the microwave over the stove if you can give up a cabinet!
- Last, hang a window treatment that combines your colors in your kitchen and whatever room is next to it.
- Is there room for an island? (Picture doesn't show what's on the other side of the room).
Good luck!

No kiddos, but we are seniors and all grandkids are grown. I forgot to mention a new counter-top. Am liking Formica Etchings in Jamocha, which is a dark brown/tan granite design. I think I can do this and stay within budget. Was just on line looking for knobs!

@mexicobride. I'll check into the Rustoleum product. @Carolyn...why do you not recommend black?

SS appliances will pay off if you decide to sell your house. Black is not the 'In" thing these days. After you look online for cabinet hardware, take a look at Home Depot and Lowes. They have darn good prices. And boy was I amazed by their glass tile prices when I was in Ohio yesterday looking for kitchen splash material for my son's house there...$5.98 for some great looking material which I selected and they approved!
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

Hi, jodiky. I'm glad you're keeping your cabinets. They're simple enough to be versatile with traditional or more contemporary themes. I also think the Jamocha counters will look nice with them.

Along with the stainless appliances, if there's money for it, you might want to consider re-tiling the floor in a brick pattern such as below. It'll take you in a more contemporary direction. And if you DIY - you can save a lot. Repeating the pattern with a glass subway back splash in the grey color present in the Jamocha will tie everything together - stainless appliances, flooring pattern and counter tops. With a little sparkle!



In my opinion the all white kitchen, while nice, is a bit over done. So, here are a few examples of nice kitchens with natural wood cabinets to give you visual support of your decision. Good luck!

Wonderful suggestions from everyone! Changing floor is not an option at the moment. What's there is new Duraceramic. I like the glass tile blacksplash and I've done tiling before. What do you think of paint called Red Cayenne? And a 24" round light fixture with a pendant fixture over sink?

What brand of paint is the Red Cayenne? If it's a reddish brown as it sounds, it is not what I would select. You already have reddish brown cabinets, so I'd pick a light color.

I would replace your light over the sink with a recessed can. In fact, I would then add about 5 more recessed lights, placing them about 17" out from your walls so that the light falls on the countertop. If you place them too far out and they are behind you as you stand at the counter, then your work area will be in your shadow. The light in center of room would also be a recessed can, unless it happens to be over your breakfast table. If that's the case, you could use a small chandelier over your table.

I suggest that you wait to order the knobs until you decide on other changes. Agree with others that you should definitely go with stainless steel for your replacement appliances. If the dishwasher isn't being replaced, check with the manufacturer about replacing the door front with a stainless steel panel - they are often available and not that expensive. Definitely consider the microwave as stove vent option which will free up some counter space for you.

If you are comfortable doing your own tiling, you can make a huge impact with backsplash / and undercabinet tiles wrapping all the way around from range to refrigerator. And as Carolyn Albert-Kincl mentioned, you might be surprised at some of the offerings at the big box stores - elegant, dramatic and not terribly expensive. If you wanted to get dramatic you could perhaps integrate some kind of "special" tile behind the (new) range for a pop of color that you could then use in accents throughout the kitchen.

Rewiring for can lights in front of the cabinets could get expensive, perhaps you could look in to under-cabinet fluorescent or LED lights especially in that dark corner between the sink and the range and the cabinet next next to the refrigerator. Love the darker counter top idea.

Have you considered a ceiling hugger fan with a dome light rather than the "drop" lights as your ceiling light?

Have you considered putting your butcher block with spice drawers on heavy-duty casters so it can be moved to where ever it is needed?

Obviously, paint colors would be determined by tile choices.

Here are a couple of links to tile sources to at least give you a start -

For regular backsplash tile - http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/Search?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&keyword=glass%20tile&Ns=None&Ntpr=1&Ntpc=1&selectedCatgry=SEARCH+ALL

and for "picture" or "special" tile - http://stores.ebay.com/Artwork-On-Tile?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

New kitchens are always scary when you start - but fun once you get going. Have fun!

You can easily do this for 4000 since you aren't replacing cabinets.

You don't really say what your style is.

Stainless appliances, matchstick blind, paint cabinets a warm, distressed white or if you like darker, stain them espresso.

Add Allure vinyl floating floor (looks like wood, is water resistant), new backsplash- tile in a subway or a glass mosaic.

Replace light fixtures, a pendant light over the sink would look great,

New hardware for the cabinets.

Later, you can upgrade to granite and add an island...it looks like there is room.

Some ideas:

http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/ BEST PRODUCT EVER!!!! They also have it for countertops. Amazing professional looking results!! I LOVE IT!

I have to agree - no one can help you if you don't give the dimensions of the room, explain your style goal, or explain how much of the budget you will be devoting to the room. (I.e., if your appliances cost $3900, you now have $100...so I say you should paint your walls and upper cabinets. But what if you have $1000 left over?) Because you've given no parameters, everyone has basically told you to do their favorite kitchen. So here's mine: paint your upper cabinets white. Either strip your lower cabinets and stain them darker (hickory or walnut), or paint them a dark color (gray, black, slate blue). Then, replace the countertops with butcher block - it's inexpensive, functional, natural, and attractive. I simply do not understand why anyone would remove formica, and pay for new formica. You want to remove the current formica because formica is ugly and people don't want to buy it. You want to replace it with whatever mocha that is because mocha looks like granite. If you like granite, save up and pay for granite. If you can't do that, find an affordable material (remnants, granite sold on craigslist, butcher block, concrete that you make yourself) that is not formica. If you just want to save money and don't care what it looks like, leave the countertops the way they are. Replace the flooring because it is unattractive (new or not). I would replace with slate; I do not like hardwood for kitchens or bathrooms. But that's me. You definitely need color on the walls. If you don't paint the cabinets, yellow or red would clash with them; I would go with a pale green or blue. (I.e., Behr's "contemplation.") But green or blue would make your floors look pink, because they are pink. If you paint the cabinets, you have more wall color options. I think red-brown would be oppressively dark, but, again, that's me. The light fixtures are fairly 80s and you may want to update that. I'd look at Schoolhouse Electric or Hudson Valley Lighting and see whether you see something you like - but those options are to my taste and may not agree with yours.

Everyone else is correct that stainless (and only stainless) is trendy. Trendy is stupid, transient, and is wholly and utterly unrelated to functionality. A stainless stove, a white stove, and a black stove perform EXACTLY the same. But the stainless one costs more because...it's trendy. If this irritates you, don't buy stainless. If you want to be able to resell this house quickly and within five years and you have a strict budget, buy used stainless from eBay or craigslist or your local architectural salvage store. You can get a stainless stove for $500 or less if you look; I haven't priced dishwashers or refrigerators, but you can find out, of course. If it were my kitchen, I would replace the stove with a second-hand bright white double-oven version and leave the rest of the appliances alone until or unless I felt like caving into the stainless.

I am not a designer, obviously, but I recommend you pick some inspiration photos and share them to give everyone an idea of what you would like to see in here so they can make some suggestions.

This is the perfect kitchen for "Pick My Presto" on theletteredcottage.com. Layla has some really great ideas and will take your picture and photoshop it with ideas. Have fun!

What are the colors in your adjacent rooms? Since your kitchen is so very neutral, you might want to capture one of your favorite colors from those rooms...something that is not an earth tone. Perhaps you can post a picture or two of those rooms?

How about some pop! Maybe cabinet pulls (black or SS) and/or a glass back splash! Somehow make the stove, fridge, DW and door all match. Rugs with color to match back spash color. good luck!

I would lighten the cabinets and darken the counter tops, and if you want to keep your appliances I would change the stove to match the refrigerator and dishwasher and maybe darken the paint a bit...I think it will work

Our kitchen was similar to yours (oak cabinets, laminate counter) we painted the cabinets an off white and added crown molding and a light rail on the bottom of the uppers also, changed counters to granite and DIY backsplash...it makes a huge visual difference!

Here is a 'before pic' :)

Love the final look of your kitchen, even though the picture is closer it looks more spacious....great!!

Great comments! I realize that my information is a bit sketchy, but I'm 3 hours away as we have yet to take possession. Some find the flooring to be unattractive, but we like it and will keep it for now. The color I have in mind for the wall is more of a terra cotta than red. Stainless is the most popular choice so that is the way I'm going. The DW is the only appliance that will stay and I found I can order panels in black for it. With the trim being black on the appliances, I think it may be able to stay. (?) Pendant light over sink and fan with large globe light for lighting. Microwave with fan/light over new range in SS. White woodwork. May have to raise cabinet about Frig as it is only 69" above floor and we need at least a 25 CF frig. Also, would raise cabinet over range to give more working room on range for large pots/canner. I, also, will choose coil top range as do canning and use a lot of cast iron pans. The room adjacent is a great room. I havent' decided on color of walls, carpet will be a darker beige or chocolate mousse color.