I've seen many threads on IKEA's butcherblock tops. Very inexpensive and give an awesome look.

I'd remove the valance.

HD sells brushed nickel knobs for about a $1 when bought in bulk. If you think you could get the pain to adhere to the hinges, that would look better too.

Not able to see your cabinet doors up close, could you add a 2-3" strip to the edges giving it a shaker look. Depending on the doors if there is a slight bevel you could turn them around and do the shaker look to the backside (we once had to turn a cabinet door upside down and it worked fine).

You might want to paint the base cabinets a darker color. I know your place is small but with the stove front being mostly black and your DW black, they would all blend better and give a more cohesive look.

For the appliances, open up the DW and see if it has any extra panels that are more to your liking.

Watch for CL for free/inexpensive appliances that are closer to what you want. Since white appliances are not the "in" color, you're likely to pick up some real bargains.

I would probably pick a wall color that was not such a direct match for the countertops --a paler yellow or maybe a pale green.

I think this would be a good kitchen for a black and white checkerboard floor (maybe peel and stick over the old one)for the time being, and I would leave the rest as it is. It looks good in a cottage-y way already.

I rather like the kitchen as it is. It has a cute, vintagey thing going. If you don't mind that aesthetic, then try using it as the unifying factor. I think palimpsest's suggestion of black and white checkerboard would play into that, and would be an improvement over the current floor. In that case, keep the black cabinet hardware. Then maybe add some vintagey accessories - the blue pots you have the shelf by the sink look good, I think.

I'd keep the valance, too, but then I'm considering keeping my similar 1949 valance when we redo our kitchen, so I'm clearly biased toward curvy valances :)

You could see about IKEA butcher block counters, too. They're pretty cheap, but I don't know what installation would entail.

Maybe you could add beadboard cladding on the walls. Or I'm sure I've seen beadboard glued directly on top of backsplash tiles. Not sure I'd want to do that as a long term thing, but could be okay while you're waiting for the big reno.

Here's someone who did beadboard over tile as a DIY project.

Here is a link that might be useful: Beadboard over tile

Really, I agree your kitchen already looks charming and inviting in the pix. Removing the homey clutter will go 70% toward looking, on the screen at least, like the "after" kitchens posted here. But, moving toward what you actually want, maybe:

For warmth right now, replace the little washable rugs with one good-sized one to cover most of the floor. This could be a total game-changer in there. (One of my favorite kitchens to be in ever, FWIW, was a little one, like yours but with room for a little table by a wall, that had indoor-outdoor carpet wall-to-wall, patterned on a red background. I'm far too messy to ever do that, but she was a very tidy cook and kept it very clean, so I've had my mind open ever since to this possibility, for certain others at least, as a way to create exceptional warmth and comfort in kitchen rooms).

Go ahead and do that ceiling with sheet beadboard (easy inexpensive version) painted or stained to have a little fun and/or try out an idea. Later, with a more comprehensive remodel you could replace it with the real thing and repurpose the sheets on the back of a bookcase or closet, or some such thing. Or, paint the ceiling and stencil ...?... on it.

Sell your black dishwasher on Craig's List and buy white, which is the most available and least expensive color choice. It's very easy to find good quality/condition white for not very much. Or spray paint that door white.

Replace the little counter to the right of the stove with butcher block--Ikea or? Just to get some in there now and live with it for a while. BTW, somebody on this forum recently reported finding better for the same good price at another named place, but you could probably find a little piece of genuinely good-quality stuff for not very much.

Do a little flea market or on-line strolling and find something you really, really like for the display shelves. Splurge on a single good piece if what you like is pricey and then maybe use that to start a little collection.

Really, this is the perfect opportunity to both have fun and experiment with ideas--before you some day embark on that giant shopping-splurge attempt at perfection that brings so many here with their guts tied in knots. Maybe even manage to avoid THAT entirely. Enjoy!

I like it pretty much as is. at least the floor isn't the obnoxious patterns that were plentiful in the past. you could do a rug on it. HD and lowe's have bins in the back part of the store with carpet remnants in them for sale - they're bound on all sides. some are only 25-50.00. you wouldn't need a big piece for in there. I've also seen bins with remnants in W! (aisle area)

and do check the front panel of the dw for a color change in it.

what I can see of the counter top looks ok. not beat up or shocking in color.

with all of the clutter gone and a few choice pieces in there it'll be charming!

Home Depot sells faux pressed tin in sheets. I used it as a backsplash and it really helped give it a vintage feel. We just glued it over the ugly tile that was in place.

Thanks for all the great ideas and encouragement that it's not that bad, lol!

I agree that it truly could be worse. It just bothers me from time to time that it's not as cohesive looking as I'd like it to be. I did think about working with the vintage yellow (which I am not really a fan of) hence the few turquoise-y decor bits that you see there, but then I got stuck. I'm on the hunt for a bigger flatweave rug for the floor now and more turquoisey bits as those are the least expensive options right now!

What a darling kitchen. I think you have a good vision for what you want. Really, if you can find a pretty rug with the colors, that will really help, and oooh maybe some glass knobs on some of the doors.

I grew up with those floors so I have a soft spot for your kitchen:) I would wait til you can purchase the butcher block and make due with your counters for now. It really is charming. How about turquoise walls. BM quiet moments might work. I love the turquoise yellow scheme. Also grey walls will work well with yellow too and I like the black and white floor idea also. I did a 12x8 room's ceiling in 3 sheets of HD bead board pine panelling one day for 30 dollars plus the cost of the devise that helps hold the boards up while I screwed it in. It was a simple and inexpensive change that offer a great punch. Congrats on your new digs!

I also think this kitchen is really charming, especially for being from the 70's! I personally like the yellow, and the valence. A 9' x 7' is quite small so if you're thinking of keeping the size and not knocking down walls, etc . . . then maybe you could consider redoing the floor as your first change. 63 square feet shouldn't be too expensive to redo. That said, I really don't think the linoleum is that bad. Of course we're just looking at photos. I wouldn't waste your money doing temporary things though.

Houseplant(s) in the sink corner shelves adds life and a homey feel. Use plain pot(s) but in your accent color.

Consider a new light over the sink. Fairly easy and if it has strong personality it can transform the room as you enter that door. Is there a ceiling fixture? Consider updating it if it needs it. Put in undercounter lights from Ikea which can be strung in a daisy chain and turned on from one place, even from an outlet. They may allow you to work with the other lights off and the lights on the range wall won't glare into the rest of the house as seen from the doorway. Use dimmers on all lights.

New fabric at the windows can bring in a new color or pattern.

New paint--consider a gutsy color that compliments the yellow countertops. Turquoise has been mentioned; also consider terra cotta, a stronger yellow, a celery or chartreuse green, a chocolate brown, Consider a band of a second color across the wall over the door and on the soffit--something to add illusion of width. Or put a shelf over the door with more plants or something. If the photo shows your fave colors, try finding a couple more colors within that spectrum to add some complexity to the painted areas. Should coordinate with the fabric also.
Find another place to put up your notices and calendar--cut down on the entropy by removing the refrig magnets. Same with windowsills--gotta fight the temptation to use them as holders. Make a rule that mail, school stuff, job-related stuff, non-kitchen stuff is banned from the working kitchen. Also ban cute things and things not immediately related to food prep and cleanup. They can go elsewhere. If you have to have containers of assorted items (aka junk) get handleless baskets with a narrow weave. Think peacefulness. Even if items use your colors, they must also have a kitchen-related function or they need to go elsewhere. Buy handtowels and rags in neutral colors that suit your decor and buy two magnetic white towel racks. Put your drying towels and rags on the side of the refrig where they can't be seen from the hall. Don't be tempted to use a strong color for towels and rags--you need to have only a few places for accent and downplay the complexity in balance of the room.

Is there sufficient space under the sink to add some roll-out units to maximize what is stored in the undersink area? Can you tap into the blind corner for some storage which is accessed from the undersink? (GW recently had a good suggestion of a battery-operated stick-on light which helped improved access to a difficult storage areaa.) Getting as much stuff off the countertops as possible will help add a peacefulness. Also consider putting some stove utensils on the stove wall--frees up drawers for other things and might eliminate the utensil canister. Don't buy utensils with large bulky handles--go minimal as much as possible. Choose small appliances for their plainness and smallness and store the least used items elsewhere, such as in garage.

Is there space for a narrow cart/movable island with a lift-up work surface extension? Could it be a plunk space for things leaving from table after meals and for things heading to table before meals? Could some of the appliances be off-loaded onto its lower shelves? Could some of the baking stuff be put there so you could have a rolling baking station which can go into the table area when the kitchen is too busy?

If you are able to install a real vent over the range it will make you feel differently about the room--makes you feel more like a serious cook. Will cost you the built-in microwave, though, and you'll lose some of the utility of the cabs above range. But psychologically it will be a different space.

Is there sufficient space where the wastebasket is so that it could ride underneath a narrow plunk space--perhaps a surface on which you put napkins, pills, folded newspaper, other items which need a home outside the work and eating areas?

IKEA has a large collection of kitchen designs. For catalog 2012, IKEA gives us great ideas for designing our kitchen. This is one example of the design of IKEA
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Hope can help you in designing your kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: 7 Ikea Kitchen Design Ideas 2012

I like the idea of beadboard for the backsplash. Wood counters and do the floor over in a wood like pattern vinyl but lighter than the counters. Add an accent rug. I like the idea of removing the valance, but not if it is going to ruin the cabinets.
Less clutter. I second the idea of plants on the window shelving.

Was just looking at the House Beautiful for Sept 2011--on p. 96 is the "Snap, Crckle, Pop!" article with a house using 1970s beach-summer colors. Although they use a stronger yellow, they have lots of white with turquoise and corals-to-oranges. The scheme might get you thinking, esp if you like retro; these colors or something similar could be used in tamer or wilder ways. Note the use of strong patterns --you don't have the space for lots of them, but you might consider a little something.

Also look into Marimekko products. Many of the 1970s-90s Finnish prints are being re-issued. Ikea catalogs, Scandinavian decorating websites, and Crate and show how the re-issued/ reworked patterns are reappearing. Again, a little goes a long way, but these spots of happy busy color can focus the eye away from the countertops and onto an ignored spot. The article shows the counterpoint of obviously decorated spaces and very plain sections of color. Your vintage countertops could point you into a very classy color scheme.

And by the way, teapot, having had a small, cramped kitchen, I want you to know that it was gutsy and good that you posted your photos. Don't take the "clutter" comments too seriously. You are doing a lot of things right already. As people have already said, the room does have charm. Keep up the good work!

Here's that House Beautiful article!

Here is a link that might be useful: 1970s retro interiors with yellow, white, turquoise

What a fun house. I want a floor painted in "Salmonberry and White Dove" zigzags! Can you paint vinyl floors? BTW, I also think they are terribly undervalued. Some day people are going to buy old houses and proudly show their friends the treasures on their kitchen floors--"unspoiled" by sadly unappreciative renovators, of course. :)

As for clutter, who among us...? Well, there are always those few. So many of us, though, only exorcised the "entropy" by sending entire old kitchens to the landfill, when we could have improved them tremendously for free much sooner--but didn't. Teapot, it's wonderful what wanting to keep the look you laid out those thousands for will do for self discipline.

I would absolutely not touch the valance. And I was going to suggest more turquoise even before you mentioned it.

While B&W tile would look great, you could also try soft turquoise and yellow or soft turquoise and white, if you can get just the right shade--lay a few out on the floor to experiment. I also agree one larger rug would help.

What are your cabinets made of? Are they decently well made? They look absolutely fine in the photo, so I wouldn't even contemplate replacing them if you like the layout. I'm with everyone else here who likes the cottagey, vintage feel of your kitchen. Including the valance! It's so cute!

Assuming the cabinets and counter are in good working order, a few very minor changes are all I would suggest and they would transform this kitchen:

(1) Like others have said, a black and white checkerboard floor would be fantastic. You can get sheet vinyl flooring in that pattern, or of course peel and stick tiles. If there's a choice, you might want to look at floor tiles that are slightly mottled--like with shades of black and dark grey, and shades of white and palest grey--rather than pure black/pure white; mottled tones are easier to keep looking clean. But for purposes of looking clean, the main thing to avoid is a smooth, very glossy finish. Look for tiles with more of a matte finish and a very slight texture to the surface.

Laying checkerboard on the diagonal looks fantastic--I always like it better than checkerboard that's laid straight. Like so:

(2) Also like others have said, paint the walls something that contrasts with the yellow tile. Pale green or pale turquoise would look great with yellow and would go with the turquoise elements you already have. Contrasting walls would also pull the eye up, making the kitchen look bigger and balancing out a checkerboard floor, and would also pull the eye away from the counters. (The counters look fine to me, but I mention this because it sounds like you don't like them, so it's a plus for you that colored walls would pull the eye away from them.) I would absolutely not recommend a dark or intense color; the kitchen is too small for that, and you would lose the light, airy feel that it currently has, which it sounds like you like.

(3) Replace the range with a white smoothtop range (or a white induction range, if you can find one in your price range--the only white induction I've seen is absurdly expensive). I know your goal is to eventually replace all the appliances, but I would start with the range. This is just a suggestion but it's partly aesthetic (coils don't look good) and partly functional (coils are A HUGE PAIN to keep clean). You can get smoothtops in all white, as in even the top is white, if you prefer (see link below); they're about $1000-$1300. Otherwise, if you're willing to have a black top, you can get them easily for very little money (like $600--see this link: http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/JB655DTWW.html).

(4) Maybe replace the knobs and pulls if you want, but at least in the photo, they look cute to me and would go with a checkerboard floor.

And (5), of course save up for a butcherblock counter if that's what you really want. Like I said above, to me the counters look fine, and they certainly fit with the vintage, cottagey vibe (as would butcherblock counters).

Here is a link that might be useful: All-white smoothtop range

PS Marcolo's idea of a yellow and turquoise checkerboard would also look great if you could find the right shades. Also, ditto what Florantha said about plant pots in your accent colors. Not the exact color, that is, but a stronger version of the same--like if the walls are pale turquoise, get a plant pot in vivid turquoise.

Thank you again for the great ideas!

I'm not too worried about the clutter because I didn't do any clean-up before taking the shot! Still, some clearing could be done, but I'm not going for magazine-perfect as I do have 2 kids under 12 and I suffer from a bit of clutter-blindness. All that said, this is not bad at all!

It's the overall feel of the kitchen that I'm going for. I like the idea of painting the walls (above the limp-handshake yellow bathroom tiles) a shade of turquoise or aqua and I think some wood/bamboo accents might add some warmth. Going the rug route - would a more neutral rug or a vivid rug do a better job of camouflaging (sp?) the blue/beige linoleum? I'm worried a black/white checkerboard floor might be too much visually with the yellow/turquoise (aqua?) and then the living room/dining area which has more of a cottage-y feel with dropcloth covered couches, paprika/poppy/aqua accents, bamboo shades). However, I like the floor in that last picture posted - maybe laying it on the diagonal would give it less of a static-retro feel than I'm thinking a checkerboard floor might.

Love the ideas!

ideagirl2 - the cabinets are that solid 60s-70s plywood (pine?). I rather like them because they are pretty solid.

florantha - thank you for the House Beautiful link! Those are the very colours I have in my home! Perfect inspiration.

Plywood is great. Those cabinets can last forever. Don't mess with them!! At most, clean the heck out of them and repaint. And maybe throw on some different pulls, if you want (see link below for a suggestion that would look great in this kitchen--depending on your color scheme, pale blue, pale yellow, pale green, black, or clear would look nice).

If you want to leave the vinyl floor but just distract people from it, try drawing the eye up. You'll be painting the wall, which will help a lot; someone suggested colorful curtains, and that would help a lot too. I would take care of the top half of the kitchen first and then see how you feel about the floor. In other words, choose your wall color, curtains and accent pieces without taking the floor into account; then use them to help dictate the floor. For instance, once you've chosen curtains, you might want to go for a rug that incorporates the same color(s). But I don't think you want a vivid rug, since that would just draw the eye to the beige linoleum.

Of course, all this advice is premised on the idea that you won't be changing your floor (apart from maybe the rug) anytime soon. If your budget allows for a floor change right now, then of course plan it all together.

Here is a link that might be useful: Retro glass cabinet knobs and pulls