Flip them and fill the holes with wood filler then paint them a creamy white. This will give ti that beach feel your looking for and be kind on the budget so you can splurge elsewhere.

Another option if the strap hinges don't work-look in your area for furniture repairers. Screw holes can be filled to be 99.9% undetectable.

What is the flooring? Is it the same as the rest of the house? I would update the window treatment and hide the olde worlde china on the plate rail. The only way that I have seen yellow wood look good is with lime green paint - sounds horrid but you can see examples in Houzz discussions. I am not convinced of my suggestion, and don't think I have solved your probs.

Before doing anything I would remove everything that isn't attached to something in order to get a good and uncluttered look at the space. If you go with new appliances I would consider a counter depth refrigerator. You do sacrifice some storage with them but that might not be an issue. That would give you more space in the middle. The light fixtures could be removed and downlights installed. I would prefer white cabinets as well and maybe a tile floor with some personality and a coordinating backsplash. Have fun with it!!!

White cabinets ,new appliances ,new lighting , de- clutter ,new floor,backsplash ....

I would relocate the fridge to the wall where the cutting board is on the counter. This would open up the entry and view to the kitchen. Paint the cabinets white the a wash of a greu glaze giving them a look of drift wood. Like wise the low cabinet/shelf under the large window the top give the same tratment so it looks like drift wood. Get some "fish nets" and drape over the valances, or just use white plantation shutters. Add a few mason jars in the corner shelf.

I don't see why you couldn't invest in some rope apply it to the inside of the moulding on the cabinet doors. A architectural salvage might have the hindges you are looking for. Tile in larger format on an isolation membrane (schlutter) would work on the counter tops allowing for selection on countertops color. even the back splash could be a mix of glass bamboo and tile. prioritize what is important and what is not and you will find your budget will be met.

take the cabinets to the ceiling - makes it look so much more custom & 'finished'. this could be done by a simple frame and then inserting glass (seeded maybe) with lighting... the backsplash looks grey-ish -which is HOT right now! so paint walls a shade of grey (Elephants Breath or Dimity by Farrow & Ball) keep the black appliances and paint the cabinetry a beautiful creamy white to pull out a classic look! The beachy cottage comes with your accessories which are easily & inexpensively changed out as time passes. Post more angles of your room! Best of luck! And have fun! OH! and perhaps take out one or two of the upper cabinet door inserts & replace with glass (seeded again)

hope some of these links help:

Edie's kitchen is beautiful....here is the link to more pictures. She painted the beadboard ceiling Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. How perfectly cottage is a beadboard ceiling! http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2011/10/31-daysday-29-the-kitchen-her-highness/

PUT IN GLASS WITH LIGHTED SHELVING ADD BEAUTIFUL ADVENTERINE COLORED PLATES AND GLASSES ANDPAINT THE CABINETS ALL WHITE ADD CROWN MOLDING TO THE TOP OF THEM ALL THE WAY AROUND AND ADD MATT FINISHED CABINET KNOBS TO OPEN THE DOORS TAKE DOWN TRACK LIGHTS UGLY ADD A PRETTY CEILING FLORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURE, A LIGHT GREEN MARBLED COUNTER TOPS AND STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES PAINT WALL A MUTED GREY NOT TO STANDOUT SO THE GREEN COLORS CAN POP. A STAINLESS STEEL DEEP BASIN SINK MAKE THE COUNTER TOP THE LENGTH OF THE WINDOW. FOR MORE WORK SPACE

Thanks so much..great ideas! Please note this picture is from when we bought the house with the original owners "things". After saying that we will also need to "de-clutter" to acheive the look we are after.

If I read correctly, you said you wanted to refinish your cabinets. Attached are some photos that might be helpful. Personally, my favorites are #1 with white counter tops and the 4th with black counter tops and white upper cabinets. It's a great space...have fun!

Perhaps an option on the cabinets would be to simply take the cabinet doors off the ones on top and paint the rest of the cabinets white. If you like a clean contemporary look, you could change all of your dinneware, etc. and serving pieces to clear glass or white, but you could also choose dinnerware, etc. in a warm light yellow or light teal blue Paint the bottom drawers and cabinets white as well and I think I'd add brushed steel hardware to the lower ones to add interest. Brushed steel appliances would help too. I'd paint the walls maybe in the same sea foam color as you used on the exterior of your home. I cannot tell what the back splash looks like, but if you want to replace that, I'd do it with the small glass tiles in gray, sea foam and white (these come in sections so it isn't so tedious to install). I'd replace the counter tops with a dark gray granite. If you can't afford granite, there are some really nice laminate counter toppers you can use too. You might consider adding a granite topper to the cupboard under the windows as well. If that cupboard has hardware, I'd replace it with brushed steel but I would not paint it to match the cabinets. Leave that be. I would take the ledge off the top of the windows and consider painting the window frame white. You could add a white and gray-striped canvas Roman shade for the window. For the flooring, I'd look for an interlocking laminate that looks like weather driftwood (gray-tan) or, if you want to splurge for the real wood flooring, you could do that as well in a driftwood color. I'd love to see pics of the finished product! Good luck.

Add an over the stove microwave, get a granite remnant, and either reface or paint the cabinets, then add sleek knobs and pulls... Oh and some crown moulding!

the way I see it, is in an "L" shape, leave the sink under the window, starting with if your budget allows, move all the appliances to the rear wall, center range, fridge to the right, the remove all the upper cab on the right wall, it would feel more open there is a piece left under the window get rid of it, if you could ad base cab and counter top added work surface, just a thought.

I like the suggestion to move the stove to the end of the kitchen, next to that corner pantry. Those cabinets could then be moved to the former home of thestove. If you do not want to replace the cabinets...You might build open box frames above the cabinets to go all the way to the ceiling. The counter by the sink can continue under the window with a couple of stools under it..extra work space and a breakfast bar. Paint cabinets white, over the stove microwave. Should make for a sleeker modern cottage feeling. A couple of the upper cabinets with glass doors would be nice, too!

I would lower the cabinets a bit and add another row of "above the fridge" cabinets above them. Wherever one doesn't fit, just build a frame so it looks like a cabinet without a door. You can put something pretty in it or build a wine rack into it (I had to do that with one of mine). You'll gain a lot of storage space and save on the backsplash since it will be a bit shorter. Leave some cabinets without doors and do some doors in glass. If it's in the budget buy new doors and refinish just the boxes. Refinishing is no fun. The backsplash and flooring will depend on your counter top material. You didn't mention a budget.

Having spent many years designing, manufacturing and renovating kitchen cabinetry, I am frequently asked the pros and cons to refacing/refinishing kitchen cabinetry vs putting in new. Please consider these few things. First some kitchen cabinets are easier than others to refinish. Sorry to say yours is not an easy kitchen to refinish as it is a face frame style, most parts cannot be removed. Practically. what that means is that there is a huge amount of sight work- cleaning, sanding, spraying. Iky mess, time consuming if done properly = $$$$ If you choose to proceed, your best bet of course is to paint as restaining needs to go down to bare wood. Second, be aware that you will see the oak grain texture, not the smooth paint you're seeing in the picts. If you paint, the grain texture can look really great if you have someone who knows what they are doing. (A Taupe/Grey would give you the beachie look). Lastly, the money is always the issue. It is not always THAT much cheaper to refinish, espesially if you are thinking of moving/changing/adding things. I have priced a few kitchens out both way, reface vs all new with $700.00 to $1000.00 difference. Just know, you can still spend a fair amount of money on a face lift and in the end you still have old cabinets.
Also... I know you said this isn't your stuff in this picture, but, it has to be said. Never put stuff of the top of your cabinets!! (Pet Peeve #27) Please get rid of the shelf over the window, lace has to go, new light fixtures would make a huge difference.
Good luck to you!

Depending on the condition of your existing cabinets, reface your own cabinets and buy new shaker style doors through Barker doors (online).It is very cost effective, superb quality, and the doors depending on the size can run as low as $16 per door. Our entire kitchen with new doors and drawer fronts ran about $700. You can have new doors made to fit a framed cabinet no problem, just read the instructions on how to measure carefully! Remove the old doors, sand, prime, and paint boxes white. Your cabinets are oak, so the grain will show through on the cabinet boxes and ends, but with new smooth doors, it should not be very noticeable. Remember all of the new doors and drawer fronts will also need to be primed and painted. It looks like you have external exposed hinges. The new doors can be drilled specifically to have a concealed European hinge! The prep work and painting should optimally be done by a professional, if you are not experienced. It is alot of work. Add new oil rubbed bronze hardware for your cabinets. Replace appliances with stainless steel. Countertops can be granite or quartz in your choice of color. Flooring prefinished hardwood or ceramic tile depending on your look! Have fun, it does not have to break the bank:)

I am glad to see E Jackson' s educated comments on defacing and refinishing costs. It is good to have a reality check. Sillyrachael' s Barker doors suggestion also sounds intriguing...not that much $$$. I will look for that site myself for future reference. One might also consider Ikea cabinets. We redid our entire kitchen ( 23 cabinets ( some with glass), 23 drawers,2 pull- out pantries, farmhouse sink and separate small round utility sink, large freestanding range hood, large island with birch butchering top, all appliances, ceramic floor, glass mosaic backsplash, etc. for about $20,000. It doesn't have to break the bank.That also included demolition, removing a wall, a new skylight, New subfloor, electrical, plumbing, and paint.

We have the same kitchen and want to do the same project so I am going to watch yours closely, we were thinking black countertop, new habdles updated backsplash will be watching Thanks

I would like to suggest you to use some dark color tiles for the flooring.

Keep your budget in mind by keeping the floor and countertops and appliances. I suggest that you go with a black or charcoal color for the accents. The cupboards could be painted a cream colour, the hardward to be black and change tthe light fixture to a black/iron chandelier. The curtains should have a pop of colour. Large print black and cream pattern. It will look great on a strict budget.

http://www.remodelandolacasa.com/2012/01/kitchen-remodeling.html?m=1...this site has a perfect solution for your kitchen and this was all done by the lady of the house...ck it out!

Beth Morrow they did a beautiful job on that kitchen. What an amazing improvement. Thanks for sharing this with us.

I think it is Rustoleum that makes products that you can change your countertop with paint. Re-finishing the doors can be easy, some sanding, some paint and you are good to go! Patience through each step is crutial though. Choose your favorite colors - I would make the top cabinets lighter than the bottoms - possibly the same color pallete just lighter on the card. You could so some peel and press tile backsplash, I've seen stainless tiles pretty cheap. I would add knobs & handles to the doors. A Roman shade on the winow, get rid of the shelf over the window, some nice accessories & there you go. If you have a larger budget, you can paint your black appliances stainless, yep you can do that instead of buying new! The flooring looks ok to me, beachy but you could change out the flooring, hardwood or stone could be really nice. Also you could make the bottom cabinets look more like furniture by purchasing finials & footings - check the isle where the railing things are - add them to the bottom, paint the same color as the cabinets & they will look more like furniture. Looks like you have the room to add an island as well. Contrasting color & countertop on the island would look nice. Finally, a nice coat of paint on the walls and ceiling. I didn't mention the lighting as this can be expensive! I have the exact same fixtures in my kitchen, if you want to change them out I would suggest recessed & possibly one chandelier - but that can really run into the $$. If you like that beachy look choose colors of the water, light blues, tans (sand) & crisp whites. Go to the beach and see what colors you see. Add large jars of sand & shells for accesories. You may want to use some glass instead of doors as you have a lot of doors & the glass will help break those lines up. You could also take cabinets out, may be the 2 in the middle over the back counter & put in shelves. You could panel the ceiling and paint it crisp white for a more beach/cottage look. I hope this helps you!

We have a beach home with a kitchen similar to that. Check ours out at www.ShackNLB.com. Personally, I would clear out the clutter, fill in cabinetry above the cabinets, and replace the black appliances. Be sure to buy a counter depth refrigerator next time. Black appliances are the antithesis of beachy. Think beach cottage, cottagy style.

My wife and I just went through the same thing but we were on a very tight budget. I used Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformations to reface the cabinets with pulls and knobs, put in a new single bowl sink with new faucet and light, put in stainless steel wall tiles, changed the outlet covers and changed all the moulding to a wider white with rosette corners. It's not perfect but the mood in our house is much lighter. And in the Pacific Northwest at this time of year, lighter is good. =) Later, we will put in some under and over cabinet lights but for now, we just put some white xmas lights on top until we can afford some. We did find some old whisky and milk bottles and put some white xmas tree lights in them for under the cabinets as well.
Good luck!

We are taking all comments into consideration and plan to start this renovation next week...or at least make some decisions on colors and begin to source materials. All advice and ideas along with examples of similar reno's have been very helpful and greatly appreciated!

That sounds great Darlynn, I look forward to seeing the transformations.

The main design solution jumping out at me is moving your existing upper cabinets higher to ceiling height. That would give you an entire wall of useful space. Freeing up your counters as well!
Here's where my shelf suggestion came from: http://blog.urbangrace.com/2009/a-kitchen-intervention/

darlynn678, I have a similar shape kitchen with a little different layout and I like the function of mine even though I'd love to upgrade cabinets and get the appliances to match. There have been some suggestions to move the stove to the back wall. It’s hard to tell if you have the space. My kitchen is 6' 6" wide between the lower cabinets. That gives me 24" on each side of the 30" stove. Lazy Susans in the corners. I don’t have a counter depth fridge, but it kind of hides a toaster and bread maker. Pantry next to the fridge. It looks like you have a great opportunity to extend your counter space under that large window, even if it’s for some stools to eat in the kitchen and have more prep space. I'd like to have a few more feet of counter, but we have a kiddy table there now and it works for us. Hope this helps you envision a different layout if the measurements work out.

I see that you have a register under the rear wall lower cabinets. Might be a bigger project to move the stove with hookups and the floor register. But like I said, I like the flow, amout of counter space, and work triangle of ours. Good luck.

If it fits the budget and if there was enough space between a regular base cabinet and the refrigerator, I would recommend taking out both the window over the sink and the window over the narrow cabinet and instead box out a wide window over the sink area that combines the surface area of both windows. Boxing it out would give you space behind the sink and make the space seem wider instead of long and narrow. Replace the narrow cabinet with a regular base cabinet and extend the counter at normal width.

I would replace the sink with a white farmers sink. Paint the cabinets white. If there are knicks and scratches in the wood, use that to your advantage and continue to distress them, possibly combining that with a rubbed finish. Instead of putting plain glass in some of the cabinet doors, use seedy glass or clear handblown glass. Put beadboard above the cabinets.. Use a bullnose molding at the top of the cabinets and a crown at the top of the beadboard. Use beachglass knobs. Flooring would look wonderful if stone or stone lookalike.

Turn the cabinet doors. Holes can be filled and won't show when painted. DECLUTTER.