I bought an old 2 story house that needs major work. It was built in the late 1800s and I am on a limited budget but am slowly remodeling it. I have already put a new roof on it, new furnace, central air, WH, and all new electrical throughout. (that is where the major share of my money went.) Inside I have been knocking out plaster, removed a chimney (barely seen in the left of the pic) it is plastered over and unfortunately had to remove the hardwood floors because the roof had leaked apparently for years and the floors were all buckled up. right now I am busy stripping the woodwork ( there is miles of it) and I want to restain it back to its original color which is a dark stain. The woodwork is quarter sawn oak. I am definitely now on a very limited budget but even though the cabinets are in great shape they do not go with the style of my house. I cant afford to replace them but fortunately my dad is a woodworker and is building some new shaker style doors for the cabinets. I hate the honey oak that is on them now so I told him to just make a paint grade door and the plan is to paint them and the cabinet boxes solid white. I will also put all new pulls on the new doors.

He is also making me some new boxes to go on top of the cabinets you see in the left of the pic and I may take down the cabinet to the right of the pic over the peninsula. My question.... do you think this will be more fitting to a house this old? also, the countertops have to go. I hate them. I need to find something more affordable than granite even though I love it. Has anyone ever done concrete countertops? Is it cheaper? Is it fitting to my house? The floors will be a dark hardwood to match the rest of the woodwork when its finished. Also this is a pic when I first bought the house and the chimney you see on the left is now gone and also the carpet. Thanks for any input here.