The rules are to be respected, I agree I sure hope that this kitchen will have a little bit of each of us in it or it would have been all unvane to help out .

Deleting mine. folks- myself. See my apology above (oh right deleting) ok, just now that I from my side apologized. And learned my lesson. I can't speak for others who don't care about spoiling it. But Maryln Wilkie did we get into after the 8 days since she has been on here? Don't answer. we should stop there.

Houzz staff don't delete the whole thing. There's a lot on here that is amazing.

it really is a dark and dreary kitchen. i'm with everyone else and use paints in the white family. i do love the vintage cabinets though. if your husband wants to leave them as they are (and i understand why) then tell him they must be stripped and sanded and new polyethylene applied. wood and finishes darken a lot with age. pine is a light colored wood so a good refinish job would really lighten the room.

I love love love knotty pine. I love love love the scalloped edge. I love love love the hardware. I love love love retro kitchens. I'm looking for knotty pine cabinets for my kitchen in my 1940's townhouse.

Stainless steel and granite are going to look just as dated as avocado green in a few years. That's the way it goes. It's always on to the next thing. Nothing is timeless.

Definitely pull off that face brick. I pulled off a whole wall of face brick in my living room. It's not that hard.

Then I'd put some kitschy wallpaper on the walls and install formica counter tops. And put a shelf in that alcove and get the toaster oven off the counter!

I actually like knotty pine too, but with the honey stain, it dates it. I think if it were natural wood again and poly'd it would look very nice and modernize the country a bit, but honestly beauty IS in the eye of the beholder. That look is still nice in cabins and more rustic decor. I was thinking she was looking for an update but I have no horse in this race.

Curious as to the direct pull to the knotty pine for you? Can you elaborate. And what are your thoughts on the doors in the picture?

Well, I think Granite's done good so far. It is mentioned in throughout the O.T. in Genesis 28
Who knows where it is going long term? And it is found in the N.T even Rev.
Brought 4000yrs from the British coronation rumors have it.
But this is what wickipedia said.

The Red Pyramid of Egypt (c.26th century BC), named for the light crimson hue of its exposed granite surfaces, is the third largest of Egyptian pyramids. Menkaure's Pyramid, likely dating to the same era, was constructed of limestone and granite blocks. The Great Pyramid of Giza (c.2580 BC) contains a huge granite sarcophagus fashioned of "Red Aswan Granite." The mostly ruined Black Pyramid dating from the reign of Amenemhat III once had a polished granite pyramidion or capstone, now on display in the main hall of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (see Dahshur). Other uses in Ancient Egypt include columns, door lintels, sills, jambs, and wall and floor veneer.[

Buildings

Granite has been extensively used as a dimension stone and as flooring tiles in public and commercial buildings and monuments. Aberdeen in Scotland, which is constructed principally from local granite, is known as "The Granite City". Because of its abundance, granite was commonly used to build foundations for homes in New England. The Granite Railway, America's first railroad, was built to haul granite from the quarries in Quincy, Massachusetts, to the Neponset River in the 1820s........

.......

Curling stones are traditionally fashioned of Ailsa Craig granite. The first stones were made in the 1750s, the original source being Ailsa Craig in Scotland. Because of the particular rarity of the granite, the best stones can cost as much as US$1,500.......

TGM are you asking me that question? If so. I think she should paint or get other cabinets but I can't tell her what to do with her husband being so sentimental over them. I have this problem on a thread myself right now with my husband wanting to keep this nutty custom woodland scenery paneling in our new house. Who am I to say what she should do. I would want to update it, if possible.

Anyone who likes that wood. Both... I am a serious "Why" person. I look for solutions. I saw another thread like it, too. Makes me want to sit down and do some renderings to pull in what would work. I saw they were sentimental about the wood but I thought there was a real tight budget, too. It's seems to be a growing trend right now. And some of the time I think it's budget and the men don't want the headache and the other times I think they really really like it. I like it if it's done right. And right to me that means lighten this room up for starters. This kitchen is so so dark and dungeon feeling. I'd have to make it lighter myself. Like paint the brick or change the grout to white. And at least clean the wood the mass amount of oil on that door being in a kitchen. OY! Even that grime off it would lighten the doors.

Paint the brick a light color, remove wood ruffling, new hardware that is rustic to coordinate wood

Tammy, if you're still checking in, I'm casting my vote as well for the soft buttermilk color. For the valance, I think something in a soft sagey green would be great.

OH - just visited your ideabook. That waverly fabric with the cream background would be perfect for your valance!

Your cabinets absolutely gleam and I agree with many that a light color would brighten your room.

The cabinets are staying so they should be embraced and left alone in their original charm (including the scroll and hardware). A new counter and light color on the walls/brick (buttercream) and this kitchen will look beautiful. If a new counter isn't in the budget, just painting the walls, ceiling and brick will lighten up and "freshen" the look. Please post after pictures Tammy. :)

Small spaces and small budgets make for challenging projects. Start small and perhaps you can achieve strong results. I would begin by finding a home for all of the counter accroutement. Organized cabinets make as much a strong statement as the oveal facade...so, spend some time there as well. After all that you might be surprised how the ol' hubby might show more readiness to loosen the purse strings...who knows. Too, a good cleaning with Murphy's soap over the wood surfaces, and take down any valance so that you have a clean slate upon which you can try new pieces of material.
One idea for the brick that might work and not throw the area off balance might be to use a light sponging technique over just a few areas of the brick. It could lighten the brick up without taking away that whole rustic look that given your budget your are pretty much forced to work with. But, like I said start small and go with some of my ideas here and I think you might come out looking rustically smart and clean.

I've started working on my kitchen. Little at a time. I've taken some suggestion from y'all. Will post pictures as I finished. This is my wall color and shelve in kitchen. New light fixture and bulletin board in kitchen.

Got material for curtains today.

Love the wall color, what a big difference... thanks for keeping us updated on your progress! :)

Yes thanks. I like the wall color against the light shelves too.

Wow! I really like that wall color. Even the photo of the new color next to the photo of the cabinets looks great.

I think painting your pantry bookshelf worked well too. Your canned goods really show off now! They look like little lined up pieces of art ;-)

It's looking much better already, that gray/green really looks fresh and really nice with your trim color! Can't wait to see more pics of progress when the rest of the room is painted. Did you end up using the SW Techno Gray or another brand?

taupe color with black or oil rubbed bronze hardware (Home Depot has relatively cheap ones or online perhaps). You could whitewash the brick with white milk paint for a softer effect. It's amazing what paint, hardware and removing some extra clutter does for any home. Best of luck!

i would paint the walls black to match the knotty pine.

Tammy - what material did you get for curtains? Is it similar to the Waverly in your ideabook?

I will post pictures of the curtains later, I'm having them made.

Finished wall

I'm painting the cabinet by the stove and the island a cream color like the shelf holding the vegetables. Should be through in 2 weeks, will updated pictures.

The color of the wall is sea haze. Someone recommended it. I love it.

Too many comments to read them all, but of the photos I've seen of your kitchen.....you have too much stuff on the counters. Get rid of the clutter.

Tammy looking good! Paint does wonders doesn't it!!

Try some railroad hardware such as cabinet pulls, pot and pan holder, paper towel dispenser, wall hooks, lights... from www.Railroadware.com

Update on kitchen.

Curtains

Looks great! Show more pictures...

Wow, it looks great! Did you leave the upper cabs as wood? I think it will look nice. Trust your heart and go with your own style, it's a good one! :)

I did, did the island in the cream color.

A nice yellowish-green would go perfect with the wood finish of the cabinets and give you a nice light feel in the room.

Updated kitchen

More pictures

You did a wonderful job Tammy, can you show us an overview photo with the wood cabinets too? :)

Tammy, you did a beautiful job in here! I feel like I could sit down with you at that island and chat over a cup of coffee or sit and do prep work with you. It feel warm and cozy and bright and cheerful!

You endured thru some *** on this thread and just kept your head down and kept working. The result has paid off beautifully!

And I still say your cabinet with all the home canned goods looks like a work of art!

The only thing I see that I'd want to change is the rug under the island is too bland. Everything else looks fab especially chairs and curtains. Good job.

I love the rug, it has nice texture and adds comfort without being the focal point. I love all your color choices, very nice.

Thanks everyone for your comments. They were helpful.

Strip and bleach those cabinets

Tammy I love all that you have done! It looks so warm and welcoming. Thank you for tellling us the color that you painted your wall.

These are painted floor cloths. They're coated and waterproof. What if....?

We strongly disagree with your husband - it's time to remove/replace those cabinets!

The lay-out does not look very functional, the backsplash height appears to be too low and the knife hinges on the outside of the cabinets are very dated. If you are looking to remodel but on a tight budget, consider looking at online stock cabinet options. You can purchase a new set of kitchen cabinets for just 2,000-5,000. Replacing with new cabinets will give you the type of upgrade you can be proud of, and the new functionality of the kitchen will be a joy to work in.

Like the buttermilk wall color. You could do white "wash" on those cute cabinets to lighten up without stripping their character.

People, lol! Have you even bothered to read the whole post? She is way beyond the initial post!

Absolutely paint them a cream color in the best quality paint. Don't forget to lightly sand and prime them first. Paint the brick the same color but then put a tea color wash on the brick to mimic natural stone. The warmth will go well with the counter top. New hardware wouldn't hurt either. I have painted cabinets, brick, and tile before and you will love how bright and fresh the room will be.

I like the tea color stain on brick idea. I want to change brick too but hubby likes it and thinks once you try something on it, you are committed to never going back, which is kind of true. I think some trial bricks are a good idea. You can buy a few and experiment with color, washes etc.