Of course, new counters would look clean and neat and updated.

The grout is like ours: I scrubbed with store-bought acid and it helped a lot. Maybe you'd be happy with that approach. Tile is tile.

Would you find re-facing the fronts good? and within budget? You even have a pull-out cutting board. :)

Happened upon this --last ditch effort of mine before you hammer the counters off for good -- this "vintage/industrial" item could with other items be a support/ decent accessory for current counters/ if you found colors that worked, etc....not next to counters, but on other wall...

Warm beige tile and jade cabinets?

Kitchen with warm flooring and nice grey/ white. Many questions and answers, like this from cambridgeblue:

It's not wood it's a wood-look laminate by Poggenpohl (Teak Decor Lava). TSS makes a similar finish called Palissandro.....

[https://www.houzz.com/photos/chelsea-loft-contemporary-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~26017[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/chelsea-loft-contemporary-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~26017)

Oh my - I wish I'd said that. Great Darzy!

Living in an old house I've learned that high gloss paint shows every little bump and imperfection of the painted surface. I would stay far away from high gloss or even semi-gloss paint for the cabinets since they don't appear to be new additions to your kitchen.

Can we have a larger view of the kitchen? It would be best to clear off as much stuff as possible before taking the picture. If we can see more of the room in a shot it will help us all make better choices and offer you visual options.

I don't suggest painting it black it will close in the space as Darzy mentioned. What I do suggest is that you consider a color that is pulled from the mosaic tile. The less color movement you have in there the better.

The image I am posting is a bathroom but I think this color would work for you.

Spray paint the knobs, hinges and handles with Rustoleum Oil rubbed bronze, black or dull silver. The easiest way to do that is screw them into a large sheet of cardboard.

Consider selecting a series of colors that you will be using for the walls cabinets and accessories.

On a budget? The counter top still has to go. Honestly you can get laminate made to order pretty cheap and it will be a million times better than the tile. Camoflauge the floor with some bright and cheery indoor-outdoor rugs. I would leave the curly bits and paint the cupboards some wild colour...turquoise, red, etc with some funky new knobs and accessories as if you meant to do that, rather than trying to make them look new. Then when you get the cash at some future point, rip it out and start again. By then you will know exactly what you want and can hopefully afford it.

Nasty counter tops. Yep, they have to go. Laminae if you have to. Just get something CLEAN. Painting the cabinets any color will be an improvement. I'd definitely rip them out if it's in the budget, though.

I would start by removing the dated trim. If the floor is in good shape - keep it. I suggest you start with the countertops. Then, go from there.

I would start by hiring a professional tile cleaner to clean the floor tile and the countertop tile. If they can't make the countertop tile look decent (they'll try a small area first), then replace it with laminate when you have the budget. Then install new lighting, decide on a light color paint, and change the cabinet pulls to something you really like. It's important to change the lighting before picking a paint color because new bulbs, especially LEDs, will make colors look different. The clean floor tile color may be much lighter than it looks now.

You might also look into grout paint for the floor tile's grout. Matching the grout paint to the floor tile beige will instantly change the look. If the floor tile's grout is scrubbed clean by the pro's machines, you'll have a good base to paint the grout. And it might turn out to be light grout originally when cleaned.

Please post new photos as you go along.

For a low budget solution, just use paint to change the color on the cabinets and the counter top. Use white tile painting g10 on the counter top. remove the shelves to the left and paint the cabinets in any color you like, but maybe choose a light color instead of dark. add spotlights under the cabinets. A new zink would also make a big difference if needed.

I kinda like the cabinets themselves.

I would probably remove the tile countertop and replace it with prefabricated laminate countertop. There is nothing the matter with laminate, and unfortunately that tile looks DIY, and not in the best way. I think black would be a mistake for the cabinets, particularly if you have to keep the counter top, black and orange are halloween colors.

A lot of people suffer from the same problem - You are not alone! Figuring out where to start is always the toughest part. If this is your first crack at a new kitchen design, I would highly recommend getting professional help. Kitchen Designers are great at creating layouts and color schemes to fit your home and personality. They'll be able to optimize your kitchen space for utilization, movement, and storage; which of course is key!

If you're feeling a darker kitchen color scheme, try something like this:

Best of luck!

I doubt that the grout can be changed by cleaning; it looks like coloured grout to me. I would change the countertop for laminate or an Ikea butcher block. Then I would embrace the vintage look of the kitchen. I'd keep the scallops as I think they play into the vintage vibe. Accessorize with fun vintage items

I also vote no for the black cabinets. Love the picture Lila posted and love vintage kitchens in shades of light blues and greens. IKEA butcher block is very affordable, we've used it too.

As in our old kitchen, you can see original grout color behind furniture, etc... ours too looks dark like yours/ but in corner and in the bathrooms, it's much lighter.

Looks like a dark grid, which is a turn-off to me.

I'm loving the vintage ideas sadley replacing the countertops is not something in our budget at the moment so I will also have to embrace those... I do plan on updating the lighting as soon as possible seeing as I cook 4 course meals every night lol (hence the dirty kitchen)
the kitchen is much larger than the pictures show I will post more this afternoon (when I clean it up) but here is one from the view behind my image 1 I would say it is a medium to large kitchen with terrible layout the home is a 43 (and yes we need a more up to date fridge)

Also storage in this home is no problem. We have 1 very large pantry and one "normal" sized pantry

and yes the countertops are nasty!!! I have scrubbed them numerous times, believe it or not, and the towels are always black! Any suggestions on this issue are also very appreciated!
I'm thinking an island would be a nice edition, once I complete some sort of updating, possibly a vintage type one??
The floor tile defdinently needs a good cleaning
here's a pic of the tile in my home office (the entire home is this tile) ....

The very first thing I think you need to address is functionality.

A cabinet next to the fridge would be priority. It's a feat of juggling magic without one to put things in and dig for stuff without a place to drop them conveniently. Either switch the opening on the fridge door or move it to the right and add the cabinet to the left. You can grab a very inexpensive one at the Re-Store or your local/buy/sell.

I know I'm going to get a lot of complaints on this...But...clean the tile with bleach and hot water and don a mask, open a window, wear gloves. You need to get down to the clean.

Once it is clean - paint the cabinets they are currently 2 colors of white. Painting cabinets is a process. It starts with cleaning them with TSP - again wear gloves. Then you need to sand and using a small foam roller apply a paint that is scrubbable in 2 coats. It's easiest to remove all the drawers and doors and hardware when doing this.

As far as design. If you want to modernize the kitchen it's a whole different look then keeping it vintage. What is your preference?

Considering how old this home is I think it would be best to embrace the vintage look. I do plan to scrub the floors this weekend as for the fridge I plan on facing it towards the stove so that I am no longer blocking the left doorway when cooking.

I am not opposed to not having the doorway on the left. it leads to the small dining area which is also attached to the living room (pretty much makes a circle to the door to the right) the large dining area is to the right of where I am standing when I took the recent pictures.

I have used bleach with a tooth brush. I would don my bleaching clothes and bleach once a month. It brought it back to the original. If your floors are all tile you an hire a tile cleaner who will steam clean the floors and put on a sealer.

Use straight vinegar on the counters and floor for a heavy cleaning. Once clean, use a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar to upkeep. Do not use any vinegar on natural stone, if you have any.

I was more thinking the fridge door itself. All fridges can have the side they open on switched. Flipping your fridge doors will save you about 1000 steps in a week.

Next to the fridge install a wide shelf or 24" table, if you can't find a used cabinet. Trust me it will be a godsend when cleaning or getting things from the fridge. Under the shelf or table you can put curtains. And use it as a place to store those BIG things no one ever has room for like the large economy size paper towels.

Closing a door is a bit of an ordeal but it will truly make this kitchen far more manageable.

Painting the cabinets and walls and keeping those in a neutral color will give you a ton of design options.

This might not be the best advice but a thought
I have seen on hgtv a fabricated granite counter top that goes over existing counter for a nominal price. You might look into that!
Then clean add new knobs and leave it at that till you want to spend money. This kitchen is so old that one thing leads to another and you can end up looking like every project was the cheapest way to go just because you want to change it!
I do like removing all of the curly cues.

I looked up Houzz prefabricated granite countertops. Lots of questions and answers were given in the post. Something to think about!

A couple of months ago at my mother's house, I took trim/acrylic SW paint (almost white) on a small, stiff paint brush and brushed it on the grout lines (and slightly on the tile edge too) on her bathroom floor. (She has cream tile and a brownish grout). Anyway, while it was still a bit wet, I took a towel and lightly wiped the paint off the grout (the paint sort of seeps in the grout). If too much paint came off the grout when I wiped (keeping the look even), I just painted again. I did wipe all the paint off the tile itself. OMG...the tile looked so fresh, new and clean looking. I asked mother how the painted grout is holding up and she said it still looks great. BTW, it still looks like grout (it doesn't look liked painted grout because it's a light coating and wiped off and seeped into the grout. It just looks like a brighter color grout. I wish I had done a before and after photo because it looks so much better.

soosun's idea - I have wondered if that product holds up well over the years...

I wonder too, but even if it dosn't it will bridge the gap until the room can be redone. It is the biggest eyesore in the room and no matter what else you do in the room you will always see the orange tile first. If the room were to be done in Hacienda style then by all means paint eveyrthing bright colors, hang peppers, and say Ole!

Leslie, for a quick (or even permanent) fix, might you consider swapping out the rather eye-catching shiny brass knobs and pulls for ones that are dark in color-- like oil-rubbed bronze or a matte black? You could scope out some online before hitting your local store to buy a set or two to try out.

The cabinets are an adorable cottage style in white, and I would advise keeping them this way. The tile floor is a nice neutral with warmth, and I certainly would keep that. However, the counter tops and back splash look too massive and rustic for cottage style, and I would have these removed and donated to something like the ReStore center. I believe you need counter tops with a fine spatter design like quartz in a soft grey-beige with fairly small dark brown or black flecks, with the largest being about the size of a dime. With all the neutrals in the white cabinets, grey-beige quartz, and the beige floor, you can choose another neutral or a soft, soothing pastel for the kitchen walls. Except for the counter tops and back splash, the kitchen has a lot of good things going for it.

Here in Florida it costs about thirty cents a square foot to have tile steam cleaned. Even if you start with just your kitchen floor and counter tops, I think it would make a world of difference.

Just something to consider: Replacing your countertops doesn't have to cost $$$$. There are low cost alternatives. At your local home improvement store, there are low cost options. Try looking at the 4X 8 Formica sheets. They are easy to cut and are glued down. This would be a low cost alternative to your existing issues with the tile.

A kitchen improvement doesn't have to be expensive!! I'm currently doing my kitchen without a budget. Was told it would be too expensive. I understand your dilemma. No matter what I cleaned my tile countertops with - they still were dirty!

You might try cleaning the floor tiles with Mean Green or try straight bleach, a scrub brush, and water hose.

Here are some before and after photos of professionally cleaned tile floors. http://www.youngscarpetcleaning.com/services/tile-grout-cleaning-before-and-after-pictures/

Those pictures are pretty impressive. I wonder though for just the countertops if the cost of cleaning wouldn't be as much as new tops. At Ikea you can get tops for approx $100 for 8 ft lengths. Same thing for Home Depot.

They sell grout paint. Did it a while back and it held up great! In the grout isle.

Using an ivory grout paint on the countertops would change the look. Once there's a lighter grout, it's much easier to know when it's clean.

Nice before and after photos of grout paint on floors here:

http://www.younghouselove.com/2014/01/how-you-like-me-now-grout/

interesting article!

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/can-you-paint-ceramic-tile-dsvw-vd~1144301