reface the cabinets and add a soap stone counter. Turn the bases in to drawer units for better use.

Check out Ikea for cabinets but also they have just doors & drawers..maybe you can just replace the fronts. Add some great handles & pulls..inexpensive new look. For tile, choose a larger tile..It makes a room seem larger. I would choose something simple..maybe travertine looking porcelain. Maybe a size like 14-15" and have as large a continuous area as possible, cover the entire space. A travertine look can be modern to traditional it is timeless and perfect for resale. Define individual areas with colorful rugs.

If you don't want to spend your budget on granite or stone countertops, Lowe's has some great granite looking formica in ready to install sections. They even have an ogee front edge. Check this out http://www.lowes.com/pd_351867-1110-369246B10_4294696736__?productId=3343554&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1

Walk through Home Depot and/or Lowes with your wishlist of items and start pricing. They are really great resources for budget renovations. Know your measurements and look at new cabinet doors, cabinet pulls, and flooring options - you can get fairly decent stick-down vinyl tiles. Try a quartz or Corian-type counter if your budget allows. The counter is a very visible and tactile surface so try and get the best material you can. And a fresh coat of paint can do wonders. Also, inexpensive under-cabinet lighting can transform a kitchen. For your bath, the shower tile doesn't look too bad. Think about new paint, a new vanity or pedestal sink, and new shower and sink faucets. Check out Restoration Hardware for very nice shower curtains. Good luck!

I am going to take measurements and go to home depot and lowes this weekend. Any recommendations on what colors I should stay with for the kitchen - there are no windows in the kitchen and it is rather small. The oven is white and black, the fridge is white. Should I continue the wood floor from the hallway into the kitchen? Should I go with the tan travertine as suggested by Barbara?
As for the cabinets, the one below the sink has water damage, so I have no choice but to replace them entirely. I like Frances's idea to spend more on the counter. Should I go with light cabinets? or dark wood ones for a chic effect? Light counter top? or black?
thank you!!

I prefer a single floor surface especially in a small space. I've had hardwood in several kitchens and have always loved it. Regarding counter top material--a good rule of thumb is to spend money on those things you touch everyday. Since you raised the issue of resale, consider whether your neighborhood or price point "requires" a granite or quartz surface to be competitive. If not, perhaps you would prefer laminate and spend the money on freshening appliances or keeping down the debt. In one remodel, I used a high end laminate counter that looked like granite (and fooled many visitors) yet was modestly priced and easy to maintain. I did opt for higher priced drawer pulls and door knobs and replaced the hollow core doors with solid wood ones. Like life, it is all a balancing act.

If you are going for a contemporary look, then I think you should consider a Silestone or other brand of quartz for the countertop. You need some contrast between your cabinets and the countertops, so with your white cabinets, I'd choose dark gray or black. It will be much less expensive for you to get new doors than new cabinets, except perhaps from Ikea. For a more contemporary look, I'd suggest either slab doors or shaker doors.

New lighting in your kitchen can do a world of good for not much money. For instance, if you have one surface mounted ceiling light in the kitchen, you could change it to a track light. What is the kitchen lighting situation?

I'd definitely continue the hardwood flooring into the kitchen.
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

Check Ikea out as well they have very chic kitchens and will help with layout and are relatively inexpensive. For resale I would stay really neutral and if your appliances are white and black I would stay with white cabinets since it would look more seamless. Butcher block is a cheap natural alternative because laminate does not create value. Because you have relatively little counter space stone should work in your budget. Travertine is nice but stains easily, not good for kitchens. Soapstone or a black granite would look sleek and be very durable. Ikea also has bathroom cabinets and fixtures. A nice graphic wallpaper in the bathroom would also dress it up.i would continue the wood floor into the
Kitchen.

Wow, that is excellent advice from Frances that I would never have thought of. And what a beautiful kitchen she created and shared with us all. I love the idea of small appliances for a small kitchen!

You may be able to find a cheap granite countertop because your space is small. I went to a fabricator last week who has remnants available for $12/sq ft for fabrication plus $100 for a sink or cooktop cutout. That isn't much more money than the nicer laminates. I saw several remnants large enough for a 6 foot long countertop

Update: Bought AKURUM white cabinets for the kitchen from Ikea (a bunch of the doors were in the "as is" section so I got a great price on that. Purchased a black 24" refrigerator, so now I have room for a little cabinet on one side of the kitchen. Going to keep the stove for now, but remove the dishwasher and just turn it into a cabinet.
Going to continue the wood flooring into the kitchen as you guys recommended and purchased a track light similar to the one recommended above. THANK YOU! Still looking for a beautiful but affordable countertop in a black. Any recommendations for the black splash? or the color on the wall at the end of the kitchen?

Moving on to bathroom: I cant afford to tile floor to ceiling and will instead tile the floors and the wall around the shower. The bathroom has no windows and I am concerned about making it look too small. Having a hard time choosing a paint color. I have attached two pictures from Houzz which reflects the style I am looking for. Do you think the gray color would be better? or a lighter cream? The apartment is for a 20 year old guy, but I also want to be aware of resale potential.

Also cant decide on the vanity - attached two that were affordable from home depot. Any recommendations? Someone mentioned wallpaper, but I am worried that would become too expensive.
Loving all your tips. please keep them coming!

Sorry, left out a picture

Love the grey wall color for a young man. Both cabinets you selected would work just fine but I think I would go with the first one which would be in keeping with the boxy design of the kitchen cabinets. The style statement should flow between the spaces and be cohesive . You need to decide what style and color scheme you want throughout the apt. Seems like you're headed towards grey, white and black which are great choices. I always suggest keeping hard surfaces neutral for resale purposes so a black counter or even butcher block would work well. If you want a more contemporary style you could go with a black, white and gray glass mosaic . Home depot sells glass subway tiles tinged green, plain white or a beautiful sea blue that could all work. A black glazed subway would look good as well as would Carrara marble(HD as well) you might be able to swing black granite tops. Since there is so little counter space you could buy remnant pieces at a deep discount .

Thank you! I am back to doing the bathroom. Having a really hard time figuring out how to make sure the bathroom merges seamlessly with the rest of the apartment (specifically the white cabinets in the kitchen, hardwood floor, and black granite countertop).
For the bathroom tiles, should i go with a travertine looking floor and partial wall (just around the bathtub) and then a greige wall? Or, should I go with an almost cement looking blackish brown floor and grasscloth shiny white tiles.
I know these are two worlds apart - but I keep going back and forth and making myself crazy. Any tips?

Instead of travertine on the floor, you'd be more up to date with a solid color porcelain 12 x 24" tile. Yes, even in a small bath you can use 12 x 24s. I would keep the floor fairly light, probably a greige color. Repeat in tub area. Paint walls light gray or greige.

Thank you Carolyn. I would leaning towards this tile so that the bathroom looks modern, but Im worried the bathroom will look too small. What do you think?

Demolition has started. Here's how the kitchen and the bathroom look...

I'd go with a light colored tile to achieve a cleaner look.

I agree with Carolyn go with a lighter grey or greige it will cleaner and flow with your kitchen colors. You can always use black accessories like towels, rug and if I'm not mistaken that first bathroom cabinet is black.

Reasonably priced white ceramic tile or white subway tiles would lighten and brighten the kitchen back splash. If you are concerned that the new white cupboards and white tiles would be too much white then perhaps mixing some decorated tiles or a kiln fired ceramic tile mural would give a little color with out being too busy? Thank you.

hiontekila, can we see the end result?