I totally sympathize! Lived in lots of rented spaces, some awful. Latest before I bought my house had a PeptoBismol toilet and sink. I was there several years, and it was worth it to change them out for minimal cost as I totally redid the bathroom (painted walls & ceiling, new stick-on flooring).

The photos look like the kitchen is dark. Painting it a light color, white or cream (with those tan cabinets, cream might mesh better) will crisp it up and brighten. Floors don't look too bad. If that Star Trek extension is detachable with a minimal of work, and you have a place to store it, that would be easily replaced on vacating the premises.

If you went with the cream/tan cabinet scheme, it leaves you open to add color accessories, but a really ugly kitchen works better with a minimal of clutter. Some Amerindian rugs and perhaps a rolling butcher block island for extra prep area. Good Luck!

Don't feel too bad, I've lived with way worse kitchens than that! I like the suggestions so far...I'd be tempted to go white for a clean look and infuse the space with bright colours (think orange, apple green, sunny yellow, etc.) via accesories. New hardware on the cabinets will make a dramatic change and can be fairly inexpensive. In regards to the peninsula, I feel that if you can't hide an element why not make it stand out? So I might be tempted to paint it out a fun coordinating colour and like bepsf said, use it as a breakfast nook. Anyhow, whatever you do it will be an improvement. When renting I always take my budget that I want to spend, divide it by how many months I think I will be there and then decide if it is worth it. Hey, at least your appliances are all the same colour!!

The kitchen looks dark. Are you allow to paint the cabinets? If so, I would paint them white or an off white color to brighten the space. Home Depot carries a paint called Cabinet Rescue, it's great. It comes in white only, but it can be tinted, I had mine tinted in elegant ivory. You could get some handles for the cabinet doors for $2 or $3 a piece. There is no reason to have a drop ceiling that looks like that anymore.Check this website www.ceilume.com/drop-ceiling-tiles.cfm
Good luck.

I forgot about the Starship Enterprise (I'm a trekkie). It looks like it can be easily removed, and replaced with a small rolling kitchen island.

I can certainly relate. Assuming you cannot paint the cabinets, paint the inside of them, the landlord won't ding you for that it's an improvement. You'll feel better when you open the cabs that they're brighter inside. Paint the walls white maybe slightly tinted gray and paint the ceiling tiles that look stained. Pop of color such as orange or turquoise for accents and retro chairs (white and chrome) for the peninsula. Spend the money on new window covering too. Declutter the counters too. Bathroom: If you're going to live there 2 years +, you can get a low flo toilet for a decent price and a sink as well. Hope this helps.

I'm going to assume a couple things. First, since you're renting, that you'd like to spend as little money as possible. Second, that the photos were taken as you were moving in because of all the boxes and stuff in the photos, so the photos are not entirely representative of how you're living in the space now. Okay. Definitely declutter the countertops; keep as little as possible on them. You've probably already done that as you moved in. Paint the walls and bulkhead over the cabinets to match the cabinets so it kind of hides them, or at least a lighter shade of the same color. I think the red on the shelf really pops, so I would try to find some cool Eames-type modern chairs of the same color for around the peninsula (which I think is really not so bad, by the way - I've lived with worse) but they're kind of pricey, so maybe find some flea market wooden chairs and paint them red. Make it your "gathering" place where you'll sit to drink your morning coffee and read the paper, share a snack with friends, keep your spouse/roommate company while he/she is cooking. Keep some pretty placemats and napkins there, salt and pepper, etc. Find some cool curtains that also pick up the red for that nice big window. This might blow the budget, but in my mind's eye I keep seeing a big bold red Kitchen-Aid mixer on that counter! Or some red enameled pots on the stove. If you don't care for the red, I could definitely see some bold gold, orange or green there. The ceiling? Paint it or replace it. Seems to me that those tiles wouldn't be too expensive, but then I have no experience with dropped ceiling. Okay, this is kind of stream-of-consciousness here. How about hanging some beautiful tiles along the wall? Since you can't actually apply tile there, kind of fake the look by hanging them somehow? (I don't know exactly how... put them in little frames? group them in frames?) I love the decorative hand-painted Mission tiles from Solistone (best price from Home Depot)

Check these out: http://www.solistone.com/mission_pattern.shtml

Thanks everyone! The plan right now, at least for the next five minutes, is to remove the peninsula and paint the cabinets white. We're thinking of painting the kitchen a grassy green, just to add some wit and fun to it, while brightening it up. The counters are now de-cluttered (@chocolate365 you were right) and we're figuring it out. We are going to tile the back wall (by the sink, up to and including the wall behind the stove) in subway tile and just deal if the owners get mad. We're in a mode of...how mad can they get? We're making it that much better!

Add a woven shade over the sink...you may be able to get a ready made one in the right size at a home improvement store or target...it will add texture and sophistication....

It's good if you can paint the cabs, otherwise you could remove some of the doors for open shelving with colorful and practical kitchen accessories. You could also make a temporary backsplash using beadboard cut to fit. I woud say paint the ceiling clean white and ad a light fixture with good bulbs, in fact that is the most important thing next to paint. Also put something in fabric or bamboo shades for the window. All this can be removed if the landlord wishes.

Go with the vibe of the weird peninsula and do kind of a cool 60's retro feel with chairs around it. Do paint the cupboards white and change out the hardware. Keep clutter to a total minimum.

@chocolate365: The tiles on the backsplash is a great idea, if greenbush decides not to tile the whole thing. Items like tiles, plates, framed photos etc. can easily be attached to a wall with 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips. They are essentially velcro strips that can be safely removed from the wall without damaging it. I have a bunch of framed 8x10 photos in my kitchen in that open space under the cabinets and the 3M stuff holds them up no problem. They add interest and texture to an otherwise uninspired space.

Because its a rental I would skip painting the cabinets unless the landlord will give you $ off your rent for your time/materials. I would remove the starship! Stash it under the bed and either add a rolling card (you can take this with you and use it somewhere) or make your own straight peninsula which you can remove before you leave and hopefully use in your laundry area or basement of your next house!

1. Remove the island and replace it with a portable one or different top that can be removed later.
2. Add cabinet hardware and see how it looks before painting the cabinets.
3. Add a mosaic piece (like a picture so you can remove it later) behind the stove.
4. Add a simple, modern valance or shade above the sink.
5. Replace the sink faucet with a modern upscale one.
6. Declutter the counters.

As a landlord, I would just caution you about doing anything too outlandish without checking first. Not sure if that is wood veneer on the cabinets, but I would check with LL first to make sure its ok. It looks like LL may have redone floors, so they may really like this kitchen as it is. You should use good quality finishes unless this is a slumlord who truly doesn't care (and it doesn't seem like it). You have to live with this for as long as you live there. LL has to live with it a lot longer.

Hey guys,
Well, here's a slightly updated photo. We've removed the peninsula, painted the walls and trim, and have started the cabinets. We are in the process of deciding between ceiling tiles or spending the money elsewhere, and we are using subway tile behind the stove (at first) and ideally along the whole back wall. We are buying some inexpensive under cabinet lights for extra lighting, and putting in a different ceiling fan. We're struggling with the countertops right now, which were painted (seemingly 8 times), and are shooting for butcher block. But just so you know, we have full support from the landlord. Maybe when we finish, and start on the bathrooms, I'll ask for your help there, too! thanks for all the great advice, and feel free to shoot over anything else that comes to mind.

Good for you that LL supports your painting etc. It's coming along nicely. For a nice pop. Change the all switchplates to be white or even whimsical. Also, paint the door frames that have really nice detail not seen in modern homes. If you're able to do do hardware, go with the style of the house and choose something not so modern. Even with butcherblock counters, get lots of cutting boards. Even after you do the initial treatment with oil, you'll need to lighlty sand and oil them throughout the years to keep them sanitary. Inexpensively, you could go with the better grade of formica, or go in for pre-fab granite and ask the LL for rent discount over a few months to offset half the cost. The granite can be less $ than Silestone. Prime and paint the ceiling tiles white.

Nice work! I second what tmnicol says, altho I would go w/ the Taymac Masque paintable wall plates, available at Home Depot. They will really disappear. (You can see one on my photo above.) Countertops are tough because it's hard to do them inexpensively. I would also agree that you should prime and paint the ceiling tiles. I have seen it done in a dark color (to match wenge trim) and it looked very good. The dark made the little holes less obvious, but that may not work for you. You might want to consider using a 50% or 25% version of your wall color to keep in that same family but lighter.

As a landlord and owner of a ugly kitchen in my own house: tell the landlord you'll do the work if they supply the material (excluding elect and plumbing). As a landlord I'd jump at that - get my place fixed up mean more $$$ down the road in rental.

I love the idea of a mobile island. If your landlord wants to keep it then you skip a months rent or something! I am dying to get the one in the attached photo. My husband wants us to get something more permanent from the same company (www.craft-art.com) but I want either this cart or a DIY wood countertop that you just apply oil to once every 2-4 years.

The renter thing really does complicate it - good luck!

<a href= http://http://store.craft-art.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=35&pg=1/>And Here is a DIY countertop option - very cheap, very high quality but permanent</a>

The pic is from here:<a href= http://store.craft-art.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=32&pg=1/>Mobile Kitchen Cart option</a>

sarahomeremodel: Have you thought about Catskill islands, work centers? wheels / no wheels. storage and many sizes and styles to choose from.
http://www.catskillcraftsmen.com/

I actually did look at those and even a Boos one. I decided I really wanted one with the Tung Oil Finish and the only one that has that was Craft Art (do you know any others by chance?). They don't have as wide of a selection in terms of designs for the carts was my one hesitation. Because it's going to really be for a wet bar/ocassional buffet service/party piece, I really need something waterproof. So waterproof-ness won out over variety of designs for me in this case. I really liked the simple, upscale look. I don't want the same one that everyone has (everyone and every restaurant!).

Though I normally choose fashion over function, this time I chose function.. but I do like the fashion of it too : ) Plus, who can resist that Zebrawood! Are there others who use Tung Oil and cool/exotic woods?

I think you can use toungue oil on any wood counter. It just takes lots of layering but may be worth it. However, the cart you chose looks like it would be more practical in relation to your time oiling it.
I have tung oil finishes on the wood counters in my kitchen. I used 7 layers initially. I have added a couple more in the past 2 years to refresh the finish because I do a lot of breadmaking on the counter. I tested the finish by leaving a small pool of red wine on the counter overnight. In the morning it wiped off with no residual effect. I found below:

Tung oil gives that "glossy, warm, amber lustre" you are seeking.

Hi everyone.
Thought I'd post the FINAL before and after pics. Thanks to everyone for all their help. It turns out the financial end of constantly updating a house we may not stay in forever is not in our "budget." So there have been coats of paint, and a lot of compromise. Actually love the kitchen a lot more now than the awful turquoise we thought was a good idea 9 months ago. The kitchen now at least feels serene and calm, and as finished as it will likely be for now. A new rug is on the way, and now we move on to the upstairs bath!

First photo is the "before." Basically, at that time, we'd just removed the weird island, painted the walls turquoise, and hung some art. We had started the cabinets but sadly...life got in the way.

The second photo is what it looks like now. Simply grey and blanched pine white. The lighting isn't great, but should give you some good ideas. Thanks again for all the ideas!

Wow!! What an amazing improvement! Thanks so much for the update. It looks great.