I don't I think I could be happy with that sink location so for me, painting the cabinets would not suffice. You say you need more storage room, where do you propose to find it? I also do not like that the kitchen is open to the front door.

Replace it. Get a few quotes and make sure you do your research. I think you'll be kicking yourself if you don't get what you want and what works for you now. After leaving a nice kitchen and being that this could be your forever home , I'm sure you won't regret it. If the cabinets are in good shape still, donate to Habitat for Humanity.

If I had the wherewithal to do the full reno, that would be my choice for a house I anticipated living in for a long time. Spending $6-7k just to make it look better doesn't seem worth it.

Hello, and thanks for your input. I was not crazy about the angled sink at first either, but completely changing the whole layout of the kitchen would add an even bigger expense that we just did not feel was worth it, and I really liked that it was open to the living area. As far as storage, I would take the cabinets to the ceiling, and am also adding a built-in china cabinet on the other side behind the table that you cannot see from the first pictures. I will also be getting rid of some things!

Ranmarie, thanks! I'm glad the price seems reasonable. I will get a couple of other quotes, I guess I just somehow expected it would not be quite so much given how much I have paid in the past during previous, larger remodels. And absolutely I will be donating, or selling everything. I hate waste!

Looks like a home with great bones! The kitchen is not so terrible that it would deter me from purchasing an otherwise great home. However, I am such a visual person that I would paint the cabinets and get new countertop with under-mount sink. Then, I'd save for however long in order to do the full kitchen reno. The kitchen is the heart of the home and has a large impact on the overall feel/design of the home. With your kitchen being viewed from the front door, seems this is even more true.

Seeing the kitchen from this angle helps. I would also (again, my opinion) make the counter flat, no raised bar, and possibly angle the corner so it echoes the line of the sink. The corner space behind the sink seems so useless the way it is. The larger expanse of one height counter is so nice for entertaining, baking, and being able to converse with people in the next room.

I love your plan to add a built in on the other side, that will be wonderful for storage.

It looks like a beautiful home. If you can swing it, I'd go ahead a do the complete remodel. You'll always wish you had.

Is there a master BR and bath on the 1st floor? With all those stairs I do not see this as a forever home.

Yes, there's a lovely master and master bath on the first. PS, I'm 36yo... I sure hope to handle those stairs for at least 30 more years!

Laura, my contractor had the same idea- dropping the bar to regular height. My concern however was with the view from the family room and front door. As clean as I am, sometimes the sink area just isn't pretty and the bar help hide that.

Beautiful house. I would replace the kitchen. Five years from now you'll not remember the 20K, but if you don't remodel now, it will be bothering you all time

I too find the cabinets workable. I'd either paint the cabinets white or stain them a richer color. Replace the counters with stone and go for an under mount sink. And instead of spending money on cabinets, upgrade the appliances based on how you cook. Without lots of kids at home, are you really going to be cooking a lot?? Again on storage, downsizing means getting rid of what you don't use and simplifying your lifestyle - embrace the concept and enjoy your beautiful home. Loose the red walls. Too agitating of a color first thing in the morning.

I agree with bellburgmaggie - invest in the appliances, paint the cabinets and wall, get an undermount sink and then see how you feel about it.

OK, I did not see the fluorescent lights nor the microwave over the stove. You have my blessing to gut if need be. Whoever thought it a good idea to put a microwave over a stove top with a cheesy venting system should noodle flogged.

Assumed "downsizing" meant you were older. Guess not. At 36 I'd gut & remodel

To do a full kitchen remodel would be an expense that you are unwilling to take on. You can do a lot with paint, cabinet hardware, and counter tops. Even a new sink, faucet and appliances;... And install lighting fixtures that suit the style and era of your home, as quality of light in the room, along with color, will make all of the difference in the world! Sorry, you are stuck with the layout!

Yes, we are a bit of an oddity... in our 30s, just had our 2nd kid, and feel overwhelmed by a big house (4000sf with 1.5 acres & pool) and big stuff. So we're just doing the downsize part early! Thanks everyone. Lots of great things to consider.

I would paint the walls and get a new, prettier counter top, sink, faucet and hardware.

I kind of like the kitchen. however I'm curious this house looks large to me, wonder what this was a downsize from :)

Well... $20k was apparently too good to be true, and when we went to sign paperwork, were surprised with another $10k in labor. So needless to say we cancelled! But we think it was a blessing in disguise, as we were a little uncomfortable ripping out perfectly good cabinets anyway, not to mention over-investing in the house. So we decided to paint the cabinets white, replace the countertop, switch to stainless steel appliances, and still put in a new dining hutch on the other side behind the dining room table. We will post pictures when it's done! Thanks for everyone's input. =)

$20K for a new kitchen in a house you'll live in forever sounds like a darned good deal to me. I'd do it. I also left behind a fabulous now kitchen for a tiny old one, and I've hated it for the last 4.5 years. Can't wait to replace!

It's such a small area. If you paint white cabinets it might look more cohesive to keep the white appliances.

Just remodeled my kitchen to a theme being all white and would like to send a couple picture of the outcome just to kinda share ideas. Lights were mounted under cabinets and inside the glass covered cabinets with glass shelves. I would use the same cabinet and replace some of them to glass and add white lights. I would add more recess lights, under mount sink and new counter tops.

Zai, thank you, and your kitchen is gorgeous!

Here is the before & after. We are thrilled with the results, and used the leftover money from painting-vs-replacing the cabinets to put new countertops in both bathrooms, and also change out a few lights. We also made a last minute change to replace a small section with floating shelves (thanks to a perfectly timed Houzz email), and are thrilled with how that turned out, both in look and functionality. And with the addition of the china hutch, we ended up with much more storage than we needed! Thanks so much for your feedback! It now feels like an upgrade from our old house, despite being half the size!

It looks gorgeous!

Looks great. I'm glad you got rid of the red walls. I had red walls in my old kitchen and it was double the size I had now( I'm also mid 30's and we left a 3700 sq ft home for 2600 sq ft but it felt small just because of the red and maple colored cabinets! I now have white cabinets with gray walls -- so happy we downsized not because we were sick of the space but we moved to a more expensive neighborhood for the school system and we could only afford this much sq footage. Anyway -- I was going to say $20k for kitchen is nothing, we paid that for appliances alone but whatever you did to save and get the kitchen you are happy with is the best way to go! Congrats on your beautiful kitchen! I love the hutch addition. I might have to steal that idea ;)

stunning.

The kitchen is stand alone gorgeous and yet flows so well with the rest of your home --Flawless job!

Congratulations on the new kitchen...and home!

Rebecca, do you feel a bottlenose effect in your kitchen? we are building a house with a very similar kitchen style and am thinking of changing it.

You have such a beautiful home. I'm jealous. I think you will regret it if u paint the cabinets and get a new countertop. If this is possibly your forever home-deal with it for now but get some quotes. You deserve a kitchen you LOVE.

Looks wonderful!

You did a wonderful job! Looks very serene and much improved.

Hi Nikki. Thank you! As for the layout, I wasn't sure about it at first because the angled sink does cause some loss of functionality, and I prefer an exterior view, but it totally works for us. We debated removing that entire section by the sink and putting in an island instead with access from either side, but the cost of changing that would have been very high, and I think it would have felt just as crowded. It really hasn't felt like a bottleneck at all, even when all 4 of us are in there. I also have grown to like the angle of the sink - you can't tell from the picture, but it faces the family room and TV, so I can either watch the TV or my family (the latter of which is much better than anything going on outside!). It looks like your floor plan will be similar. So think of it this way - how would you change it and what would be your new view? Good luck! I swear remodel decisions were the most agonizing of my entire life!

the sink faces the living room and large windows with a view. I thought it might be cramped also if the fridge was open but realistically most places you can't walk by in that situation. I thought we could swap it with the dining area as well.

Honestly, I like the before a lot better. You know, when it actually had color.

Rebecca, your new house looks warm and inviting. I love the colors of the new kitchen with the added lighting. May I ask what under cabinet lighting you chose? Yours look like sparkling gems! Thank you.

You are young, replace it to work for your next 50 years.

Gorgeous-what a beautiful improvement. The white with the blue paint makes everything look clean and modern. And the hutch is beautiful too!